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

(24) Huh...That's Weird...

Whoa! Long chapter! X)

Chapter 24

It was only when I got into my next class that I realized that I hadn’t told Daniel about Sharon’s little plans.

So all throughout Geometry, the numbers and letters of the lesson kept getting mixed in with “Don’t forget to tell Daniel!” So much that when the end of class came around, I was confused as to what was taught in class.

But I didn’t dwell on it as much because I was rushing out of the classroom to meet Daniel.

Only thing was, when I rushed out the door, Daniel wasn’t there. Hm. Weird.

I waited. Waited until the warning bell rang and then I ran to my next class, Chemistry that wasn’t so far away.

I scratched my ear. I guess it was good that we didn’t have any lab that day, or I would have most likely blew up the entire classroom. That’s how out of it. It seemed one after the other, problems kept on popping up today. And it all started when I panicked and pointed a finger at Daniel’s tall head. Guh I was really regretting it now. I wish I had just stood up and told Sharon that I still was in love with Robin... but I would have lost my best friend. I sighed and scratched my ear again.

How did my life become so complicated so fast? Within three days, my perfectly normal and quiet life was twisted around. I sighed again, feeling sorry for myself as I doodled on my paper.

“Miss Walters, is my lecture that boring that you have to sigh every five seconds?” I looked up to see my bald teacher, Mr. Poleaux glaring at me. I almost could see the vein poking out from his shiny head.

“Uh, no, Sorry. I’m ah ... sorry.” I muttered. I heard a couple of people around me snicker.

He walked over to me and looked down at my notes. Now I could see clearly that his vein was indeed pulsing there right on his forehead. I also saw his face redden in anger as he looked down at my blank notes. “So you seem to understand Ionic bonds quite well for you to not be writing anything down.”

I blushed all the way to my hairline as I shrunk back in my seat. “I just ... Sorry Mr. Poleaux.”

I was too afraid to look up at him again, but I was sure my teacher was still angrily looking down at me. “Pay attention!” He yelled before I heard his business shoes tap off quickly back up to the front of the class. “Anyone else caught not paying attention will receive an hour of detention and will have to complete a two-page essay on the importance of Ionic Bonds and Compounds.” He shot me a glare before he returned his gaze to the board.

And to think I had this class for two hours straight. Why did I have to take Chemistry? How would this help me out in my life in the future?

I slumped over my desk, but then sat up quickly. I didn’t want to spend after school in the Chemistry room. It was bad enough I had to spend ten hours of every week there. Not to mention that paper he was threatening with. I hated writing essays.

It seemed like forever when the sweet sound of the school bell sounded. I was the first to dart out the room.

I was halfway to lunch before I realized I hadn’t waited for Daniel. I ran back and bumped into him as I turned the corner. He steadied me with hands on my arms. I slowly looked up at him. I smiled widely at his serious face.

“Why are you coming this way?” He asked. “Isn’t your class over here?” He pointed behind him.

My smile turned cheesy as I unconsciously scratched my ear. “Eh he he...”

He raised an eyebrow. “Did you forget about me?”

“I didn’t mean to!” I stressed. “If only you knew how scary Mr. Poleaux can be!”

He didn’t say a word as he started walking to the cafeteria. I followed him and grabbed his arm.

“I’m sorry!” I said.

“Uh huh.” He said, shaking me off him.

I grabbed on again and looked up at him. “I really am! Please forgive me!”  I begged.

A small smirk found the corner of Daniel’s mouth as he stopped and looked at me. “Why should I? You didn’t forgive me earlier.”

My eyes widened. “Th-that, I...” The smirk turned into a mischievous smile as he looked down at me with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms. “Hey, I didn’t mean to leave you, but you were teasing me on purpose!”

Daniel’s smiled widened. “But that doesn’t change anything. You didn’t forgive me even though I begged you oh so persistently.”

“But Daniel!” I whined.

He shook his head and a finger at me. “No buts.”

I stamped my foot. “Fine. I forgive you.”

