Chapter Thirteen Part 2/3:

Thou Shall Not Insult Me

Like before, I walked Dani to her Calculus class. She got annoyed because she thought that I was treating her like a child, but then I told her that I'm dodging Nat and I didn't want to be a part of the drama, even just for a little while.

"Just be grateful that I'm walking you." I said, gripping the straps of my book bag, and playing with my amethyst necklace.

"You'll be late for Bio again." She told me, and lightly touched my arm. I stopped in the middle of the hallway, and stared at her hand, surprised at the movement. Then, I stared at her. She looked concerned again, and I guess it's my fault for worrying her so much. I should just keep things to myself, but then again, that sounded stupid because Dani knew everything already.

Usually, I mind that people hug me, or touch me, except for Nat and Dennis. But I find Dani's gesture comforting. It was strangely familiar, and I couldn't figure out why.

Dani quickly pulled away, as if she got caught for doing something wrong. I chuckled at her reaction and I shook my head at her.

"Sorry." She mumbled. I shrugged, hooked my arm with hers, and pulled her with me. Her shoulders were tensed, but then I told her,

"I guess this will help me keep going. You never know, I might just fall flat on the floor because of all the damn drama that's happening lately. My body can't take it."

Then, Dani relaxed and together we walked around, arm in arm, like we're best of friends. But honestly, it was more of a please-support-me-I-might-fall-into-the-dephts-of-hell kind of thing... I guess you could say that I have a lot in my mind lately.

"I finished the book, by the way. Sunday's at Tiffany gave me mixed emotions." I said told her as we walk up to another hallway.

"Already?" She asked, surprised. I rolled my eyes, she should've known by now that I'm a total bookworm.

"Yes." I answered. "It was very romantic. It almost made me want to vomit, but it was so perfect, ya know? I wanted to hate it, but I can't."

Dani laughed, and looked at me.

"I finished the book too." She said.

"How was it?" I asked, grinning now. "There were tears, I bet?"

"There were enough tears."

"Don't lie to me."

"Fine, I was basically sobbing after I finished it." Dani admitted, and chuckled.

"Wanna trade books again?" I asked, and pulled my arm away gently as we neared her Calculus class. Her warmth lingered, and I kind of wanted to hold her hand instead, but I didn't do that. It would be weird. "We can do it after school, you know, since we're going to work on that English assignment anyways."

"I can't after school today. I forgot about the..." Dani trailed off.

"Got plans?" I asked, suddenly envious that she might've made friends already. Who wouldn't want to be friends with her? I won't be surprised if she found someone else better than me and hang out with them instead.

I mentally slapped myself for thinking this way and gripped my necklace for distraction.

"Uh..." Dani hesitated, and looked around the hallway. She stared at the bulletin board beside the Calculus room and pointed at a poster.

Girls Basketball Tryouts

Dani took out her purple pen, and signed, Dani Dubois below a bunch of other names that I recognize from last year.

"You play basketball?" I asked, giving her an amused expression.

"Yeah, I played at my old school before I transferred here." She explained.

Huh. I guess that explains her toned figure. I didn't even realized that I gave her a body check. Yep. She's got a body alright. Before I could look away, I was stupidly caught staring, and Dani somewhat looked smug, and bold all of a sudden. "I think, I'm pretty good."

"Yeah?" I asked, snickering at her face. "You sure?" I stared at Dani challengingly, as I push my glasses up to my nose.

"I'm pretty sure." Dani said, raising an eyebrow at me and nodded her head.

"How sure?" I asked, mostly because I'm just nosey.

"Does earning MVP awards mean anything?" Was her reply.

I blinked. Okay. That's pretty good. Somewhere in my mind, I remembered how I admitted that I wanted to do better than her. To prove something that even I, can't seem to figure out why. Dani suggested that it was for her approval, approval of what? To be liked? Deep in my guts, I could tell that that's not it at all.

It was more than that. I could feel it. It's there but it's barely within my reach to find out.

