Reseda, the gate, and me

Chapter 4

The next morning you closed the door to your apartment ready for your first day of senior year. Well, you weren't exactly 'ready' - you'd been in and out of sleep worrying about whether Daniel got home alright. Lucky for you, as you turned the corner, Daniel had just stepped out of his apartment. 
"Oh hey, y/n." He smiled at you.
"Nice sunglasses." You complimented, "Good to see you're okay after yesterday."
"Well, not exactly." He laughed, taking the sunglasses off and putting them on top of his head. His right eye was swollen and black.
"Ow, that looks painful. Are you okay?" You asked, concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine, it looks worse than it feels." He reassured you, grabbing hold of his bike and taking it down the steps with you following.

"Do you walk to school?" He asked you as you got outside of the apartments.
"No, I take the bus with my friend Lou."
"Alright, well hopefully I'll see you throughout the day." He smiled, before putting his sunglasses back on and riding down the street.
"See you, Daniel!" You waved, before walking down the street to the bus stop.

"Morning, y/n." Your best friend Lou smiled as you went and stood by the bus stop, "Did you go to that beach party yesterday?"
You sighed, feeling guilty. You knew Lou didn't like Ali, and how she didn't really like being forced to talk to her.
"Hey, I don't care if you did. I know you're good friends with Ali." Lou put her hand on your shoulder, "I know you've tried to make us get along but we just can't click."
"I wish you guys did." You replied.
"Me too, but please don't stop being friends with Ali. I know you enjoy each other's company."
"Yeah, but after yesterday I don't know if I'll be able to take any more if he comes into the picture." You scoffed.
"Ooh," Lou smirked, "Who's 'he'?"
"Daniel, the new guy two apartments along from me." You began, "Believe me when I tell you he is gorgeous. And pretty hot. But I made the mistake of inviting him to that beach party yesterday and introducing him to Ali."
"Ah." Lou sighed, before adding, "So he likes blonds then?"
"Hey don't you go getting any ideas!" You laughed at Lou tossed her blond hair over her shoulder and began to laugh with you.

"So you think he likes Ali?" Lou asked after a while. 
"Yeah." You sighed solemnly, "I saw the way he looked at her yesterday. I've been friend-zoned again. I deserve an award for how many times I've been friend-zoned. I've got more friends that are boys than I have that are girls!"
Lou chuckled, "Just let me get a look at this Daniel, then I'll be the judge of this."

*

At lunch Lou's boyfriend Zach was trying out in the soccer trials. You'd agreed to go with Lou to watch. On the way towards the bleachers you caught sight of Freddy and his friends practising for the soccer trials. It was then you caught sight of Daniel.
"That's him! The guy in the tracksuit with the black hair!" You whispered to Lou, pointing Daniel out. She nodded slowly.
"Hey guys! Hey Freddy, how you doing?" Daniel greeted Freddy and his friends as they got closer.
"Hey, karate kid!" Freddy teased.
"Let's see the moves!" One of his friends mocked.
"C'mon man, all he knows is how to get his butt kicked." Another added.
"Yeah I already know that move." Freddy laughed. 

"Shut up, man!" You yelled from a couple of yards away. All the guys turned to look at you.
"Oh you shut up!" Freddy responded, "Just because you like him don't give us any crap!"
You little shit, you thought to yourself as you panicked.
"You didn't tell him, did you?" Lou whispered to you.
"Is that all you could think to say?" You quickly responded to Freddy, ignoring Lou, "God, you'll stop at nothing, Freddy Fernandez!"

The guys scoffed and walked away, leaving Daniel standing there on his own. Lou pushed you forward. You turned to her.
"What the hell, Lou?"
"Go on! Make a move, girl!" She encouraged you. You sighed and began walking towards Daniel.
"I'm sorry that they're such jerks, Daniel." You began. He looked up and saw you coming towards him. Even though you'd already seen it, his eye still took you aback. Not because it was gross, because he somehow was still hot with it.

"They'll use anything for an excuse." You continued, "I don't like you like that, I like you as a person." 
Lou sighed and put her head in her hands. That was not what she was encouraging you to go over there and say.

"Oh don't worry about it." Daniel replied, "Thanks for sticking up for me, though."
"Are you trying out in the soccer trials?" You asked trying to swiftly move the conversation along.
"Yeah, but if those jerks are gonna be on the team then I don't know if I wanna try out." He sighed.
"Hey," You reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't let those idiots stop you from doing something you enjoy." 
He looked at you and gave you a bright smile, a little like the one he gave Ali. You lit up inside.

"Thanks, but on one condition," He began seriously, before smiling, "You'll watch me try out."
"You got it." You gave him a playful smirk before turning and heading towards the bleacher with Lou. It was when you sat down that that all lit up feeling died as you saw Ali make her way over to Daniel, making him laugh and showing him how she could keep the ball up with her knee. Lou noticed you looking solemn, and when she saw why she scoffed.

"Behold; why I don't click with Ali Mills." Lou rolled her eyes.
You chuckled, "Yeah, she's got a habit of stealing guys off me."
"Oh come on, you're not still mad about her and Johnny are you?" Lou laughed in disbelief.
"Ali knew I liked him. I know he's a rebel but I guess that excited me, but that's not the point." You let out a deep sigh, "The point is she then came along and as soon as he caught sight of her he was gone. I've always been second best."
"Hey, now don't you go saying things like that." Lou nudged you on the shoulder, "You are worth so much more than second best. One day the guy is gonna come along and sweep you off your feet."

At that moment the whistle blew. The two of you looked up. The soccer trials had started and unfortunately some of Johnny's friends were trying out on the opposite team to Daniel. Daniel had got the ball and was doing pretty well at keeping it. But then Bobby held his leg out and tripped Daniel up. It was just like last night. Daniel went for him and the two went tumbling to the ground. Daniel punched Bobby right in the face before the coach came and pulled Daniel away.
"Hey, nobody hits me! I'm gonna kill him!" Bobby scrambled to his feet while the rest of the team held the two back from launching themselves at each other.

"Get out!" The coach pointed at Daniel, "There's no place on this team for that kind of crap!"
"What? He pushed me, man!" Daniel yelled as he ran for Bobby.
"I said outta here!" The coach snapped, pushing Daniel away and turning back to the team, "What are you looking at? Back to it! Let's go!"
"Yeah this school sucks, man!" Daniel shouted.
"I said outta here!" The coach repeated.
"It sucks!" And with that Daniel marched off the pitch.

Yourself and Lou had just watched that whole thing unfold and were just staring in disbelief as Daniel walked off. The two of you turned back around to face the front and sat in silence for a moment or two - neither of you knowing what to say. Eventually, Lou broke the silence.

"Well, he's got black hair and a black eye, a nice tan, kinda skinny, has got a temper on him." Lou paused and the two of you looked at each other, "He's perfect for you."
"Oh now that really helps me out." You replied sarcastically, before getting up and walking off.