The Nerd has a Secret (GxG)

Chapter Ten

C H A P T E R T E N
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D A R R E N

Darren frowned, staring at his phone with a small grimace as he tried to make sense of everything running through his head. Skipping school wasn't unusual for him, but today was different from others. Today he was shopping, and shopping at a bookstore, nonetheless. There was, after all, a particular event coming up that he needed to prepare for, that event being his sister's birthday.

Shopping for Dylan had always been easy in the past. Buy her new parts for her gear, or booze, or cigarettes, or underwear (the last being a strange gift for a brother to give his sister, but she always had a habit of loosing it at other girls' houses for reasons obvious to anyone who knew her). But with their current...living situations, of course, it would be difficult, because he wasn't getting anything for Dylan Brookes, but Danielle Blake. If he were to get her something, it would need to be something that wouldn't be suspicious, especially coming from someone who most definitely was not her brother. So, a book or two it was. He wanted to buy her something for expensive, but he also had to keep their relationship in mind, and if he bought her an entire bookstore people would talk.

"Hey, Darren!" A cheerful voice called out. Darren looked up from his phone, surprised to see Delilah rushing towards him. "What's up? You don't seem like the type who reads." Darren grinned. In fact, the opposite was true, though he usually enjoyed more...inappropriate or adult novels. Out of the two, it was Darren who was the book fanatic, not Dylan, even if their reading genres of choice were drastically different.

"I wasn't aware you were, either, dear," he replied. He felt his cheeks heat. "Shit, sorry. I am English, after all." Delilah giggled.

"No, don't be! It's cute! So why're you here, anyways?" She asked. Darren shrugged.

"Buyin' something for my friend's birthday," he replied vaguely. Delilah grinned.

"Oh? You don't seem like the gift-giving type either?" She said in a sing-song voice. "What's their name?" Darren chuckled.

"Ah, you've got it wrong. It's for Dyl-Danielle," he replied, stumbling in his words ever so slightly. Delilah frowned.

"What? It's her birthday?" Darren nodded.

"In a few days, yes. You're her friend, aren't you? Why didn't you know?" Delilah's frown grew, lips pouting in disappointment.

"No, I didn't. She doesn't talk much," she mumbled. "I'm actually here with her. She's picking over the non-fiction section." Darren chuckled.

"You think I should be searching there instead? Or should I try and find something else?" He flushed. "You're right, I'm not the type to give gifts. I'm not sure what to get her now."

"Ya know, I'm not sure either. You wanna go shopping this weekend?" Darren grinned.

"I'd like that, sure. Why don't I pay? I've got more money than I know what to do with." Delilah shook her head.

"No way, I'm on the wealthier side too." She glanced back, as if she were expecting Dylan to be there, before turning to Darren once more. "You know, she mentioned you went to school in England together, but she's never told me how you two became friends. You're pretty different from each other, you know?" Darren shrugged. Again, something she'd gotten wrong, but he couldn't hold it against her. Dylan his her true nature so well that sometimes even Darren forgot who she really was. Almost.