Coop and Danielle stood in front of their school, both of them looking up at the entryway. Coop was in a nice outfit since he'd outgrown his old uniform. She wore the standard summer uniform.
Coop gulped, surprised that he was so nervous; Danielle nudged him.
"You know it usually helps if you go inside the building. It's kind of hard to learn anything from out here."
Coop cinched the strap on his book bag. Stopping he brought a hand up to the back of his head and massaged his neck. "At this point I don't even feel like a student, I feel like someone going back to visit their old stomping grounds. I'm gonna be here four more days and then it'll all be over with."
Danielle nodded. "Yeah, but at least this way you get a proper goodbye. A send off for your adolescence."
Coop's eyebrows lowered, and he started moving forward. "Good riddance."
Danielle furrowed her brow, starting after him. "What?"
Coop opened the door, allowing her to enter in front of him. "If you haven't forgotten I spent a good portion of my childhood getting pushed around, terrorized and bullied. I lost my mom, almost got put in the hospital, got my…" He stopped, rethinking what he was about to say.
"I ended up having to move across the globe and start over without even being able to understand any of the kids my own age in a place that isn't always keen on foreigners. I'm pretty psyched at the prospect of no longer being a teenager."
Danielle stopped walking, pursing her lips. "I know you had it rough in certain areas, but you really aren't gonna miss any of it?"
He stopped as well, looking back at her. Feeling like an idiot immediately, she thought he was discounting all their time together. He walked back and leaned down so they were eye to eye.
"I'm talking 'bout the things I'm leaving behind mopey. You're coming with me, you're my good luck charm."
'I'm holding on for as long as I can.'
Course he couldn't say that, but the thought was always there, that each moment they spent together it was closer and closer to the last.
She turned her eyes away, hiding a huge smile but still crossing her arms. "Fine, I guess I can postpone your ass kicking for now."
He stood back up, repositioning his book bag strap. He spoke in a false syrupy sweet voice. "Uh huh, Listen I'm gonna stop by the office and get my stuff sorted out."
She nodded, looking down the hall at the other students coming in. "Right, I guess I'll see you in class." She turned to leave.
"Are we on for lunch?"
She stopped. "Huh?"
"You, me, having lunch, like old times." She perked up, turning towards him while still backing up.
"Yeah, sounds good. Good luck getting your stuff sorted out."
"Thanks." With that she walked to class while he went into the office to take care of things.
* * *
The rest of the day until lunch was boring. He got reacquainted with classmates he hadn't seen in a while. He noticed the female students seemed a lot nicer than he remembered them being.
When it came time for lunch, he and Danielle left the campus to go across the street. The school didn't usually allow students to leave the campus. Seniors alone were given permission to leave for lunch, providing the privilege wasn't abused.
The threat being that it would be lost should the students fail to come back or do something to cast a shadow on the schools reputation. They entered the deli, moving to stand in line. Some of the students noticed Coop and said hello. Others just eyed him as they passed, the girls mostly.
Danielle tried not to notice, choosing to make small talk instead. "So did you meet up with the guys from the wrestling squad yet?"
Coop shook his head. "Not yet, I think they were wanting to do something later this week, I'm not sure if I'll go though."
Danielle frowned. "Why not, I'm sure you guys have a lot to talk about."
Cooper shrugged, bending over so he could only be heard by Danielle. "I haven't been part of the squad for three years, it feels like I'd be intruding. Plus they want everyone to show up in their team hoodies and I can't find mine."
Danielle's cheeks immediately got very warm. "Maybe your sister threw it out?"
Cooper shook his head, still looking forward. "Nah I asked, she laughed, which was a little weird, but she said she didn't. Besides, she wouldn't have any reason to mess with my stuff like that. My grandma was dropping by to check on Christine while we were gone but she doesn't know what could have happened to it either."
"Well I mean it's from before your growth spurt, right, so it's probably—."
Coop interrupted, smiling. "Nope, the guy who ordered them actually gave me a size too big, so it would probably be perfect now."
Danielle mentally cursed to the heavens. 'So this is what karma feels like.'
Danielle started swinging her arms back and forth due to nervous energy. "That's crazy, I'm sure the guys will understand if you lost track of it in the move."
"Yeah I guess."
They waited patiently for their turn. When they got up to the order taker Danielle looked at him. "Do you know what you want?"
Cooper was still surveying the options but eventually just shook his head. "Nah you know what's good here better than me, I'll have whatever you say."
She proceeded to order for both of them. They then got their drinks and sat down at a set of stools lining the windows. They chatted aimlessly for several minutes. All of a sudden two girls approached them, one of the girls Coop didn't recognize.
The one that he did recognize just happened to be none other than Emma Perrington. While he couldn't really blame her for the misunderstanding between him and Dany three years ago, it didn't stop him from being mildly annoyed at her presence. "Hey Coop, I almost didn't recognize you."
