4.00
Daniel spots Celia on the long, silent walk home, a few paces in front of him, her hair swinging from side to side with the speed of her gait. He starts to speed up, hoping to catch up to her, but all his hope shatters into a million of ice and glass shards when he notices Drake next to her, talking about something that makes her laugh.
I don't care, he tells himself, squeezing his hands into tight fists. His palms ache. I don't care. Idon'tcare. Idon'tcareyoucunt. She's not yours. The green jealousy is washed away with bright, red anger and he holds his breath and listens to the blood in his ears roar.
He concentrates so hard that he nearly blacks out, and some skinny middle schooler knocks into him. Gangly and apparently uncoordinated, the kid falls to the ground, scattering her things everywhere.
Some other middle schoolers snort and laugh, making little comments that has Daniel's blood boiling like magma beneath his skin, itching to put the little shits in place.
The girl's staring at the ground, silent, but her shoulders heave in a jerky, hiccupy way that's all too familiar.
Clenching his jaw, Daniel gets to one knee and begins to pick up her papers, murmuring words of reassurance, of encouragement.
When he gets up and hands her the crumbled papers, she launches herself at him and hugs him fiercely, her little braid swinging behind her.
The laughing kids are speechless that a high schooler would help a lowly middle schooler.
As she thanks him profusely, she smiles wide, showing off a mouthful of braces and crooked teeth, but it's genuine and so sugary sweet that he feels his heart leap at the realization he's the reason for the smile.
He offers to walk her home, but she declines and slips away, skipping down the sidewalk to catch up to a chubby girl. At the end of the street, he can see her waving furiously, and laughs to himself.
His skin prickles, and he looks up, meeting Celia Door's quiet, dark eyes framed by thick, black eyelashes. She has a contemplative expression on her face, sucking her top lip into her mouth as she worries a hangnail with the edge of her teeth.
As if hearing her name, her head whips to the side, and she stiffens for a moment before relaxing. With one last glance at him, she hurries to meet up with Drake.
Daniel pretends he isn't ready to pulverize Drake Berlin into the ground.
