A/N. Hi guys!
Today is the last day to vote for your top three picks for TBSGS2012! Congrats to everyone who made it by the way! :D I think I've read 98% of all of the nominated, and they're all really really great!
It seems that I misinformed everyone -I can't update tomorrow, actually, hah. I have a persuasive paper to finish (three more paragraphs!) and I'm touring a high school in the morning. But I hope you guys enjoyed the updates this weekend brought. Like three in one weekend, right? Basically? :D
QotU Winner: Laylaenchantix101 because her reasoning was quite poetic, heehee. All of you had awesome ideas, though! I think I'd like to be able to become invisible, along with anything I'm holding, like Violet from The Incredibles. Then when my dad comes to check up on me, I can be lying on the floor, reading on my phone, and he'll think that I'm wrapped up underneath my covers that I placed accordingly. ;D
New QotU: For those that are in high school now, how was the transition between HS and middle school? If you're not, how was the transition from elementary to middle? :) (Reason for this question is because I'm taking a tour tomorrow around a high school I think I may want to go to, but I'm a little nervous anyways.)
Whoop! Whoop! 555 reviews! Congrats, emowriter! You may ask me four spoiler questions, and I shall answer them. :) Unless you'd like a different prize within reason, heehee.
Warning: This chapter contains OOC Veronica, Daphne (VERY), and Mustardseed (but that's to be expected for an AU story like this). You have been noted.
Oooh, and advanced happy birthday to my cousin, Xavier, who is turning 2 tomorrow! :D Have a good one, buddy!
Enjoy!
Chapter 29: Lethargic
Tuesday morning I walked into the kitchen to see my mom grinning widely at me. "Morning Daphne!" she chirped.
"Morning," I muttered, unable to share her enthusiasm. A yawn escaped my lips and I stretched, feeling my muscles strain. Thanks to Matt, I'd been up half the night texting. Every time I was close to falling asleep, my phone would vibrate and wake me up again.
She continued beaming at me as I moved across the room, heading for the breadbox. "I got you a present."
"Did you?" I said, pulling out two slices of wheat. The soft bread was flopping in my hand as I marched over to our toaster. "What is it?"
"Look to your right."
After pushing down the black lever to start the toaster, I followed my mom's instructions and my gaze trailed off to the side. It landed on a white, plastic medicine bottle. I cocked an eyebrow. "Vitamins?"
"Uh-uh. Look closer."
Wariness washed over me as I picked up the bottle. After I read the label, I wheeled on my heel to stare at my mom in shock. "Mom! Birth control?"
"What? I just want my daughter to be safe!"
"We're not having sex!"
She blinked. "What? You're not?"
"No!"
"Really?"
"He says we're not allowed to do anything until after I graduate," I told her, lowering my voice to a grumble at the end.
Her eyes lit up. "So you do want to have—"
"Mom!"
She laughed, clapping a hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry, Daphne," she apologized after a minute, sending me a sheepish grin. "It's just, if Matt is anything like your father was, I was expecting you two to be together like that."
I made a face. "Ew, no. Don't even start about your physical relationship with Dad. I don't want to hear it."
A short bark of laughter escaped her lips. "I was just saying that while I was young, he was still a man. Men have desires too, you know. More than women. That's why I was so surprised when you said you and Matt haven't gone that far yet. He must have had past physical relationships, so I just assumed…"
Yeah, like the other Daphne… An uncomfortable feeling spread through my stomach. I didn't want to think about Matt and the other Daphne. But even as I thought that, I couldn't help but wonder how far their relationship had gone. They had definitely been in love, but had they…? Probably, I thought reluctantly. I mean, why not? They were both adults. They were both out of high school. Matt had no reason to say no if she ever tried to come onto him. No doubt she could have him anytime she wanted. While I, on the other hand, was told no. No, no, no. That was all Matt ever seemed to say. It was really infuriating…
"Daphne? You okay?"
