Let's Just Fall In Love Again (ch. 9)

Chapter 9: I Miss My Bestfriend

It’s the day after the incident with Daniel. Emma avoided him as hard as she can and she was thankful for Daniel for making it easier for her. Daniel was avoiding her too. She couldn’t blame him. He was her best friend and he only wanted to be her best friend again for asking her to open up to him. But she never gave him the chance. Instead, she made a bitch of herself and told him to mind his own business.

There was only one person who was happy about her problem. Sabrina was always cheerful and there was only one reason why. It’s because Daniel was always free for her to cling to. She was walking down the shore when she saw Daniel, Rico and Matt sitting around a table drinking sodas. They decided to join only to stop in their tracks. They watched Sabrina leave her cousins and took a seat beside Daniel. Sabrina maybe spotted her watching them because she gave a mischievous smile to her and then slips her arm to his and leaned on his shoulder.

Daniel seemed to stiffen from the way he held himself and for a moment she thought either Daniel would stand up and leave or pull back. Well, she hoped rather than thought but she failed in hoping. Her heart suddenly stopped beating for she saw that Daniel had done neither. Instead, he seemed to accept her clinging to him. What actually stopped her was when Daniel saw her. His facial expression was worse than seeing Sabrina clinging to him. She didn’t want to remember that face.

“I’m really sorry Emma. I didn’t know this would happen.” Nicole was apologizing to her when they were sitting on each of their beds, remembering what they saw.

“What are you apologizing for?” Both Vanessa and Nicole knew what happened and they both felt sorry for her.

“I shouldn’t have invited her over to stay for the summer but my mum will drive me crazy if I didn’t. You know that she is a family friend – even though she’s not really my friend –“

“Look, it’s not your fault.” She smiled at her but it only made Nicole feel bad. “You really shouldn’t think that. It’s my fault.”

“But –“ Nicole started but Emma cut her off, “Please….” Emma pleaded.

“I don’t know about you two but I really would want to murder her.” Both head turned to Vanessa. Vanessa only grinned like a devil. Seeing the look on their faces, Vanessa laughed. “What? I decided to give you my opinion.” Always count on Vanessa to lighten up the serious talks.

“Believe me, you’re not the only one.” Emma agreed. They all laughed.

“Oh, is that the time? How come time’s fast?” Nicole grumbled. “It’s dinner time.”

“I don’t want to face them yet…” Emma hesitated, covering her face with both her hands.

Nicole sighed and stood up from her bed. She then went to stand in front of Emma and offered her two hands. “Come on.”

Emma looked up to Nicole and smiled. She finally accepted the offered hands and stood up. Vanessa then stood up and went to stand at the other side of her where Nicole wasn’t standing so she was the center. The three of them went out of their room. They were halfway to the stairs when Vanessa said, “When Sabrina is stressing you out, remember to give me a sign and I’ll have Rico knock her out of her chair”, leaving the hallway with joyous laughter for Daniel to hear.

When Daniel heard them talking, he hid behind his door so they will not see him. He heard what Vanessa said and he started to wonder again. What’s up with them and Sabrina? He thought grimly. Because of what he didn’t know, Sabrina was starting to get in his nerves. He didn’t want her with him all the time but he was too nice to send her away.

Making sure that the girls were out of sight, he went out of his hiding and went down the stairs to the dining room. Everyone was there waiting for him. He let his gaze wander around the table and met a pair of brown eyes he knew so better. They locked gazes for a while and then finally realizing what he was doing, he sat on the empty chair which unfortunately was beside Sabrina. The good thing was Rico was there beside him and across from him was Vanessa.

“Hi Daniel”, Sabrina smiled sweetly at him and he flinched, winced and groaned inwardly as he heard her shriek of a voice. He looked at Rico with plead in his eyes. Rico just snorted and shrugged. Vanessa on the other hand took notice of his discomfort.

“We can change seats if you like. Besides, I have something to tell Rico.” Vanessa offered and then stood up. All the time they were rounding the table to change seats, Emma gazed at them with plead in her eyes while Sabrina’s eyes glazed with hatred. As he sat beside Emma, he didn’t know what to do. That was the first time he never spoke to Emma during dinner.

Emma was very much aware of Daniel. Her senses were very much alive just to be near him. Just once, their elbows touch and she nearly jumped from the contact. After that, Daniel slightly bumped his knee to her and since then it never moved away. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she pushed her half eaten food away from her and stood up.

