Boarding school

Chapter 12

(Gage.)
I walked into Chemistry that Monday, groggily. I still don't think I had fully woken up.
Dani was sitting in her usual seat, I smiled thinking of a joke to tell her or something. I knew she had just gotten back from a trip but she didn't respond in the group chat all day yesterday.
Her eyes were straight ahead and fixated on the floor. The gaze looked upset.
"Hey." I said plopping down in my seat. She snapped her head around and smiled quickly "Hey." She said and propped her head on her elbows.
"Are you okay?" I asked curiously. There's something about her that's so hard to get to her. I wonder why she's like that, I don't know that much about her.
"Yeah." She said unconvincingly. "How was your trip?" I asked her changing the subject. I wasn't going to pester her about being okay because I knew she wasn't. She just didn't want to tell me.
"Oh...um it was alright." She said looking away. "Dani, tell me what's wrong." I said turning my face to the side. To me it's hard when someone is sad to talk to them about anything else.
They aren't thinking about anything besides what's making them sad so it's pointless.
"It's just, my dad ...he's so crazy about me going here. It's like he wants to kick me out at 16. And...my brother is just ignoring me, and my little brother. I miss him most." She sighed putting her face on the desk and picking it up quickly.
"Yeah, I know the feeling with dads." I rolled my eyes. I didn't have the best situation with my dad, that's why he sent me here. And I haven't been home since I quit football.
"I just, I did everything for them when my mom left and-" I interrupted her "Your mom?" I blurted and she nodded "Oh, yeah. A while ago." She said trying to play it off like it was no big deal.
"But I know they still need me... Or my dad doesn't want me home. And maybe my twin doesn't, but my little brother does and I just...I can't." She said leaning her bead back.
I was surprised she actually told me all this. I think we were more similar than I thought. You could tell with Lola and Logan that they came from normal homes.
We didn't.
And that's so uncommon at this school, I finally found someone who understood.
"I'm sorry. I know how it is, once I quit foo-" I started but Mrs. King stopped me.
"Mr. Johnson, do you two have anything to share?" She snapped. Mondays aren't the best for Mrs. King. She doesn't have to make them bad for everyone else.
Dani provided a quick smile, and I smiled back. I didn't know how pretty she was.
(Dani.)
Lunch rolled around and I had been just going through the motions of the day, well that until the chemistry conversation.
I felt stupid for randomly spilling all of that to him. But then again, he understood. He responded with a personal experience until Mrs. King.
It kept going on and on in my head, what would he have said? I wanted to know in the worst kind of way. What if I never do find out? That's a possibility.
Why did mrs. King have to interrupt? Ugh.
I walked down the hallway not even watching my steps. Which is such a stupid thing to do, I ended up stumbling and lost control of my binder.
Thankfully when I dropped it it only slid across the floor, papers weren't spilling out.
I rushed over to where it was hoping that all the moving kids wouldn't step on it, no one of them picked it up.
I swallowed hard seeing the look on his face, Ashton. How did he even get into this school if he's such a trouble maker?
I made my way over, trying to be civil about it. "Can I get this back?" I asked him, even though it was really pointless.
He doesn't work that way.
"I don't know." He said leaning on the wall. I sighed loudly, I noticed he had a bag slung over his shoulder from some sport, that's why he's here.
"Please?" I asked him. He held it up higher, and I'm not tall. I'm not going to sit here and struggle with him over this.
Gage came into my mind, what would he do right now? Would he stick up for me? He's not here and I needed to get this book back.
"I'll fight you." I smirked trying to joke around to let him know I'm not afraid, because I'm not. It's simply being annoyed.
"Don't tempt me with a good time." He said smoothly and returned the smirk. The comment hit me in a weird way. Then I realized what he meant.
"Come on, please give me that binder back." I groaned leaning on the same wall. Someone ripped the binder away from him and handed it to me.
"Grow up, Ashton." He snapped, walking off and looking at me. It was Chase, that guy who told me where the classroom was.
He seemed really nice, and that saved me.
I rolled my eyes at Ashton and walked back into the cafeteria.
That was weird, and Ashton was annoying. Although he was kind of cute, he didn't compare to Gage. Not that I was with Gage, but he constantly runs through my mind.
I went to the familiar table and took a seat, Lola, Logan and Gage were already there. "Hey." I said sitting down.
"Why are you so late?" Lola asked me. "It's a long story." I said beginning to pick at my food. "Good thing you came, I hate third wheeling." Gage joked around.
"Why don't you guys just go out and this won't be a problem?" Logan smirked with his arm around the back of the seat, basically around Lola but not at school.
I just forced a laugh because I had no idea what I'd say to him. "That's rich." Gage smiled shaking his head. Rich? What the heck does that mean?
"No but seriously. You guys would be good together." Logan said and I looked up at him,
Wanting to agree.
Wanting to scream out that it's true and I do like Gage.
But I didn't.