Hey y'all! THANK YOU FOR READING (first of all) and second, I apologize. I'm following an emotional cliffhanger chapter with a filler. I apologize. THE NEXT CHAPTER IS WAY BETTER SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP READING! I really do take into consideration your comments so if you want something to happen MAKE A COMMENT! I read ALL of them and will see what I can do about letting your comment come true! Love you all! As always, vote, comment, follow and ENJOY!
Magically yours,
Rosewood7
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I drive Ol’ Rusty to school the next day and pick up Ryan on the way.
“Proceed to the place of desolate suffering,” he says as he steps into the truck. I don’t say anything as I pull out of his driveway and continue onto school.
“Are you OK?” he asks at my lack of response. I nod but still don’t say anything. I really don’t feel like talking today. However, Ryan keeps pushing. “Spill. What happened?”
“Nothing. I don’t want to talk about it,” I say quietly and turn on the radio. Ryan immediately turns it off.
“Which one is it? You don’t want to talk about it or it’s nothing?”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Ryan. Please don’t ask again,” I say. Ryan’s lips press together in a tight line.
“Did Dominico say something to you yesterday?” he asks.
“Please, Ryan? I don’t feel like talking,” I say.
“But I want to know what happened!” Ryan whines. I don’t reply and he sighs in defeat.
Why did Dominico have to go be such an idiot? Doesn’t he know how terrified that wizard makes me? Why does he always have to go along with everything Rosaline says? She’s mean! Downright cruel! I don’t want to see either of them again. Ever. Unfortunately, the people who created ‘high school’ didn’t create in-school restraining orders. We should have those… I see it now!
Ryan goes to catch up with Melissa after we reach the school and I park. I see Jaz in a deep conversation with Will, both of them smiling. I don’t bother them and instead go to my locker.
“What happened?!” I hear Izabella’s voice, causing me to jump.
“Good gravy, Izabella,” I breath, grabbing my books.
“You have to tell me what happened!” She demands.
“Were you talking to Ryan?” I ask her. She looks confused for a second then lets it go.
“Dominico locked in his room all night and wouldn’t talk to anyone. He hasn’t said a word since yesterday before school! What’s going on?” she asks.
“Depression? Abandonment issues? He should see a doctor,” I tell her, even though quite honestly I’d been in that same state last night after he left.
“You don’t seem particularly concerned,” Izabella notes. I shrug.
“He’ll get over it soon,” I say to her.
“No, he won’t. What happened, Faye? I’ve never seen him like this before! He’s scaring me!” she exclaims. I laugh once, humorlessly.
“You’re not the only one,” I say. “See you later!” I quickly turn to leave. Izabella catches my arm which is now not electric.
“Are you OK, Faye?” she asks, looking me in the eyes. It’s useless to lie to a warlock.
“No,” I admit, “and I probably won’t be for a while. So if I start taking it out on you, whack me upside the head and just tell me to knock it off, alright?”
“Sure thing,” Izabella mumbles, “but I still don’t know why you and my brother are acting like you just lost your best friend.”
“I don’t know about him,” I tell her, “but I did.” I quickly head to Social Studies. Rosaline and Dominico come in just before the bell rings and sit down. Rosaline sits toward the front of the classroom, nowhere near Dominico and me. Dominico turns to me, like he’s debating on saying anything but when I look away from him, he doesn’t. I can’t help but glance at him a couple times throughout the lesson. I don’t want to see him so bad, so why can’t I stop myself from thinking about him nonstop? I’m such a jobbernowl.
The tension between me and Dominico is so thick that you could literally cut it with a butter knife… actually, in this case, maybe a chainsaw.
When the bell rings Dominico stays in his seat an extra second as I jet to the door, accidently plowing through everyone in my way. I’m torn between incredibly happy he got my message and is staying away from me and really disappointed that he didn’t even try. I’ll go with happy, if I have a choice. I pay the most attention to my classes since…well, ever. School subjects are pretty much good for one thing: draining your soul of all personality and clearing your mind of all thought of anything actually important. Is knowing that subatomic particles with a positive charge are protons going to be the deciding factor in my life? I really hope not. If it is, I want a new life.
