Through You

Chapter 22: Between Two Worlds

Jeanne and Daniel spent most of the morning cuddling, exchanging kisses, laughing, and playfully teasing each other under the warm sheets. Their moments were filled with lightness, like a small secret world where nothing and no one could reach them. Jeanne was stretched out fully on top of Daniel, her lips deep in a kiss, when a vibration interrupted them, jolting her back to reality.

Frustrated, Jeanne sat up and reached for her phone on the nightstand. She glanced at the screen: a group call from Lynne, Thomas, and Mattheo. She sighed. Ignoring it could mean they’d show up at her place unannounced, a scenario she wanted to avoid. Reluctantly moving off Daniel, who chuckled softly, she signaled for him to be quiet and stay low.

The call connected, and immediately, excitement filled her friends’ voices. Thomas was the first to speak, clearly in a good mood: 
"Hey guys! You’ve been quiet lately! So, whose place are we meeting at today?"

Mattheo quickly replied: 
"Not mine. My mom’s cleaning, and if you show up with this weather, she’ll kill me. And you too."

Lynne chimed in, laughing: 
"But Jeanne, what are you still doing in bed at this hour?"

Jeanne, embarrassed, quickly thought of an excuse. 
"Uh… I caught a cold yesterday, so I’m just warming up a bit."

Mattheo, ever the tease, suggested: 
"Well then, we’ll come over and keep you warm."

Jeanne giggled and shot back: 
"My dad’s home, and he’s going to want to rest. I don’t think hearing you all giggling is what he needs."

Thomas gave up on the idea of meeting up for the day: 
"Alright, let’s just skip today. We’ll see each other tomorrow in class anyway!"

Mattheo agreed: 
"Yeah, we can just chat like this if anything."

Lynne, always full of energy, suddenly brought up a more serious topic: 
"By the way, I haven’t told you, but I got into another fight with my history group. We’re working on the Tutsi genocide, and I’m stuck with the two idiots from the back. They spent the whole time making jokes, so I exploded. It ended in insults. Seriously, the teacher went overboard putting us together!"

Then, as if she’d just remembered something, she added: 
"And Jeanne, how are things going with your two guys?"

Jeanne, now absentmindedly tracing her fingers along Daniel’s chest under his sweatshirt, playfully tickling his ribs, calmly responded: 
"It’s going well. There are some tensions, but it’s kind of entertaining."

Daniel, amused, tried to swat her hand away while stifling his laughter. Mattheo, always curious, interjected: 
"What do you mean by tensions? Is the new guy bothering you too much?"

Jeanne smiled and replied: 
"Quite the opposite, he’s sweet, caring, and he stands up for me against Ethan. Honestly, I’d probably be bored without him."

Thomas, frowning, sounded concerned: 
"What do you mean he stands up for you against Ethan? What’s that guy doing to you?"

Jeanne let her hand glide gently over Daniel’s chest, enjoying the situation. She explained: 
"Nothing serious. He’s just persistent, a bit overbearing. The other day, he put his hand on my arm and wouldn’t take it off, so Daniel stepped in. As I get closer to Daniel, Ethan gets angrier. You should’ve heard how he spoke to me the other day."

Thomas, still worried, pressed on: 
"Because you’re getting closer to Daniel?"

Jeanne became more serious, choosing her words carefully: 
"Yes, we’ve become friends. And I have to admit, I like him."

Thomas sighed, almost exasperated: 
"Don’t forget what they say about him, Jeanne! Don’t fall for his game. Once he sleeps with you, you won’t hear from him again!"

Jeanne glanced amusedly at Daniel, who was silently laughing. She replied: 
"Thanks for worrying, but for now, I’ve got this under control."

Sensing the tension in the conversation, Lynne quickly changed the topic. Jeanne muted her microphone, placed her phone down, and leaned back into Daniel, kissing him tenderly.

"So, I won’t hear from you anymore?" she asked, laughing.

Daniel, feigning seriousness, responded: 
"Well, yes. Thomas is right, I should leave right away."

Jeanne firmly placed her hand on his chest to keep him from moving. 
"You don’t seem like you want to go anywhere, and even if you did, I could stop you."

Daniel burst into laughter before falling back onto the pillow. 
"You think so?" he asked, challenging her.

Jeanne smiled, leaned in closer, and kissed him deeply. But as she gave in to the moment, she heard her name, spoken by Lynne. She reluctantly pulled back, kissed Daniel one last time before returning to the call.

"Sorry, it was my dad, he was talking to me. What were you saying?"

Lynne responded: 
"Nothing important. We just wanted to know if you’re okay. Do you want us to bring you some medicine?"

Jeanne smiled, reassured: 
"No, no, I swear, it’s just a little cold. And don’t worry if I mute my phone sometimes, it’s just so you don’t hear my dad tinkering."

Mattheo, amused, agreed: 
"Alright, but you’re still listening, right?"

Jeanne chuckled softly: 
"You always have my attention!"

She muted the call again, free from her friends’ eyes, and resumed her playful teasing with Daniel. They continued for several minutes, playing like children hidden away from the rest of the world, half-serious, half-playful.