"Dahlia Martinez! Come to this kitchen right now!"
Wait what. I check the time, 7:05. Oh shit, I'm supposed to be getting my brothers ready.
I quickly run to the kitchen where my mom is standing, arms crossed with a scowl on her face.
"I'm so sorry mom, I was up really late last night doing assignments." I yawn.
She sighs and slaps her hand to her forehead. "Please just make your brother's breakfast, I have to leave now."
I nod and give her a quick kiss on the forehead. She leaves and I start on some eggs. I have to do this really quickly, because I still have to shower and get myself ready.
Emerson and Jake come waltzing into the kitchen. "Dahlia, can you please help me with my math homework. I just don't get it." Emerson pleads.
"Your definition of help is me doing it all for you." I remark.
"Exactly! I'll leave it for you on your desk." He snickers. "I don't think so. We can work on it tonight." It'll be another night of staying up late.
I serve the boys their food and run down the hall to get in the shower. I take one in record time before picking out an outfit.
My clothes feel so plain, considering I have like no money to buy new ones.
Throwing my hair back with a clip, I search through my closet.
I settle on a black cami top with distressed jeans. My mirror is calling me, begging me to look at myself with disgust.
Saturday with Fallon and Aaliyah was fun and all, but I've been punishing myself for it.
Extra workouts, less eating, the works. My head is pounding like a bitch, but it'll be worth it. I know it will.
It's now 7:27. The bus will be here in a couple minutes for Emerson and Jake. "Alright guys, hurry up and get your bags." I warn.
Once the bus leaves with them, I work on some homework while sitting on the couch. I have to write this 3 page essay for English. Nothing too hard for me, but I want it to be perfect.
It has to be.
My priorities have been a little out of place. I've let Blake into my system way more than I should have.
He's dreamy, but I can't let anything get in the way of perfection. Graduating. Letting my family be happy.
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The bus was late. So now I'm walking into theatre late.
I open the door as quietly as possible, not wanting to disrupt the class.
Still, the class turns their heads in my direction. Lord take me now.
"My bus was late." I state. "No problem, just take a seat." Ms.Taylor smiles.
I walk over to my seat towards the back, where Blake is giving me one of his charming, swoon worthy, bright smiles.
Quickly sitting down, I stare straight to the projector where a slideshow on partner acting is being presented.
Blake turns to me, leaning down to my ear.
"We're doing a partner scenes. I know you like to know what's going on." He whispers, sending straight chills down my spine.
I've been here for what, a week and a couple of days? This man is observant.
I nod, still staring straight at the slideshow. Blake laughs a little and leans back in his chair.
Oh my god him leaning back? Hot as hell.
"Go ahead and pick your partners. I posted a list of duet scene options you can choose from once you're partnered." Ms.Taylor announces.
I look around the room. People are partnering up with their friends. There's a girl that looks nice sitting towards the front. She seems like a nice person.
Getting up out of my chair, I start towards the girl. It doesn't take long before a strong arm is pulling me back.
"You're my partner Dahlia." Blake says.
"I though we picked our partners?" I say with confusion.
He stares at me like I'm stupid. "Yeah, and I pick you?" He raises an eyebrow.
"Don't remember agreeing to that." I remark. He rolls his eyes and pulls me to a spot in the corner. "Hey!" I whisper yell.
Blake stops in his tracks and stares at me with concern. "What? Are you okay?" He grabs my face with one hand.
Woah. This feels real nice. I mean it shouldn't though. I push his hand away and clear my throat.
"I'm fine. But you can't just tell me i'm your partner. You're supposed to ask you know."
"Right. Dahlia, will you please be my partner?" He pleads. It's kinda funny, seeing him like this. It's nice to feel wanted.
"I don't know, there might be someone else I want to be partners with." I shrug. He tenses and grabs my hand again.
"You're my partner." He demands. I laugh a little and follow him to the corner.
We sit down, Blake with his knees up, and me with my legs out. He pulls out his phone to check for the scene list.
"We should do the couple on a date scene." He smirks. I glare at him, turning down the idea with my eyes.
He looks at me with that same smile that gives me butterflies. "You look so pretty today."
"You say that to me everyday." I feel my face heat up. "And also I look terrible." I add.
Shaking his head, he goes back to his phone. "I don't know how you think it's even possible for you to look terrible." He mutters.
My thoughts from earlier come back to me. Because I'm letting myself become vulnerable and open to him. And as sweet as his words are, they're distracting. I know how people are, he's saying all this but doesn't mean it.
"Just do the strangers on a bench scene." I straighten up. Blake looks at me a little sadly, but goes back to the list.
He fills out a form with our chosen scene and opens the script.
"Can I see it?" I ask. He nods and hands me his phone. My face drops the moment I read the scene. "Could we change our scene?" My eyes widen.
"Don't think so. I already filled out the form, why?" He grabs his phone to read it.
His face morphs into one of total excitement. "A love at first sight scene. Fitting." He bubbles.
I go to stand up, trying to make an escape to the bathroom. My swift movement makes my head pound. The skipped dinner and breakfast was catching up to me.
Fuck fuck fuck. My head hurts so bad. I stumble back a little, holding my head in my hands.
Blake puts his hand on my lower back, steadying me from falling. "Woah woah, are you okay?" He concerns.
"Fine." I respond. The lights are too bright in here. My stomach is grumbling. I'm so hungry.