“I think I’m going to bed now.” Pushing back the chair by the back of her knees, she started to walk upstairs but halted when Mrs. Jacobe spoke.

“I see you’re food is still half-eaten. Is something wrong dear?” Mrs. Jacobe asked, concern written all over her lovely features.

Emma shook her head and said, “I’m not feeling quite well, Mrs. Jacobe but I think a good rest will do me good.”

“Okay Emma. You do that but don’t hesitate to call me if you need something.”

“I’ll ask Nicole to ring if I need you Mrs. Jacobe.” She was getting very desperate to get out of the room that her sentence fell out from her mouth a little bit quickly. Tossing a thankful smile to her shoulder, she bounded the stairs hurriedly.

Daniel on the other hand stood up suddenly and pushed his own chair back. “I think I’m going upstairs now.” He quickly rounded the table and when he was half-way to the stairs, Mrs. Jacobe spoke again, emitting a grimace from him.

“You’re not feeling well too?”

“Uh…yes. No. I mean, I have to call my mum. Sh-she asked me to call a while ago.” He stuttered and mentally slapped himself for stuttering.

“You can do that later Daniel. You still didn’t finish your food.” Mrs. Jacobe insisted. Everyone stared at him now. All his friends’ faces showed understanding. Only Sabrina showed hatred.

“No. I mean, I really have to go. She insisted I call on this hour. She’s an early sleeper so I have to go call her now.” He said quickly, pointing toward the stairs.

“Okay. But I’ll have snacks prepared for both of you if you decided to have a midnight snack. Tell that to Emma in case you see her.” Smiling at her, he bounded the stairs two at a time and swiftly reached Emma’s bedroom door. He turned the doorknob open and peered inside. The lights are off and moonlight poured through the curtains that slightly covered the glass doors that separated the bedroom and the terrace. He looked over to Emma’s bed, he saw that she wasn’t there. In fact the whole room was empty.

He went inside and glance around the room. He went to the bathroom to check if she was there and to his surprise, still wasn’t there. He walked over to the closet near the glassed doors and opened it. Still not there. He turned around and finally noticed the glassed door slightly ajar. Hoping and praying that she was there, he opened the door and he saw Emma lying on the terrace floor with her hands beneath her head and her eyes closed so she didn’t see him. Silently, he walked and laid down beside her.

That’s when she noticed him. She gave a small cry and sat upright with a jerk. Daniel sat up too and regarding her with amusement. “What am I now, a monster?”

“Oh Daniel!” She exclaimed with a smack on his shoulders. Daniel made a move to try to dodge her hand and it landed on his cheeks instead. Good thing it was a weak hit but it still stung. Daniel rubbed his cheek that got hit.

He gave her a fake hurt look, he said: “For a weak hit like that, I’m surprised that it hurts.”

“Serves you right for scaring me that way.” She stayed sitting beside his body. His arms were put beneath his head and his eyes were closed. His hair was tousled whether from his hand or from the wind. The moon gave his skin a paler complexion. His eyelashes lay dark against his cheekbones. He was wearing a loose t-shirt but not enough to conceal his broad shoulders and muscular chest. 

She averted her eyes to a safer view. She stared at her feet like it were the most interesting thing in the world. There was an uncomfortable silence between them that Emma was becoming more and more anxious as minutes pass by. She glanced back at him and saw him still in the same position. He was calm and relaxed. The more anxious Emma was becoming, the more relaxed he became.

Emma looked away and sighed. Sighed like she was very tired and sleepy. Half of the reasons were true. She was tired. Tired of waiting. The sleepy part, well, not true. Very, very, very not true. Every part of her was awake and aware of him.

Daniel gave up in waiting for her to break the ice. He sighed and said, “You’re not my bestfriend.”

That got a reaction from her. Throwing a quick glance at him she asked, confused at his statement, “What?”

“I said you’re not my bestfriend. I don’t know you anymore.”

“Oh” was all she could say. She winced at his last words. I don’t know you anymore. Did she really change? Did she really hurt him so much for him to change his view of her?

As if she didn’t say anything, Daniel continued, “Do you know why?”

She didn’t answer. “I’d say that was a yes.”

When she didn’t contradict his observation, he said, “’Cause my bestfriend won’t be sitting away from me.”

Before she fully understood what he said, his hand gripped her shoulder and tugged hard causing her to fall backwards beside him while he was saying, “She will be right  here beside me now with no buts.”