Gem | Daniel Desario

[13]

"come on." Layla groaned, dragging a fucked up Daniel through her apartment halls. he just hummed, leaning his body weight onto her side, making the pair stumble into the walls. "fuck." she groaned, letting go of Daniels shoulder to ease her own. Daniel had then stumbled onto the floor with a loud thud. Layla sighed, crouching down to the sleepy boy. "why couldn't you have just told me where you lived." she whispered to him, to which he just hummed in reply.

Trying once again, Layla used all her strength to pick up Daniel, swinging his arms around her shoulders. Her apartment doors were just a couple footsteps away. She prayed in her head that her mom wasn't home, already knowing her dad wasn't. Upon entering her home, she dropped Daniel onto her couch, plopping down beside him. Looking over to him, she could see his lips slightly parted and his chest rising and falling. Thinking he had fallen asleep, Layla leaned over to grab her blanket and pillow, throwing both softly against his body.

"you are so pretty." Layla heard a slight mumble. she looked over to Daniel in slight shock, seeing his eyes slightly open.

"what?"

"i like your hair... and eyes." he mumbled one last time before falling into deep slumber, forgetting what he said the next day.

=

"you, linds! way to go!" Nicole cheered as she and Layla walked up to a dazed Lindsay who had just been kissed by Nick. Lindsay looked at the two confused as the trio began walking in the halls. "nick just kissed you!" Nicole exclaimed, while Layla shook her shoulders with excitement.

"Lindsay..." the three heard behind them, all turning around. "You just kissed nick!" mille told her with her eyebrows scrunched up, a slight disgust on her face.

"Yeah, so?"

"are you going out with him?"

"yeah, are you?" Layla asked, intertwining her arms with Nicole's. The two asked with the intent to celebrate meanwhile Millie asked with the intent to display her displeasure.

"no... well... we haven't gone on a real date or anything. its just that..." Lindsay looked around the group before looking at the girls with a slight excitement to finally being able to gossip to friends about a boy. "well, we were hanging out the other day, and he was kinda depressed, and we kissed." Layla and Nicole began to playfully teasing the girl about the kiss. "its no big deal."

"but.. nick is a freak!" Millie cried out, with hopes that Lindsay would began to realize that.

"so what?" the three girls turned to Millie with irritation.

"so this... freaks only date freak girls."

Layla stood straight. "who are you calling a freak, bitch." Millie's eyes widen, not expecting to be called a bitch at 7 in the morning.

Millie stammered, taking a few steps back. "but... freaks go all the way." she whispered as if she would get in trouble for talking about sex.

"Millie, you've no idea what you're talking about." Lindsay began walking away. "mind your own business."

"yeah, bitch." Nicole and Layla said simultaneously, before following Lindsay, who had a small smile on her face, finally knowing what it felt like to have girlfriends who had her back.

"by the way," Nicole said catching up to Lindsay. "you don't have to go all the way with nick. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." she grinned.

=

Layla and Lindsay were both reading books in their literature class. though Lindsay was more into it, practically lost into the book where as Layla had a confused look on her face, re-reading the same paragraph for the 5th time. Lindsay sat beside Daniel and Layla was in front of him.

He was busying scribbling in his notebook. The same notebook he used for every class. Once he noticed that the teacher was out of ear-shot, he called Lindsay's name to get her attention. "i think its really great that you and nick are goin' out."

"yeah. me too."

"no, i mean it. Nicks a great guy. I give him a hard time, but, you know..." Daniel slightly raises his eyebrows. "he's the man! I just think its really great you guys are goin' out." Thinking that was the end of his speech, Lindsay went back to her book, but Daniel continued to praise his friend. "He's a really great guy. Nicks a stud... you know?" He gave her a big grin, obviously hinting towards something. "i mean, he may not seem like it, but he is."

"geez, Daniel." Layla sighed, putting down her book. "if i didn't know better, I'd say you were in love with the guy." this made Lindsay quietly laugh.

Daniel turned towards Layla, clasping his hands together. "you know," he leaned his head slightly back, "now its Lindsay and nick, probably Nicole and Jacob, and Kim and i," he empathized the last part, trying to get a reaction out of her, but on the outside, she stayed cool. "i think its time you dust those cobwebs and get with someone. you know, we could-" he leaned a bit forward, his hands ever so lightly grazing against hers. "have a little practice run first if you want." he smiled smugly.

Layla smiled a sickeningly sweet smile. "you think i have cobwebs to dust? baby, I've been out. those cobwebs have been dusted for years." she leaned closer, their faces practically inches apart across the table. She watched as Daniels face dropped, and he sat back down with an annoyed and angry expression.

she won this round.

=

"but... you haven't gone out with someone in months?" Nicole told Layla as they sat out in the patio.

"yeah, last guy she went out with turned out to be a total psycho." Jacob laughed, remembering her stalker boyfriend. they only lasted a month before Layla had to call the cops on him. "god, but he sold weed for so cheap!" he frowned, laying down on the benches, his head resting on Nicole's lap.

"whatever, he doesn't need to know that. He was just so annoying." Layla groaned. "once he finds out, i know he won't let it go." she sighed, leaning her back against Nicole's, imagining the jokes already.

Nicole rolled her eyes, annoyed at the fact that Layla couldn't see what Daniel was doing. "oh you sweet, sweet, poor girl." but then came a lightbulb. "well, maybe it doesn't have to be a lie." if there was one thing about Nicole, its that she loved drama. If Daniel wasn't gonna do something about his crush on Layla, she was just going to have to force it out of him.

"what do you mean?" Jacob asked, looking up at the blonde beauty. she looked down at him with her eyebrow raised.

"isn't it obvious?" she said, throwing her arms up in frustration.

Jacob and Layla looked at each other confused. Nicole sighed, pushing the two off of her. she stood up, standing in front of the two, crossing her arms. "you want me to go out with someone?" Layla asked, bringing her knees up to her chest.

"yeah! like... what about that guy from our art class? the one that sits at our table. i see the way he looks at you." Nicole wiggled her eyebrows at the girl.

"joey!" Jacob yelled, clapping his hands, finally putting a name to the darked haired boy that sat beside him in the trios art class.

"joey?" Layla asked confused. "i mean... he's cute and all, but i don't think he likes me." she laid her chin on her top of her knees that against her chest.

"oh trust, he does."

Layla thought about it. Maybe it was time to try to get over Daniel and go after someone new. And joey was just the guy.