"No you're not." He pulls me to his side, letting the teacher know we're going to the nurse.
I can't go to the nurse. They'll make me eat. Please don't take me.
"Don't take me to the nurse." I whisper. "You need help Dahlia. You can't even walk straight." He points out.
His arm is wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against his side. His touch alone could make all the pain go away. "Just give me some water." I state.
We stop at a vending machine in the elective hall. Blake puts a couple of coins inside and a water bottle falls out. He opens it and hands it to me.
The loss of his touch makes my headache more prominent. I chug down some of the water and put the lid back on.
Blake is standing at the vending machine, pulling something out from the bottom.
He stands up holding a bag of chips. Lays. The same chips he offered me our first lunch.
"Eat them." He holds the bag out to me. "It's like 9:30." Excuses excuses.
"Doesn't matter. You need food for your headache."
Grabbing the bag from his hands, I turn it over to look at the nutrition facts. The calories.
140. 140. 140. If i ate 457 yesterday, is this too much.
"Something wrong with them?" Blake asks.
I shake my head and open the bag. I'll just have to work this off later. Stuffing a couple of chips into my mouth, my stomach immediately begs for more.
Blake is looking at me down this entire bag. I don't like when people watch me eat. "You can go back to class, I'm fine."
"No thanks." He shakes his head. I look up to his face. My height merely meets his chest. What a hot height difference.
His presence is comforting. I feel comfortable eating these chips right now. This is not good.
Our eyes meet each other's. Blake grabs my waist, instantly making my body heat up.
"Whenever we look at each other you heat up." He smiles. I back away offended. "Do not."
Letting out a laugh, he grabs me again, looking straight into my eyes.
He stays like that for a moment, and he's frowning again.
"You drive me crazy. I want to know if somethings wrong." He sighs.
I want to trust you so badly Blake.
I put my hands on his chest, rising to my tip toes to meet his ear.
"I drive you crazy huh?" I whisper. Woah, insert bold Dahlia.
He grabs my cheek to face him. Our faces are a mere inch apart.
"Extremely."
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It would be wrong of me to kiss her. That's the only thought keeping me from putting her lips on mine.
We're both breathing heavily, just staring at each other. "Is this driving you crazy?" She finally speaks.
I smile at her. "Not kissing you right here right now is driving me crazy."
She gets red in the face, the reaction I love from her. I knew her bold acts were temporary, because this blushing I know all too well is back.
Coughing, she lowers herself back down. "We should go back." She murmurs.
When she starts heading towards the class, I pull her back to my side.
She fits perfectly against me. Maybe she is meant to be there.
"Safety measures." I whisper in her ear.
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After theatre, I had to go to English. Dahlia stayed quiet the rest of class, only contributing when need be.
Just when I feel I'm getting through to her, she pushed further away. It's frustrating as hell, but I don't plan to give up.
There's something up with her, I can tell. Her constant headaches, the way she doesn't let any of us get close to her, she's a walking mystery.
A gorgeous mystery though.
5 more minutes till lunch, I get to see her again.
This paper for English might actually be the death of me. And my spanish homework?
It amazes me how good she is at everything. Calculus, English, especially Spanish. Every time I complain about my assignments to her, she explains that she's already finished them.
It doesn't occur to her how great she is. How do I prove it to her? Prove that I really want to know her.
The bell finally rings and I hop out of my seat as fast as I can.
Logan and Elijah are waiting by my class.
"I'm on the verge of failing Economics, what the fuck." Elijah sighs.
"You better get your shit together, we need you for fall season." Logan adds.
"Dahlia helped me with some of the assignments, I'll send them to you." I say as we approach the table.
Logan and Elijah glance at each other smiling.
"What?" I ask.
"Dahlia helped you, huh?" Logan smirks. I roll my eyes and sit down.
Fallon and Aaliyah usually take Dahlia to the bathroom with them before coming to eat. They're usually 5 minutes late to lunch.
Pisses me off.
"Hi baby." Aaliyah pops up behind Logan, giving him a kiss on the side of his head.
Fallon sits next to Elijah. He smiles at her and turns back to his sandwich. They totally have a thing for each other.
He definitely doesn't smile at us.
"Adam asked me out today in Calculus. Adam Reyes!" Fallon gleams. Elijah stops chewing.
"Are you gonna say yes?" Aaliyah questions.
We all turn to Fallon waiting for an answer. "I don't think I have a reason not to?" She answers, turning to her lunch.
"You should say no." Elijah blunts. I'm Loving this drama.
Dahlia is in her own world. She has a notebook out instead of a lunchbox. Probably isn't paying attention to this conversation.
She's always scribbling little math problems, leaning her head into her hand.
"Is there a time you aren't doing math?" I ask, smiling at her. She looks up at me glaring.
"No." She says, and turns back to her notebook.
Why isn't she eating? Didn't she just have a headache first period?
"Do you want my apples?" I hand her the bag. She looks at them narrowing her eyes.
"I'm fine."
"That headache earlier may beg to differ."
She glares at me and pushes the bag away.
I just want to help her.
"Ok, sorry for pushing."
I can talk to her, smile at her, tell her how pretty she looks, but in the end, she's the one who has to choose if she wants me to do that.
So, I won't give up. But if she doesn't want to come around, maybe I should stop too.
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Kind of falling in love with Fallon and Elijah;)