A/N – Alright, so I'm not quite sure how you'll take this chapter, but I hope you like it!
Poppy and Dani drilled the team tirelessly, running two drills at a time, working the girls' stamina as well as their skills.
Abbey Mount vs. Bodley Manor was their next match. They won.
"Congratulations once again to our uder-18 lacrosse team who beat Bodley Girls on Saturday, 5-2. Well done" Mrs. Kingsley announced at the next assembly. Time was flying for Poppy and Dani.
Abbey Mount vs. Oxley, the Quart Final. Win.
Abbey Mount vs. Our Lady, Semi Final. Win.
"And the groundbreaking news is that Abbey Mount is through to the lacrosse championships final"
Dani found Poppy in the computer room, writing another e-mail to Ruby. "Poppy, come on! You've got the finish my hair before Freddie gets here" Dani called to the other girl. Dani's gorgeous hair was no longer knee length, as she never planned to pull it up again and that length was impractical.
Before they started serious lacrosse, the girls had cut off several feet of Dani's hair, so it only reached to just above her lower back, still much longer than most girls.
"One sec" Poppy finished her sentence and ran up to me. "Here" she pulled a simple black headband out of her bag and set it in Dani's hair so it wasn't pulling anything back, it was simply decoration. It matched perfectly with her simply blue jeans and green baby-T.
"Lover boy's outside" Drippy said from behind the girls. Dani giggled and raced outside.
"Freddie!" Freddie looked up from where he was seated on the hood of his car to see Dani racing toward him. He stood and help him arms out to her. Dani launched herself at him. His arms wrapped around her waist, hers around his neck, as he lifted her off her feet and swung her around.
Dani almost couldn't breath from laughing as he finally set het down. "Hi" she grinned t him. Freddie chuckled at the anti-climactic greeting. "Come on, trouble. Let's go" Freddie led her to the passenger seat and opened the door for her. "Chivalry isn't dead" Dani nodded approvingly.
"Well, I'm hoping to win myself some points" Freddie 'admitted'. Dani just shook her head and smiled as Freddie got into the driver's seat.
Freddie grinned as he watched her staring at the beautiful town. He loved the childish excitement in her eyes as she took it all in. He was slightly sad that she had cut her hair, but it didn't change how she looked in his eyes.
Dani stared out at the water as she and Freddie sat together under a warm blanket. "You know, there are only three main facts about my life" Dani mused to him. "Yeah? What are they?" he asked, curious about the girl in his arms. Dani was sitting in between Freddie's legs, leaning against his chest.
"Well, fact number one is I never actually know my parents" she told him. "But I thought…"
"They died in an accident when I was a toddler. I was raised by my aunt until she died a year after we moved to the states. I was nine" she explained.
"Fact number two, I am a complete doormat" he laughed at her blunt statement. "It's true! I used to always let Poppy walk all over me. Every time she got into trouble for something, I got in trouble as well, just because I was her permanent shadow"
"How did you even get involved with Poppy? Why are you here with her?" Freddie asked. "That actually ties into fact number three. I'm Poppy Moore's adopted sister" Freddie gasped – in a totally manly way – in surprise. "Really?' he asked. He couldn't believe it. Dani nodded.
"Gerry Moore adopted me six months after my aunt's death. I was new, and scared, and weak, and Poppy took advantage of that. I became her slave, basically. I used to call her and her sister Miss Poppy and Miss Molly and I always called Gerry Mr. Moore, despite is constantly asking me to call him 'Gerry' or 'Dad'. I was more like hired help than family" Dani told him.
"Wow" Freddie couldn't think of anything to say. "Mind-blowing, huh?" Then, Freddie remembered what Dani had said at the social.
"Are you up to explaining what you side at the social?" he asked her softly. Dani nodded sadly.
"Before I say anything, I want you to know that I won't hold it against you if you leave me here and never want to talk to me again" she said. Freddie couldn't imagine what she could say to make him want to never talk to her again.
"Poppy was planning on getting expelled so she could go home. All those pranks, messing with Matron's car, that was us trying to help her get out. Then one of the girls thought of a sure-fire way to get her out of here. Get caught with you.
"Poppy wouldn't do it. She knew I really liked you. But she's family, so I volunteered to do it. I figured, I Poppy getting expelled got me expelled, wouldn't it work the same in reverse?"
"So you were going to use me?" Freddie asked, almost mad. Dani nodded. "That was the plan. But after talking to you, I couldn't do it. I was planning on telling you everything today from the start, but then Poppy decided she didn't want to leave. I'm not using you, and I wasn't going to. I really wanted to be out here with you, Freddie. I really like you" Dani admitted.
Her voice had gotten softer and softer, as if she was expecting him to get angry and lash out at her. Yes, he was a little mad about them planning on using him, but after listening to Dani's pleaded, he couldn't stay mad at her.
Freddie stood and pulled Dani up gently, turning her so he was facing her. He lifted her chin so she would look at him. "I'm not mad, not at you. Because, Daniella Brown, I really like you too" he whispered before his lips met hers in a soft kiss.
