Chapter 5: Daniel Fraser
I had run a couple hundred metres up the trail, I stopped, all I could hear was my own panting.
Gee I'm unfit...
There was no more snapping of twigs. The birds in the canopy of gumtrees began to sing to one another again. In relief I bent over with my hands on my knees to catch my breath, I was observing the dried leaves and sticks scattered across the floor of the bush. Once my breathing returned to normally I slowly straightened my back but my eyes still locked on the ground. That's when I saw feet...
They were a mustard colour, fluffy and covered in dirt. I apprehensively took in the golden retriever who's yellow fur shone in the sun pushing through the tree branches above. It sat before me, panting with a wide smile and cocked their head to side curiously when I smiled.
Remind me why I had been so scared of this cute little fluff-ball?
"Hi there, cutie," I cooed as I allowed the dog to smell my hand to test whether I was nice or not. When they started waggling their tail and giving a chirpy bark as they all but jumped onto their furry feet, I began to pat them. I knelt beside them and they rolled onto their back exposing his stomach, I scratched their stomach. The dog rolled back onto their front, I patted their back and head, spending a bit of time behind his ear. In the movies dogs seemed to always like that.
I know the dogs exuberance is washing off on me when I cooed: "Who's a cute little doggy." This dog made me not be able to stop smiling. More importantly, they made me not want to stop smiling.
When I stood up and stopped patting, the dog immediately whined and jumped to their feet. I looked down to find them giving me the puppy-dog-eyes.
How does this dog know how to use their cuteness so well?
I knelt down and the dog barked happily with their tail whipping the air. I patted it's head while let smiling. Then a thought crossed my mind:
Where is this dog's owner?
It must be one hell of an amazing owner, considering that this dog's name could literally be 'Happy.'
I stood once more and turn to find then owner, ignoring the whines.
"Come on, boy," I encouraged with a pat to my leg. He bounded up behind me and then walks right next to my leg.
Well trained, too.
I faced forward with a smile and retraced my steps back down the path. But just as I had turned my head to the front, I rammed straight into something hard. But this time it wasn't a gumtree.
I landed on my already bruised bum. The dog yelped happily at whatever I had ran into.
Why do I always end up on the ground?
"Ouch," I groaned with eyes held tight in pain, I sheltered my red trickling nose with my hand.
"Shit," a scarily familiar voice spoke, "are you okay?"
If I know this person, why do they sound concerned?
I looked up to find a hand offered to help me stand.
"I'll be fine," I mumbled. The sun was shining directly in my eyes so I couldn't take in who was standing there. From what I could see was a tall silhouette of a muscled boy.
After apprehensively taking his hand and being pulled upward carefully, my eyes were glued to the ground.
How did I manage to crash into a guy in the middle of the bush?
"Thanks," I almost whispered. I refused to look up. So I stared at my feet, and his feet. Our feet. I wondered what was wrong with me.
"Not a problem," his voice was kind. "Really it was my fault for standing in your way, I mean I just thought you would realise I was standing there... But you didn't." He paused. "Now your nose is bleeding! I'm sorry, are you alright?" The last bit was rushed, as if he were embarrassed with himself.
Why is this person being nice to me and is embarrassed with themselves in front of me?
Normally, people didn't give two damns about what I thought about them.
I took this moment to look up and meet his eyes. My eyes widened.
It was Daniel Fraser.
I repeat, Daniel. Fraser.
What was he doing here? Why did he have a cute dog? Why was he on the side people of Bristown try to avoid? Why was he near my Stage?
More importantly, why was the most popular guy at Bristown High concerned and blaming himself for hurting me?
Usually, at school, he expected people to move out of his way as he walked with his posse through the hallway.
His dark eyebrows were creased in concern, and the corners of his dark lips were turned down. Could he tell I was freaking out?
Did he know it was me the whole time?
Did he actually care I have a blood nose?
