Promises Series

Bonus Chapter

A/N: Yeah, so, I really love Daniel. I wanted him to be happy. He's pretty good without Isaac around anymore, and his sister is learning to be more accepting, but I thought I'd give him something else to be happy about.

Daniel sighed, stretching his legs as best he could on the crowded bleachers. He turned to Julia, but she was occupied with yelling for her boyfriend's team.

"Go! Yes! Go go go go! Run!" she chanted, her hands cupped around her mouth. "Go! Go! Yes!" She turned to Daniel frantically. "Did you see that?! Will made the goal! He did it!"

Daniel pasted a smile on his face. It wasn't entirely fake, though, when he realized it meant that his own school lost.

"Hell yes!" he cried. "Edgewood Silver fucking Devils!"

Julia laughed and turned to the boy next to her, beaming with pride. Daniel knew his name... It was something Irish, he thought.

He looked to his right to find his sister in a similar state of excitement. After rolling his eyes, he let them roam around the cheering crowd. He froze when he saw the blond boy that had been leering at his sister before the game had started. He was standing but not cheering, and he was moving through the crowd with purpose. Daniel let his gaze dip over the blond boy, who was making his way to the bottom of the stands.

Daniel nudged his sister. "Who's that kid?"

Charlotte followed his gaze. "Oh, you mean Sam Merritt? He's on the newspaper. He's the best writer they've got. He's not really into sports and stuff but he's gotta come so they have good articles."

"Oh."

"That's why he was talking to Julia before the game started. She's the star player's girlfriend."

"Oh."

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at him. Ever since Isaac had moved out, Charlotte had been keeping a closer eye on him. She'd helped him move all of his things back home and into their old room. The bed had already been made with his favorite bedsheets, or the ones that were his favorites before he left. It was still awkward around the house, and the two girls kept dancing around him. His mother wouldn't mention Isaac by name, and whenever she mentioned something that happened while they were together, she got a faraway look in her eyes. Every now and then Charlotte would tease him like usual, but mostly it was just awkward small talk.

"Where's he going, then?"

"I don't know. I think the boys' locker room," Charlotte replied. "He's gotta interview the star."

"Oh."

Julia reached over Daniel to tap on Charlotte's shoulder. "We have to get to warm-ups," she said.

"Warm-ups?" Charlotte cried. "Go kiss your boyfriend!"

"Quit it," Julia replied, blushing. "Come on. Bye, Daniel!"

"Julia's friends should be up here soon," Charlotte said. "You'll be okay?"

"Oh, they're not your friends?" Daniel teased, smiling.

"Maybe someday. I didn't make a sparkling impression on them. I still think half of them hate me. Especially Kieran."

"Maybe someday," Daniel repeated. "That's a good maybe. Knock 'em dead, Charlie."

"Bye, Dan."

Daniel crossed his arms, ignoring the aching in his long legs.

"Hey," the Irish boy said, "how're you doing?"