Coming out of my thoughts, I gave my mom a half-smile. "Yeah. Why?"
"You didn't answer me."
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
"I said Matt must really love you if he's the one saying no," she repeated. "I mean, if I was a guy I'd be all over you."
I looked at her in disbelief. "Mom!"
"Well you look just like your mother," she continued, a smirk slipping onto her face.
"Gosh, you've gotten so weird," I muttered, shaking my head at her. "Matt just doesn't want to get in trouble. Which—" I cut myself off, clamping my lips together. My mom didn't need to hear me complaining about why Matt wouldn't have…it… with me. She didn't even need to think of our relationship.
"Which?" she pressed.
"Is the smart move," I said, changing my original sentence. "Thanks for the pills, they'll help with cramps anyway."
A frown flitted onto her face. "Wait a second, Daphne."
"I'm going to school," I informed her, grabbing my keys off the counter. "I'll see you when you get home tonight."
"Fine," she said, crossing her arms. "I love you."
"Love you too," I called as I stepped out into the hall. Clenching my keys in my hand, I trudged to the front door, grabbing my pea coat as I passed it. The frigid February air that hit my face made me want to twist on my heel, go back inside, and snuggle under my covers. I had enough of the cold weather. When was spring coming?
As usual, my car took just about forever to start up. After swearing at it (in Daphnish, of course) for a minute straight the engine finally started. Instead of calmly pulling out like normal, I stepped on the gas, making my tires squeal sharply as I turned. The road whizzed by as I did fifteen miles over the speed limit. I tried to calm myself down, easing of the gas and pressing on the break. I would've exploded if I got a ticket. Why was I so angry? My car starting up was nothing out of the ordinary. Sure, I was cranky because I hadn't got any sleep but still…
My mind flickered back to the birth control pills, causing my hands to tighten on the steering wheel. What was my mom thinking? Matt was too goody-goody to let me have my way. It didn't even make sense. We were already doing something illegal by having our relationship. What would sex add? I wasn't a minor anymore; it wasn't statutory rape. Now that I was thinking about it, why did Matt refuse? He said himself he wanted to. The whole wait until graduation thing should have been the same for our relationship. If we're caught, we're done for. It was the same for both!
An angry blare of a horn brought me out of my reverie and I slammed on the breaks, flying forward in my seat. It was at that moment I realized I wasn't wearing my seat belt. A groan of pain left my lips as my chest was crushed against my steering wheel, causing my own horn to burst, ripping through the quiet morning air. Pushing myself back into an erect position, I looked at the driver of the car I'd almost crashed into. To my surprise, it was Matt. I must have left the house really early.
His eyes narrowed at me, concern flashing through them. Swallowing nervously, I reached for my seatbelt, trying to put it on furtively. Climbing out of his car, he began to jog toward mine, stopping next to my window. As he did so, I took in his outfit. A pair of dark washed jeans covered his legs, and a crisp white dress shirt was hanging loosely on his body while a black tie that hung from his throat lay on top of it. It wasn't even casual Friday. How he managed to get away with dressing casually every day, I had no idea, nor did I really care; he looked sexy.
I finally snapped out of checking him out and rolled down the window, a blush spreading to my cheeks when I realized the smirk on his face was due to the fact he realized I'd been checking him out. "Hi, Matt."
"Morning," he responded, putting his hands on my dirty windowsill and leaning his head closer to mine. "I'm afraid I have to pull you over for reckless driving."
I smiled at him. "Since when did you become a cop?"
"Since you almost just killed me. Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I told him, dropping my gaze. "I just got a little distracted."
"Thinking about me?" he guessed in a smug tone.
My eyes drifted back to him for a second. It was true, but it probably wasn't in the way he was thinking. He doubtlessly was thinking I was dreaming about how much I loved him, not how much I was getting irritated with this whole wait-till-graduation thing. Why'd my mom have to give me those stupid pills? Before I didn't care about this but now… "No," I finally responded, sounding a little icier than I meant to.