Lunch rolls around finally after I pay so much attention in class that I start looking for objects to use as horcruxes for the shattered fragments of my soul.
“Wrong way!” I hear a voice chide me. Izabella grabs my arm and yanks me away from the cafeteria.
“Um…no? Lunch is that way,” I remind her.
“You’re not going to lunch right now,” she says firmly.
“Why? I’m hungry and I need to ask Ryan what a good horcrux would be,” I argue. Izabella shakes her head,
“Your mind truly is a mystery,” she says.
“Maybe I just like to keep things interesting,” I protest.
“Don’t worry, you’re doing a great job at that,” she assures me. Somehow though, it wasn’t in a very assuring tone. More like berating. Berating is such an odd word though. It shouldn’t mean ‘condescending’. It should be a verb like, ‘I berating that on Fandango right now.’ Meaning: I am clicking the number of stars I think a movie should be. You BE-RATING! Get it? Get it? Why do I have a strong feeling this isn’t going to take off?
Izabella pulls me through the crowded hallways full of idiotic people. I let her, thinking the whole time about how much I hate people. And it’s not even morning! I think I’m becoming even more antisocial. How?
“Stay here,” Izabella says pushing me against a hallway wall. The force behind her push was abnormally hard so I just grunt in response. Izabella goes away quickly and I lean against the wall, rubbing my tender head. Izabella comes back a few minutes later, dragging someone in tow. Suddenly that ‘someone’ was thrown against me. My head hits the wall again as Dominico’s chest barrels into my face.
“I’m sorry!” he says.
“Izabella, you’re going to give me a concussion. Stop throwing people into walls!” I tell her.
“I only threw one person into a wall. I threw you into a wall and Dominico into you,” she says.
“His chest is like a wall so it’s like getting hit by a wall twice,” I argue.
“Sorry but I ate my vegetables growing up, I don’t know about you,” Dominico says. We share a mutually annoyed though slightly amused look before I turn away from looking at him and I know he does the same. Izabella gawks at us not looking at each other in awkward silence.
“What happened?” Izabella asks.
“Drop it, Izzy,” Dominico says, his voice cracking.
“No! I want to know what happened and why the two of you are tiptoeing around each other like you don’t want the other to literally explode!” Dominico and I share a do-we-do-that?-look. Of course the answer was definitely yes. Yes we did.
“You don’t need both of us for that, do you?” I ask her.
“Yes because whenever I corner one of you, you run away!” she says.
“You can go ahead,” Dominico tells me. “Sorry about your head.” He doesn’t look me in the eyes. I just nod at his request and awkwardly shuffle out from between him and the wall.
I quickly start to walk away and head towards the cafeteria. But I’m not fast enough to stay out of hearing range of Dominico’s low voice.
“Izzy, please. Just drop it. I screwed up. I lost her. She hates me now. Don’t talk to her about it, I’m begging you.” Was he trying to protect me? He thought I hated him. Did I? Did I hate Dominico? Could I hate Dominico?
I walk quickly to the cafeteria, doing my best to keep calm. Don’t think about him. Don’t think about him. Don’t think about him. What am I doing?! I’m thinking about him! Darn you Faye! STOP THINKING!
By the time I sit down next to Jaz at the table, I have successfully freaked myself out to the point of wanting to just go home and crawl up in a corner for the next four hours with nothing but some sort of book containing a multitude of casualties and gore to get my mind off that stupid kid. Everyone seems to sense something is wrong (or Ryan told them) and keep turning points of the conversation to me.
“So, Faye, what are you going to do tonight?” Melissa asks me. Thank goodness for these wonderful people who know the importance of keeping people’s minds off of certain boys. NOOOO!!! I’m becoming a typical highschooler! I’m moping about a teenage guy! I need to go do something productive besides Nala or I’m going to become too pathetic for even me to handle. I shrug.
