Chapter 26:
Dani POV-
When I arrived in gym class, I went looking for Dash. I found him hanging out with his friends in front of the boys locker room.
"Hey," I said, approaching them.
"Hey," he replied, albeit awkwardly. What have I done? I just made everything weird between us. Ugh.
"Can I talk to you real quick?" I asked him, pointing to the area behind the bleachers where he had stood up to Lydia for me.
"Yeah, sure," he said, following me.
The awkward silence didn't dissipate like I was hoping it would.
"So…" I started, "Did you tell your friends what happened last night?"
"No," he replied, "Should I have?"
"I guess that depends on what we are now," I bit my lip.
"What do you mean?" he asked, arching his eyebrow.
"I mean…like are we boyfriend/girlfriend now or what?" I blurted out.
"Um…" he swallowed, "I don't know."
"You don't know?" I crossed my arms.
"It's just that I'll never hear the end of it from my friends," he drawled.
"What's your point? You said you like me, you know I like you, so who cares what your friends think?" I glared at him.
"I do!" he exclaimed.
"More than you care about me?" I asked, hating how needy that sounded.
I mean, it's not like I really wanted him to put me before his friends, but I at least wanted to be equal. If he cares so much about what they think he should care what I think too. I'm pretty sure that isn't too much to ask.
"I-I-I mean I have known them longer," he stammered.
"I see," I pursed my lips.
"That's not what I meant! I really do like you! But I've never really had a girlfriend before and I just need some time to figure this out," he said finally.
"Well, when you figure it out you can come find me," I stormed off into the girl's locker room in order to get changed for gym.
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Dash POV-
Alright, I probably should have handled that differently.
I mean, yeah, I like Dani. But, I don't know I'm just not sure I'm ready for a boyfriend/girlfriend commitment.
I was fuming when I walked back to my friends.
I mean why does she have to be so stubborn? Besides the fact that I didn't immediately go tell everyone I know that I kissed Dani, I haven't done anything wrong. She's the one who thought that I should put her above the friends I've had since we moved here four years ago.
"Dude, what the hell happened over there? You look steamed," John asked.
"Nothing. I'm fine," I huffed. John and Mark nodded and walked over to the bleachers, while Eric watched me hesitantly.
"Dude, are you sure you're okay?" he asked me.
"Yeah," I sighed, "I'm fine."
"Did something happen between you and Dani?" he questioned.
"Yeah…but I'd rather not talk about it," I told him.
"Okay, man," Eric nodded and went over to the bleachers.
I kind of wanted to tell him what was going on, but that would have defeated the entire purpose of the fight I just had with Dani.
Of course, maybe if I told them, she would stop being mad at me.
Then the coaches blew their whistles.
"Dodgeball. Team captains are Dani Fenton and Eric Larson," Coach Gunner announced.
The way Dani glared at me I was sure she was going to make this game hell.
Eric picked me first, and then Dani picked Josh, and she made sure I noticed.
We ended up with Lydia on our team, which Dani probably thought I had something to do with, even if I didn't.
We lined up on our opposite baselines and waited for the starting whistle.
When it blew I was the first one to the center, as usual, but Dani was the second and she grabbed half of the balls for her own team.
Her first throw sailed a quarter of an inch next to my arm.
I took out the three people standing next to her in my attempt to hit her. She is really good at dodging. Must be because of all that ghost fighting she does.
Finally it came down to just Dani and me.
"Your pride is so important to you, what's gonna happen when you get beat by a girl?" she provoked.
"It's not my pride that's the problem, it's you," I glared at her.
"Really? I thought it was your frail ego that was the problem," she shot back. The ball would have hit me if I hadn't have jumped back. Meanwhile the whole class watched us go back and forth.
"Close, but not close enough," I taunted her and she side-stepped another one of my throws.
I reached for another ball but they were all gone.
"Seems that the odds are in my favor now," she smirked, picking up one dodge ball in each hand.
The first ball she swung at me missed but the second one hit me square in the stomach—hard.
I doubled over, having just had the wind knocked out of me.
That really hurt.
I mean I knew super strength was one of her powers but ouch. Reminds me of when I used to play catch with my dad.
"Dani's team wins!" the girls' coach announced.
Her team cheered and congratulated her.
"Alright, go get dressed," the coaches announced. Finally I was able to stand up straight.
"You alright, Dude?" my friends asked.
"Yeah," I replied.
"Dude, you must have really fucked up, she seems pissed," John said.
"Yeah, I didn't notice when she knocked the air out of my lungs," I replied, pushing passed them to go into the locker room.