He cocked an eyebrow at my tone. "Grumpy this morning?"
"Whose fault do you think that is?" I grumbled, trying to cover up for my rudeness.
"Well you didn't have to text me back."
"You do realize your car is parked illegally, right?"
A chuckle left his lips and he leaned down to kiss me quickly on the cheek. "I'll make a mental note not to keep you up at night." Amusement flickered in his eyes for a moment before he pulled away, hastening back to his car.
I shifted mine into drive and started down the road again, maneuvering around the front of Matt's car. Sighing, I mentally reprimanded myself for snapping it him. He had the right idea; it was best to wait until I graduated. However, I couldn't help but think there was some other reason why he didn't want to go that far with me. I couldn't help but think that other reason had something to do with the other Daphne.
As I pulled into the school parking lot, I realized that I was really, really early. There was only one other car in the student parking lot. Glancing at the clock on my radio, I realized it was 6:50AM. Some people weren't even getting up yet! I counted back from when I woke up at six to when I went to bed at three. Three hours of sleep… I was surprised I wasn't dead on my feet or trying to slaughter someone. My parking job was horrible, but I didn't bother fixing it, once again leaving the comfort of a place and into the freezing air. A few, patterned flakes of snow fell from the sky as I hurried toward the building entrance. The figure of a person was leaning against the glass door and when I grew close enough, I realized it was Matt. Lucky him and his teacher parking.
"You look like a zombie," he commented as I passed him.
I definitely wasn't in the mood. "I'm tired, Matt."
"I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. "I won't keep you up again."
At his apology I managed to lift the corners of my lips up into a sweet smile for him. His apologies always made my heart flutter, even if they were for the silliest things. "It's okay. It's my fault too."
"Do you want me to drive you home?"
The offer was tempting. I would've given anything to curl up and sleep forever. Was there anything important I had to do? As far as I could remember, there were no tests or quizzes or projects due. There really wouldn't be a problem…
"I could call in sick too and we could go take a nap together," Matt coaxed, taking a step closer to me. "Choose quickly…"
"We shouldn't," I mumbled, peeking at the school building. No one was around. We could easily escape…
He chuckled attractively. "We also shouldn't be dating, but we are."
I bit my lip. "I don't know…"
"Doesn't it sound good to slip under some warm covers together, put our heads on soft pillows, and take a nice, long nap to recover the hours of sleep we missed? I'll even cook you lunch when you wake up."
"You're a really bad teacher," I informed him, looking up.
His eyes twinkled. "I know, but I'm sure you're just as tired as I am. So do you want to skip?"
"Yeah," I admitted.
A grin spread across his lips and he gestured toward his car. "I'll go in first and then wait a few seconds before coming to join me."
"Okay," I replied, unable to keep myself from smiling too. "What about my car?"
"We'll pick it up later," he called over his shoulder as he jogged toward his. "No one will say anything about it being parked there."
I nodded, crossing my arms, and leaning against the brick building. Excitement was bubbling up inside of me. Skipping school with Matt felt so exhilarating. It was even more so because he was a teacher and he was the one enticing me. Doing as he commanded, I waited a few moments before sneaking off toward his car. I made sure no one was around before slipping into the passenger seat. He started driving before I could snap my seatbelt.
"Will your mom care?" he suddenly asked, shooting me a guilty look. "I wasn't thinking. I don't want to get you into trouble."
I laughed. "You don't want to get me in trouble, Matt? I think she expects this kind of thing from you after the whole gang situation."
"Well that was mostly Bryant's fault."
The name sent a shot of awareness through me. Hadn't Jackson wanted me to do something after school for him today? Now I wouldn't be there to do it. What if he got angry I wasn't there? Maybe I should've… I immediately banished the thought from my head. There was no way I would give up spending the day with Matt for him. He could be as angry as he wanted. I didn't care.
