Bounded By A Deal

Chapter 10

Bryan's POV

I made sure I came to school before Isabelle so that I can put a box of chocolates and a hand-made card in her locker as a surprise.                                                                                                                                  When no one was around her desk, I opened her locker and slid in the box of chocolates and the card inside. I planned to wait on my seat until the she came to school, so that I can see her reaction but just as I was about standing up from her seat, I heard a voice.

"What are you doing?" It was Isabelle.

"Uh... nothing. I just... it's nothing," I babbled.

She nodded her head in fake belief. "O...kay?"

I gave a sheepish smile which she returned.

"Good morning!" she greeted.

I was slightly confused. "Why are you greeting me so formally?"

"Umm... because it's respectful?"

My mouth dropped wide open. "Come on. I'm your boyfriend. 'Hi' or 'Hi babe' is what you should be telling me."

She scrunched her face in disgust at my words.

Did I say anything wrong?

"What? What's wrong?" I just had to ask.

"I'm not very used to all these..." she moved her hands in a circular motion, "...stuff. It'll take me some time before you hear me say that, unfortunately."

I laughed. "Don't worry. We'll get there."

I stood up fully, noticing our minimal height difference. She was quite tall, at least tall enough to be almost as tall as I was. I attempted to peck her on her cheek but she redrew herself, moving a few steps backwards, the school bag she hung on her back caused her to waver as she stepped back.

"I'm sorry, I'm not... I'm sorry." She dropped her back quickly and left the class.

I face-palmed myself. 'Am I moving too fast?' I asked myself in my head.

"But she sef-" I said to myself. "She should free herself na. Abi na me send myself work to go date good girl?"

.            .           .

It was break time. I was in the cafeteria on a table with Chinonye. Belema was sitting on another table with some other boys I wasn't close to, these days he has been hanging out with other people as if we did not exist.  Peter was... well, he was probably somewhere with Sharon.

"Come and sit here!" I called out when I saw Danna and Isabelle walking around the cafeteria with their food trays. I knew Chinonye wouldn't mind me inviting them over. "Hi Danna! Hi Belle!" I greeted when they had sat down.

"Hi!" They said uniformly in a dry tone. I understood Danna's reason for speaking like that - she was always like that-, but Isabelle... was she still angry at me because of what I tried to do in the morning?

She avoided my gaze but looked at Chinonye instead, she glared at him rather.

"Why are you looking at me like that? What's my offense?" I was also wondering what his offense was.

"You dared ask my sister out! And you made her agree as well." She scrunched up her face in disgust like she had done in the morning and continued glaring at Chinonye.

"Wait what?!" Danna's said swiftly.

"You are dating Ashley? Isabelle's sister?" I concluded.

"Dude! She is like ten or eleven, or maybe twelve. Point is, she is a minor. Not like we are not minors, but then, she is not even a teenager. You are dating a pre-teen," Danna emphasized like he was not aware of that already. " Did all the girls in our class die?"