Chemistry

Chapter 10: Confessions

It was the end of the school day when Daniel held the door to his truck open for Tiara. Again,  people stood from a distance to watch the pair. Tiara closed her door trying to figure out what these people were trying to figure out. They were a group of females this time and they had a scowl-ish look on their face. Daniel normally got into the drivers' side and started the truck.

"Am I being targeted?" Tiara asked staring back at the girls through the window.

Daniel chuckled. "Probably."

Tiara turned to face him. "I didn't know you had fans," she grinned.

"Yeah," Daniel replied backing out of the school parking lot. "they only come out when they see me with another girl though. They hibernate until 'envy season'."

Tiara laughed. "You seem like a real ladies' man."

"I'm a lady's man," Daniel corrected. "I only treat one lady like a queen. And that's the one that's mine."

Tiara smiled at Daniel's sincerity. 

"Your car doesn't smell like weed today, " she stated smiling.

"Guess who I didn't have to pick up?"

Tiara giggled. Daniel reached up to turn the radio's volume up. A song called 'Even if it Breaks Your Heart' instantly filled the car. Tiara immediately recognized it. "You listen to country?"

"Uh- yeah. I'll change it if you want me to," Daniel answered in sort of an ashamed way. He reached to change the station but Tiara abruptly stopped him.

"No," she said grabbing his arm to stop him. "I listen to country music too."

"Really?" Daniel asked in disbelief.

Tiara laughed. "It's hard to believe because I'm black, right?"

"Yeah- well, no. I mean it's just-," Daniel sighed and attempted to restart. "A lot of people at our school hate country music. I seriously thought I was the only one that actually liked country music."

Tiara nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Same here."

"Everybody around here is all about rap or pop."

"I hate rap," Tiara replied.

"What?! Rap is life, Tiara!"

"Your favorite rapper is Eminem, isn't it," Tiara stated more than asked with a smirk.

"It's cause I'm white," Daniel coughed. "No, actually, my favorite rapper is J. Cole."

Tiara nodded in approval. "I like him too. He's probably the only rapper I'd listen to."

"As long as you like J. Cole, I'm fine," Daniel smirked. 

The rest of the car ride to the lake was a silent one. Tiara too deep in thought to hold a conversation, and Daniel could see that. So he proceeded to simply let her think, although he wanted so badly to ask her what she was thinking about. But he decided against it as he pulled unto the grassy plantation that surrounded a big wide lake.

"Wow," Tiara softly spoke in awe as she unbuckled her seat belt. She stepped out of the car onto a a grassy field of dandelions and daisies. "It's so pretty," she whispered.

Daniel grabbed his and Tiara's books and closed the car door behind him. "You've never been here before?"

Tiara shook her head as she scoped out the environment. "Never."

Daniel smirked and used his free hand to grab Tiara's. He led her to a spot underneath a big tree and they sat against it. Shoulder to shoulder. "Before my parents got divorced, my family used to come down here to fish and just...relax all the time. Now since my dad got remarried and all, we haven't done it in awhile."