“Something. I’ll probably take Rowan to the park or something. I’m going to go insane if I stay in my room for another day,” I say. Ryan puts his arm around my shoulder with his goofy you-know-you-love-me-now-I-need-a-favor-look. “That was probably the wrong time to say that, wasn’t it?” I ask Melissa. She gives me a guilty smile.
“You know my brother, right?” she asks. Nicolas Mailton. Senior star of the basketball team.
“Not personally,” I say, suspicious of where this is going.
“Well, I kind of introduced him to Ryan the other day…” she starts.
“No!” I groan. “Why on Earth would you do that? Ryan is so unlikable when you first meet him!”
“Hey!!!” Ryan yells.
“Well you are! Sorry but you are awful at first impressions,” I tell him.
“You are,” Melissa agrees with me. Ryan sighs but doesn’t argue.
“Which is why!” Ryan says and smiles at me again, “I need you help!” He seems so oddly cheerful about this.
“What do you want?” I ask in a hard voice. Melissa and Ryan look so dang guilty. “What. Did. You. Do. Ryan. Augustus. Lincoln!” Ryan raises his hands in surrender.
“I’m sorry! I just forgot you were my only single female friend and I…um…”
“Spit it out,” I say. Izabella comes into the cafeteria and to my surprise, Dominico joins us at our table. However, he doesn’t appear to be joining us at his own will.
“You have a date,” Ryan says. Dominico and Izabella’s mouths drop.
“No I don’t,” I say simply.
“Yes, you do. 6 o’clock tonight, you’re going to the movies with Daniel Briar,” Ryan says. Izabella raises her eyebrows at me and Dominico goes a little pale.
“Who is that?” I ask. I do not have a date tonight.
“That’s Nick’s friend. He’s on the basketball team with him and Nick said it would be a good idea if we could go on a double date,” Melissa explains.
“I’m not going.” I say without a second thought.
“Why?!” Melissa and Ryan both whine.
“I am not going on a blind date. Ryan, I know you have no other female contacts besides your mom but Melissa, do you have any other friends?” I ask.
“No one else would agree to this!” she says. Jaz laughs and I slam my head down into the table.
“I refuse,” I deadpan.
“It could be fun,” Izabella says. Dominico shoots her a look that I can’t read. Betrayal?
“No,” I say. “I’m not going on a date. Ryan, you know how this goes for me.”
“This time could be different! Maybe this guy isn’t a nice guy who turns out to be an utter jerk,” Ryan says optimistically. Did Dominico just flinch? Stop looking at him!!!
“I doubt it,” I mumble.
“Please, Faye? Nick really doesn’t like me. And it’s just one date! We’re just going to see a movie! No big deal!” Ryan persuades, giving me a puppy dog face.
“What movie?” I grumble.
“Seriously?!” literally everyone at the table screams.
“I didn’t say yes. I just asked which movie are you going to see,” I clarify. Ryan smiles at Melissa.
“You can pick!” Melissa says.
“ONLY because I want to go see that new zombie action thriller,” I allow, “I will go.”
“Faye! You’re the best!” Melissa exclaims and gives me a hug.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m always the best when I’m caving to other people’s desires. But just so you know, if this Daniel guy tries anything, I mean, try to hold my hand anything, I will probably inflict some serious injuries,” I promise.
“You’re seriously going to do it?” Izabella asks.
“ONLY because I want to see the movie, because Ryan’s my friend, and because I’ve wanted Melissa and Ryan together since forever. I don’t like going on blind dates though. Heck. I don’t like going on any kind of dates. They’re always so shy and awkward and disgustingly cute,” I say, wrinkling my nose. Dominico chuckles but quickly looks away from me when I see him chuckling. This ignoring each other thing between us is awful. Although I did ask him to stay away from me, right? So I shouldn’t be mad.
