Clockwork Daisy

Chapter 16

Deacon

Chapter 16

A cool September breeze was stirring up as I crashed through the front door of St. Wisteria High. The final bell had rung ten minutes earlier and I had made a beeline for the only place I was positive I could find Beth: the bus line. All the yellow school buses lined up at the front of the school, engines roaring and bus drivers sneaking in one last cigarette before the rambunctious  teenagers climbed aboard. I knew that Beth always waited until the last second to get on her bus, number 12, because she didn't want any of her friends to see her. Her reputation came first.

I came across her on a wooden bench that was embossed with some gold plaque in memory of a member of the school board. She was picking furiously at her navy nail polish. She didn't even bother to look up. "Deacon." She continued to flick dried polish off her nails.

"Beth." I stuffed my hands into my pockets, an annoying habit of mine, and gingerly took a seat beside her. "You told Ellie."

Beth paused, holding her delicate hands in mid air. "I don't know what you're talking about."

She was no more convincing that any mediocre movie star who'd uttered that line. "You told Ellie about...us."

Beth shot up, arranging her backpack strap perfectly on her shoulder. "I'm going to miss my bus."

We both knew the buses stuck around for a good twenty minutes before departing. Before she could walk any further, I caught her by the elbow. "Wait."

She turned around slowly, never catching my eyes in her's. "What do you want me to say, Deacon? That I'm sorry?" She jutted her elbow out of my grasp. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "I don't want an apology, B. I want a reason."

I feared Beth would walk away, but she didn't. She crossed her arms instead. "Your mom was at her house. Ellie wanted to know how I knew her."

"Okay." I said. "That doesn't mean you had to tell her we had sex!"

My voice had been barely above a whisper, yet Beth looked around frantically to make sure no one had overheard. When she found the coast to be clear, she relaxed. "It just sort of came out." She admitted. "I wanted to be completely honest with her."

"So you know someone for two days and you're already discussing your sex life with her?" I spat.

"Ellie is easy to talk to." Beth stole a glance over at her bus to make sure it hadn't left. "Plus...I wanted to assure her that you and I had a past but that it was history."

"Why would you want to assure her of that?" I asked.

"Because, Deacon...Ellie really likes you." Beth sounded sincere. "I can tell."

"Really?" I absorbed her words, running a hand through my shaggy hair. "Really?" I repeated. A sense of assurance washed over me.

"Really." Beth confirmed. "I have to go now." Beth did another quick scan of the area, then leaned over and gently kissed me on the cheek. "Good luck." She whispered.

Not even a rain shower could dampen my mood the following morning. It wasn't even the weekend yet and I felt refreshed.

"So Ellie has a thing for you, huh?" Trevor was leaning on the locker next to mine, checking some answers on his homework with Wes's. And by checking, I mean copying.

"That's what Beth says." I tried not to smile too big.

"You two barely know each other." Wes pointed out, trying to grab his homework from Trevor, unsuccessfully.

"All the more reason to ask her out." Trevor said, flicking his pen. I gave him a look and he shrugged. "What?" He asked. "You know I'm right."

I released a slight chuckle and Wes nudged me. "What?" I asked.

Wes's round eyes widened. "Madge incoming."

I gulped down a gust of air and looked over in the direction of Wes's gaze. Madge's pace quickened when she saw us staring, causing her floral wrap dress to whip in the wind she created. Her eyes were cast downward behind a blanket of thick hair.

"Hey Madge." I mumbled, firing a small wave at her.

She squinted and her mouth fluttered downward into an unmistakable frown. She sighed like a dog on a hot August day and turned her head in the other direction. I knew she wanted nothing to do with me. I knew I had to do something about it.

"Dude? Short term memory loss, much?" Trevor looked up from his worksheet in disbelief. "You have to do something big to get her back."

"I haven't forgotten." I told him, grabbing a couple notebooks out of my locker. "I just thought I'd give the good, old fashioned 'hey' a try."

"Well, it worked wonders." Wes said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and punched him playfully in the ribcage. "Watch it!" He exclaimed.

"Cut Deacon some slack." Trevor said. "He's dealing with not one, but two girls at the moment."

"Do you think you'll ask Ellie out?" Wes rubbed the spot where I'd jabbed him.

"I can't stress how much I want to." I hoped I didn't sound too pathetic.

"Maybe you could start trying." Trevor suggested. "Because here she comes."

I looked up, and all my vision would focus on was Ellie Wells coming down the hallway, her smile burning into my retinas.

Now was my chance.

I let Madge drift into the back of my cluttered mind and put one chewed up converse shoe in front of the other.

I was going to ask Ellie Wells out.