Ladies' Choice (re-uploading SOON)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Checking my phone, I wondered if Daniella knew I was waiting for her and was showing up late to her locker on purpose. As if she had a feeling that the best way to annoy the hell out of Zoey Marie Summers today was not appearing in front me. The one time I actually wanted to see her. Daniella James was sent from hell to kill me.

I adjusted my posture against her locker again, going from hands into my pockets to crossing my arms, then letting my arms go and just kicking my foot against the bottom locker and pretending to look at something on my phone, but I was really just typing random numbers into my calculator. This was coming off too combative. Truly, from the bottom of my heart, I was not here to pick a fight with Daniella James today.

Walking by, Allison greeted me, "Hey, weirdo—"

She said to me, but she was the one wearing a chunky green turtleneck with puffy balls hanging off all over.

"Hey, good timing," I told her, "I need you."

She closed her eyes as if bearing the punch of my words. She smiled. "Oh, tell me you need me one more time."

"Don't ask for too much."

"Listen, all I need is your judging power, alright?"

She considered me up and down with a small pout on her lips. I straightened my posture, but she still didn't appear impressed. "Less fun than I wanted, but I guess it still has potential. What can I do for you Zoey?"

Sometimes I was pretty sure Allison was messing with me. Or maybe she was a little too much like Jess, too extravagant to the point I wasn't sure if she was being grand for fun or if it was an act. It made me feel like I didn't know the real person underneath. Then, I saw too much of myself and I couldn't stare directly at her anymore. Maybe Allison was meant to kill me.

"What are you doing?" Daniella asked.

Lights flickered.

The sound of off-key piano keys smashing boomed across the hall.

, I jumped to attention. Unable to filter myself or hold back, I raised my voice. "Where have you been?"

Showing her the clock on my phone, I told her like she couldn't read it, "It's almost time for the first bell! Are you trying to be late?"

Daniella opened her mouth and her brow narrowed; a look of genuine confusion plastered on her face. She didn't know what to say. Today, Daniella wore a black pair of overalls over a black turtleneck, and a gray utility jacket. Her hair was crumbled up into a messy bun. The lip gloss was new. Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe I just didn't look at her face this much. She had a mark on the bottom of her jaw. Was it a birth mark? A mole? I wasn't sure what they were called, but I was staring at it now.

"Were you not properly caffeinated this morning?" Daniella asked me. . "Why are you already trying to bite my head off already? Did you have a dream I spited you? If that's the case, don't act like my girlfriend and get your panties in a twist over nothing."

"You—I—" I stammered with a shameful blush, knowing she was right, and it went against my constitution to admit that. So, I started over with a sigh and . "Listen, I need you to know I didn't change your tire just so I could win this bet, okay?"

In Daniella's eyes, it was just us. The school wasn't happening around us. Allison was a ghost standing in the corner of her vision. Her form softened, suddenly the only thing I saw in those dark brown eyes was me. She had this sort of half smile that made me want to smash my head through the cement school walls. She was studying me and I wanted to be a little kid that threw her covers over her head so the monster in my closet couldn't get me. Fear trickled down my body like speckles of ice water.