Mr. Cupid

Chapter 19

Daniel's point of view...

~~~

My palms started to get clammy with the tight grip I had on the blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I wanted to forget that school, and everyone in it for the moment. I knew the past would catch up to me eventually, but I didn't think it would be this soon.

I snap my gaze away from my feet and look up at Calebs face. His expression was patient, intent with focus as he looked at me, waiting. I took a deep breath and gulped down the rest of my nervousness, only to have it build back up instantly.

"My last school wasn't a very warm place. It was full of rich brats who only cared about themselves and gossip. Anything to hurt others." I started. I took a shaky breath and looked down, eyes stinging, remembering the asshole who started it all.

"Everyone had a hunch about me. Since I'd never been in a relationship, and well, they set me up. It was... agony."

•••••

"Daniel! Dude, we're gonna be fucken late! Get your ass down and let's go!" I heard from behind me. I turned to see Spencer, who looked super pissed and annoyed. I sighed, jumping down from the roof of my car and followed him to the gymnasium. When I walked in, I saw everyone else passing a football to one another.

"Yo, Danny!" An arm suddenly wrapped around my neck in a tight hold. "You starin' off into the sunset again? That's so fucken gay dude, why don't you just come to practice first thing like us instead of having Spencer fetch you like a dog everyday?" I heard him ask. It was Derick, one of our guards. I just laughed, and pushed him away boyishly.

"Fuck you man! If you'd just take the time to pull your head outta your ass you'd see better things than just shit." I joked, getting a laugh from everyone else.

"Whatever, Dipstick. Coach knows you're almost late everyday." He said, a little more defensive.

"I know that." I shrugged. It's almost time for practice so I started walking towards the locker rooms. "It's not really a big deal."

•••••

After a few drills on field, I was getting sweaty and my muscles started to get a little sore. "READY?!" Coach yelled. Then he blew the whistle and everyone started charging. I was behind the hoard, and I saw the ball fly over head.

I ran down the field along with it, and soon enough I had it in my hands and started running faster. "GO DACH GO! RUN IT ALL THE WAY!" I heard coach scream from behind me. Then, I felt someone grab my legs and I suddenly collided with the grass, the ball almost slipping through my fingers, but didn't. I couldn't afford a fumble.

"HELL YEAH! GOOD JOB DACH! RUSHED 40 YARDS!" I heard coach cheer. I jumped up. I was so close to getting it into the end zone. A few guys hit my shoulder pads in congrats. When we were getting into our positions, my gaze oddly shifted towards the bleachers where I saw someone sitting on the third to top row, watching us practice. He had long black hair which swayed in the gentle passing breeze, and I saw him smile when I looked over. I raised my hand faintly, and sent him a little wave, which he waved back. And then I was suddenly slammed against the hard ground, back first. Fuck.

"DANIEL! THE HELL'RE YOU DOING BOY! GET YOUR ASS UP AND YOUR HEAD STRAIGHT!" Coach yelled, and I sighed. I got up and looked over at the guy who was now walking down the stairs on the bleachers.

"Sorry coach, won't happen again." I mutterer, still not really paying attention. I looked around at my teammates to see they had offset expressions under their helmets, every last one of them staring at me.

"The hell you girls looking at? Positions!" Coached bellowed, and everyone got back into the next positions for runs.

•••••

The next day at lunch, I was approached by that guy on the bleachers. "Hi! My name's Elson. Sorry for the abrupt introduction, but I couldn't help but see you take a blow on the field yesterday. Are you alright?" He stared off.

"Oh? Oh! Yeah I'm fine, I wasn't paying attention is all." I told him.

"Yeah, that might have been my fault. I'm sorry about that." He chuckled a little awkwardly. I chuckled too and reassured him that it wasn't. And after that, we talked quite often.

•••••

"He became one of my closest friends I've ever had, really quickly. He listened when we talked, he knew all my favorite things to do, he knew me as a person. It was... He... I felt like I wasn't just another pawn in a chess game, among all of those identical pieces in that school for once. I felt like I had color when I talked to him." I took a deep breath, letting some tears roll down my face.

At this point in the story, Caleb subconsciously grabbed my hand and interlocked our fingers as he listened. I felt a tight feeling in my chest resurface as I remembered all the those things. Caleb reminded me so much of him. It was a little overwhelming, but it was different. A good different. A better one.

"He betrayed me after finding out one of my most personal secrets, and it made my whole life a fucking hell. Everyone I thought I knew turned their backs to me, including him. He told everyone something I trusted only him with, and it broke me."

•••••

"How could you do something like that?! I fucking trusted you! You- you fucking-!" I didn't have the strength to call him names. His face held a pleading, sorrowful expression.

"Daniel, trust me! I didn't want to do it but, if I didn't then; Things would have been bad for me." He defended himself, selfishly.

"For you? For you?! All you ever fucking think about is yourself, right? Not your friends, not your family, Jesus Christ not even me!" I roared. He looked broken, but I could honestly care less. He didn't say anything, and I knew I had gotten through to him, but not enough.

"I fucking trusted you. And you threw it away and played me like your fucking prestigious violin. Well you know what? Fuck you and the fucking strings you pull, on me and your fucking instrument." I turned and walked away from him, on he brink of angry tears. I was really confused and hurt. I just felt a whole jumble of emotions buildup in my chest.

"Daniel, I'm sorry." I heard him plead quietly. I stopped walking mid step, and half turned to send him a venomous glare. He jumped in surprise when he saw the tears in my sharp look.

"Don't ever come near or talk to me again." He put his head down in defeat as I made my way to my car, which I found had all the windows broken out of it with the words 'faggot trash' spray painted in black on the sides and hood. There were bricks with death threat notes in the car, which I can only assume what was used to break the windows in the first place.

•••••

"That was just the first day, Caleb." I looked up at him and he had furrowed brows as he registered everything I had told him.

"Daniel. I..." He trailed off, not sure what to say. I took a loud deep breath and forced a small smile.

"Let's take a small break. I need it anyways. And then, I'll finish." I said gently pleading. He nodded and got up to go make us some more warm tea since it had gotten cold.

As I've gotten to know Caleb, I couldn't help but notice he's somewhat like Elson. And it honestly has me terrified, because I feel like if I fall for Caleb it's going to be Elson all over again.