“What are you going to wear?” Melissa asks curiously. I look down at my worn jeans and grey Harry Potter themed t-shirt.
“I wasn’t planning on changing…” I say.
“Faye!” Jaz shrieks. “Have I taught you nothing?!”
“I don’t like dressing up though! I’m going on the stupid date! Isn’t that enough? Do I have to be presentable too?” I whine.
“YES!” Ryan and Melissa both shout.
“You are coming over to my house before your date tonight, Faye. No. Exceptions.” Izabella says in a threatening tone.
“Yeash, guys. I can dress myself,” I grumble, picking at my food.
“Obviously not,” Izabella says. I frown but concede.
“Faye you know you don’t have to-“ Will starts but I hold up my hand to stop him.
“William, if I hear so much as one logical answer to bail, I’ll do it. So for the sake of Ryan and Melissa, choose your words carefully.”
“Never mind.”
“Come on! One thing? Then this whole thing of me bailing could be your fault and I’d be off the hook!”
“Faye!” Ryan accuses, shooting me an accusing look.
“Do I have to be nice to this guy too?” I ask Melissa.
“Yes!”
“But what if he’s a jerk? Can I punch him then?”
“You can’t break anything, alright? Not his nose, not his arm, not his-“
“What about his ego? Guys’ egos are so dang fragile!” I argue.
“HEY!” Every guy at the table protests, jumping out of their chairs.
“Don’t deny it.” I say coolly and they all think about it for a second before sitting back down. Goodness. Don’t they realize they’re own stupidity?
“Maybe. You have to have a reasonable case if you break his ego though,” Melissa says.
“Yes, sir! Easy as pie, sir!” I salute her military-style. Ryan rolls his eyes and mutters something like ‘I’m doomed.’
“Yes, sir!” I tell him.
After lunch my next two classes with Dominico pass in utter awkwardness. He doesn’t avoid being around me, but he avoids all kind of looking at me, communication to me and otherwise interaction with me. I’m not complaining but does he have to do it with that sad look on his face that makes me want to run up to him and give him a big hug? It’s eating a whole in my already dissipated soul. That sentence rhymed. I say it out loud in computer science class quietly to myself. Dominico shoots me a weird look. Well, he looked at me, so am I supposed to feel this accomplished or am I supposed to glare? Instead I awkwardly blush and look away. Smooth moves, Faye.
Getting home from school I say hi to my mom and grab an apple from the bowl in the center of our kitchen table.
“Where are you going, honey?” she asks me.
“I have to get ready for a date tonight,” I say, attempting to keep the TOTAL DREAD from my voice. My mom squeals like Jaz and jumps up, causing me to jump in fright.
“Did Dominico finally ask you out?!” She squeals.
“WHAT?! NO!!! Dominico?!” I ask/exclaim/scream/freak out in shock. “What on EARTH are you talking about?” My mom regains her composures, obviously bored with our conversation now.
“Who asked you out?” she asks, amazingly calm. I stare open-mouthed at her sudden change in demeanor.
“Oh-Um- Nobody. I’m doing Ryan and Melissa a favor so I’m going to double date with them tonight. So not technically a ‘real’ date. But, more importantly, WHY DID YOU THINK DOMINICO ASKED ME OUT?!”
“I don’t know. Call me old but, in my day, when a girl liked a guy and that guy liked her back and they spent a LOT of time together, they normally would go on a date,” my mom says. I choke on the apple I was eating and cough into the sink.
“What does that have to do with me and Dominico?” I ask. “I don’t like him and he doesn’t like me and we don’t talk anymore.”
“Oh, that boy definitely likes you,” she says. I start choking again.
“I’m going to go change because my friends will kill me if I go on a date looking like this. I asked. AND you’re completely and utterly crazy so I don’t think it will do my mental health good being around such insanity.”
