The Coward Meets Mr. Perfect (Meeting the Misters Book 1)

(17) My Unwanted Early Visitor

Chapter 17

I was walking next to Robin, with my arm wrapped through his elbow and he said something that I didn't really hear, but I laughed. We were on a bridge over a small stream frozen in winter, and it seemed like the snowflakes around us were frozen in mid-air, like everything was surreal.

And then all of a sudden, things went quickly into fast forward. The snow turned to rain that fell hard all around us, and all I was in was a small T-shirt and pyjama bottoms. I shivered and curled myself closer to the warm body next to mine.

Then I heard laughter and looked up to see Sharon in front of me. Somehow I was transported from the bridge to a streetside. Across the street was Sharon, and the person she was holding hands with was ... Robin.

But wasn't Robin with me? Didn't I have my arm wrapped around his elbow. I looked up into the face of the guy who I was next to.

It was Daniel, and his face unmercifully grim. I spoke, but what I said was muted. I couldn't say anything. Then, as if floating, he slowly drifted away from me. I clutched at him, but my hands passed right through him as he turned his back to me. From where I was, I saw him stop, but now it was me moving. Like a puppet, I was being pulled away against my will. As I saw him becoming smaller and smaller, he turned and looked at me with cold eyes, and on his arm was Anira but she was also looking at me with cold eyes.

Then they faded from my sight, and I was falling....falling faster and faster until-

-----

I screamed and sat upright in bed, breathing hard, a sheen of sweat dotted my forehead and I wiped it off right away with the back of my hand.

I heard lumbering footsteps headed to my room, and the next minute, Daddy burst through the door. "What's wrong?" He looked around quickly with wide, worried eyes. When he was sure everything was okay, his eyes landed on me. "Bad dream?"

I nodded, barely feeling my heartbeat returning to normal, and my breathing slowed and evened out. "I'm fine now."

My alarm chose just then to go off. Six-thirty on the dot. I slammed the snooze button.

Daddy looked at me for a minute. "Okay. I was just heading out the door." He pointed towards the door.

I nodded. "Okay. Have a good day at work." I smiled up at him.

He smiled back, said farewell and left.

After I heard the front door close, I stood up. My legs were a little shaky, but I was able to make my way to the bathroom. Once there, I looked at myself in the mirror. "What is going on with you?" I questioned, staring at myself for a couple more minutes before I turned on the faucet and splashed a handful of freezing cold water on my face, shocking away the rest of my sluggishness and gave me a clear mind.

After washing up, I walked back to my room, thinking of what to wear. As soon as I entered, my eyes found the clutter of bags. Right. I had new clothes to wear.

It was only then that I realized I had fallen asleep in my miniskirt and 'I Heart NY' outfit....and Daniel's jacket.

I took it off right away and rummaged through the bags of clothes, looking for my favorite outfit with the panda.

But I stumbled on the bag I had received from Anira. Inside the bag was an all-white box. Pulling it out, I took the lid off and gasped.

They were dark brown suede boots with cute little buckles on the side for fashion. And they weren't heels either.

I took one out and tried it on. They fit perfectly and reached mid-calf. How did she know my foot size?

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I looked up quickly, slightly confusing. Who could it possibly be?

Maybe it was daddy. Maybe he forgot something. I tugged off the boot and walked to the door. Just before I reached it, the doorbell went off repeatedly.

"I'm coming! You don't have to ring the doorbell over and..." My eyes widened when I opened the door. "Wh-what are you doing here!?"

Daniel stood there, looking cold as he looked at me with an annoyed expression. "Coming to walk to school with you I guess." He said as he entered my house. Yeah, I like how he just invited himself into my house.

"You guess? ...No! I mean you can't. If my dad ever sees you, he'll rip you limb from limb!" I wish I was exaggerating, but when it came to me, daddy was thirty-thousand times protective.

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Okay."

"I'm serious!"

Ignoring my words, Daniel took off his jacket and threw it over the back of one of the couches. "So where's your room?" He asked.

"Daniel!" I yelled. "If my dad-" I tried to explain.

"Oh, is this it?" I heard his voice down the hallway and I rushed after him.

"Geez, can you listen to me?" I exasperatedly complained. But as I saw him, he was picking up his jacket from where I had dropped it just five minutes ago.

"So this is how you treat other people's things?" Daniel rose an eyebrow as he held the jacket up to eye-level.

"I...I didn't--I was about to get dressed, so-"

"Right. Okay." He slung the jacket over his shoulder and looked at the bags on the floor next to me. "Make sure you wear the red shirt and the dark blue pants."

"What!? But I was-"

"That's why I came over in the first place," He informed. "Wear the red-" I heard the front door open suddenly, and I slapped my hands over his mouth quickly.

"Shh!" I said. He looked down at me with his eyebrows raised.

"Dezzy, baby?" Daddy's voice resounded through the house.

I made a shushing finger at Daniel and spoke to daddy. "Yeah, I'm in my room." I quietly led Daniel to my closet, and pointed at him, then the closet. His astonished, stubborn face silently raged down at me.

"I'm not!" He slowly whispered.

"You have to!" I mouthed and pushed him in there in haste when I heard Daddy's heavy footsteps come closer to my door.