Clueless | DAERIN

30: early morning confessions

h a e r i n
—

"When did you get back?" I hear someone whisper from the kitchen entrance.

I smile at her voice and scoop a pile of scrambled eggs onto a plate, already accompanied by a few slices of bacon and toast.

"Last night," I vaguely reply as I turn around to face the groggy, bleach-blonde girl.

Her hair is clean now, cascading elegantly down her back in loose, damp tendrils. Honestly, I'm surprised how healthy it looks, considering this is the first time she's dyed it.

She nods slowly, making her way toward the island where our bar stools sit.

I have to force myself not to laugh at her zombie-like demeanor, which is easier said than done.

I gently place the plate of food in front of a random barstool.

Once Dani reaches the stool, she quickly climbs up and immediately begins to dig in, leaving us in comfortable silence.

While she eats, I decide to clean the counter where I spilled some ingredients and wash the pan I used.

"Why did you get drunk?" I suddenly ask as I dry off my hands, breaking the silence.

I hear her choke, which instantly causes me to turn around.

She avoids my gaze, bringing her glass of water to her lips.

I frown.

I don't want her to think I'm accusing her of something because I'm not.

I wait until she's finished drinking before slowly approaching her.

Once I reach her, I stop in front of her, the kitchen island being the only thing separating us.

She continues to avoid my eyes.

If it weren't for the fact that she's guiltily biting her bottom lip, I wouldn't even know how she's feeling right now.

Why doesn't she want to look me in the eyes?

"I'm not going to judge you, Dani," I promise.

This catches her attention. She tilts her head to meet my eyes.

I patiently wait as she gives me a look of consideration.

After a few moments, she tucks her drying hair behind her ears. "I know," she assures me, her voice lower than usual, probably due to her still having a headache.

Oh, I should get her a pain pill for that.

"My mom found out about us," she reveals.

My eyes widen in shock.

I don't care about anyone knowing about us, but when it comes to her mother—let's just say she'd probably try to kill Danielle if she found out.

I remain silent, waiting for her to continue.

"Apparently, she's known for a while, but I didn't find out until she forced me to go talk to Beomgyu," she says.

I furrow my eyebrows.

Who is Beomgyu?

And who names their kid Beomgyu?

"My mom set me up with him the day after you left," she continues with an eye roll.

"My mother's a gold digger and basically said I couldn't be friends with you because your parents aren't wealthy enough and are in a queer relationship." Dani practically spits out the words with disgust.