cliché

chapter 50

"what do you want Josh?" Dorothy asked in the halls eyeing him cautiously.

"I want to show you something" he said, taking her small hand into his big warm one, she didn't have the time to ask what he was doing when he took her to a locker room. She then noticed that he had been clutching on to a book with his free hand and he had refused to let go with his other hand that was holding hers.

She took the book from him. "You have to understand that I'm not an easy person" he said. And she nodded, he was leaning in, breath fanning her lips as he pushed her against the wall. "I-" but the bell rang harshly making him to groan and walk out. Leaving her stunned. She looked at the book in hand then back at the door. She sat there on the floor, she didn't like geometry anyways. She opened it up. It was a diary, with dates.... She flipped through it slowly, studying each illustration like it meant the world to her.

Darlington and Josephine were discussing a way to help Darlington get better at maths, "come over to my house, it is the first exam. I'd tutor you" she offered and trying not to sound desperate..... He put his hand to his chin in mock thought.

"I'd have to squeeze it in" he said playfully. Alicia watched them in satisfaction. Josephine was settling down finally and it was good. It really was. She smiled to herself as she thought of the break from all the matches she was taking. Josephine had told her everything and Alicia squealed. She didn't like Darlington but the love for her best friend was stronger than the dislike for him.

Josephine ruffled his hair and giving him time to think.she went and took her seat beside Alicia and said in a low tone "hey" as she wiggled her brows, Alicia snorted and rolled her eyes.

"What do you want?" Alicia asked playing with her pencil.

"To take you shopping" Josephine answered raising her brows at her best friend who rolled her eyes once more at the attempt bribery.

But of course she agreed.

Josephine was one to spoil her friends for no reason but Alicia even if she didn't want to think that way saw the shopping as consul for her heart she agreed. Besides going shopping with Josephine was fun and she couldn't deny it.

That weekend, Darlington spent his days with Josephine and if he thought she'd go soft on him cause she liked him, then he was wrong. She was sipping coffee from a mug. Coffee that Darlington made for her as bribery to get her to go easy on him but oh boy. "Come on, it's easy. Just do it and don't fail." Josephine said. She had explained the trigonometry system more times than he counted but he was more interested in her lips than her words. He rubbed at his glasses, tiredly.

"Fine, each question you get I'd take off a piece of clothing" it was an old classic. Darlington's eyes shined but a blush coated his cheeks. He looked down at his book.

"N-not to worry. I'd do it." Darlington reassured, trying his hardest to focus. She walked to his side and pecked him, she guided his hands explaining again. For some Reason he paid full attention and things seemed easier now. He got the three questions right which earned him a peck to his forehead and a well-done.

"Ok next question!" She cheered and he shook his head in frustration. She didn't even do her own homework. How could she be this good at maths. Ignoring the butterflies that he felt from being praised and pecked by her,  he darned it all and dreaded the next equation

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The next day at school, P.E practice Dorothy cornered Josh into the storage room "hey what the- Dorothy?" He looked at her, she adjusted her glasses and placed her small palms on the wall by both sides of him, tapping him.

"I don't care if you're unsure of your feelings but I like you." With that said she grabbed the collar of his sports outfit and and pulled him down to her height slamming her lips on his. She kissed with so much passion which he eventually reciprocated after the shock wore off. She pulled away after leaving bruises on his lips. "You're mine Joshua Andrew Loard. You're my boyfriend. And we're getting married in like 8 years so or prepared for hell" she said with confidence despite the fact that her face was imitating the color of a beetroot.

Josh couldn't help the butterflies in his stomach that forced him to grin like a mad man, giving her his drawing book was the right step to take and he didn't regret it one bit. His sketch book was filled with neat pencil drawings of her, starting from the first day they met at the restaurant, till a portrait of her from the wedding. Who wouldn't swoon?

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"Come on darling, exams are next week and my final games too. Work with me here" she sighed frustrated and he looked down biting his lower lip. Josephine sighed and an idea hit her. "Cake!" She said and he arched a brow at her.

"I want cake, let's go to your restaurant" she said pulling him up from his seat and leading him out of her house. After they got to the restaurant, she heaved a sigh of relief as Dorothy served them their cake. She took a knife, "this is a circle.." she began and he realized what she was doing. "If you don't know the total radius of the pan how sure are you you know the pan at all?" She gestured with the knife in hand.

"What do you mean? This cake was baked in a 32cm radius pan" Darlington answered like a kid.

"What the diameter?"

"64cm"

"In meters?"

"0.64m"

"In feet?"

"Approximately 2.1ft"

"Well what's the volume if the cake had a height of 9cm, leave answer in meters"

Darlington thought for a while then swiped up his phone to the calculator and answered her.

"326.8513m and that isn't even the height for a full layer of- Wait a minute!" He finally realized what was going on when he looked up to see a smirk plastered on her face as she watched him. He scowled at her. "You cheated me?"

"How so?" She asked leaning further, closer to him suggestively.

"You told me we were here to get cake!" He said with a pout.

"And we did" her smirk grew and he scoffed. "But at least now we know you're not terrible at maths, its just the approach" she said and finally cut out of the cake putting some in her mouth. "Want some?" She offered him but he fixed his glasses ignoring herand pouting. He couldn't help but feel cheated. It wasn't the first time she did something like that to him.

He lifted his nose high and turned away from her eyes closed and arms crossed firmly on his chest. "D-darling! Darlington!" He opened his eyes as he heard the panic in her voice but wrong move cause when he turned to ask 'what?' she stuffed a handful of cake into his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise as she threw her head back laughing as he was tricked by her yet again.

But whatever anger he thought he had vanished as he watched her laugh like a little kid, it was that laugh that showed off her strong healthy pearly whites. That smile that he loved so much. Soon he found himself laughing along with, he couldn't help himself. She was perfect.

She was his