"I'm tired," I complained.
"We're almost there," Matt said with a laugh. "Hopefully my bed will still be warm."
I reached over to take his hand into mine. "We'll warm it up."
He squeezed it. "Make sure to have your mom call you in sick when we get to my apartment."
"Oh, yeah."
"You sure she'll be okay with this?"
"She'll be more than okay. Matt, you do realize she loves you more than me, right?"
A smirk flashed across his features. "Well—"
"Don't even say what you're about to say," I interjected, shaking my head. "I don't want to have to deflate your ego."
"Ha ha, Daphne. Ha ha."
My eyelids felt heavy and I blinked rapidly to keep myself awake. Matt's apartment building came into view and relief washed over me. Just a little while more and I could go back to sleep, then when I woke up again, I would feel more levelheaded and amiable. Matt would prepare one of his mouthwatering meals and all would be good.
He'd barely shut off the car before I bounded out of it, heading straight for the establishment's entrance. The wintry temperature was really starting to irritate me. Matt had to jog to catch up to me. He slipped his hand into mine, slowing me down. "What's the rush?"
"I just want to sleep," I mumbled, leaning against his shoulder as he pushed open the doors.
"Want me to carry you?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Are you really—"
"I'm fine," I snapped.
He ruffled my head, chortling. "Boy, you really are grumpy when you're tired. I'd hate to see you on a bad day when you're this tired."
I opted not to respond; it was better than being snippy to him again or going along with his words. He led us to his apartment and took an agonizingly long time when unlocking his door. I knew it was on purpose. Bursting through the door, I stumbled towards his bedroom. He quickly caught me, motioning for me to take my shoes off.
"And call your mom!" he called after me as I hastened for his room again after kicking off my shoes.
Grumbling under my breath, I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket. Instead of calling my mom, I decided to text her, telling her to call me in sick and that I was skipping with Matt to catch up on sleep. A minute later she texted back. Too bad you forgot your birth control, huh? Sometimes, I really wanted to smack her. I'd already told her Matt was dead set on waiting. A small jolt of irritation went through me, but I dismissed it, crawling onto the soft, welcoming bed.
"Are you really going to wear jeans?"
I jumped, my arms going out from under me and causing my face to meet the comforter in a rather unexpected way. Sheepishly, I turned to Matt. "Um, yes?"
"Want some pajamas?"
"I guess," I said, reluctantly removing myself from the bed. "I chose the wrong day to wear a button up."
He gestured me toward him. "Come here, I'll help you. Lift up your arms."
Doing as he said, I lifted up my arms. Before I could ask what he was doing, I felt him lifting up my shirt. Despite my attempts to keep it back, a blush was blossoming on my face and grew deeper as he pulled it over my head. "Thanks," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.
"No problem. Raise your hands again."
I did as he asked, but also turned to face him. For a second his eyes were drawn toward my chest, but almost immediately they snapped back to my face. My lips turned into a frown. That wasn't what I was expecting. Within seconds, Matt had one of his shirts over my head. I struggled into it, yanking it down to cover my stomach. "Are you going to take my pants off for me as well?" I joked.
He didn't seem to find it funny. "I'm going to the bathroom. You know where my pajama pants are."
My frown became more prominent. Maybe I was right. Maybe there was another reason for him not wanting to have sex. Maybe it wasn't only because he didn't want us to get in trouble. But what was it then? Was it because my appearance was close to Daphne's? I thought we'd sorted that out! Confused, I went to his oak dresser, opening the top drawer filled with his boxers and pajama pants. My hand hovered over the pajamas, but my eyes were on the boxers. I bit my lip, trying to decide which I should wear. What would Matt's reaction be if I wore his boxers?
