Stuck with Mr. Popular ( COMPLETED)

chapter-15

I was wrong all this time. Daniel Anderson was here and he was here for good. My childhood best friend was back, he who cared enough to embrace my pain as their own. 

His stormy gray eyes lock onto mine, growing dark and intense. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a V-neck black shirt that accentuates his muscles and abs.

I remained still.

"Are you out of your mind, Kim!" he said fiercely.

I gave him a confused look. I knew he's here for me, but telling him about the kiss just didn't feel right. 

"What's up, Dany?" I asked with a raised brow.

"What's up? Don't you dare ask me what's up, Kim. You skipped school. That's something you never do. It's my first day of school and I already have a lot to catch up with. We have half our classes together, Kim, and I almost missed all of them because I was searching for you! So don't pretend like nothing's wrong because I know something is. Just tell me what happened?", Dany said, his voice brimming with fervor and frustration. A profound silence settled between us, allowing his words to reverberate in the air.

I liked my lips, bracing myself to lie to him. "Umm... I-I..." I couldn't finish. I wanted to tell him about Raymond and how he made me feel. About that perfect kiss, one which I had only read about in books till now. The tingling sensation I get every time me and Raymond are in the same room.

To my rescue, someone knocked on the door. I glanced up at Dany as a surge of fear coursed through me, dreading that the knock on the door might be Raymond's. Acting swiftly, I brought my index finger to my lips, imploring Dany to maintain absolute silence.

"Soaf, is everything alright?" a voice called out from behind the door, instantly recognizable as my mother's. Relief washed over me as I thanked the heavens that it was her.

"Yeah, Mom. I'm fine," I responded promptly, my words carrying a hint of reassurance.

"Raymond came looking for you. Did something happen? He seemed quite concerned. I wasn't sure if you wanted to speak with him, so I let him know you weren't home," Mom explained, her voice laced with a mix of curiosity and concern.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips, momentarily easing the tension that had gripped me. However, as I turned my attention back to Dany, I noticed a discerning gaze fixed upon something in the room. Dread washed over me, realizing that he was on the brink of uncovering the truth.

In that moment, it felt as if the ground should open up and swallow me whole, sparing me from the impending revelation. 

"Thanks, Mom. I'll catch up with him later," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that out," Mom replied, her sigh carrying a hint of resignation. She continued, her voice filled with genuine concern, "Soaf, my dear, you know you can tell me about anything, right?"

I nodded, my response muffled by a sense of apprehension. "Yes, Mom. I'll be okay."

With that, Mom sighed once again before bidding me goodnight and gradually retreating from the room. Left alone with Dany, the weight of the unspoken truth hung heavy in the air, palpable and suffocating. Realizing that the secret was now exposed, courtesy of my mother's words, I knew there was no turning back.

"I can see the thoughts racing through your mind," I confessed, my voice trembling with uncertainty. "It's... it's about Raymond." 

"What about him?" his voice reverberated with anger, his frustration palpable.

"Um... he... he tried to kiss me," I finally managed to say, my words escaping in a hesitant whisper.

"WHAT?" Dany's voice boomed, echoing the shock that consumed him.