Elodie POV
My heart skipped a beat as I read Daniel's text. I couldn't believe he was messaging me! I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should respond. But my curiosity got the better of me.
"Hey Daniel, what's up?" I typed, trying to sound casual.
"Not much, just wanted to say thanks for lunch today," he replied. "I had a great time."
I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, me too," I typed. "I'm glad we finally caught up."
We chatted for a bit longer, exchanging small talk and laughter. I couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to him now. It was like we had known each other for years, not just shared a few classes in middle school.
As I got ready for bed, I couldn't stop thinking about Daniel. I wondered if he felt the same connection that I did. And what did he mean by "finally caught up"? Did he mean that he had noticed me before, but never had the chance to talk to me?..."But how did he get my number tho?"... I thought, but still I couldn't care.
As I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face, my heart filled with hope and excitement.
The next day, Hannah came over, looking sheepish. "Hey, I'm really sorry about yesterday," she said, giving me a hug. "I was just worried about you, that's all."
I forgave her, I had forgotten about it knowing we couldn't stay mad at each other for long...we have been friends since childhood and we fought alot.
It's a no school day today as we spent the day gossiping, watching movies and laughing together. But I couldn't help sneaking glances at my phone, hoping for another message from Daniel.
And then, just as we were about to watch a movie, my phone buzzed. It was Daniel again!
"Hey, want to grab coffee this weekend?" he asked.
My heart skipped a beat. Was this a date? I couldn't wait to find out.
"let's talk about our class project tomorrow"... I read the rest of his text as disappointments was shown on my face.
He only texted me because of a school project?
"Earth to elodie, where did your mind go to miss ?"... Hannah asked
"Daniel wants to see me tomorrow"...I said still looking at the text he sent.
"Thats good right?"
"For the class project Hannah...the class project."
it's not even a date....aarghhhh"... I screamed in frustration.
"So you not going?"...she asked staring at me
"Hell I'm going Hannah.... it's the first time Daniel chatted me up since middle school"
"But it's not a date elodie, can you manage that?"
"well I can live with that".... I said going to my wardrobe as I brought out my favorite outfits.
Though I was a bit disappointed when Daniel said he wanted to meet up to discuss the class project, but I tried to play it cool.
"Sure, sounds good," I finaly replied his text. "When and where?"
We made plans to meet at the library on Saturday afternoon.
I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what to wear, but my mind kept wandering back to Daniel.
On Saturday, I arrived at the library early, nervously fidgeting with my notes. Daniel showed up a few minutes later, looking relaxed and calm.
"Hey, thanks for meeting up," he said, smiling. "I really need to get this project done, and I know we can do a great job if we work together."
We spent the next few hours brainstorming ideas and dividing up tasks. It was surprisingly easy to work with Daniel, and I found myself laughing and joking with him like we were old friends.
As we packed up to leave, Daniel turned to me and said, "You know, I'm really glad we're working together on this project. You're really smart and creative.
I blushed like a little girl, feeling a flutter in my chest. "Thanks, Daniel. You're not so bad yourself."
We exchanged smiles, and for a moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, this could be the start of something more.
But then Daniel said, "I'll talk to you later, I've got to go meet up with some friends."
And just like that, the moment was gone. gone.
I watched him walk away, feeling a pang of disappointment. Maybe I was just reading too much into things. Maybe Daniel just saw me as a friend, or worse, just a classmate.
I sighed and headed home, trying to shake off the feeling of uncertainty.
"It wasn't even a date,...he just wanted to discuss the class project," I muttered to myself, trying to sound nonchalant.
Hannah raised an eyebrow, concern etched on her face. "Are you okay, Elodie? You seem a bit ermm.....deflated."
I sighed, flopping down onto the couch beside her. "Okay? Do you expect me to be okay? I thought maybe, just maybe, Daniel was finally interested in me, but no...it's just the project."
Hannah put a sympathetic arm around my shoulders. "Aww, don't be too disappointed. There's still hope, right?"
I shrugged, feeling a bit defeated. "I guess so. But it's hard not to feel like I'm just invisible to him."
Hannah gave me a squeeze. "You're not invisible, Elodie.
"really, then why can't he notice me?"
"he did... didn't he?"she said heading towards the kitchen
"you know what I mean Hannah, like ask me out and stuffs" I said before Hannah choked on her food.
"Ask you out?...do you really like him elodie?"...she said staring at me. She was looking at me weirdly again or maybe it's just me.
"Where's mum?...."I asked finally realizing the house was awfully quiet.
"aunt went on a business trip"
"again?"....I whispered..... it's been like that since father's death, she was always away and she had no time to spend with me... always working.
"Want to watch a movie Hannah?"...I asked bringing out my laptop. I decided to distract myself abit from the Daniel drama.
Hannah and I spent the rest of the evening watching movies and gossiping about school. I tried to put Daniel out of my mind, but I couldn't help sneaking glances at my phone, hoping for another message from him.
As night drew close, Hannah stood up to leave. "Hey, don't be too disappointed about Daniel, okay?" she said, giving me a hug.
"There are plenty of other guys out there who would love to date you."
I smiled, feeling a bit better. "Thanks, Hannah. You're a great and that's why you are my best friend"
Just then, my phone buzzed. I picked it up, my heart skipping a beat as I saw Daniel's name on the screen.
"Hey, Elodie, just wanted to say thanks again for your help with the project today," he said.
"You're a lifesaver."
I smiled, feeling a flutter in my chest. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for us yet.
"Anytime, Daniel," I replied. "Good luck with the project."
As I put down my phone, Hannah raised an eyebrow. "Well, well, well. Looks like someone's got a crush," she teased.
I blushed, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Shut up, Hannah."
But deep down, I couldn't help wondering...maybe this was the start of something special.
The rest of the weekend was radio silent from Daniel's end. No texts, no calls, no nothing. I tried to brush it off, telling myself he was probably just busy with the project or hanging out with friends.
But as the hours ticked by, I couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment. Had I misread the situation entirely? Was I just a project partner to him, nothing more?
I pushed the thoughts aside and decided to focus on something more productive - my homework. I spent the rest of the weekend buried in textbooks and notes, trying to distract myself from thoughts of Daniel.
As I worked, I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing at that exact moment. Was he thinking about me? Or had he already forgotten our project meeting?
I sighed, shaking my head. I needed to stop obsessing over Daniel and focus on my own life. But as I drifted off to sleep on Sunday night, my phone remained stubbornly silent, with no messages from him in sight.
"Maybe he's just busy," I told myself, trying to sound convincing. I slowly brushed off the feeling of disappointment, not wanting to dwell on it.
"I could just ask him about it tomorrow in school," I thought, feeling a sense of determination
"Yeah, that's what I'll do. I'll just casually bring it up and see what he says."
I nodded to myself, feeling a sense of resolve. I wasn't going to let my mind run wild with assumptions and what-ifs. I would just ask him straight out and get the truth.
With that decided, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. I closed my eyes, ready to put the thoughts of Daniel aside and get some rest. Tomorrow, I would get my answers.