“YOU LIKE HIM TOO AND YOU KNOW IT!!!” she yells to me as I race up the stairs. My heart is pounding so loudly in my chest that I’m pretty sure that I’m going into cardiac arrest. No, I did not like Dominico Redwind…any more. It was just a stupid crush that I’ve gotten over…right? UGH! I’m not going to think about him. Not tonight. Maybe this date could be fun??? Cue laugh track. I don’t want to go on a date! All my dates have ended in miserable failures that haunt my nightmares or random cringe-moments throughout the course of the day. Those are the worst. No one knows why you’re randomly cringing but inside you’re dying over a super embarrassing moment that you inflicted upon yourself.
I sigh dramatically. I mind’s well make myself look nice so Izabella doesn’t have an excuse to use GOBS of makeup on me. Gobs is the best word ever. Who came up with that? They should have an award. Them and that guy who came up with the name of that ‘Osh Kosh B’gosh’ store. That is the most awesome name ever.
In the end of my long and painstaking outfit choosing process (which took less than ten minutes…or less than five minutes to be totally honest) I was wearing a pair of navy jeans with a blue tank top and a black cargo jacket over it with my black combat boots. Not anything fancy but we’re just going to the movies. I curl my hair in the bathroom and put on a tiny bit of makeup which consisted of blue eye shadow, clear mascara and pink lip gloss. It’s still really early but I decide to head over to the Redwind’s anyway.
I duck out before my mom can talk to me/ embarrass me anymore and hop into Ol’ Rusty. Arriving at the Redwind’s a little while later I knock on the door. Dominico opens it up and I can’t help but cringe. His mouth falls open wordlessly when he sees me and I stand there awkwardly waiting for him to regain his knowledge of the English language.
“Is Izabella here?” I finally ask. Instead of talking he just nods and gestures upstairs to her room, stepping aside to let me in. “Um, thanks.” Alec comes in from the other room and when he sees me he takes a step back and swears.
“Alec, I know I have no fashion sense but you don’t need to cuss at me about it,” I say with a frown.
“No! You look great! Honestly! Why don’t you ever dress like that at school? See! Dominico’s speechless!” Alec exclaims. I instinctively look at Dominico, who blushes before grumbling,
“I’m fine,” and hurrying off.
“As if anyone fell for that lie,” Alec frowns. I stare after Dominico for a second too long. Alec starts smirking at me like he knows something I don’t so I cough and say that I’m going to see Izabella.
“Faye!” Izabella says with a smile as I quickly enter her surprisingly pink bedroom. Her mouth drops when she sees my clothes. “You look great!” she trills. I smile warmly at her,
“Thanks,” I say. “But I really don’t want to go.”
“Anyone you’d rather go on a date with?” she asks, moving her eyebrows up and down. Yeah, your brother. NO! I DID NOT JUST THINK THAT! Crossing that thought out of my brain! No! No! No! NO!
“Can’t think of anyone,” I say, not letting my internal spaz attack show. She rolls her eyes and mutters something like ‘Sure you can’t…’ I don’t reply. Izabella doesn’t know…right?
“Sooo…” she says, pulling out her laptop. “Let’s see who this ‘Daniel Briar’ character is.”
“This is stalker-ish,” I say but look over her shoulder as we look through his facebook page.
“He’s actually really hot!” Izabella squeals. That was true. Why would a guy like that have his friend set him up for a blind date? Daniel Briar has blond hair, blue eyes and a mischievous smirk. He’s tall, about 6 or 6 and a half feet tall. Being a basketball player it makes sense.
“Still, I don’t want to go on a date with him,” I tell her.
“At least you get a night of eye-candy,” she says, moving her eyebrows in that weird way again.
“Shut up, Izabella,” I growl and throw a pillow at her. She laughs and scrolls through some more pictures.
“DOMINICO? WHY ARE RYAN AND MELISSA HERE WITH A HOT GUY IN THE CAR?” Rosaline asks.
“WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME?!” Dominico calls across the house.
“That’s your cue! I’LL GET IT!!!” Izabella yells. “Ready?” she asks me.