Daniel laughed. “That didn’t sound like you were so forgiving. I’m not so sure you’ve forgiven me yet.”

With wide eyes, I opened and closed my mouth a couple times before I realized I didn’t know what to say. All I knew was that I was angry.

Daniel laughed and passed by me, resuming his walk to the cafeteria. “What are you? A fish or a mouse?” He joked.

I pouted. “Daniel!” I yelled.

He looked over his shoulder at me. “C’mon mousey.”

Tears of frustration rose to my eyes. “Go away. I don’t wanna go with you.” I screamed.

Daniel laughed before he turned and ran towards me.

I flinched away as he neared me, my legs too shaky to do anything, much less any running.

But I was suddenly lifted easily off the floor. I cracked an eye open to see Daniel genuinely laughing and I only realized then that I hadn’t really seen him laugh so happily ... Actually, it was the first time I had seen him laugh out loud with a purely joyous expression on his face.

He looked down at me with a sparkle that I hadn’t ever seen in his eye before too. But why did he have to torture me to be happy?

“Oh look! Daniel is carrying his girlfriend bridal style!” Someone yelled. Only then did I realize that we had made it to the cafeteria. My face flamed when I looked around to see a lot of faces with mixed expressions on them. It was mostly surprise, but I did see some others, such as a smile...and others, there were frowns.

“When’s the wedding? Can’t be too far off now!” Someone joked.

I felt suddenly self-conscious and struggled to get out of Daniel’s arms. He let me go easily, but he didn’t let me stray too far, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as soon as my feet touched the ground.

And then he escorted me through the lunch line and bought me lunch.

He refrained from teasing me through lunch which was a relief, but eerily, he was very quiet, and hardly ate much ... and his eyes wandered around the lunch area over and over. I tried questioning him about it, but he brushed me off easily by telling me to eat.

I scratched my ear. I really wanted to just snatch off the earrings off because they were so annoying.

Suddenly, Daniel’s hand knocked my hand away. “Stop doing that. You’re making it worse.”

“What?” I asked.

“Did you even notice that your ear is extremely red?” Daniel asked as he moved from his seat across me to sit next to me.

I shook my head.

“Geez, sometimes I wonder how oblivious you can be.” When I moved to glare at him and protest, he pulled at my ear, making me wince in pain. “Hold still.”

“That hurt!” I whined.

He didn’t respond, but I could feel his breath softly, rhythmically on my exposed skin. Then a couple moments later, he asked, “Are you allergic to silver?”

“Uhh...I think so. I think I remember my dad mentioning something like that when I was small...why are you looking at me like that?” Daniel was looking at me in bafflement.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” He asked. “Because of that, the skin on your ear is irritated and breaking out!”

I drew back. “Like I knew those were real silver! Normal people don’t buy real silver earrings!” I argued.

Since he was right next to my ear, he whispered violently, “Normal people don’t have best friends who steal their crushes either.”

Offended, I drew away from his touch. Was it really that abnormal to want to keep my best friend?

Daniel sighed with a long breath. “Sorry Dez, I didn’t mean that.”

I looked away and rubbed my arm with one hand, feeling really sad. I realized a long time ago that I was cowardly, but I just never found the courage to change myself.

I felt Daniel’s arms wrap around me as he pulled me into them. He surrounded me on every side. It was like he was blocking out all other things, including my own thoughts.

“I didn’t mean that, Desiree.” He mumbled, but I felt his words rumble in his chest, his deep voice was heard all around me within his arms.

Why did I feel so safe here confined within his arms?

“But it’s true,” I muttered an answer to his statement.

“Then I’ll help you change yourself.” He stated. With that, he removed his arms from around me, and I felt as though something was missing when he did.

“Take those earrings out,” he muttered. After that, he returned back to his side and became the quiet person I had witnessed before.

And thus is how lunch to came to an end, and he led me to English class.

It was only when I sat down in my assigned seat that I realized that I had forgotten again to ask Daniel to talk to Sharon.