It All Started With An Apple

Chapter 30

“Yeah, they are.  But they’ll just have to get over it.”

“Yeah, Dannon’s right, Bri.”

I spun around, smiling brightly at the sight of Kyla rushing to catch up to us.  She’d called earlier, saying that she was running late so I would have to get a ride from Dannon.  Not that I minded.  “Kyla!” I called, laughing.

“Brianne!”  Kyla grinned, turning and waving to Oliver from the crew.  “Glad to see you got a ride.”

She came into step beside me, grinning at the girls who were now proceeding to flip me off very creatively.  “Get a life!” she hollered to them.  “Better yet, get your own man!”

I jabbed Kyla in the arm, glaring.  “Don’t get them even more mad!”

Kyla huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.  “They’re being immature,” she muttered with a pout.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Dannon smile, looking very amused to say the least.  I shoved him playfully, earning a shove in return.  “What are you smiling about?” I inquired, cocking an eyebrow.

“Nothing.”  His smile grew.  “Your conversations just amuse me.”

“Then that’s not nothing, now is it?”

Dannon chuckled.  “I suppose not.”

I sighed, tossing a glance at the group of girls again.  I knew that the fangirls would be upset, but I didn’t know that they would take the relationship to such extreme levels of anger.  I tried to empathize with them, but it was really hard when they were starting to piss me off.  So, out of irritation, I gave up and hastily turned away from them.

“Hey, is it okay if I come over tonight so we can work on the project?” Dannon asked softly.

I smiled, nodding.  “Yeah, sure.  But we have to do other homework first.”

Dannon smiled back.  “Of course!”

My hand still in his, Dannon pulled the door open and we entered the school.  As we maneuvered our way through the crowds of people—their evil little eyes glaring me down, by the way—I kept my eyes trained on the dirt-covered floor.  Dannon squeezed my hand again.  I took a deep breath, willing myself not to concentrate on the stares.  Dannon, Kyla, and I would come to the end of the hall, and Dannon and I would part ways—until lunch that was.  Everything would be fine.

However, Dannon didn’t separate from us as we reached the end of the hall.  Instead of splitting off into the next hall like he should have, he followed us up the stairwell, toward Kyla’s and my first periods.  I’d be lying if I said that I was surprised.  I mean, part of me expected Dannon to go against the plan in my head.  He always seemed to.  I blinked, looking up as Kyla flashed me a discreet smile while holding her hands up in the shape of a smile.  I pursed my lips, about ready to smack her.  We didn’t need even more attention—if that was at all possible—brought to ourselves. 

As we made our way up the (thankfully) deserted stairwell, Kyla chirped at high-speed about the prom.  Excitement seeped deeper into her voice with each word, her pitch escalating with each syllable.  Dannon and I watched her silently as she talked.  I’d completely forgotten about prom, and now it seemed to so close that I could almost touch it.  It was in two weeks. Two weeks. I could just tell that in those two weeks, I was going to be tortured beyond imaging with Kyla forcing me to go dress shopping with her and whatnot. I hated dress shopping with a passion.  Any idiot would know that about me.

“Brianne, remember next Saturday!” Kyla called suddenly as she skipped away from us, toward Mrs. Carl’s class. 

I blinked.  I had no idea that we’d reached the landing, let alone, reached our lockers.  I blinked again.  How did I do that?  Get so lost in thought that everything around me was blocked out?  It was kind of disturbing.