Strained

Chapter Three

I had gone all week without speaking to Daniel -- well, almost. It was Friday when he ambushed me. I had been walking from Art with Addie to my locker when he rushed up, slammed my locker shut. His face was full of determination, brows furrow and his eyes turned sharply towards me. I waited for him to say something. 

"Corn, you can't ignore me forever," he spoke with gumption. I blinked slowly, waiting for him to cool off. I wasn't going to have this conversation here, especially with everyone crowding the hallway. One thing I had learned over the summer was patience. Daniel could scream at me all he wanted, but he wasn't going to get a reaction.

Even as I stared into those chocolate brown eyes, oozing from the passion, I held my composure. It was something I was really trying to work on. When Daniel and I had dated, we were all about passion and reacting at the moment. That had ended when we broke up. I had turned a new leaf, trying to surrender to my emotions and feel everything ever so deeply. It was a technique Jamie had suggested.

It really did work. I felt almost nothing as he continued on.

"It isn't right, I should mean more to you than--

This was where I stopped listening. It was another part of the technique Jamie had shown me. You find your happy place and camp out until the other person was calm. It was a dance between conscious and unconscious. It was almost fun, dancing in the flower-filled field and going back to the hallway with Daniel freaking out. I was just glad it was him freaking out and not me.

"If you want to talk, we can talk. I don't want a screaming match in the hallway." I told him politely. I even added a smile. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Addie's eyes widen. I think she was surprised I had kept my cool as much as I had. It had been something I had been working on all summer. Obviously, I still had more time to go, but for the most part I think it was something that worked.

He was shocked, which I guessed would happen. 

"Uh, okay when?" He took a step back, releasing his iron-clad grip on the hinge of my locker. I let it swing back and then gently close. Addie was silent to my right.

"Whenever works for you," I put it politely, leaving it up to him to decide. He was the one that had come to me, so it would be up to him to pick a time and a place. Plus, I had a sinking suspicion he already had a time and place in mind. This was Daniel afterall, he was a planner.

"After school, let's meet at my house." There was one flaw in this technique. When the other person suggested someplace you wouldn't step foot in -- that was a problem. He caught my chance in expression and knew instantly why I was hesitant. "Right, um where do you want to meet up?" I was thankful for his words. 

"How about The Docks?" I hadn't picked the place to insult him. He had killed Rachel Radley at The Docks in one of his blood frenzies. It was apart of his past that had been a hard pill to swallow, but one I had invited due to my love for him. That hadn't gone away like I pretended it had, but I was continuing on with that thought process.

I knew it was going to take time. Eventually, the feelings would fade as would the memories. Slowly but surely, Daniel would become erased from my mind. At the very least, he would be pushed to the outskirts, leaving only what I wanted. It was what I was hoping would happen, but I knew how hope worked out for me. It wasn't absolute and it definitely wasn't accurate. 

"The Docks?" He mused over this, finally nodding his head in agreeance.

"Perfect, I'll be bringing the Coven," I informed him. I didn't want to surprise him - that wouldn't help either of us. No, it was better we all be on the same page. I saw his reluctance, but eventually, he nodded. Without another word, he backed away from my locker and down the hallway. I waited until I couldn't see him any longer until I relaxed my shoulder. I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding in.