Danny and Riley: Childhood Stories-A Baby Daddy Fanfiction

Chapter 10: Age 14

"And if you're in love you are the lucky one

'Cause most of us are bitter over someone

Setting fire to our insides for fun

To distract our hearts from ever missing them

But I'm forever missing him"

It's a warm summer day. The sun scathes skin, and the only thing that can help against the scorching heat is shadow and ice cream.

Luckily, Danny and Riley have both in their treehouse.

They've been eating Ben&Jerry's baked Alaska for a good half hour now, and the contents of the box is all but melted now.

The wooden floor beneath them is scattered with flower petals. They basically create a white circle around Riley, as if she were a Godess being offered flowers as a gift.

Seeing her in that white flowery dress--the short in the front and long in the back type that Danny can't remember the name of--makes Danny question if she just might be something more than human, like an angel. Her golden locks are tied into a messy bun, which is ready to fall apart at any moment.

"He loves me. He love me not. He loves me. He loves me not," Riley chants over and over again.

She rips the petals off of flowers with each sentence. They fall like feathers, swaying back and forth before laying peacefully on the ground. 

Danny might find the gesture romantic or sweet, if only it is for him.

Just as usual, he's left sitting on the sidelines, watching as the only girl he's ever wanted pines after his brother. it's a twisted scenario, but he isn't sure how to change it, so he lives with it, day after day.

But for some reason, today is different.

He's not sure why or how, but all of a sudden he's realised that life isn't like a movie. Riley isn't just going to wake up one day and run into his arms. Even though the two of them are perfect for each other, he knows it might not be enough.

It's like the light at then end of the tunnel finally went dim, leaving him with no hope.

Danny feels suffocated, and he can't tell if it's because he's going to be stuck in this spot with Riley forever or if it's just the summer heat.

The worst thing is that he knows Riley and him are meant to be, somewhere deep down he knows that it's meant to happen, but just because something is meant to be or supposed to doesn't mean that  that cruel world has to obliged by those rules.

Even the flowers are telling Riley that she's meant to be with him. She's been picking dozens of flowers, and each on of them is telling her that Ben doesn't love her.

If only she were to ask about Danny.

Even though he knows that he shouldn't, Danny lets the hopeless thoughts consume him, making him think about his life in the future, living alone and watching as his best friend lives on without him, still in love with her.

It's funny how it's so much easier to slip into bad thoughts, thinking about your deepest fears, than it is to imagine a perfect future.

A sigh escapes from Riley's mouth as she finishes yet another flower. "He doesn't love me," she says gloomily.

This time she doesn't pick up another, but rather she looks at her best friend. Her eyelashes touch the tip of her cheek and she leaves them closed. Her new mascara makes her eyes tired. It's also gloopyily applied, but Danny didn't want to mention it.

"Why doesn't he love me?" she asks in all seriousness.

Danny tries to ignore the question. For some reason he knows that he'll hurt her if he says something, so he says nothing.

"No but really Danny. I saw him staring at me at school yesterday. I wasn't sure if it was a 'look at her she's so weird' stare or a 'I secretly like you' stare. Has he told you anything about me?"

Still trying to keep quiet, he rubs his fingers together to distract himself. Danny looks out the treehouse window, making sure not to look into Riley's big brown eyes.

"Danny, are you okay?"

"Can we talk about something else?" he asks.

A beat.

Riley lifts herself up with grace and slowly walks towards him. With each step her dress flows elegantly, rising and falling likes flames in a fire.

"Why?" Her voice is soft, like a mother speaking to a baby.

"Because all I ever do is listen to you talk about my brother. It's Ben this and Ben that. I miss having proper conversations with you, about, about, well about anything really. We can talk about the weather for all you want, but I just can't stand the constant talking about Ben."

I never meant for the words to come out, but they they. I didn't mean for them to hurt either. Actually, my mind tried to find the least hurtful words before saying them, but of course they still hurt. How could they not?

They just stare at each other, trying to take in the moment.

"I'm sorry that I've been talking about the same thing," she says, taking a long deep breath before continuing, "but--but--I guess that's just what happens when you're in love" The last part comes out quickly, like an arrow shooting into Danny's heart. 

It just happened. No matter how much he wished that it didn't. Danny can't pretend like what Riley feels is just a silly crush that will pass. It's real, and she's in love with him.

She's in love with him.

He can't even thing about those words, let alone say them out loud.

It hurts too much.

"I have to go," he says.

And with one quick movement, he was gone, climbing down the steps and back into his room.

A/N: So there it is, another chapter. I know that I haven't been updating as much, but I haven't felt as inspired as before, not really sure why, but I heard the song "Youth" by Daughter and I just needed to write these.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed and if you did leave a comment and a like maybe?