Gem | Daniel Desario

[9]

"Hi everybody!" Millie said in a southern accent during lunchtime making Layla and her whole lunch table group to turn around. "If you're a just a boy or girl who can't say no,"

"Then you won't be able to say no to tickets to the McKinley drama club presentation of..." The boy next to her continued.

"What?" Nick asked. "What?" He repeated louder.

"Oklahoma!"

"Oh, no!" Nick shouted, a wide smile on his face.

"No way," Daniel said in a bored tone while he continued eating.

"So come on down, partner! And leave the ducks and geese at home."

"Oh man, that means I can't take you!" Layla told Daniel with a pout. He rolled his eyes in response making her laugh.

"Like as if I would take you." He joked back, leaning towards her with a wide smirk.

"Oh please." Layla scoffed, leaning towards him too as they stared with narrowed eyes. "We all know you would be begging me to go with you."

Daniel chuckled his side smirk widening. "Okay and let's say you said yes. I won't be the one begging for something afterward." He licked his lips for extra effect. Layla felt a chill and just leaned back in her seat, rolling her eyes.

Butterflies.

That's what she felt and soon, the guilt came just as fast when she spotted Kim, just a few feet away talking to her friends. You can't like him. You can't like him. You can't like him.

"Oh, what a beautiful evening you'll have! Yeehaw!"

Mr. Kowchevski clapped his hands. "Okay, tickets are $2 at the box office. Don't miss. It's a great show."

Layla turned back around, continuing to eat her lunch silently while the boys at the table talked about rehearsing for their rock band.

"We got to audition for a battle of the bands coming up. Winner gets $300 bucks!" Nick excitingly said that grin that never leaves his face growing even larger. Layla smiled, leaning over and stealing one of Daniel's orange slices. He didn't do anything to stop her, which surprised the boys as he doesn't like sharing his food, but they didn't say anything and just continued to carry on their conversation.

"Oh, yeah. I bet you guys are really good." Lindsay smiled at Nick.

"I don't think so."

"Hmm, he's probably right." Layla laughed, making the boys throw napkins at the two.

"Do you guys have a name?" Lindsay asked and Nick nodded with eagerness.

"Yeah." He leaned back. "Creation."

"No, we don't have a name," Daniel confirmed, shaking his head at Nick who frowned.

"Come on, I like that name." He sighed. "All right. 3 o'clock."

"No. I gotta do something with Kim at 3 o'clock."

Stop. Layla said in her head as she continued having a straight face on the outside. You can't get sad. He's not your boyfriend. You can't like him! Ken cheered his friend on, punching his side lightly twice. "How about 3:01?" He joked, making Daniel roll his eyes.

"How about 3:15? I gotta fit in your mother."

"You wanna sleep with my mom?"

"Mm-hmm."

=

Layla sat beside Jacob and Nicole on Nicks couch in the basement, with Lindsay and Kim, as all five watched the boys play their instruments, screaming out lyrics. Layla looked over to her two best friends, raising her eyebrow at them. This was the first time the three best friends and Lindsay had listened to the boy play something.