Chapter Two
The moment I step onto school grounds, a football comes spiraling straight at me.
"Watch out!"
Just before the football hits me, my right hand reaches out and I catch it with ease.
"Nice catch," Someone says to the side of me, sounding impressed.
I turn my head to find a guy with startling blue eyes and styled black hair. There was a pair of sunglasses perched atop his head, his bow shaped lips curved into a smirk.
Viktor. He looked the same as before. Except now, he seemed more mature and built.
"Well, hello," He drawls.
He doesn't recognize me.
A faint smile comes across my lips as I throw the football back to him.
He catches it just as well as I did, perhaps even better. "Hello Vicky. It's been awhile since I've seen you."
He blinks a few times, as if he was processing what I had just said. A puzzled expression came over his face. "No one calls me that. It was a nickname only..." He trails off, as he stares at me with scrutiny.
His eyes widen, finally fitting the pieces together and his lips part saying a word that was barely audible, "Dani."
"Aye! Viktor! My man!" A smaller, more immature looking guy comes jogging up to him, wearing the school's blue and white football jersey. They probably had a game later today.
Viktor's eyes were still trained on me as he says in a flat tone, "Go away. I don't talk to JV. Especially not freshmen."
The boy looks a little hurt by his comment but grinned nonetheless. "Whatever you say, Viktor. See you at practice later!"
The freshman rushes off without a glance at me.
I frown at the way Viktor told off the boy, but don't say anything.
I watch as another guy wearing a football jersey run up to us. He also had a fit build of an athlete, with curly dirty blonde hair and forest green eyes. He was cute, and about an inch shorter than Viktor.
"Hey! Sorry about that throw. Did I hit you? I didn't know you were going to be coming up into my pass so suddenly."
"Naw, it's cool." I answer, smiling. The guy looked genuinely concerned.
"Ah, well, that's good," he says, evidently relieved. He flashes a smile, showing dimples in his cheeks.
He then rubs his neck awkwardly.
"Are you new here? I haven't seen you around."
I give him a rueful smile, "You can say that."
The boy with green eyes smiles again, sticking his hand out. "I'm Tom, by the way."
I grasp his calloused but warm hand, as I firmly shake it. "Dani."
Tom turns to Viktor who hadn't said a word the whole time. "Hey, Viktor. Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"
Viktor purses his lips, folding his arms across his broad chest, football in one hand. "She sort of knows me already."
Tom looks at me, surprised. "You guys know each other? How?"
"Just a familiar face from my childhood." Viktor says quickly, before I could say anything.
I hide my hurt from his quick dismissal of me. Because how could I judge? We have changed so much that now, that we lived in separate lives and much less know each other anymore. By the way things are going right now, it wasn't what I had anticipated.
I fake a smile at them. "Well, I'll be going now-- to get my schedule. It's nice to have you met you, Tom." I turn towards Viktor. "And..seeing you again."
I turn away from them, gripping the strap of my bag tightly, anxious to get away.
"Wait." Viktor grabs my shoulder, making me turn around. I raise my eyebrows at his gesture.
His voice suddenly lowers so only I could hear. "It's best if you stay away, Dani. Things have changed and I don't think you'll be very fond of what has happened here." He looks deep into my eyes when he said this, emotions I couldn't decipher swirling inside them.
"Where's Tristan? Caillee? Collin?" This question blurts out of my mouth before I can control myself. The question had been nagging me the whole time I'd been here.
Viktor's mouth suddenly presses into a thin line, his posture noticeably stiffening. "I told you, Dani. Things have changed here. It isn't the same as before."
I suppress a groan of frustration at his vague explanation but instead shrug off his grip on my shoulder and say curtly, "I can take care of myself, thank you. I thought I was just a familiar face from your childhood?"
I turn away from him, not giving him the chance to say anything.
It made me wonder. If Viktor and I aren't friends anymore, what has become of my relationship with Tristan, Cailee, and Collin?