Chapter Seventeen.
That night, as I lay in bed, I wondered why Daniel was saying all that weird stuff in the morning. Could it be that he likes me? The thought made my stomach flutter and like this morning, I clutched it in wonder. To be honest, I had once thought of us being together but quickly dismissed it. There is no way he would like me. We bicker way too much and we act very much like friends although he has been behaving very very weird.
The next morning went by very smoothly like yesterday. Both his parents had gone out and I was just sat in the living room when I heard a knock. I quickly went to Daniel's door to tell him. I didn't know which visitors to receive so I had to Call him first.
"Daniel, someone is here to see you guys so..." My voice trailed off as I waited for an answer.
"Open the door first for me. I am coming." I heard him say from his room so I went back out to open the door and to find a girl. She looked to be about the same age as me. She looked a little taller than me with fairer complexion.
"Hi, how may I help you?" I asked. The situation was awkward for us both because we didn't know each other.
She had a frown on her face as she regarded me. She was probably confused as to why I was here.
"Uhmm. I came to see Daniel. Is he in?" She was being polite but I couldn't help but feel like there was something more to her. I was just about to respond when I saw that her eyes began to Sparkle as she looked behind me. "Daniel" She squealed and rushed past me to hug Daniel who I was sure was very surprised.
I crossed my arms at her blatant display of of.. of clinginess and annoyingness. I had the sudden urge to tear her off my Daniel.
My Daniel?? Where did that come from?
"Esther. So nice to see you" He said. I realized that her name is Esther.
"Yeah, me too. You just came back and you didn't bother to check on me. I just asked your parents this morning when they were coming out."
Stalker much? He just came back recently, no need to be so clingy.
"I'm so sorry." He said to her. Right at that moment, it seemed that he noticed my confused stance and crossed arms. "Uhh, Esther, this is Omotara, my friend and Tara, this is my neighbor and secondary school classmate, Esther."
I smiled widely and somewhat fakely. "Nice to meet you" I said, stretching my hands forward to her. she shook my hands muttering the same thing I said.
I turned back to lock the door and when I did that, I realized that they had both moved on into the living room so I followed.
"It looks like you even grew taller sef. How is that possible?" She said as she placed a hand on his shoulder as if measuring him. Can't she just look with her eyes? By now, I was glaring daggers at that hand. If looks could kill..
Okay, take a break Tara. All this hatred ain't nice. I need to stop behaving like an A class female dog.
I shook my head, as if to clear off all the bad feelings I have been having about this girl.
"Nah, I feel the same" Daniel answered and then sat down, shrugging off her hands in the process. I smiled, at least that hand is off him.
She also sat down and they started talking. I tried to pay attention to the Miraculous Ladybug that was currently showing but that didn't work out. I somehow managed to catch the drift of their conversation. He was talking about his time at school and she did the same and then at some point, they started talking about whatever funny memory from their days in secondary school. I got a little annoyed that I didn't understand their inside jokes and they were not pulling me in the conversation so I stood up and decided to go away in full and utter annoyance.
"Tara, where are you going? Daniel asked when he saw me stand up. His words caused the witch's attention to turn to me also.
Witch. Damn. Tara stop this!
"I am just a little tired and I want to sleep." He didn't look so convinced because I saw him narrow his eyes slightly at me but didn't say anything.
I saw that as my cue to leave them.
Jeez, why am I so annoyed?
No. I am not annoyed.
I am perfectly calm and collected.
Think Of Lee Jong Suk Oppa.
I did and it brought a smile to my face immediately. I laid on my bed and took out my headphones to listen to some songs while I answered some of my messages on whatsapp. When I got bored of that, I started a random story on wattpad. It was historical fiction.
After a while of being lost in the plot of the story, I heard the front door open and close and I assumed that Esther had finally left.
Thank God.
I heard footsteps and quickly put of my phone and placed it under my pillow and pretended to sleep. I felt a little like a giddy teenager whose parents are about to catch her awake late at night.