Shrugging, I pulled out a pair. Maybe catching him off guard would provoke some kind of reaction. As I pulled on the pair of underwear, I suddenly felt very self-conscious. Did the other Daphne have better legs than I did? Probably. She definitely was prettier than me. Was that the reason…?
No. I shook my head. That couldn't the reason. Matt wasn't that shallow. My eyes flickered to the drawer. But maybe I should change—
"Daphne, what…"
Matt's voice caused me to start. I twirled around, my eyes wide. His beautiful blue eyes were just as wide as mine. Immediately my eyes were drawn to his bare, sculpted chest. It was easier to face than his piercing gaze.
"What are you wearing?" he questioned.
"Boxers. It's um, hot in here?" I said hesitantly.
He groaned lightly. "Daphne."
"What?"
"I thought you wanted to sleep?"
"I do?"
"Well if you wear my boxers, I don't want to let you."
My eyes shot back to his face. He advanced toward me, putting his hands on my hips when he was near enough. I stared up at him, my breath catching in my throat. Maybe I was really wrong about the situation. Perhaps wearing his boxers was all it took…
He closed his eyes for a moment, holding his breath. When he let it go, he pushed me away from him. "Let's take our nap."
"B-but you just said you weren't going to let me sleep—"
"That's because you're inadvertently seducing me. I should really learn to expect this from you. However you still always manage to throw me off guard."
I swallowed nervously, moving forward to wrap my arms around his neck. My toes were strained as I stood on their tips, bringing me to my full height. "What if I am trying?" I whispered in his ear.
He went rigid under my arms. "You're tired, Daphne," he finally said, gently pushing me away.
"You're always coming up with excuses!" I cried, clenching my fists. "I'm not tired! I know what I'm doing!"
"Daphne…"
"My mom gave me birth control this morning," I told him. "But I had to tell her I didn't need it because we weren't physical like that."
Matt set his jaw, his low cheekbones protruding from his skin more noticeably. "We have to wait until after graduation—"
"Why?" I demanded.
"So we don't get in trouble—"
"Matt, we can get in trouble for just dating! It shouldn't matter! Anyway, you never really cared about rules before!"
He dragged his slender hand through his shaggy hair. "Daphne, where is this coming from? You didn't care about any of this before."
I knew that. I knew I hadn't really cared before and I had no idea where it was coming from. Maybe it was seeing Daphne with a baby. Maybe it was my mom's comments about how Matt should have desires. But it didn't make sense. Why didn't Matt want to...to have sex with me? He had all the excuses. Why hadn't I noticed them before? "Is it because I'm too much like Daphne?"
"No," Matt responded immediately, his eyes hardening. "Don't ever think that, Daphne. I've never compared you two since that day on the Ferris Wheel."
"Is it because you're not interested, Matt?"
"You know I am, Daphne."
"Then tell me, Matt! Why won't you have sex with me?"
Before I could blink, he was pressed up to me again. Startled, I tried to move back but he held me close, pushing my head into his chest. "I won't ever have sex with you, Daphne."
My heart sank. I didn't know why, but his words pierced like knives. No, it was worse than that. Tears sprung to my eyes and I shoved on Matt's chest, trying to pull away from him. "Let me go!"
"No."
"Let. Me. Go!"
"No, Daphne. Stop being a brat," he ordered, holding my shoulders tightly and pulling me away from him just enough so I could look into his eyes. "I don't want to have sex with you. I want to make love to you. When you're ready. And right now, you're not ready."
My vision was blurred by the moistness in my eyes, but I could still see the seriousness to Matt's gaze. "H-how do you know?"
"Well for starters, we haven't done anything aside from making out," he started, loosening his grip on my shoulder, a relaxing grin appearing on his face. "We have to progress slowly."
"And if we progress far enough before graduation…?"
He gently kissed me on the lips. "We'll see, Daphne. Now let's take a nap. You might not be tired anymore, but I am."
I nodded, my exhaustion making itself known again as I slipped back onto the bed. "I still am."
