So hey, guys! This is my first fanfic, so I would love it if you guys left reviews letting me know if you want me to carry on writing or if you just liked the first chapter. Thanks for reading!
I thank the driver as I step off the bus, smiling to myself as I think of the relaxing two months of holiday ahead. I love summer holidays, mainly due to the fact that I don't have to do any work and can do nothing but eat, sleep and explore the internet for days on end. As I turn the corner to walk down my road, I hum happily and begin to mentally pack my suitcase for France - I still have a few weeks at home before I leave, but I can't wait. Even though we go every year, I love our holidays to the French countryside; just me and my mum, a picturesque house in the middle of nowhere, and a fortnight of glorious sunshine. Heaven.
When I'm a few houses away from home, I begin searching through my school blazer for my key, which usually takes a while as I keep literally everything in my pockets. Literally. Everything. I slow down as I walk up the path to our house, frowning slightly as I dig deeper in my pockets - where's that damn key? After about five minutes of frustrated searching, I give up and dump my school bag and sports kit on the pavement before I sit on the wall outside our house. Great, now I'm locked out. Checking my phone, I remember my mum telling me that morning she had some work meeting in Sheffield and wouldn't be back until later on this evening - perfect! Just perfect! Stuck outside our house in my stupid school uniform with nothing to do for at least two hours. I scowl and mutter something about stupid northern trains to myself as I begin to untangle my headphones, yanking on the wires impatiently. "Ugh!" I throw them on the ground and cross my arms, sulking. This is a crap way to start my holiday.
"Are you okay?" A voice makes my head snap upwards suddenly, and I open my mouth ready to tell the stranger to get lost when I realise they're just trying to be friendly. I sigh quietly and pick up my headphones from the pavement.
"I'm fine, thanks," I say as I uncross my arms in order to shove my headphones into my pocket.
"Really? You look like you're kinda pissed off…" The guy standing in front of me has his head cocked slightly to one side, and I resist the urge to tell him to mind his own bloody business. I mean, I look pissed off? Really? No shit, Sherlock.
"If you must know, I locked myself out of my house," I say, scowling again.
"Oh, uh... Can I call anyone for you?" He shifts awkwardly from one foot to the other, his hands in the pockets of his black skinny jeans.
"I am capable of picking up a phone, you know," I hiss at him, and he actually takes a step back, putting his hands up in front of him.
"Okay, sorry I asked," he raises his eyebrows at me, which disappear under his longish black side fringe, and turns to walk away. I sigh once again and stand, putting one hand on his shoulder to make him stop.
"Listen, I'm sorry. That was kinda rude of me. My day doesn't seem to be going particularly well at the moment, and I didn't mean to take it out on you. I'm Danielle. Nice to meet you." I offer him my hand along with a small smile, and he shakes it, grinning back at me.
"I'm Dan," he says, grinning even wider. I can't help but smile properly back at him - he's actually pretty cute.
"No way!" I laugh, and take my hand back. "Your last name's not Furness as well by any chance, is it?" He laughs with me, shaking his head.
"No, it's Howell, although that would be pretty awesome." We grin at each other for a moment longer, before he reaches up to rearrange his fringe. Dan looks kinda like a goth, what with all the black he's wearing (and that adorable haircut) but he doesn't seem like that kind of person. "Seeing as you've probably got nothing to do for a few hours, could I be cheeky and ask to take you for a drink? Starbucks is just around the corner."
"Um, sure," I blink, momentarily taken aback. He's asking me out? Seriously? As a general rule, cute guys don't do that kind of thing with me. For one thing, I'm a nerd, and why choose me when there are so many sporty, confident girls bouncing around everywhere? Not that I'm not confident, just sort of quiet...
"I said, do you want to leave your bags behind?" I realise Dan must have been talking while I was mentally babbling.
"Yeah, I'll throw them over the back wall. One moment," I smile, and bend down to grab my school bag. Before my hand can reach the strap, he takes it for me - such a gentleman! I chuckle silently. "Thanks," I say, jumping over the wall and walking around the side of my house. I stop when I reach the garden wall, and take my bags from Dan, thanking him again before chucking them over the wall into my garden. "Shall we go, then?"
I catch him glancing at me out of the corner of his eye a few times as we walk side by side down the pavement, and I smile to myself. This is certainly not how I expected my evening to go, and I have to say, I couldn't be happier about it.