It’s been quite some time. This is very short as well, but I’ll be quick with the next chapter. Well… hopefully…

I’ve been hiding in my room all afternoon, trying to avoid a conversation that could lead to anything that could be lead to something else remotely related to the ‘incident’ at school. Finally I come downstairs because I can’t ignore the grumbling of my stomach any longer, I need nourishment.

My mother is downstairs feeding my brother, giving me the opportunity to raid the kitchen while she’s distracted. I collect some odds and ends from the fridge on a plate, when the phone rings. My mom answers

“Hello?” she listens for a moment, then looks a little surprised “who is this speaking please?” she asks in such an obviously shocked tone, then she hands the phone to me still wide-eyed.

“Someone named Daniel Clayton wants to talk to you.” She looks at me for some kind of explanation, which I of course don’t give. I yank the phone away and run up to my room. I shut and lock the door behind me, then take a deep breath. Daniel is calling, he’s on the phone. What does he want? To tell me it was a mistake, to tell me he hates me for tricking him to be unfaithful to his perfect girlfriend? I finally say awkwardly

“hello?”

“Anna?” Daniel’s voice seems nervous as well “Um… how are you?”

“Um…” Obviously there’s no avoid it with two awkward teenagers “I’m okay… I guess, um… how are you?”

“Um… yea… fine… so, Anna, can we talk about… you know… today?”

“Yea… I guess we need to talk about that… how’s Lucinda?”

“Well… I really don’t know… I haven’t talked to her since we broke up… so I wouldn’t know”

Now I feel horrible “Oh no… I’m so sorry… if I hadn’t… if we…”

“No” Daniel cuts in “It wasn’t that… or just that… I wanted it ended anyway… today just made it… more final.”

Talking now, I wonder why I’m doing this to Lucinda. Why do I want to cause her so much pain? I have to do something.

“Daniel” I say “please don’t end what you had with Lucinda, because of me. She’s a great girl, she’s perfect, and just please don’t. I can’t live with myself knowing I put you both through hell. Please don’t end it because of me and what I did please” I’m practically hysterical now, building up this event in my head “ I couldn’t live with myself if-”

“Anna!” Daniel cuts in “don’t say that! You did nothing wrong. You’re the least at fault here. If anyone’s perfect, its you…”

Now I can’t breathe, what is he saying? He actually prefers me over Lucinda? I can’t help but wonder what he’s on…

Daniel continues “Anna, Lucinda and I have been wrong from the start. She’s not perfect at all, she cheats and she’s bossy and she knew I was going to break up with her. We both knew. And when you said today in French class that you used to like me… I looked into your eyes and I knew there were still feelings there, and to tell you the truth, I’ve always liked you, but I didn’t think you liked me back. I’ve been feeling such a lack of affection lately that looking into your eyes, made me see what we could have… and in the hallway… you looked even more beautiful than ever… and I just wanted to kiss you… and that was wrong, and not because Lucinda caught us, but because I was taking advantage of you, and I’m sorry for that Anna, because that’s not fair to you. So please don’t feel like you’re at fault, because you did nothing wrong, nothing at all.”

I can’t talk, literally. I try to make words form and nothing happens. Finally I say “Thank you.”

Daniel seems to chuckle into the phone “well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow? Unless you don’t want to come because of all the drama or-”

“No” I cut in, suddenly able to talk again “no, I’ll be there.”

“Great” he says “um… I have to go now, but I’ll look for you tomorrow ok?”

“Yea” I say, my head swimming “yea that’ll be great.”

He hangs up, and I fall back onto my bed, completely forgetting that about ten minutes ago I was famished…