I must be having some whacked up dream
From what I know about Daniel Fraser, he was more intent on caring about whether or not he had a speck of dirt on his perfect face than about anyone else.
Did I just say perfect?
"Ariana, what do you need me to do?"
He said my name.
Oh, shut up Ariana!
"Oh, uh, nothing, I'm fine, I'll just go home," I felt dumb as I stuttered.
"You sure?" He questioned as he leaned slightly closer to get a more clear view of my eyes.
"I'm not lying!" I defended. I leant slightly away, I felt that as any moment he would pull out some rude comment and make me feel like shit, like all the others at school.
"You better not be, Ariana," he smiled, a real genuine smile. "I see you met Alfie," gesturing to the golden retriever, wagging its tail at my feet. Alfie chirped at his name.
"Oh, that's his name," I smiled, I ruffled Alfie's golden fur.
"Well, he's a she," Daniel chuckled. I looked at him with my jaw ajar:
"Huh?"
"Alfie is a girl," he nodded while pointing at his happy dog.
"How is Alfie a girl's name?" I laughed.
He scratched the back of his neck nervously and went slightly pink.
Why do I find that cute?
"Don't be sexist to my dogs name," he spluttered almost not making coherent sense.
"But...it's a boy name," I giggled at his expense, causing him to go a shade deeper of pink.
"Okay, it's a boy name! Don't judge, alright," he mumbled having a staring match with his feet, and his dark hair fell in his chocolate eyes. With his almost black hair and red face he looked like a Red Back Spider.
"I don't judge," I laughed.
Where the hell is all this coming from?
I don't normally talk to guys from school, if I do I would have mumbled.
I must be having a good day?
....But how can it be, Michael died yesterday...
"Sure, you don't," Daniel looked up and chuckled. His face is still red, but his smile was perfect and contagious. Somehow I forgot about everything and smiled like an idiot back.
"You just gotta trust me," distracted, still smiling like a fool.
Suddenly, there was a sharp bark and Alfie was off and running. Our eyes followed her golden tail disappear over the hill and she was gone, our only indicator she was in the nearby bush was her fierce barking.
We looked at each other than at the hill. Then started simultaneously sprinting after Alfie's animated barking. I wasn't nearly as fast as Daniel, but I attempted to keep in the same ball park, only slightly behind him.
We ran down the trail onto the Stage, where I nearly slipped as due to lack of grip on my runners, then up the incline of the trail on the other side, as we followed the fierce barks of Alfie as she chased the fugitive. Daniel and I took it in turns to call out for the escaped dog.
We found her as we rounded a bend where was sat looking innocent with her head cocked to the like the time I had first seen her. Alfie barked happily when Daniel approached her with a purple lead, but her barks became a bit desperate when he attached the lead to her matching colour.
As soon as he tied the lead around the nearest sapling, Daniel and I collapsed to the ground, both still panting.
Maybe I wasn't as unfit as I thought...?
Alfie continued to bark like a crazy dog, but now running around the tree to follow any birds speeding through the air nearby. She ran around the trunk so many time soon the lead was wrapped around it and couldn't move any further. I tried to chuckle, but my lungs hurt.
I wonder what she was chasing after...? It better have been something important.
I look over a Daniel who has his eyes closed, his dark eyelashes long and fluttered over his cheeks. He looked like he degenerated into a younger and...more innocent version of himself.
He looks cute.
Ariana stop!
He's rude, ugly and arrogant that's manipulating you into believing he was a nice human being, then he would come back use your weaknesses against you and crush you into tiny pieces.
"Well, I better go," I sat up and brushed my back off because it was bound to be covered in dirt and leaves. I turned and was Daniel watching me with his dark eyes filled with an unknown expression.
I slowly stood up when he didn't say anything and I brushed off the rest of my body. I hoped I was leaf-free as I turned and but I found him standing right in front of me, so close my eyes were locked with his chest.
This is awkward.