I heard a knock and I peeked and realized that I had left my door open. Damn. After knocking a little, he just walked in.
"Hey Tara." He said but I said nothing keeping up my act. I was sorta annoyed so I didn't want to talk to him.
"I can see you eyeball moving under your lids." Sheesh, I can never get those things to stay still.
Realizing that I had been caught, I sat upright and faced Daniel who was sat at the edge of my bed. Needing to put as much distance between us as possible, I also shifted back till I was about at the edge of the bed.
"What?" I asked in defiance with my arms crossed.
He looked amused and I wished that I could wipe the smug look off his face. "I was just wondering why you had to lie to leave us that time." He said with a shrug.
"I didn't lie" I lied again. "I was just really tired" Yeah, tired of her!
"Were you jealous?" He asked straight out and my jaw hung open.
Jelous? Jelous? Me?
Horror washed over me when I realized that I was indeed jealous. It had been there deep down but I just absolutely refused to acknowledge it.
"You are Jealous" He said. It was a statement.
Think fast Tara.
"I am not!" wow, lies are just spewing out like.. " Number one, I wasn't jealous, just appalled that you would think that of me and two, why on earth are you smiling?" I asked as a diversion.
"Nothing" he shrugged. I think he realized what I was doing. "Ahh, nice try changing the subject Tara but there really is no need to be jealous. I am not into her anymore." He said.
"Anymore?" I asked in alarm and in a tone that was far from casual. "she's your ex?" I said in a more calm tone which was a sharp contrast to the rage that was brewing up inside of me. She obviously isn't over him and it seems it's the same for him. They even both have biblical names.
He face palmed. "You see, that was a long time ago. I really do not like her that way now." He said.
I shrugged trying to seem like I wasn't affected. Nope, I am perfectly calm. "You don't need to explain yourself to me." I said.
He ran his hands over his face. "Uhmm. Actually, I do." He said.
I frowned in confusion.
"Why?" I asked suspiciously. "Do you like someone else?" I asked. Again, that jealous feeling erupted and for some reason, I was praying that he would say no.
"Yeah" He admitted. I was calm outside but anything but that inside. "You"
I was so shocked that I shifted back forgetting that I was sat at the edge of the bed making me to go falling to the ground and off the bed.
For a short while, only my groans and Daniel's laughter was heard around the room before he stood up and came up to help me.
"Oh Tara, you really should have seen your face right there." He said giving me a hand to lift me up.
"See what you've caused now." I said with a glare directed at him. "Why would you make up a joke like that?"
"But I wasn't joking. I really like you" He said.
I think the initial shock has faded and I am just confused right now.
"Really?" I asked dumbly. I didn't have any other thing to say to him. I tell you, confessions like these are hard especially when you are on the receiving end. I can't say it back because I am not sure that I do. I was jealous just a while ago but that could have been because I felt she was about to steal my friend from me.
That doesn't even make sense.
Still, I couldn't say it back, what if I only had all these feeling because I was looking a way to get over Ayo.
That makes even less sense since you have been over Ayo a long time ago and you didn't even like him that much.
Still, I couldn't say it back. What if Daniel himself is just playing me like Ayo had been and I end up liking him and he ends up breaking my heart?
Okay, good point.
"Yeah, don't worry, I know you don't like me back but you will."
"I will?" I was so surprised at the confident look he had on.
"yeah, I plan to seduce you"
"Seduce me?" My eyes were wide like a saucer. Where did this guy come from? "Don't you mean flirt?" I asked.
"Nope." He said popping the p. Suddenly, he was very close to my face. He drew close till his lips were around my ear. "Seduce" He said and then drew back. A shiver ran down my spine.
My eyes were very very wide.
"Chill Tara, we aren't going to do the deed." He laughed at me before walking out of the room.
What have I gotten myself in now?
I have nothing to say so.
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