A/N: Rated Mature for adult scenes and adult language in future chapters. Trigger warning: Homophobia and abuse in future chapters.
It is a crisp, autumn Friday. Dan is at school. He never really pays attention in his classes. His teacher is making them read 'The Life of Marianne' today. A yawn crawls out of his throat. Dan's teacher glares at him.
"Pay attention, Mr. Howell," Dan's teacher commands. The class stares at him, then return to their books. He continues to pretend to read. Dan's eyes would draw their attention to a girl in his class. The girl name is Riley. Dan has feelings for Riley, but he isn't sure if Riley feels the same way. He fell in love with the way she taps her fingernails on her desk when she is impatient, her soft, full, pink lips, and the way she twirls her pale blonde hair when she is bored. The teacher sets her book down, then turns to the class.
"Now class, do any of you believe in love at first sight?" she asks. Riley raises her hand. She addresses Riley. "Why do you believe in love at first sight, Ms. Knight?"
"It's simple. Love, even just romantic love comes in a lot of different forms. You move from the passionate obsessive love to a calmer sense of familiarity. Love at first sight is just an intense manifestation of the first. Having said that, it usually gets steadily stronger for a little while, and peaks about two months into knowing someone,"
"The idea that love is only something that grows with familiarity is far more an idealization than love at first sight, because it implies there is a rational growth in intimacy. That would make sense, and for a lot of people that's what love is; but for others, love really doesn't, that's why it's such a rush. It is completely uncontrollable, at least on the part of the lover. We recognize features of a person, whether it's appearance or a gesture or a mindset as something we lack, usually with some basis in our own insecurities," she speaks in her silvery voice that I adore so much.
"That is beautiful, Ms. Knight," she replies. Dan's mouth is slightly open in a silent gasp. He never heard such an intelligent response from anyone, but he doesn't believe in love at first sight. Although he doesn't believe in love at first sight, he believes that he has a chance with Riley. He quickly closes his mouth when the bell for lunch rings. Dan shoves his supplies into his backpack. He accidentally bumps into Riley. Riley looks at him and smiles a little. Dan blushes a bit.
"Hey, Dan. Do you want to have lunch with me?" Riley asks. Her pale green eyes are sparkling. Dan looks over at his friend, Louise. She gives him a thumbs up. Dan glances back at Riley.
"Yes," Dan softly speaks. He doesn't want to sound overenthusiastic. Riley grins, and looks at Dan's hand. He peeks at Riley. Riley takes his hand gently and leads Dan to the cafeteria. Dan points to an empty table. People were staring at them, because Riley is one of the popular kids at school, while Dan isn't. Being seen with Riley definitely creates rumours, and Dan is starting to care.
"Don't worry about them. I just ignore them," Riley tries to reassure Dan, but Dan takes their rumours personally. She pulls up a chair for Dan. Dan smiles a little at her gesture and takes a seat. Riley asks what Dan would want to eat, then gets her and Dan lunch. Dan looks around the crowed lunchroom and listens to some of the conversations. He sees his group of friends, sitting at the table near the back, by a window. They notice Dan and give him encouragement. Dan smirks a bit.
Riley returns with lunch. She gently sets Dan's tray in front of him. Riley places her tray on the table, and sits close to Dan. He blushes at Riley. They talk about teachers they didn't like, and what kind of music they like. Riley and Dan don't share the same taste in music, but Dan didn't care. She doesn't like alternative rock, while Dan does.
"Hey, Dan. There's this movie that's playing tonight, but the thing is, I don't have anyone to go with. Would you like to join me?"
Dan is hesitant, but he answers, "Yes."
Later that day, Dan changes into a black long sleeve shirt, black skinny jeans, and black sneakers. He looks at the slip of paper that Riley gave him earlier, and walks to the address. She doesn't live too far from Dan, just a block and a half.
He arrives at her house. Dan walks to the front door step. He pauses. Dan is nervous to knock on the door. This is the girl he like since the beginning of high school. Dan finally knocks on the door.
Her father answers the door. He observes Dan's attire. He scoffs at Dan's appearance. Dan is hurt by this, but shakes it off eventually. Riley's father lets him in.
"Wait in the living room. I'll go get Riley," he says in a gruff voice. Dan sits on the tan, leather couch. He looks around the living room. He notices a photo of Riley and her mother. He picks it up. Riley looks about seven in the picture. Dan feels a smile creep on his face. He sets the picture back on the table.
"Hi, Dan," Riley scares him by accident. He looks wide eyed. Dan nearly jumps off the couch. "Sorry."
