The New Boy

Chapter 23: Knifes Don't Kill You, Sweet Boys Do

I walk in the lunchroom holding James' hand, mines sweaty as nerves take over my body. Daniel and Sam look so happy talking and smiling, I could ruin in. As we near their table I stop and pull my hand out of James'.

"Give me one day." I say pleading.

"You don't need one." James replies sighing.

"Even though you don't have a soul, Daniel and I do. We just made up it would make no since just to break it off with him right now, I'll let him down easy tonight and tell him it's not working. Then I'm all yours."

James processes this information staring at me for quite some time.

"One day. If you keep it going a second past midnight tonight, I'll have the picture up faster then you can say "stop"." James says looking me in the eye, his glare lets me know he's going to keep his promise.

"Okay." I say rolling my eyes walking towards the table.

"Hi babe." Daniel says kissing my forehead.

"Hey." I say forcing a smile.

"I was telling Marilyn about James, and how he nearly killed you." Daniel says smiling with his pearly white teeth.

"Yeah he was crazy." I say.

Samantha laughs, and so the next half hour I spend my final good memories with Daniel and Sam. I knew James and I would end some day, but Daniel would probably not love me again, or love me the way he does now.

"Wait after everyone leaves to class." I whisper to Daniel as we all head back to our lockers for our next class.

"Okay." He says smiling at me.

I linger in my locker as everyone gets their stuff, and head to their 6th hour.

Daniel comes up to my locker as the last person rushes to her class.

"Why'd you have me wait?" Daniel asks biting his lower lip, his voice is low.

I kiss his lips immediately without responding.

He wraps his arms around my waist as I jump into his arms. He uses a locker nearby to stabilize himself as I memorize Daniels kisses. I let my tongue brush against his as I run my hands in his hair.

He pulls away too soon panting. He wears a confused expression.

"What's this?" Daniel asks confused.

"Nothing, just kiss me." I say out of breath, but I still try to kiss him.

Daniel just gently drops me to the ground.

"We need to get to class, another time though." Daniel says picking up his stuff and heading down the hallway.

I stand alone in the hall wanting to scream at him that there won't be another time.
***
I pull a hoodie over me, the weathers been getting warmer but still cold.

Before I leave to Daniels house I look in the mirror.

You coward. I tell my tired expression.

I know I'm a coward, just because I'm afraid of a little picture, but I couldn't risk anything. James would get bored with me some day.

I walk downstairs and pick up the keys to my truck.

"Honey it's 11." My mom says sitting at the kitchen table with the phone in her hand, she stares at me confused. She must've just gotten home because she still wears her pencil skirt and her hair in a tight bun.

"I've gotta go do some important stuff." I say swinging my keys around my finger.

"Like what?" She asks turning off her phone, it echoes a clicking noise.

"I have to go tell Daniel how I feel." I say.

"Be back in 45 minutes." My mom says smiling.

"Will do." I respond, hey I didn't lie to her.

I hop into my car the cold wind biting at my face. I turn down the music in the car, it gives me time to think, I remember the good and the bad. The memories came into my mind, from when I kissed Daniel at his first party in Missouri, to when he brought me to a peaceful field to make me feel better, and finally to our real kisses that we both didn't care who found out.

When I pull in Daniels driveway I'm smiling at the time when we had a water fight, in fall. I sigh as I get out of the car.

I ring Daniels doorbell, a few seconds later he opens it. He's wearing sweats and a long sleeve.

"Hi." His face brightening up.

"Hi." I say smiling sadly.

"Jenna, are you getting horny or something? Because if you are my families home, and they hear everything so we'd have to go to your house." Daniel says winking.

This makes me giggle a little, it reminds me why I fell in love with Daniel.

"No, we just need to talk." I say getting serious.

"Okay, come on in." Daniel says opening the door for me.

I walk in biting my lower lip.

"Do you need anything to drink?"

I laugh at his welcomeness. "No, um Daniel I love you." I say.

"I love you too." He says after awhile smiling, he leans in to kiss me. His lips barely brush my when I push him away.

"But this isn't working out." I say looking at my boots.

"What?" Daniel whispers.

"I'm not ready for a serious relationship."

"We don't have to make it serious, just us messing around." Daniel says tilting my face up so I'm looking at him. He looks desperate, like he wanted it to work, but it couldn't.

"I'm sorry." I say shaking my head.

"Is it because I didn't kiss you today? Well I'm sorry, I'll kiss you as much as you want, I won't let you go until you're satisfied."

That breaks me, tears roll down my face.

"I'm sorry, that's not it I just can't do it." I say wiping my tears away.

"Jenna." He says, as I walk out the door holding my face in my hands because I've never done anything harder.