The Boy She Illegally Brought To The Lavender Field (bwwm)

Page 40

Daniel and Annie laid in the middle of their lavender field on Annie's blanket that night after he picked her up from her home.

"Daniel..." she called.
"Hm?"
"You like me, right?"
"That's right." he agreed.
"You view me as a person, right?"
"Right...?" Daniel answered in a confused tone, wondering what a strange question it was.
"So..."

Annie pondered whether or not she really wanted to ask.
Daniel looked at her. "What is it?"

"You know how I told you they have protests?" Annie asked.
Daniel continued looking at her.
"I was just...well...my brother and his friends told me that...they saw other white people there. Marching and whatnot. I was just wondering if..."
She looked at him and saw him already staring at her.
She fell quiet and looked away.
"Keep going. You didn't ask." Daniel spoke up.
"It's nothing."
"It's something."
Annie sat up. "I wanted to know if you'd go to one. With me."
Daniel sat up on his elbow and looked at Annie. "You want me to go to a protest with you?"
Annie nodded but stared at her blanket's designs.
"Okay."
She looked at him. "Really?"
"Yea."
"Really, really?!" she smiled.
"Yea, really really." Daniel snickered.

He'd agreed but mentally he was scared. Scared of who would see him there. Scared of what they'd do when they did. Scared of how it could negatively impact his family.
But he wanted Annie to believe him when he said he changed. He wanted her to know he truly did see her as a person. He just wanted her to know how much he really liked her. And the smile it put on her face made it worth it. He'd agree a hundred times over.

She fell into his arms and hugged him tightly. He was caught off guard but hugged her back with an arm wrapped around her waist.
"Thank you." she said softly.

There it goes again.
The thoughts Daniel has. The ones that come out and crack their knuckles as they stare at the previous ones telling him to leave the negro girl alone. The new thoughts were the ones that beat the old thoughts to a pulp and replaced them.
He'd never felt more content. He also felt selfish. He couldn't let this feeling go. He had to keep it for however long he could and he didn't care how it may affect others. He felt warm.

Annie pulled away and looked at him, wondering why he was silent.
Daniel kept his arm around her waist while the two looked in one another's eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothin'. You're just real pretty." he replied.
She smiled and looked away from him. "Well you're real handsome."
He continued staring in awe of her and she looked back at his eyes.

"I wanna see you tomorrow too."
"You always do."
"No." Daniel interrupted. "During the day. I want to see you. I want to walk with you."
"Don't you have work?"
"We'll go early. I want to go to sleep and then wake up and come straight to find you. I'm tired of waitin' until nighttime. I wanna see you more."
Annie smiled. "You like me?" she asked just to hear the answer one more time.
"You know I do."
"Do you?"
"I do." he answered.
"I wanna see you tomorrow." she stated.
Daniel smiled before pulling her face to his and kissing her like he'd been itching for all evening.

•~~~•

"That bruise is goin' down real nice. Can hardly see it anymore." Diana said as the family ate breakfast together.
Sirius smacked Marshall's head.

Marshall and Annie lied and said Marshall had accidentally run into Annie with a piece of wood which caused her bruise on her cheek. Sirius was still upset by Marshall's "carelessness".

Annie stared at the clock on the kitchen wall, waiting for when it was finally time she could leave.

"You alright, Annie Denise?" Sirius asked.
"What's that, daddy?" she replied.
"You're starin' off into space, baby girl. What's goin' on?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was staring at the clock there's a...sale at the bookstore going on and I wanna get there early." she lied quickly. "Um...Can I be excused to get ready?"
"Mhm." her parents agreed.
Annie quickly got up and cleaned off her plate before hurrying to her room.

"If there's one thing Annie's gon' do, it's read a book." Diana snickered.
"Good." said Sirius.

Daniel stood getting dressed quickly and his door to his bedroom opened.

"Where are you going?" Nancy asked.
"I'm 23." Daniel replied.
She rolled her eyes. "I was just curious."
"I'm going out."
"Out where?"
Daniel didn't respond.
"Girlfriend?" Nancy smirked.
"Yea."
"Really?!"
"Mhm."
"Well tell me about her while you get ready!" Nancy commanded with the utmost enthusiasm.

Daniel found it humorous that his racist mother was interested in learning about a colored girl. So he entertained it.

"She's beautiful. Smart. She makes me laugh." he stated.
"What else? What's she look like?"
"Long dark hair. Brown eyes. Perfect smile. She's dainty, soft, and thin."
"She sounds wonderful."
"She is. If you met her you'd be...stunned." he joked to himself.
"I bet." Nancy smiled. Happy that she was finally having a personal conversation with her son after five years. "Well, I guess I'll get out of your hair so that you can go have your fun."
Daniel sprayed himself in cologne.
"I hope to meet her one day." Nancy grinned and walked out of the room.
You already have. Daniel thought to himself.