Or I'm just that vain, and want to be the very best.

"They should've mentioned the tryouts in the announcements this morning, or else I wouldn't have remembered. Can I borrow your pen?" I halfheartedly said, and sighed as I let my mind at ease.

Dani took a step back and stared at me in shock. I glanced at her in question.

"Stop staring at me like that." I scolded her. "What? You don't think I play sports?"

"I just didn't think... You don't look like someone who would-"

I gave Dani a look, and she shut up immediately, but surprise and amusement were still in her eyes.

"I've been playing since freshman year, if you must know." I explained, and signing, Maverick Bridge, under Dani's.

"Are you any good?" She asked, and I could feel that she was sizing me up. I turned to Dani and crossed my arms.

"I'm okay." I told her, smiling at her. I didn't want to tell her that my name has been on number of plaques that's currently being displayed at the front of the school. I didn't really want to brag. My mom and dad were basketball players here at our school back in their days, so I guess it just runs in the family.

Dani smiled back, and waved a hand goodbye as she went inside her Calculus class. I speed-walked my way through the hallways quickly to go to my Bio class, and got in the room just in time before the bell rings.

The boy from my English class, James, was there already and he stared at me again. I gave him a frown.

"What?" I questioned him as I passed by.

He just stared back.

"Stop staring at me!" I hissed at him while sitting down now. I opened up my binder and waited for our teacher to start a new lesson, but I could tell that freakin' James was still staring at me from my peripheral vision. "What the hell do you want, James?" I asked, now facing him.

"I just wanted to say..." He trailed off, and continued, "I think you're really pretty."

The class heard him, and they awed. And here I am, staring at him, in complete and utter shock.

"What the hell...?" I said out loud. "Are you high?"

"I think so." He said, making an act to look around and squint at everyone.

The class laughed, and I didn't think it was funny at all because we're the centre of attention... I sometimes don't mind it, but I don't like to be in it all the time.

"Wanna have lunch sometime?" He smoothly asked me, loud enough so everyone could hear.

I froze in my seat, and looked at everyone. They were staring back at me as if wanting me to say yes. I was horrified. I was beyond scared of what to say.

"Are you kidding me?" I managed to blurt out.

"Nope."

"You. You're asking me out?"

"Yep."

"Come on Mave, just say yes!" A girl behind me said, and she was leaning on her desk towards me, looking excited and amused at the scene before her.

"No, thanks." I said quickly. James' face fell, and everyone laughed.

I wad getting so angry at everyone, that I seriously thought about packing up my stuff and walking out. Can everyone just mind their own business?

"Shut up guys, it's not funny." I told them.

"Why did you turn him down?" Asked the girl behind me.

James' head perked up, and smiled as he waited for my answer. I stared at the girl, feeling pissed off and gestured at her.

"Why don't you go out with this toad? You sound like you wanted to."

"Ew!" She exclaimed.

"Exactly my point." I said, then James was staring again. "Oh my god. Stop staring at me, James! Quit it! Leave me alone!"

"Come on, go out with me!"

"I said no!" I explained to him like he's a child. "Can't you just respect my decision? I do not want to, and I never will, so stop being creepy-" I turned around to face the class. "And mind your own business! God!"

When I turned back around to face the front, our Bio teacher stood there, her arms crossed, and a blank expression on her face.

"Are you done?" She asked, as if I was interrupting her class. I gritted my teeth to stop myself from yelling at her too.

"Yes." I nodded, glaring at my binder.

"Don't start a ruckus again, or I'll kick you out of this class." She said.

I just nodded my head, and looked down.

This is the worst day ever.

***

A/N:

I tripped and fell down the stairs this morning. I thought no one saw, so I got up and acted like nothing happened, but then my dog was there and had this big grin likes he's laughing at me... Then I said sorry because he didn't deserve to watch his owner get hurt. But then I remembered that he doesn't really love me. 😂

xoxo - Jean

Unedited.