Daña

Chapter 6 - Spilt Coffee and a Trust Fall

Hey, guys! I just wanted to thank you again for giving my first fiction story a chance and I hope you enjoy it!

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"Are you ok? Are you good to go inside now?" Edith asked like a mother sending her first born to their first day of school. If only I had a mother that showed this much attention and love to me... Hell, if only I had a mother.

I nodded looking around the parking lot of the school. I had calmed exponentially in the 8 mile car ride to the school from Edith's house, but some anxiety wouldn't leave me. Now, my signature blank expression was plastered to my face to keep my troublesome emotions away from the sight of those whose actions would be malevolent.

5:30am was too early to leave for school, but she always left early for me so I could have time to sit in the car and freak out if I needed to or if we wanted to go for coffee and my favorite shop. Now it was 7:45. Classes began at 8.

"I'm ok," I replied monotonously. I'd repeated that empty phrase more times than I could ever keep track of, especially to Edith; I almost felt sorry for lying to her, but I needed to say it out loud at least once to get through the day.

"I'm here for you, hun." She would say this almost as much I said I was ok, but the difference was that meant every one of her words. I had no idea why she said it but it made me feel so much better, and it gave me that much more courage to face another dreaded day.

She waited patiently for me to gather the courage to lift myself from the car and into the bloody battlefield called high school. I inhaled deeply and finally opened my door. We walked together to the doors that opened into the freshman hallway at a comfortable pace; she walked with grace and an attractive confidence while I timidly hobbled beside her.

Passing through the corridor, Edith glanced back at me and whispered, "I'll meet you after seventh hour, ok? Have strength."

We turned to go down different hallways, and I immediately regretted leaving Edith when I slammed into another body.

"Watch where you're going, stick!" Keira Cashlin screamed in her snotty, high-pitched voice.

I recoiled away from her like when burning hot coffee is spilled on you. But, for real though, there was burning hot coffee soaking into my shirt - Cashlin's burning hot coffee.

My eyes flickered to my shirt, to the floor where Cashlin's crushed coffee cup lied, then up to Cashlin's raging face. I tried to rush past her and escape the retaliation I knew was coming, but I've never been so lucky to be successful at anything that I've attempted.

I was almost past her when she stuck her strapy heeled foot out right in my direction of travel. I tripped hard. The contents of my backpack would have skidded across the tiled floor a few feet away from me and my head would have smacked the ground with a sharp whack... if Arthur hadn't appeared out of nowhere and caught me before I was anywhere near the ground.

I stared into his face with his arms wrapped around me like a cliche dip scene when the couple is dancing. If Cashlin and her posse of dumb blonde bimbos hadn't interrupted the moment with their nasally laughing, it might have been nice.

I was only mildly annoyed and totally embarrassed from my almost epic fall. I hid my beet red face in my hands. Arthur handled his emotions in a totally different way. I saw his expression before I hid my face and believe me, it was scary. He pulled me into his chest and spoke with barely contained rage.

"You had better get out of here before I do something I may or may not regret later." His voice was menacing. If I wasn't already busy feeling embarrassed and enjoying being encompassed in his delicious scent, I would be scared shitless. I mean, I was still scared in my subconscious, but I pushed it to the very back of my mind behind the voice that told me that Arthur wasn't going to hurt me.

Their laughing cut off quickly after Arthur spoke and I heard a chorus of clicks scampering away from me, then silence. I didn't move away from Arthur and he didn't move away from me. When I thought of all the stares we must be attracting I did finally pull away.

All I could manage was a small "thank you". I couldn't bear to look up at his face; I bet his eyes were glowing that amber color I love so much. I wiped my face with my hands like there were tears, but there weren't. It was just a nervous tick.

"Daña," Arthur said running his hand through his dark hair, pulling it at the ends.

I looked up then. He looked like he wanted to say something important, but the look was gone before I could fully distinguish it.

"What class do you have first?"

I just shrugged. I knew today was gonna be a bad day. I wiped my face again.

He sighed and looked around at the other students passing by us. It was almost time for the first bell to ring. "How about let's just go home?"

"But don't you have classes you should go to? We can't just ditch because I don't feel like it." I shuffled my weight on my feet and looked around with apprehension.

He didn't answer me. He stayed silent, just looking at me like he was deciphering a puzzle. "Let's go home." He held his hand out to me.

In a sense it was like a lifeline in the middle of a raging storm. But a solitary warning bell went off in my head. Why should I trust this guy? The voice in the back of my head pleaded with me to just give him a chance but how can I ignore the walls and instincts I've developed for survival at home. I stared at his hand longer than I had intended while battling myself on what I should do.

"You don't have to take it..." Arthur was starting to falter. I had to act quick and make a damn decision.

I grabbed his hand.

A wide grin spread across his face and he started to pull me to the parking lot the way I came. I was nervous about going with him. I'd only known him for maybe 9 hours at the most, but he was alluring and nothing like my father or any other man I knew. I sure hope it didn't come back to bite me in the ass later on.

We rushed, or more like he rushed me, out the doors and towards the sea of vehicles. I had no idea what we were looking for, but he led me away with confidence. We slowed near a tall, gray jeep that I guess I recognized. It was one of Edith's dad's old cars. Though, it certainly didn't look old to me.

Like a gentleman, he opened the passenger door for me. I stared wide eyed at the seat which was about breast level on me, and I was 5"9'! I could barely reach the handle above the seat. Arthur's hands came around my hips and hoisted me up to the seat with unsurprising ease - I was a twig and he could lift a car off the ground.

I blushed and mumbled a thank you. He smiled at me and closed the door. Edith came into my mind as Arthur crossed the front of the car.

"Could you text Edith that we're leaving? I don't want her to worry about me." I asked as Arthur hopped up into the driver's seat.

"Of course." He replied simply.

While he texted her, I pulled my backpack off of my back and tossed into the backseat.

"¿Estamos listos?" Arthur turned to me with a smile, putting his phone down in the cup holder. The load roar of the diesel engine startled me, but I nodded. Then we were off back in the direction of Edith's house.

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Hey! Kind of a short one for this update, but it was a big step for my poor Daña and her developing relationship with Arthur ♥️

Thank you so much! I'll see you in a week!