He chose to be courteous, no need to be a dick to her. "Hi Emma, how have you been?"
Danielle alternated between looking at Coop and at Emma. Emma meanwhile was twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. "Good, I got accepted to A&M."
Danielle had heard that her father had made a very sizable donation and was an alumni. Even though she wasn't a staunch believer in Emma's academic prowess, she refused to spread a rumor or be a gossip.
Coop smiled at Emma and looked to Danielle. "Danielle and I both got accepted to the University of Dallas. You know Danielle, right?"
While she was glad Coop wasn't ignoring her, she could stand not to have to speak with Emma or her friend, Robin was her name and she was as insufferable as Emma. They didn't run in the same circles but the girls were the gossip and rumor queens of the school.
They had started a story after Cooper left that the reason his father took him out of the country was that he had knocked Danielle up and she had been forced to get an abortion.
She hadn't heard the words leave their lips. But the catty smiles they gave her in the halls spoke volumes. She didn't tell Coop about any of it, viewing it as her penance for mistreating him.
Danielle finally had enough one day and told Emma if she kept making up things she'd slap the taste out of her mouth. They had been at war, socially at least, ever since.
Emma nodded with a disinterested look on her face. "Yeah, weren't you going to school to be a dog walker or something."
Danielle's eyes turned to slits, she immediately responded in a deadpan tone. "Why, you need to go for a walk?" Danielle stood up, Emma stumbled back a step. "I'm gonna wait by the counter."
She walked off, leaving the two girls alone with Coop. She knew Coop wouldn't fall for Emma's tricks so she wasn't worried.
Emma smiled sweetly, looking at Coop. "Sorry, she's usually in a better mood when we joke around."
Coop was doubtful they joked much but he nodded his head anyway. "So what are you planning to major in at A&M?"
At the counter Danielle was resisting the urge to look behind her. Just cause she wasn't intimidated by Emma's way of attracting guys didn't mean she wasn't curious.
Luckily for her the choice was made for her when their order came up. Grabbing their tray she turned around while forcing a pleasant smile onto her face. Only to be visually assaulted by the sight of Emma feeling up Coop's arm, specifically his bicep.
Coop at least had the common decency to look embarrassed and uncomfortable. But he wasn't making a move to stop her, and she was pissed.
Walking over calmly she came up from behind Coop, clearing her throat. Coop was startled and immediately spun to face her. Danielle had on a mask of disinterest. "Coming through hot stuff."
She had been thinking of the hot sandwiches and soup before she said it, but seeing Emma grin at her she said it in a pissed off ironic tone. Honestly she was too mad to be embarrassed, she just sat down and separated their meals, putting in her air-pods and turning some music on.
Coop was at a loss for words, first Emma had commented on his physique. She had asked what he had been doing overseas to get so ripped. He knew she was probably buttering him up to try and piss off Danielle.
But the fact that a woman, especially a fairly attractive one like Emma, was freely putting her hands on him, his brain kind of short circuited, until he had heard Danielle speak from directly behind him. Now she had put her ear-buds in and was ignoring all of them.
Coop turned to Emma and her friend with an apologetic face. "Better eat up so we can get back to class, it was nice seeing you again."
Emma smiled, disappointment showing on her face. "Yeah, see you Coop."
The girls walked off preening. Coop sighed before turning and sitting down next to Danielle. He tapped her on the shoulder as he was unwrapping his sandwich. She glanced his direction, choosing to ignore him.
Coop was still involved in eating his own meal, taking the lid off his soup.
Trying to lighten the mood and cheer her up he began teasing her. Taking his hand and squeezing her shoulder. Moving his hand up until he was patting her head.
She reached up, pulling both ear buds out at the same time and shouting. "Knock it off!"
Coop pulled his hand back, as if it was a snake that had just bit an electric eel. His face was blank, suddenly reminded of that day. They both looked around at the other students, Coop holding up his hand in apology and Danielle looking sheepish.
They both turned back to their food, Danielle looking his direction. "Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."
Coop shook his head, inwardly scolding himself for getting carried away and getting too comfortable with her. "No, it's on me, I forgot my place."
She looked back at him, unsure what he meant by that. She sighed before speaking. "Emma is not on my list of favorite people, she's gone out of her way to antagonize me while you were gone. Safe to say our claws come out when we are around each other."
She paused. "It certainly didn't help seeing her pawing at you like a wild animal."
Cooper smiled awkwardly, chuckling the same way. "Yeah sorry, I kinda froze up, it's not every day a woman just starts running her hands all over me."
Danielle snorted, turning back to her food. "I don't know why you're surprised, most of the girls have been doing as much with their eyes since this morning, it's pretty ridiculous."
