"Too early." I mutter as I walk down the hall towards Rich's room, early as usual, "Hey Rich."
"Good morning Deno, what's on your mind?"
I sigh, "Lindon."
Rich laughed, his thick New York accent even showing through in that. "He'll come around, you're the only person who can compete with that boy's intelligence. You're damn smart and he has to notice that, that'll be the start. Or just go for it." He winks and bumps me with his shoulder.
I blush, "Rich!"
"Though it might scare him, he probably hasn't even seen boobs." Rich laughs like a madman, he really was my best friend. "But seriously Danielle." My body got stiff as he said my real name, "Trust your instincts, you deserve to be happy. All this stress on you is going to destroy you if you don't find something to relieve some of it. He's good for you." He winks once more.
"Thanks Rich," I hug him and with that, the bell rang. I hurry to my seat before the rush of students. Lindon doesn't look at me as he sat down, sadness starts to spread but something made me look up at Rich. He was giving me a dorky smile and I knew everything was going to turn out alright.
Archer blocks my view, "I'm on time."
I laugh, "Good boy." He chuckles and sits in his seat.
The bell rings for class to start, Kittyana isn't here. My body went cold, 'Shit...I forgot to tell Archer about Kittyana and Hoodoo.' I start to freak out, what the hell was I going to do? Ten minutes pass and Kittyana creeps into the room, "Miss Kittyana, what an honor you have bestowed upon us to be graced with your presence." Rich teases her, but she looks mortified and embarrassed. She rushed to her seat and hides her head in her arms.
"Dude, you look like hell." I try to ease this tension she seems to have. She gives me a playful glare. Rich goes on to explain the annual school festival, I already knew what I wanted to do. So sharing our ideas wasn't a problem for me. I zone out and draw a silly comic of me flashing Lindon and him passing out. I giggle to myself and hide it in my folder of all my hopes and dreams with Lindon. Classes flew by and suddenly it was lunch. I am starving, I don't see Kittyana anywhere so I quickly grab my food and spot her by the door. I offered her some of my food but she shakes her head no. Archer comes up behind Kittyana, I hold my breath, hoping he doesn't do anything stupid.
"Hey Kittyana, can I talk to you?" I give him a suspicious glare of concern, "Please, its important." He says, like he was talking to the both of us.
"Fine." She looked over to me for some sort of okay, I nod. She followed him, Lindon arrives shortly after.
"Um...Lindon?"
"Yes Deno?" He asks without even looking at me.
"I think Archer is in danger-" His head snaps up and his ice blue eyes penetrate into my soul, "I caught Kittyana coming out of Hoodoo. I'm worried she bought something to hurt Archer."
His eyes narrowed, "Stupid boy."
"We need to keep a closer eye on him."
"That's going to be harder than you think." He looks back down.
"We may not be able to stop him, but we can keep him safer." Lindon grabbed his stuff and left frustrated. I let out a deep sigh, "Oh Lindon, why do you have to be so stupid?" I walk to our spot and eat by myself until I heard a loud thud, I put myself on guard. The bell rang for class, no sign of anyone...Archer needed a talking to. I ran up to the abandoned room, he was standing there, looking at a crack in the wall. "Archer."