“I bail. You can go,” I say.
“No! I have a boyfriend! It’s just one date!” I groan as Izabella drags me to the door, rattling off a list of very basic instructions that I hope I can follow. It’s kind of like ‘Dating 101 in 30 seconds or less!’
I feel my arm catch suddenly as I reach for the handle of the door. I look up and see Dominico, holding my wrist.
“Be careful,” he says quietly. His voice is almost begging.
“You don’t have to worry about me,” I say in a hard voice. Dominico lets go of my wrist but eyes flash a desperate look in my direction although he doesn’t say anything. “But I will,” I add gently before hurrying out the door.
The car ride to the movies was quickly sent to my Top Ten Awkward Silences list of all time. Sure, Daniel was muy muy good-looking, but he seemed almost incapable of conversation. The ride was interjected in its silence only a couple times by my attempts at talking. It went something like this:
Me: So…um…you know Melissa’s brother?
Daniel: Yeah.
Me: Are you two good friends?
Daniel: Yeah.
Me: That’s nice.
Daniel: Yeah.
So… in the words of Daniel, yeah. This is going to be a long night. When we FINALLY get to the theatre Ryan buys the tickets for all of us to see BLOOD BATH 3-D. I smile at him when he starts hissing at me that it’s an action thriller, EXTREME GORE movie. Not something that would make Nick too fond of taking his sister to see. I just shrug. I want to see this movie. We get popcorn and go in the lightly occupied theatre. After the previews the movie starts. I know it’s going to be good from the very beginning because the first scene shows a gruesome zombie child devouring a grown man in graphic images. Melissa cuddles up next to Ryan who puts his arm securely around her even though he already looks like he’s going to be sick.
“This is the movie you wanted to see?” Daniel whispers in my ear. HE SPEAKS!
“Yeah, the special effects are amazing! Although you could completely tell that bone was Styrofoam. I also think it’s kind of funny how they just stand there screaming. If you get caught by one of these zombies, you deserve to die.” I whisper back. Daniel chuckles quietly.
“Whoa. No mercy, huh?”
“Look how slow they’re moving! How do those things catch up to people?” I ask him.
“I’ve always wondered why people don’t just drop torches on them. Zombies burn, right?”
“Yes! Stupid people!” I say a little too loud. On the screen a zombie reaches out to a man who had fallen over and was incapable of getting back up.
“BBBBRRRRAAAAIIIIINNNNSSS!!!!!” the zombie moans. The guy screams. Daniel and I share a look before we both start cracking up. We get a lot of weird looks from horrified members of the audience. The rest of the movie we spend quietly critiquing all the little plot points and special effects. Daniel’s actually not half bad and as we walk out of the theatre, attempting to come up with their recipe for blood. The movie successfully scared the living daylight out of both Ryan and Melissa but Daniel and I are laughing when we get in the car.
Ryan decides to take us to the nearest Dairy Queen because ice cream is the best thing when you’re scared.
“Do you know why they named it ice cream?” Ryan asks Melissa.
“Because it’s a cold dairy product?” she guesses.
“No, because it means I scream because when you feel the need to scream, you need ice cream!”
“He tried so hard to make that joke work,” I whisper to Daniel who chuckles. Daniel holds the door for me as we go into the small Dairy Queen and I blush a little. I expect my heart to flutter a little like it normally does on dates…but those dates I knew the guy well. I didn’t know Daniel. I know him enough now to know he’s nice but I don’t like him.
Then my heart started pounding and fluttering all at once. But I wasn’t looking at Daniel. Across the small restaurant sat Dominico and Izabella, talking quietly to each other. Neither of them look up at us as we enter and I don’t think Ryan or Melissa saw them so I don’t say anything. Eventually, I know I’ll have to talk to Dominico again but when I’m on a sorta-kinda date is NOT the time to do it.
