Chemistry

Chapter 21: An Unexpected Proposal

"Oh. F*ck," was the only thing Daniel could think that Monday morning after the lady over the intercom had made the announcement about the homecoming dance. "Craaap," he said to himself as he slid down into his desk.

"Mr. Lehman, please sit up straight and do your work," the ISS director commanded. Daniel had now regretted choosing the desk dead in the front-center of the classroom. That man could spot every move he'd make if he wanted to from where he was sitting. There were four other students spread out in the desks behind him, just sitting there; staring down at their work. 

Daniel barely had any work to do. The director gave him his work by period. So whenever he was finished with his first period work, he'd give him his second period's. Organized and simple. 

But the reason why Daniel was slumping down in his desk so desperately was because he had forgotten that homecoming was so close. He hadn't spoken to Tiara in what felt like forever, and he might not ever again for a while. With him being locked up in ISS all day, and without a phone, there was no possible way to get in touch with Tiara. He feared that the next time they talked, she'd reveal that she's going with someone else. Or worse, that she's going with Brandon. Daniel flinched at the thought. He sat up and stared down at is Geometry work, just so the director could get off of his back. But his mind stayed on trying to conjure up a plan.

He glanced at the clock. It read 8:35. Daniel sighed in annoyance. He'd only been sitting in that bland, white room for five minutes, but it felt like an eternity.

But that sigh turned into a smile when he suddenly thought of an idea. He'd just ask to go to the bathroom as soon as the bell for fourth lunch rings. From there, he'll find Tiara, and solve things out. Piece of cake.

____________________________________________________________

"You got chosen to play in the Macon Symphony?!" Anna barked in disgust. She leaned forward into Tiara's ear, clutching the neck of her cello in envious anger.

Tiara froze in the middle of her warming up, and out of the side of her eye, looked at the now tomato-red girl. "... Yeah. So?"

"You know as well as I do that I should've been the one picked,"  Anna harshly whispered, pushing her circular glasses higher up the bridge of her nose. Tiara, indeed, did know that Anna should've been chosen. It was inevitable. Anna had been playing the cello since she was six-years-old. She could memorize sheet music (even when it wasn't necessary) in less than 30 minutes. She could even hear a song a few times, and play it back almost perfectly. So the fact that Tiara was chosen over Anna, not only shocked Anna herself, but also Tiara. But hey, she wasn't complaining. "I will be talking to Mr. Hemingsway about this."

"That's fine," Tiara replied turning back around in her chair. She had too much going on to be worrying about Anna the Nonfactor.

"Jones, I swear if you end up taking my dream from me," Anna said with clenched teeth. But Anna's threat was quickly drowned away by the humming of Tiara's cello.

____________________________________________________________

Daniel sat in his desk, his left bouncing from nervousness. Second period would end in twenty minutes, and Daniel tried to think of a thousand different ways to apologize in case Tiara happened to be plotting his death.

Plus, he couldn't wait to see the outside of those four walls. He felt trapped. Like an adulterer who had just heard his wife say from the doorway, "Honey, I'm home!".

"Get up," the ISS director commanded lifting a light brown satchel up off his desk. Daniel awkwardly turned around to see what the other kids were doing. He didn't know what was going on. But the other kids stood and lined up at the door like it was their daily routine, so Daniel did the same.