"Dee has anyone told you that you look beautiful when crying "
Daisy turned around to face Jake. She raised her hands to her face and wiped a tear that she couldn't even remember how it got to her face.
She laughed. "No you're the first one to tell me that. And how on earth can anyone look beautiful when crying. That's a rare and unique occurrence." She sniffed and cleaned her face.
"I heard what your brother said to him. I'd have beaten him up, but then I realized that he's your brother so I stayed back " He grinned.
"You know how to fight? " Daisy asked.
"I think so. I've put it to practice just three times. My cousin, Raina has had so many breakups and am the one to fight the exes. I'm used to it already. No qualms " he said it with a shrug on his shoulders like it meant nothing, but she looked at him with awe.
"Well, are you doing anything important at home?" he asked.
"Aside playing my piano and doing some boring calculus, No"
He hesitated for a moment before replying. "Let's go to Jenny's. There is something I want to show you there."
"Hmm. Sounds tempting and intriguing."
She grabbed her backpack from the class, slung it over her shoulders and walked out with Jake, the hot guy she just met. He looked... different from the other boys at LGMHS.
He was tall. He was in his senior year and he has long blond hair.
They walked together to Jenny's Joint. Daisy winced at the smell of smoke.
"What?"
"I don't go to clubs. I'm not used to all these " She replied, covering her nose.
"Me either. We aren't going there "
Before she could ask what he meant, he dragged her hand inside. He led her to the back of the building where there was a staircase leading... downstairs?
She couldn't be more shocked.
It was an underground building. She became scared.
As they got in, the place was illuminated by beautiful neon lights. There were mostly children, more or less adolescents playing different instruments. Some were singing. It was like a musical band. She was awestruck.
"Wow. I never knew a place like this existed. "
"My buddy, Tom ; His father owns the building." Jake explained.
"Wow."
"Hey Jerky " His friend said and cane to hug him.
"Hey Tom. Meet my friend Daisy. Give her a piano. Let's see what she's got "
His friend smiled. "I'm glad she's just a friend. It means I'm free to shoot my shot. "
Jake shot him a glaring look.
Daisy smiled. "I'm Daisy. Nice meeting you"
He handed her a piano. She ran her hands along the keys timidly.
"So what do I play? "
"Anything you feel adolescents would like. The kids are looking up to you. They need a change of coach for today. God knows they've had enough of me to... "
"Can you just shut up and stop yapping for once, Tom? " Jake yelled.
Both Daisy and Tom burst into laughter.
She racked her brain and thought about what to play and finally decided on playing "Rollin and tumbling " by Elmore James. She stood - she hated sitting - and positioned her hands on the keys and started playing and singing along. She sang so loud that she forgot her sorrows, woes and even her friends behaviour earlier that day.
She couldn't remember the last time she ever got lost in playing like that. As she finished playing, everyone in that room gave her a round of applause. Tom was speechless, the kids had ecstatic looks on their faces and Jake...
Jake had an awestruck look on his face too. He was enchanted. Tom moved closer to her to talk to her but before he could get to where she was, Jake stepped in and dragged her out. She laughed uncontrollably.
"Hey Dee. You were so wonderful in there " He said to her.
Daisy smiled at him and then impulsively, she checked her wristwatch and was surprised to find out that the time was some minutes to Six.
"Maybe you should go home " Jake said on noticing how she glanced at her wristwatch.
"No no no. "Daisy said in a rush and held his hand. "No. The day is awesome and I don't want it to end yet. Let's go somewhere else."
They went to the library, read and laughed and finally went their separate ways.
When she got home, she was greeted with an eerie silence. It was expected since her parents were at work, Danny was hanging out with friends and Allison was at her ballet lessons.
She decided to go to the hospital, owned by her mum.
"Hey mum"
"Hi sweetie. Why didn't you come back k home with Danny? Where were you? "
"I was at the library "
Her mum was still in her clinical scrubs and it was obvious she was still very busy.
"Mum let me go home. I'll see you later?"