He got a little chapped at that. "Is it really so crazy to imagine some women might find me attractive?"
She whipped her head towards him. His face was turned slightly away so he barely noticed the movement and looked at her.
She looked very demure in that moment. "I meant it's ridiculous how brazenly they're ogling you like you're Magic Mike or something. I wasn't saying you're unattractive."
Coop let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "Right, well these same girls couldn't be bothered to remember my name three years ago."
She was about to mention the rumor about Emma liking him from back then. But since that meant bringing up the day that never happened, she thought better of it. "True, though you weren't exactly a social butterfly back then, so them not knowing your name is kinda on you. But you could probably have your pick of any of them now."
Coop brushed some crumbs off his pants. "I'm good, I don't think romance is in the cards anytime soon."
He said through chews, she slapped his arm, admonishing his caveman-esque behavior She really wanted to ask why that was the case, but the thought of what the answer might be scared her. They ate in silence for the next several minutes.
Finally Coop looked over at what was left of her meal. "You ready to head back?"
She was lost in thought when he spoke, coming to her senses. "Hmm, oh yeah, we should hurry."
Coop dumped their trash while Danielle held the door for him. They walked back to the school saying very little, both of them wondering what the other was thinking.
* * *
Cooper stood outside the school, chatting with his former teammates from wrestling. He had stayed in touch with them on social media. Coop acted like he wasn't sentimental, but he was fiercely loyal to those who chose to befriend him when he saw himself as being such an outcast.
Danielle came outside, accompanied by some of her friends. Coop excused himself, saying goodbye to the guys and walking over. The girls said their goodbyes, greeting Coop as he walked over, he held up his hand in a gesture that expressed hello as well as goodbye.
There was a slight wind blowing, causing Danielle's hair to fly up into her face, Coop walked to the other side of her, standing perpendicular to her and shielding her, she looked at him thankfully.
"Are you still good with taking me by the DMV?"
She brushed her hair out of her eyes, smiling. "Sure."
Coop waited for her to start walking towards her car before falling in step next to her. "So what did you and the guys talk about?"
"Well, first they all accused me of getting jacked on Japanese steroids. Why their steroids are any better I have no clue. They also asked me if I saw any sumo matches while I was there, which I did. They're awesome by the way.
"Oh they finally decided on what to do for the send-off party, I guess we're having a bonfire Thursday night. You were right by the way, no one cared that I lost my hoodie."
She became very animated, slapping him on the shoulder and smiling widely. "Told ya, well make sure not to fall into the fire so you don't get roasted and spend graduation in some burn unit."
"You don't wanna come hang out?" Danielle did a double take, looking behind her even.
"Why would I come, isn't it a get together for just the guys."
Coop tilted his head, while nodding. "Yeah, but everyone gets to bring a guest."
She furrowed her brows, confused. "Why would you need to bring a guest for a—."
Cooper interrupted, looking away. "Because everyone's bringing their girlfriends."
That shut her up quick. Suddenly she was waiting on pins and needles for him to elaborate. "So one of the guys who is single brought up that we should all be able to bring someone."
When she saw that he wasn't going to say more she tentatively said. "Bring someone like, bring a date?"
Coop went stark white, fumbling over his words. "No, nothing like that, I asked them specifically if I could bring just a friend."
She buried her disappointment, sure he was saying that for her benefit. At least he thought he was anyway. It was an opportunity for them, there was a reason the guys were bringing their girlfriends.
They would be gathered around the fire, having fun. She might get cold and need to scoot closer to him for warmth.
If she could get him to admit he still had feelings for her at the bonfire then she wouldn't have to do it at their graduation party. She knew she sounded like a chicken-shit, but that didn't mean she didn't have valid reasons.
She brought her school bag to her chest, hugging it. "That sounds fun, sure."
Coop inwardly unclenched. The team had actually insisted he bring her. Like most people in Coop and Danielle's lives they were desperate to see them figure things out.
Coop smiled mischievously. "Great, I'll pick you up on the bike I'm gonna buy."
Danielle immediately shook her head, her face turning sour. "No freaking way! You will never see me riding one of those things."
Coop laughed. "It's fine, there's pegs for your feet. We'll get you your own helmet. And if you're scared you just wrap your arms around me and hold on tight."
She suddenly found a lot of her apprehension dissolving, but not enough. "No, those things are death traps."
Coop sighed, throwing his head back. "Fine, come with me tomorrow to look at bikes. If I find the one I want I'll take you through the parking lot and if you get scared we'll stop and I'll never ask again."
The more she thought about it, she'd never been on a motorcycle, she could sit on it at least. "Okay, I'll take you to find one and maybe I'll try sitting on the back."
Coop did a fist pump, he knew Danielle would love the feeling. "Awesome, you wont regret it."
The look on her face said that she already did.