Matt climbed over me to his side before sliding under the covers. I copied his movements and found the comforter to be lukewarm. Snuggling closer to Matt, I wrapped my arms around him and lay my head against his chest. He sighed contently. "I hate sleeping without you."
"That sounds cheesy."
"I say a lot of cheesy things."
I laughed, but it was interrupted by a yawn. Matt kissed my forehead, shifting his body into a more comfortable position and making me adjust myself as well. Even if he was uncomfortable, I wasn't letting him go. "I love you," I mumbled into his skin.
"I love you too… and Daphne?"
"Mm?"
"You look really sexy in my boxers."
My face flooded with heat at his comment. He really knew how to get the last word in.
A/N. Aghsteammattdaphnesteamlovep rogresssteaammblargh.
My face is red. It's beet red. Aggh. This chapter was awkward for me. Tell me if I should lower the steam or not because this is just how Jordan wrote it for the most part. :3 If you do want me to stop all this madness, just tell me. But note that updates will have to come slower so I can edit all the awkwardness. :D
Review Replies:
Trikster Queen: It's like Duck Duck Goose, I think, but with a different name. J
Key-2-Soul: Haha, I'm glad! I've never heard of it, actually, what's it about? Lol, that's funny!
Awwwww! I love this chapter! It's so cute how they make up. I went all fangirl and did the little AAAAAAWWWWWWWW! thing in my head... Which is really unusual for me haha :) Haha, that story was pretty amusing. I can see myself doing that. :D Haha, you're welcome! Hahah, that sounds so cool! I'd love to mess with people. :] Heehee.
Curlscat: That comment made me grin widely for some unfathomable reason. Thanks, grammar police. :D Hahah. :D Shape-shifting would be awesome!
Emma: Thanks! Oh, like Percy Jackson! THAT would be so much fun!
iiGabbyLove: Control over time is awesome. :D SHUGO CHARA FOR THE WIN!
Emowriter: Haha! Oh, wouldn't that be a twist! :D
Alexandra Jackson rocks Hades: Haha, thanks for the wonderful feedback!
creamychocpudding786: Monday only, actually. :3 Thanks so much! Well, something that Daphne didn't do in the previous chapter is going to come back and get her. :3 Dun dun dunnn. Their relationship IS pretty awesome, isn't it? :D Hahha, good choice! :D There ARE so many good ones. :D
Laylaenchantix101: Lol. Maybe because in the real version his name is Jackson? Maybe? J *claps* That was so poetic. Loved it. :D
FlufferLover: Haha, good! I don't know if I'd pick a power like that, but that's mighty cool. :D Haha, thanks! Monday, actually. :3 Thanks for telling me! I'm glad someone actually commented and assured me no racism was found. :D
GrimmGirlLove: I like them because they're entertaining. If your reviews said, "HI! COOL CHAPTER! UPDATE! BYE!" I probably wouldn't like you as much as I do now. J And you comment about the chapter, so you're cool with me. :D Lol. Telepathy is always something I read stories about. There was this story called "Inside My Mind" and this girl…well I don't exactly remember. The author took down the story because so many people were copying it. :3 Lol, asking people to dances would be SOOOOO much easier!
yorkie999777000: Haha, no problem. Ish. I hold tiny grudges. :D Thanks! The basketball thing was annoying? How so? Heehee. I think the reason she chose Matt is because of the things they went through together. They seem to have spent a lot more time together than Sage and Daphne in a short period of time (I'm not including the time in the books where they went to NYC). :D I'd take Sage, too. Haha. Rape Huts United.
yellow.r0se NLI: Haha, YOU TOO! You're so going to win! :D Aw, thanks! She must make Matt beg for forgiveness! They are, aren't they? Haha, thanks! I'll keep that in mind! Oooh, that makes me happy! :D I'm glad I made your day better! Thanks for the review!
See you all this weekend hopefully!
~Lara
