Wilted

Chapter 7

The only ray of sunshine that shone on Daisy's life was Jayden. Unfortunately the sunshine doesn't belong to her anymore. Every passing day pushed Daisy a step closer towards long herself in her utter madness, thanks to her capricious mind. If bearing Jayden and Sophie's hushed PDA wasn't enough then surviving Mr Wright's unpredictable wrath was cherry on top. Daisy's only form on solace was being close to Jayden. But apparently his mere presence drives her away now.

"Daisy..!" A familiar hoarse voice stops her solitary walk towards her next class. She recognizes it to be Jayden but pays no heed and proceeds to walk. She's promptly held back by a hand holding onto her bicep. A firm but gentle hold. Jayden pulls her to face him and noticed the curtain of her hair covering her beautiful plump face.

"Look at me Daisy bee." He pleads, lowering his head to get a glimpse of the girl's features.
She looks at him through her lashes in a timid but questioning gaze.

"What's the matter Daisy? You've been avoiding me the whole week...ever since that day. I felt you might've needed your space but you're just completely cutting me off. What's the matter?" Daisy now raises her head and looks at him straight in the eye.

'I didn't want to bother you.' She signs.

"Bothe- what? Bother me? Bother me how, Daisy? You're my fucking best friend. What makes you feel all this?"

'I'm you're best friend? Then why haven't you told me about your little secret?' Jayden's eyes widen before he shakes his head.

"So you've been avoiding me because I didn't tell you about me and Soph?"

He's even got a nickname for her.

'Yes.' She bows her head.

"But...this was our  decision. She didn't want to go public yet. You know how everyone's gonna start talking about us all the time them. The soccer captain and the cheerleader blah blah blah. We didn't want any of that."

Daisy shuts her eyes and sighs before shaking her head.

What is she even doing? How is she even going to explain all the things that goes on her mind.

'Nothing Jay. I'm sorry I ignored you, but I'm getting late for class.'

"It's your free hour Daisy, you have no class now."

He pulls her closer to his chest urging her to crane her neck up and look at him in the eye.

"Look Daisy, it's killing me that you're avoiding me. The worst part is I don't even know what I did wrong. You aren't telling what the problem is. Whatever it is that I did I'm sorry but I cannot take it anymore. I wanna go back to the days when we were friends. Please, just tell me what's bothering you, I'm sure we can come up with something."

Daisy looks down at his chest with quivering lips and blurry eyes. It's no fault of Jayden that he doesn't see Daisy the way she does. He doesn't even know about her feelings. She realized how unfair she was being to the only person who cared about her.

'I'm sorry Jay.' She tears up.

"Hey hey don't cry! I didn't say all that to make you cry, please don't cry Daisy bee." He pulled her into a bear hug, protecting her from realms of the cruel world.

"I just....can't figure out what pissed you off so much."

It's your little secret relationship, Jay.

' I'm really sorry for being mean, Jay. I just wasn't in a good place at the time. And you felt the need to hide your little secret from me aggravated it even more.'

"I would've told you if it was concerning just me. But Soph was in the picture too, if she wanted this to be a secret, I had to respect that."

'I know, I understand.' She sniffles.

"So are we good..? I know it is a dumb question but I don't want us to be in bad terms, Daisy. You are my best friend." He proceeds to hug her. Daisy could not contain her emotions any longer and  broke down in his arms.

'I love you, Jayden.' she traces over his back. A soft smile tugs at the corners of his lips and he pulls her closer.

"I love you too, Daisy. So much. I can't imagine a day without you." she lets a disappointed sigh and cherishes his warmth till it lasts. However, to her despair, he pulls away all the while holding her close. He cups her face and brings his face closer so that their foreheads are touching.

"You look like a chipmunk from this angle." he murmurs which earns him a smack from the girl. he chuckles at her puffed up angry face before kissing her forehead.

"Please don't pull such a stunt with me next time, Daisy. I swear I will skin you alive if you do."

'I promise.' she signs.

In the end of the day, she had to accept that Jayden belonged to someone else. Someone that was not her.

***

"I am so glad everything is back to normal again." Sophie claps happily as she side hugs Daisy who was seated next to her in the diner in a stiff position. Jayden notices her awkwardness but couldn't comfort her because Sophie thought it was best for the girls to bond by sitting next to each other.

"What would you like to have, Daisy?" He asks with a soft smile resting on his face.

'Anything would do.' She looks down at the backpack resting on her lap.

"Why don't you give me the bag I can place it here." He points to the empty space beside him. Daisy shyly shakes her heads hoping to get over with this predicament as soon as possible. Jayden lets out a sad sigh.

"Sweety I think the chilli here is pretty good, we should try it out." Sophie meekly attempts to cut the tension in the table.

"Yeah I will have whatever you are having." He mumbles petulantly, not in the mood for anything.

"Alright! What about you, Daisy?"

'Same.' She signs.

"Great! I'll just go to the washroom real quick, would you please place the order, baby?" he nods before eyeing a sulking Daisy through his lashes.

"I am sorry if Soph is making you uncomfortable. She is just wild most of the times, doesn't shut her mouth." He chuckles at his girl's description.

'It's alright, she is a sweetheart.'

"Then why have you been rolling your eyes after every sentence that comes out of her mouth?" he smirks at her starstruck face.

'No I did not'

"Yes you do. Don't think I haven't noticed you giving my girl the stink eye." He teases. Daisy fists the ends of her dress, her breathing becoming heavy.

'This is way harder than I thought.' She wonders. So she did what she was best at.

She ran.

Again.