After the explosive Basilio war with his father the night before, Dae returned to school wearing a brave face and trying his best to pretend nothing was wrong. He wasn't fully comfortable talking about his family issues with anyone in his friend group except Leilani--granted, they all knew his relationship with his dad was shit, but they just didn't talk about it. And after the shit that Anthony tried to pull recently, Dae really didn't want to give him any more ammunition.
Dae's thoughts were interrupted as his group of friends arrived at his locker holding brown paper bags, the smell of bagels coming from within. Along with Leilani and Anthony, Dae is joined by Cassidy, Marco, and Ryann.
Ryann holds out a bag to Dae, and he can't help but smile as he takes it from her. She gave him a lopsided grin, causing her dreadlocks to bounce slightly, "One everything bagel, untoasted, with cream cheese for my favorite little weirdo."
"Hold up! How did I become the weirdo? Aren't you the one who came to school dressed as a dinosaur for two weeks?" He laughed in response, as she leveled him with a playful gaze that said 'don't try me, boy.'
Ryann and Dae had been closed since fourth grade. Dae was in a class with all the same kids he'd grown up with, but they had all found new personalities--and that usually meant bullying anyone who didn't fit it. And Dae was never one to really fit in.
As a kid, Dae was overly emotional--it wasn't always anger, but he was able to feel things easily and intensely--which resulted in him crying more than once around his classmates. Appearing so sensitive, left a target on his back for his classmates to bully him already.
He'd met Ryann when--in a particularly rough time in his life--he got comfort in wearing one of his dad's old hoodies to school every day. Dae was trying to cope with his mother leaving and everything else going on in his life; he was trying to hold onto something from the times when his family was good. But because he wore it every day and was already bullied, this caused kids to target him even more mercilessly; until Ryann had had enough.
She didn't know him very well, but she could tell from looking at him that he was sad--and that was enough of a reason for her to do something. So in order to get the bullies off his back, she came to school wearing the same thing for a week and a half. And it happened to be a brightly-colored dinosaur onesie that no one could ignore. They'd been close ever since, and Dae was always thankful she was in his life.
Back in the present, Ryann sidled into Marco's arms--the two had been dating for some time now--and the group of Dae's friends went on and on about a movie they had all caught the night before. Dae just silently ate his bagel, stopping every once in a while to question some of the more insane plot points. Towards the end of their discussion, he offered his final conclusion having never watched a single scene, "This movie sounds like garbage. I could dig it."
"Yeah? You should see the sequel," Marco laughed, before Dae's focus was pulled away from his friends to a quick flash of red hair approaching from across the hall.
A strange look settled on Evan's face, and before Dae knew how to react, the redhead stepped up to his group of friends, smiling widely at their confused looks. He waits a moment, but when Dae doesn't speak, Evan takes it upon himself to say something. "Hi, everyone. I'm Evan, the new kid. Just wanted to pop over and say hello to all of Dae's friends."
Leilani's face broke into a smile but everyone else seemed a little confused, and Dae's silence definitely didn't help clear anything up. Leilani held out her hand, excitedly shaking Evan's, and made her way around the group to make introductions. "I thought he was making you up; none of us knew there was a new kid. But I'm glad you're here! I'm Leilani, and this is my boyfriend Ant."
Anthony barely bothered a wave, and Leilani gently smacked his chest in response, before continuing, "Ryann and Marco; they're the cutest! And last but not least is-"
"Cassidy. But you can call me, Cass." Cass interrupted Leilani and took an overbearing step toward Evan. Dae could feel his throat tighten against his will as he watched her, knowing all too well just how much of a flirt she was, "And I'm your dream come true."
"I'm flattered, but I'm gonna have to stick with the waking world...And just calling you Cassidy." Evan cut her down, never taking his eyes off Dae for more than a few seconds.
The retort seemed to lessen some of the tension, a sprinkle of laughter spreading through the group before Ryann and Marco started asking how Evan was liking the school. Dae couldn't hear what they had asked him exactly because his mind was racing with his own questions. However, before he could spiral any further, Anthony stepped closer to him and whispered, "You...know this kid?"
As Dae stumbled to try and find an answer for his frenemy, Leilani's voice fills the hallway making for a perfect distraction, "Let me just cut to the chase then; what did he do?"
"I'm sorry?" Evan chuckled a little uneasily, and Dae cursed the way that the redhead's laugh affected him--he wasn't supposed to cave. He'd been ignoring Evan for good reason and--
"She means Dae." Ryann perked up, and both boys tensed ever so slightly, "You've been staring at him this entire time. So, either, you guys have...history? Or you're trying to wear his skin to prom."
After just a moment of stuttering over his thoughts, Evan shook his head with a confident smile, "Dammit. You caught me; I'm clearly trying to wear Haus of Dae to the formal event of the season."
Despite his best efforts, Dae felt himself chuckle and he saw the instant relief that washed over Evan's face. Squaring his shoulders, Evan stared into Dae's eyes and spoke, "All jokes aside though, how are you doing, Dae?"
Dae felt a combination of things; obviously the fear of bringing up the fight with his dad in front of his friends--Leilani already knew, but regardless he wasn't ready for some kind of group intervention. Also mixed in was this strange...genuine relief that someone was asking how he was doing. Dae had apparently grown accustomed to people assuming he was fine...
However, before he could answer Evan--and his friend's questioning gazes--he was interrupted by two guys he'd barely ever spoken to walking past and speaking loudly.
Deliberately.
And directly at Marco. "Watch out, Santiago. You keep hanging around with him, and who knows if being on the basketball team will help your reputation at all."
Fire spread all throughout Dae, and looking down at the floor, he could only try his best to focus on his breathing. Bits and pieces of the conversation filtered through, but he needed a distraction. Dae pulled his gaze from the ground and locked on to Evan.
But the pain on Evan's face made the world feel like it was slowing down. Among the voices of Marco, Ryann, and Leilani all telling the two boys off, Dae could hear one of the boys say, while he was retreating. "Whatever, Santiago. I was just trying to warn you that the new kid likes making tapes. How he keeps track of his conquests or something. Just be careful."
As the two idiots walked away laughing like psychopaths, and before anyone can stop him, Evan's gaze was focused on the ground and he muttered weakly, "I've got to go. Nice meeting you all."
As every nerve ending in Dae's body screamed for him to move his damn feet, Ant turned back to the group and seemed to challenge anyone to go after Evan, "Well...he was a little weird don't you think?"
Dae didn't wait to hear their answers; not that he could focus on them if he'd tried. He slammed his locker shut and walked away, his mind clouded with too many thoughts to deal with other humans at that moment.
One thing kept replaying in his head regardless of how hard he fought to keep his mind preoccupied with things other than what had just happened...
Dae had to know more about these tapes.