Daisy in a Meadow

34 - Unannounced Visits

"That was hours ago," Malcolm reasoned.

"Yeah, 'cause God forbid you go more than a few hours without bothering the poor girl," Andre sarcastically said.

"Exactly!" Malcolm cheerfully agreed, before directing his attention back onto me. "Anyways, what do you say, Elias?"

Andre offhandedly tossed me a towel, which I used to ruffle my hair that was wet from my grueling workout. Meanwhile, I rejected Malcolm's idea. "I highly doubt Daisy would appreciate it if we showed up to her house unannounced—again."

"Agreed," Andre lazily piped up.

"You guys are no fun," Malcolm pouted, "Seriously, though, what's up with you, Elias?"

"Nothing," I grunted.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Malcolm and Andre exchange looks. Clenching my jaw, I walked over to the ground where I'd placed my water bottle and squirted some water into my mouth. Meanwhile, dumb and dumber followed after me, unwilling to back down.

"Doesn't seem like nothing," Andre speculated.

"No shit, Captain Obvious," Malcolm scoffed before facing me. "It's not... him, is it?"

I balled my hands into fists.

Andre gasped, eyes widening. "It is, isn't it?"

I didn't reply, which appeared to be enough of a response for them.

"I don't believe it..." Malcolm was speechless for once. "I really thought he was gone this time."

"Yup," I lowly whispered, dark eyes traveling over to the ceiling as I confirmed their suspicions. "My father's back."

*****

We winded up in the driveway of Daisy's house—Malcolm and Andre in one car, me in my own. It admittedly didn't take much convincing, as I desperately yearned to be in her presence after the difficult day I'd had.

Malcolm rang the doorbell. A few seconds went by. I could distinctly hear the sound of someone falling, before the door opened just a crack.

There she was. Daisy appeared to have removed her braids, so her hair was back to its original curly state, effortlessly tied into a perfect bun on top of her head. She looked slightly frantic, as if she was stressed or something. Her face was bare, skin smooth without the makeup that sometimes coated her features at school.

Admittedly, I was jealous of all the attention she began to receive after Chelsea had given her a makeover. Things had gotten even worse after she'd made the cheerleading team. That uniform had done well to accentuate her marvelous body, which she usually hid with the baggy sweatpants and hoodies she wore. Frankly, I was getting tired of scaring off the stupid boys at school with my glares. However, I wasn't going to stop. None of them were good enough for her.

I bet they didn't notice the dimples that appeared in her cheeks when she smiled. The way she cocked her head to the right and scrunched her nose when she was confused. The way her eyes lit up when she raised her hand in class. No, they didn't lo—appreciate Daisy like I did, dorkiness and all.

"Elias," Daisy said my name in surprise.

"Daisy," I lowly murmured back.

I felt my heart beat faster as we locked eyes, although the peaceful moment did not last long.

"And Malcolm and Andre," Malcolm slowly added, causing us to remember that we were not alone.