"Yeah darling. "
She kissed her mum's cheeks and left for home. When she got home, the house was still quiet so she came outside with her laptop and opened her email. There were some messages from someone named jakeharrison16. She knew it was Jake, but she wondered how he got her phone number or worse, her email address. She made a mental note to ask him the following day in school.
"Hi, have you gotten home ?" She asked.
He replied almost immediately. "Yeah. No one is home though. I'm feeling lonely. "
She smiled "We should have stayed a little longer ".
"Well, since we're still going to see each other tomorrow, let me just wallow in loneliness and watch Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
Daisy laughed and replied"I've watched all those series. I'm now watching the seventh series - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. "
Jake sent a 'What the fuck' sticker.
She replied with a 'haha' emoji.
"My God. How on earth did you even manage to watch that horror movie till the seventh finale? "
"No" Daisy replied "It's not the last series. I think NBC just recently brought out the finale. "
"You're really surprising Dee. I'm shaking on my bed right now by just watching the third. "
daisy laughed loud. There was a knock on her door and before she could stand up to open, Danny walked in. She quickly closed her laptop.
"Hey sis. I looked for you every where. When did you come back home? "
"Not too long ago " Daisy replied smiling as she though about Jake again.
Her brother looked at her suspiciously "This one that you're smiling this way and besides, what even kept you so long at school? It's unlike you to stay long. "
Daisy raised her eyebrows "Have I ever asked about your movements? "
Danny sat on her bed. "Oh my God, Daisy. You're.... chatting with a boy. You were with a boy"
"No, definitely not " She replied, trying to hide back her timidity.
"Come on. I know those signs. So who is he? "
"Well" Daisy sighed dreamily. "He's a great guy. He plays the piano as well as guitar and violin. He has shown short dark hair and small pointed nose. He's handsome, so handsome; in fact, more handsome than you and dad "
When she turned to face Danny, his mouth was hanging open.
"What??!! "She asked him.
"I never believed I'd get to see the day my twin sister Daisy would fall head over heels for a guy. "
She smiled at her ridiculous remarks.
"He made me laugh today. Not some fake pretentious laugh to gain popularity; but real laugh. Something I haven't done in a long time."
"Hmm. My sister is actually blushing over a guy. This is really shocking "
Daisy laughed heartily and after Danny left her bedroom, she went back to her computer and resumed chatting with Jake.
"Sorry my asshole of a brother came to distract me"
Jake sent a smiley face "Are you going anywhere for Valentine's Day. Remember it's tomorrow "
Daisy's heart skipped a beat. She hesitated for some moments. Was Jake asking her out? And even if he was, what was she going to say. Without thinking, she replied instantly "No I don't have any plans for tomorrow "
"Would you like to go out with me? " He asked.
"Yeah, where are we going?"
"You pick the place and time." Jake replied.
"What about Brock's Island, by 6:00 in the evening? "
"I was actually thinking about that place. So, do I pick you up from your house or...? "
"It's fine. You can come pick me. So I'll be expecting you tomorrow " She typed back in enthusiasm.
"Yeah. If you don't mind, duty calls. I've gotta go now. Good night " He typed.
"Yeah. You too" She replied and turned off her laptop before going to the dining room for dinner with her family.
They've all returned from their respective journeys.
"So Dee, Danny told me you've got a boyfriend" Her father said, as soon as she sat down. Her mum and sister cast accusing glances at her. She looked at Danny who kept on grinning mischievously. She cleared her throat and replied.
"He's not my boyfriend. He's just my friend "
"Hmm, interesting " Her mum smiled "What do you call a boy as a friend then? " Her mum asked.
Daisy looked round. She didn't know how to defend herself with this kind of question. She just kept quiet and after eating, everyone returned to their bedrooms.
Every Valentine's Day, Daisy's parents usually invited family and friends to entertain them in the morning and then in the afternoons, everyone finds their way out.
So the following morning, Daisy was awoken by loud voices in the living room.
She went to her brother's room first. It was the next room after hers. "Hey Dan " She said and knocked.
"Come in sis "
She opened the door and entered the room. He was still lying on the bed.
"Did you sleep well? " He asked groggily.
She wanted to reply when she heard her name from below. She recognized the voice as her aunt Julia's voice.