THE ASSIGNMENT
729 Words
The bell rang before I could think of another reason to avoid Daniel.Everyone began packing their books, but our teacher stopped us.
“Remember your assignment. I want it on my desk tomorrow morning.”
I sighed.
Of course.
Daniel picked up his notebook and looked at me.
“So, partner, when are we doing this?”
“We?”
“Yes, we.”
“I can write it myself.”
He shook his head.
“That defeats the purpose of working in pairs.”
“I’ll survive.”
He laughed.
“You really enjoy arguing with me.”
“I really enjoy proving you wrong.”
Tara appeared beside us, holding her books against her chest.
“What are you two still doing?”
“Your brother is disturbing me,” I said.
Daniel placed a hand over his chest.
“I’m simply trying to complete my assignment.”
Tara looked between us.
“Then complete it and leave my friend alone.”
Daniel smiled.
“Tell her that.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Fine. We can meet after school.”
“Where?”
“The library.”
He frowned.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“That’s boring.”
“Good. Maybe you’ll talk less.”
Tara laughed.
“I’ll leave you two to it.”
She walked away.
I watched her go before turning back to Daniel.
He was already looking at me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Then stop staring.”
He smiled.
“I was just thinking.”
“About?”
“That you agreed to spend time with me.”
My heart skipped.
“It’s for an assignment.”
“I know.”
He smiled again.
“But I’m still counting it.”
⸻
The library was almost empty after school.I sat at a table near the window, my notebook open in front of me.
Daniel arrived ten minutes late.
“You’re late.”
“I know.”
“You said you’d be here.”
“I am here.”
“That isn’t the point.”
He dropped into the chair opposite me.
“You missed me.”
I stared at him.
“We’ve been apart for twenty minutes.”
“Exactly.”
I tried not to smile.
I failed.
Daniel noticed.
“There.”
“What?”
“That smile.”
I looked down at my notebook.
“Let’s just work.”
For the next few minutes, we actually did.Our story was supposed to be about love, but neither of us could agree on the plot.
“Two people who hate each other,” Daniel suggested.
“Too predictable.”
“Two best friends who fall in love.”
I looked at him.
“Too dangerous.”
He paused.
“Why?”
“Because friendship can get ruined.”
He nodded slowly.
“Maybe.”
“What?”
“Maybe some things are worth risking.”
I didn’t answer.
He picked up his pen.
“What if they don’t tell each other how they feel?”
“Then they’re stupid.”
“Why?”
“Because one of them might move on.”
Daniel looked at me.
“And what if they’re both too scared?”
My fingers tightened around my pen.
“Then they should stay scared.”
He smiled faintly.
“You really believe that?”
I looked away.
“I have to.”
There was silence between us.
Then Daniel spoke softly.
“You don’t always have to be afraid, Amara.”
I looked up.
For once, he wasn’t teasing.
He was serious.
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number.You should stay away from Daniel.
My smile disappeared.I stared at the screen.Daniel noticed immediately.
“What happened?”
I locked my phone.
“Nothing.”
He frowned.
“Amara.”
“I said nothing.”
He didn’t push me.But the look in his eyes told me he knew I was lying.
And as I slipped my phone into my bag, another message came through.You don’t know him as well as you think you do.My heart began to race.
I looked across the table at Daniel.He was watching me. And for the first time since I met him, I wondered if there was something about Daniel I wasn’t supposed to know.
Something someone desperately wanted me to discover.
To be continued…
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