Both teenagers were in bliss. It was impossible to ignore the strong connection the two had. It took all of Dani's strength not to let her knees fold on her and she leaned into Freddie to keep from falling. The kiss deepened and Dani found herself getting dizzy and her tongue battled with his.
They broke away only when they had to breathe. "Wow" Dani gasped. Freddie could feel her sweet breath on his lips. "Maybe we should move on. I don't think I'll be in control of my actions if we stay here" she murmured, staring at his lips.
"One more" he whispered against her lips, kissing her once more before pulled away completely.
"Come on" he grabbed her hand and tugged her along. "Let's get something to eat"
Freddie came back to the table with food. "Here you go, Trouble" he said, setting the food in front of her and sitting down beside her. "Bread and chips?" Dani asked, giggling slightly.
"If I affect your life in no other way, then allow me this honor, the humble chip butty" He put a few cps on the bread and folded it in half. "Here you go" he handed it to her. Dani looked at Freddie unwaveringly. "Freddie, you've already affect my life so much. I don't think it'll ever be the same" she said quietly.
Freddie swooped down and kissed her, no hesitation. "Something else" Dani said slowly, pulling away. "This is my first date. Ever" she told him. Freddie raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Ever?" Dani nodded. "And my first kiss"
Freddie smiled. "Then I'm honored" he whispered, kissing her cheek gently before letting her eat her chip butty. "This is really good" Dani gushed, her eyes wide when she realized she liked it. Freddie chuckled. "I'm glad you like it"
"There's something about you, Daniella Brown. Every moment I'm with you, I catch my breath" he told her softly.
Dani smiled and blushed softly before looking at him through her lashed. "You've caught my heart" she told him.
Freddie smiled and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the public restaurant.
Dani squealed as she came into the room, jumping on the bed that Kiki and Drippy were sitting on. "Hi" she said breathlessly. The girls forced smiles on their faces. "Did you have fun?" Drippy asked. Dani blushed. "I think I'm in danger" she told the others. They all gasped. "Of what?" Josie asked, worried.
"Falling in love with Freddie Kingsley" they all smiled slightly at her. It was then Dani realized the somber air of the room. "What's wrong?" she asked, looking from face to face.
Kate handed her the paper. Dani's eyes skimmed it, her frown deepening as she read. "Where's Poppy?" she asked as she finished, handing it back to Kate.
"Supposedly in the library, planning out more training for finals" Josie told her. Just then, Poppy walked in happily. Her smile dropped when she saw the looks on the five other girl's faces. 'What happened?" she asked.
"'Dear Ruby,'" Kate read from memory. "'you cannot imagine how retarded these idiot are. They're a bunch of ugly losers who think a mani-pedi is a Latin greeting. I despise these village idiots, but I have to pretend to live them so they'll help me get out of this hell hole. I tried doing it on my own, and it was impossible.'" Kate couldn't read anymore, so Drippy took the letter from her and continued.
"'Daniella is not much better. She foolishly believes I actually care about her. As if. As soon as I'm back home, she's gone. They're all so thick they'll never realize my disgust. I'll be out of this asylum by the end of term.'" Drippy folded the piece of paper in half.
"I didn't write that" Poppy told them "I mean, hardly any of it, just the loser part. But that was weeks ago"
"Well, it's dated today and it's from your e-mail address" Josie snapped. Dani couldn't speak, she was holding back tears. Kiki was rubbing her back soothingly. Dani was the baby of the group, and they all felt protective of her, like mother bears.
"Where did you get it?" Poppy asked.
"It was taped to the door" Kiki told her.
"You're a seriously horridious cow" Drippy told her, standing, shoving the letter at Poppy, and walking away. Kiki and Josie walked away, bot holding onto one side of Dani, taking her away from Poppy.
Dani started crying. "This just doesn't seem like Poppy, you know? And how did it get taped to the door, anyway? How would someone get into her e-mail? Why would they? And if they got into her e-mail, who simply print out an e-mail, why not just make one up" Dani was rambling, hysterical.
The girls got Dani calmed down enough, so now she was sitting in the Commons, waiting for the next blow-up.
It would happen sooner than she thought. Freddie found a printed-out e-mail sitting in front of his door. He picked it up and found that it was from Dani, to someone.
'So, all I have to do is hook up with the headmistress' son, and it's a sure thing that they'll expel me, meaning Poppy will go too. He's a total English dweeb. Pretty gross, but an easy target. Give me a week tops, with Poppy's help.'
He stormed down to the Commons, where he knew she'd be. "Dani!" he cried, getting all of the girls' attention, including Harriet's. Dani looked up, and you could still see the tears running down her face. For a moment, Freddie faltered, but he shook it off. "Tell me this isn't true" he shook the paper in his hand. "Tell me!"
"Freddie…" Dani started to plead, but Freddie shook his head in disgust. "Just, stay away from me, got it" he started walking away. "Stay away!"
The room was deadly silent as he left. Dani silently picked up her things and headed outside. No one followed her, and no one noticed the smug smile on Harriet's face.