Malediction

23 - Matchmaker

I acted shocked "No, I'm not, my mum asked me this morning if I had considered him, and I hadn't even thought about it, so I called him up and he was happy to go with me" I solidified the lie as best as I could

"Did you ask?.." She trailed off, nodding in the direction behind us, clearly in suggestion of Danny

I hadn't covered that lie up yet.
I was in trouble.

I shook my head "No, I don't need to, I have a date" I aggressively whispered back

She didn't believe me for a second, or she was simply choosing not to.
Like a movie that had been fast forwarded, before I could react, she had spun in her seat, her mouth opening, words drifting out

"Hey Danny" She politely started with a smile "Do you have a date for the fundraiser tomorrow?"

I hadn't turned, I was frozen, but I could hear the hesitated response from Danny, obviously just as caught off guard as I was.

"I won't be attending" He soon replied

"You won't?" Skyler faked shock "Its a pretty big thing, it's for a real good cause too, you should go, Emilia needs a date, how would you feel about going together?"

My skin ran cold, awaiting the shoot down of rejection, familiar rejection and disdain.

"It's not really my kind of scene" Danny continued to turn her down on my accord

"It could be though, if you gave it a go, you don't have to stay in this bubble you know, if Em trusts you, we trust you, when she talks you up, we believe her, give yourself this chance, go with her?" Skyler surprisingly pushed

Again, hesitation lingered.

Waiting for Danny to deny Skyler of her request was like waiting in line at the bank. It felt as though you stood there for hours.

"It's just one night right?" Skyler continued to persuade gently

I tried to concentrate on the quiz on the board, focusing on the words Mrs Clareton scrawled in messy script when I was pulled from her world, back to Skyler's

"What time does it start?" Danny asked

"Seven" Skyler answered quickly

"If Emilia is happy to ask me herself, I may consider it" His gruff voice responded, his sentence surprising my core

Was he joking? Was this a ploy to get rid of her? I hoped so.

Skyler cleared her throat, nudging me, nodding back in Danny's direction suggestively raising her eyebrows "Ask him"

I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Did I reject him the way he had me, or did I intentionally put him in an uncomfortable place for payback?

Suddenly, a thought ran through my brain, a sly strategy.
I turned in my seat subtly, refusing to make eye contact with him as I spoke

"I'd be happy to go with you Danny, as long as you're okay with me leaving a little early, I have plans to meet with a woman, Evalia who is going to help me with my history assignment" I spoke up proudly

Skyler seemed taken back by my arisen and unspoken plan, but had been too distracted by Danny's reaction to overthink it.
Instantly, Danny had tensed, his eyes on my face, burning into my cheek as I carefully moved my gaze to his