Friday Night Tutor

Chapter 20

                  

Chapter 20

                I jog downstairs, securing Danny's flannel around my waist. I inspect myself in the floor length mirror adjacent to the stairs. The weathers only gotten worse over the last few weeks. Gone are the days of crop tops and shorts. I tuck the hem of my black long sleeved sweater into my black jeans and peek out of the window beside the front door making sure Danny hasn't arrived yet even though I know I'm early. I can hear Mom, Dad and Lissa shuffling around upstairs. Since Danny started picking me up, I wake up and get down earlier than them most mornings.

                I make a beeline for the cereal cupboard and choose the most sugary one I can find. After pouring myself a generous amount, I grab a cup of coffee and hop up onto one of the barstools along the island in the centre of the kitchen and eat my breakfast in silence contemplating the events of last night.

                Audrey had texted me at 3AM telling me that Teddy had snuck out of her room in the middle of the night to meet Eli in her front yard. Audrey had said she watched the pair from her brother's bedroom window, but couldn't hear the couple's hushed conversation. A spark of hope had ignited in my chest as I read her message until Audrey went on to explain that from the looks of Eli's face and Teddy's rigid back, the conversation hadn't gone too well. Apparently Eli had stalked off into the night again, leaving poor Teddy standing dumbstruck on the lawn until Audrey had to go down to retrieve her and take her back to bed.

                How had this happened? Why would Eli sleep with Claire of all people? It just didn't make sense. He is so in love with Teddy.

                 I take a deep breath, attempting to calm the knot of nerves that had taken up residence in my stomach since last night. My anxiety has been pretty dormant over the last few months, so when it flared last night I was so surprised at the almost foreign, yet all too familiar feeling that all remnants of sleep had left me. My sleeplessness then turned into restlessness when Audrey texted me. I had given up on trying to sleep soon after and padded over to Eden to do some late night reading. I had just posted a picture on Snapchat when Danny called asking why I was awake. Eventually I had gone back to bed – after being ordered by Daniel – and had fallen asleep to the sound of his light breathing over the phone, the days boxing match playing quietly in the background.

                I'm jolted out of my thoughts as my ringtone pierces the silence of my large kitchen. I answer it without looking, already knowing who it is. "Ready?" Danny asks.

                "Coming," I simply reply before hanging up and dumping my bowl in the sink. I frown, my mind clouded with negative thoughts as I make my way to the front door. I pull on my customary black boots and stumble a little when a strong wind knocks back the front door as soon as I open it. I grin when I see Danny's motorbike parked in front of the fountain. We've been using the car a lot more lately because of the rain. I hadn't realised how much I had missed the bike until now. I'm thankful for my glasses for protecting my eyes against the strong winds as I make my way over to Danny whose leaning against his motorcycle, helmet resting on the seat behind him. His hair whips around in the wind, plastering against his face, his grin partly concealed by the usually neatly styled curly mess.

"Morning," he says, pushing off the bike and hugging me. He plants a kiss on my temple, lingering like he usually does when we're not in front of other people. I lean into him, and the heat his body provides in these crazy winds.

"Good morning," I say, moving his hair away from his face. My smile turns into a frown when I take his face in, "how have we had the exact amount of sleep, yet you still look like..."