What the fuck? I thought to myself as I stare at her with an expression that I could only hope would accurately convey the bewilderment and shock that I am currently feeling right now. My mouth hung open, only to emit no sound as I attempt to wrap my head around this whole situation.
I simply stood in front of her like a statue. I had my hand running up and down my other forearm as I try to think about what to respond to that. My eyes looking everywhere but the pretty and shy girl who seemed restive as she bounced twice on her heels. A part of me wanted to slap myself, pinch myself - punch myself even - because I needed to know if this is for real. But the look on Dani's face convinced me that it is.
Danielle Peazer... likes me?
My brain cells must have been overused from the Geometry test we had taken just a few minutes ago, because I can't seem to sum up whatever I was going to say. So I opted for, "I'm sorry - what?"
Danielle took in a deep breath before speaking again. "I-I like you, Jade. I really do."
Danielle has her bottom lip trapped in-between her teeth - a habit that I was so in awe with before when I was crushing on her - and let her dark brown eyes roam down the floor before finally looking back up to meet my own. A strand of her brunette hair had fallen down, covering one of her eyes just a tad bit, causing her to push it back behind her ear again. She seemed so anxious and I found it endearing.
As her best friend for five years, I've seen her looking like a nervous, blushing mess before. She's usually like this to people whom she adores. She wasn't like this to me, of course, because it's the vice-versa; I was the nervous, blushing mess. So the fact that I was finally at the receiving end of this seems way too much. And I don't know if I mean it in a good way or the bad. Especially now that I have a girlfriend -
My eyes imitated those of round-shaped plates as I remembered Perrie. Fuck! We literally got together just last night and I was too stoked that I forgot to apprise Dani of the news. Perrie and I are supposed to have our first official date as a couple in the café down the street for lunch and I am already fifteen minutes late behind our agreed meeting time because Dani just had to drag me here in the empty classroom and fess up out of nowhere.
Just great.
"Listen, Dani...," I started, making sure that my voice is leaning towards the gentle but rejecting tone. Because God knows how much I suck at being diplomatic. Danielle nods for me to continue, and I decided to just go for it. I heaved a deep sigh and scratched the back of my neck, "I'm sorry to say this... but Perrie and I are together. We got together just last night and I forgot to tell you. I'm genuinely sorry."
Mortification is written all over my best friend's face as her mouth hung open. Still not bothering to put her jaw back up, she shook her head vigorously.
"Shit! I'm so sorry, Jade! I'm so sorry! I forgot about you and her... Fuck! Jade, I am seriously sorry!"
"What? Stop apologizing, Danielle!" I chastised. If there's anything I abhor, it is to see someone apologetic over something that they can't control in the first place.
Danielle wasn't listening to me. She has her index finger poking repeatedly on the bridge of her nose as she reprimands herself - another habit I had come to pick up on when I was crushing on her. If it was two years ago, back when I was head over heels for her, I would have found this heart-melting and adorable. But right now, I find this... heartbreaking. Because even until now, I despise those who hurt my best friend. But now that I know I was the reason why she's a stuttering mess, why she's suddenly all bashful and embarassed to even be standing in front of me, I felt like I needed to punch myself for being a jerk.
