Dismissing Dakota | ✓

»15. Cry Baby«

A/N: Thank you Chi1730 for the awesome cover above for Disarming Dakota.

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Silvia's P.O.V.

I couldn't catch up with Dakota when the bell rang. He was busy trying to cut past the swarm of girls beaming at Pierson near the front of the class, patting him on the back for his writing.

I took one glance at the paper Faye had, and I knew it wasn't his. I wasn't any penmanship specialist, but I knew it wasn't Pierson. I had sat next to Pierson in Spanish class all throughout the first semester. His writing was worse than mine. You could barely make out a letter. Calling it chicken scratch would be a compliment, and it would be an insult to chickens everywhere.

Faye sat next to me today-not willingly, may I remind you. It was the only seat left. I had gotten a glance at it before she went up to the center of the room. I recognized the writing to be Dakota's. I had spent an afternoon staring at his sketch book last term, admiring the way it resembled modern calligraphy.

Giving Pierson a pat on the back for something he didn't do was definitely a kick in the gut to Dakota, but he didn't appear to be disheartened. Out of all the people Ronnie could've said, she had to say Pierson. Even I knew he wouldn't write about some girl in his dreams. He'd probably drone on and on about himself in third person.

Dakota was out of the hallway by the time I exited the classroom. I went through my phone to see if I still had his number saved. Something inside of me told me to contact him. I couldn't quite describe the temptation, but it was urgent.

I walked over to the girl's restroom and hide inside. Being caught with a cell phone in school would lead to getting it confiscated.

By the second ring, he picked up. "Who's this?"

"It's Silvia."

There was a pause. "Sorry. You have the wrong number."

"Dakota. I know it's you. I know your voice."

His suppressed a laugh. "I'm shocked you still have my number. I don't have yours."

"I got a new one."

"I'm well aware of that already, Silvia." He chimed in a very passive aggressive way. We weren't face to face, but my imagination filled in how he would be looking at me.

I waved my hand under the automatic hand dryer out of boredom and also because talking to Dakota on the phone made me feel uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Are you off-campus yet?"

"I will be soon. I'm thinking about getting something to eat before I go home. I would ask you to tag along, but I'm worried Gabriel won't be ok with it." He paused. "You know he's fifteen, right? Do you plan on babysitting him this weekend?"

"Of course you were eavesdropping," I grumbled.

"It's not considered eavesdropping if you're in the same room as me."

"Yes, it is," I sighed. "It's not like that, Dakota. We have math together. Ronnie's busy doing something with her younger sister. Gabriel offered to study with me. And besides, he's got a girlfriend now and she's going to also be there."

"Smart girlfriend," he noted. "Does that automatically mean I'm invited, too?"

"Automatically?" I scoffed. "You're not my boyfriend. And, it's going to be over at his house. I don't know if he'd be alright with you coming over."

"He might be and he might not be. It doesn't hurt to find out," he suggested. "Any who, why'd you call in the first place? Is there something you want to tell me?"