Stop blushing Ariana.
Damn you face!
"You missed a could leaves on your back, turn around I'll get them for you," almost ordering me, I turned in a small circle. He brushed off my lower back gently and tapped me when he finished. I could only assume my face was glowing like hot coals.
"T-thanks," I stuttered, not turning around.
"No problem," his voice quiet and partly awkward.
"I better go, now I promised my mum I wouldn't be to long," the lie escaped my lips before I had a chance to think about it. I felt bad for deceiving him, but my gut was telling me to get out of there. I didn't like awkward or hard situations...
I turned and smiled up at him, with my tomato face then I began walking away, really quickly.
"Ariana," Daniel called out loudly, cutting through the silent air of the bush, his voice all I could hear.
"Yeah?" I stopped.
"Aren't you gonna say bye to Alfie?"
I looked at Daniel, almost incredulously, but then I laughed at the dog excitedly wagging his tail still tied to the same sapling. Alfie barked, almost calling me over. I looked behind me up the path and back again, then shrugged. I retraced my steps and crouched on my knees before the puppy and she attempted to lick my face. Daniel standing above us was able to reprimand her before I got too slobbery.
"Bye Alfie," I giggled at her smiling face.
Daniel knelt beside me and patted his dogs head. She closed her eyes at his touch. " I think she really likes you."
Our eyes meet for a moment and I smiled at him before I returned my gaze to Alfie, " I hope so."
"Hey, if you want I can walk you home, it's on our way anyways," he said quickly, he stared profusely at his hand in Alfie's golden fur.
"Sure," I replied looking at Alfie as well.
Face calm down, please.
"Let's get you home then," Daniel stood and untied Alfie from the tree, Alfie had a permanent smile on her face as we tracked up the path to my house.
What if he see how bad my house is?
"So, how did you actually come up with Alfie's name?" I inquired curiously, trying to ignore my thoughts. I watched Daniel form his response.
Daniel smiled and took a breath," When I was really young I really liked the name Alfie, I don't exactly know why." He paused for a moment. "Well, one day my parents bought a Golden Retriever puppy and so we named it Alfie. Well I kinda forced my parents into it...and it turned out Alfie was a girl." He started to chuckle, then he laughed. His laugh filled the whole bush, it was a bright sound that made anything dark or gloomy disappear. I joined in. After a while, after the laughter subsided: "Well that's the story, pretty anticlimactic, but oh well, now you know how weird a child I was, or am." He finished.
"Well, I thought it was a pretty intense story, may not be as big as the Avengers or X-Men, but it's up there... In the top million..." I faked enthusiasm. Trying not to laugh at his face. He gave me a strange look.
I don't think he understands my humour...
"I'm just kidding." I nearly reached out and playful punched his arm like I would have done to Michael, but I refrained. He gave me a small smile.
I hope I didn't say something wrong.
We had just reached the dirt road at the mouth of the dirt track, I lead the way over the road with Daniel close behind. When I got to the gate where Cameron had helped me earlier that day and wondered where he was and what he was doing. Before opening it, I faced the boy who had found me in the bush and smiled.
"Thanks," I said, happily.
"No worries," Daniel replied, as Alfie barks happily so I patted her head.
"Well I better go inside, my mums expecting me!" I started to open the gate.
"Ok, well see you soon Ariana."
I walked through the open gate and along the crazier cement path and jumped onto the verandah. When I reached the door I turned to find Daniel still standing in front of the white and rusted gate, but he was looking over his shoulder into the bush.
"Seeyah," I called and waved.
He turned his head quickly and locked gazes with me; "Adios."
I chuckled to myself and stepped inside.
Maybe I was wrong about boys...?
From my experience today, the seem to be kind, polite, generous, welcoming and funny. A smile curled up my lips. But immediately dropped as my whole body went ice cold when I heard:
"Where the fuck have you been, girl?"
Shit, Father is home...