Daniel and I go sit down while Ryan orders with Melissa. We give him money since he paid for the movie tickets too. I know he’s broke so he accepts my bill with a small thanks. I sit down next to Daniel, trying to ignore the fact that my back is facing the Redwinds.
“So,” Daniel says, turning to me. Yay! Finally I don’t have to start conversation! I’m so socially awkward! “I feel like I don’t know too much about you, except you laugh at graphically bloody movies,” he says. I laugh.
“That’s me in a nutshell,” I say. He rolls his eyes.
“What else do you like to do?” he asks.
“Uhh… build robots? Play with my dog? Run?” I say like a question.
“You build robots? Oh yeah! I saw that one you did for the science fair one year! That was awesome!” he says with a smile.
“Thanks,” I say, unsure of what else to say. “What about you? Is basketball end of story?”
“Pretty much. I kind of have a one-track mind,” he says.
“Well that’s good for focus,” I tell him. “My mind tends to wander to the outer ranges of the universe and back when I’m asked simple things. Like my name, for example.” Daniel laughs even though I was completely serious so I smile and pretend it was a joke.
“FAYE!” I hear Izabella exclaim. I put all my effort into trying not to flinch.
“Izabella! I didn’t see you there!” I lie with a smile. I notice how Dominico stayed at their table. I’m silently thankful to him for choosing not to cause an extremely awkward situation. I introduce her to Daniel and they both give small awkward waves.
“Daniel,” Izabella starts, casting me a scary look. “so did you want to go on a blind date? It took forever convincing Faye to come. She really really didn’t want to.” What is she doing?
“Oh, um, sort of? Nick just asked if I was doing anything, really. I didn’t know you didn’t want to come,” he says to me.
“Yeah. Um. I didn’t really know you so I was a little against coming but…”
“A little? I thought I would have to drag you to the car!” Izabella exclaims. I blush with embarrassment and Daniel shifts awkwardly in his seat.
“Well, it is a little nerve wracking going on blind dates,” Daniel says encouragingly.
“Yeah, but once you get to know who you’re with it’s much better,” I say.
“Weren’t you asking about how badly you would be allowed to beat him up?” Izabella asks with a laugh. Ryan and Melissa come back with our ice cream and sit down across from us.
“Hey Izzy!” Ryan greets politely. “What ‘cha doing?”
“Trying to remember, how bad did Melissa allow Faye to beat up this guy?” she responds. I drop my head in my hands. Daniel shifts around anxiously. Ryan and Melissa share a concerned look.
“Izabella! Come on!” Dominico calls. I shoot him a thankful and thoroughly embarrassed look. He looks…amused. Did he send her over to embarrass me?!?! That jerk!
The rest of the date passes with just Ryan and Melissa speaking. Daniel and I don’t talk much to each other. I sit there withering in embarrassment as he uncomfortably tries to act like he’s not 100% freaked out.
When we finish our ice cream and get back in the car, I’m the first one to be dropped off.
“Sorry about that,” I tell Daniel in the car. “but please tell Nick that Ryan’s a good guy. He really likes her.” I beg.
“Uh, sure. See you around, I guess.”
“Um, sure. Yeah.” That was totally humiliating.
I hurry into my house. My mom’s waiting for me inside.
“How was your date?” she asks.
“Just so you know,” I tell her. “I hate Dominico Redwind.” I walk up stairs, still fuming at Izabella and Dominico. I hear my mother laughing downstairs. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I look at the call from Izabella.
“He was cute!” she says when I pick up.
“You jerk.”
“Although not that cute.”
“He was really nice though. Why did you do that?” I ask.
“You can’t have a boyfriend.” She says simply.
“Why not?” I inquire.
“Because! A way better guy has a massive crush on you!” she exclaims.
“Yeah? Who?” I ask.
“G’night Faye! Please forgive my brother! And me! And Ryan! And Melissa! FORGIVE, FAYE!” she hangs up. Oh gosh. All my friends are insane. I feel like screaming. I need some more of that ice cream, I guess.