"No, it's fine. You look amazing," Dan states. She is wearing white skinny jeans, light brown thigh high boots, and a lilac blouse. Her purse is silver. Her makeup is beautiful, not over done, and not under done. It is at the perfect place on the scale of beauty. She adjusts the strap on her over the shoulder purse.
"Ready?" Riley asks.
"Yes," he replies.
"Bring her back by ten, or else."
"Dad. Not now," she sighs. Riley takes Dan's hand and leads him outside. She stands on the curb and hails a cab. Dan can't help but to look at her. Her round face, her soft, freckled skin, and her pale, round green eyes draws his attention.
After the cab ride, they arrive at the theatre. Dan gets out and opens the car door for Riley. She smiles and takes his hand. He pays the driver. Dan shows her to the ticket counter.
"Two, please," he looks at Riley and smiles. The lady hands him their tickets. Dan pays for them, then walks in with Riley. Riley's hand is on his shoulder, while Dan's hand is around her waist. She lets him keep his hand there. They find seats in the back. She rests her head on his shoulder. Dan smiles.
After the movie, Dan and Riley walk to her house.
"That was a wonderful movie," Dan speaks up.
"Yeah, it was."
"I saw a picture of you and your mother. You look cute," he replies. She freezes up. At that moment, he knows that he messed up. He gives her an apologetic look. She has a doleful expression on her face. Dan drops the topic, and changes the subject. They talk about hobbies. Riley tells him that she was a ballerina when she was younger, but her voice trails off. He could sense that she doesn't like talking about it.
They arrive at her house. She walks up to the door with Dan.
"I had an amazing time," she smiles.
"Me too," Dan tells her. She stands on her tip toes to kiss him. This is it; the moment he has waited for. He kisses her back. Her soft lips knead with his. His brown eyes close in passion. Dan's hands wrap around her waist. She pulls away after thirty seconds of kissing.
"Goodnight, Dan," she grins and walks into her house.
"Goodnight."
The weekend passes. Dan is sitting alone on the bus, when Louise gets on and sits beside Dan. Dan takes out his earbuds and turns his attention to her.
"So, how is Riley? Did you enjoy your date?" Louise questions Dan.
"Well, it went well, in my opinion."
"What happened? Did she kiss you?" Louise smiles. Dan turns red. "She did!" She exclaims. Dan shushes her. She goes into a whisper. "Are you going to see her again?"
"Duh," the school bus arrives at the school. Dan glances out the window and sees Riley. Dan's brown eyes twinkle with excitement. He quickly grabs his bag and pushes through the crowd to get off the bus. Riley smirks and pulls Dan into a kiss. His arms wrap around Riley's neck. Dan leans down. Her lips mend with Dan's.
After school, Dan is walking beside Riley to her place. Dan is holding her hand, their fingers intertwined with each other. Dan is talking about videos games with Riley, but Riley isn't really paying attention. She's on her phone. Dan gently bumps into a tall stranger with ebony hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. Dan apologises, and the stranger smiles at him, then looks away. Dan is stunned to feel a connection to a man he has never met. During Riley and his date, he couldn't stop thinking about the stranger. Dan couldn't stop thinking about the way the stranger smile at him. Riley doesn't smile at Dan like the stranger did.
Dan hasn't seen the stranger since then. He is curious to know more about the stranger. He kind of wants to see him again, but he wasn't sure where he could find him. He doesn't want to become a stalker, but he isn't sure what he is feeling for the stranger.
Riley and Dan go to the movies a few days after he bump into the stranger. During the previews, Riley goes to hold his hand and kiss his neck and mouth. Dan lets her a little but his heart isn't into it. Riley continues anyway. Dan looks vacant, but Riley doesn't notice.
That night, as he sleeps, Dan dreams of the black haired man touching and kissing him. He is getting turn on by this. Dan begins to masturbate in his sleep, touching his genitals, breathing deep. In the middle of it all, he wakes up startled. He can't believe what he was feeling. 'Am I falling for that man?' Dan thought. He feels conflict. He loves Riley, but with these past few days, he can feel that feeling dying.
Dan gets ready the next morning. He decides to skip breakfast. With the events of last night, he doesn't want to think about that stranger. He arrives to school after a ten minute bus ride. Louise greets him, along with Charlotte, Taylor and Samantha.
"What happen with you and Riley? Did you guys sleep together?" Charlotte asks.
"No."
"Well, you should have. She's making it very clear that she wants you," Samantha states
"Look, I don't think that I want her like that," Dan raises his voice. He walks away. He is tired of their questions. Riley walks up to him in the hallway.
"Did I do something wrong? You've been acting strange lately, and I'm worried."
"I'm fine, I promise," he fakes a smile for her. Dan, desperately wanting to try and be normal with a girl who likes him, kisses her.