2 CHAPTER I: “YOU’RE TOO DUMB”

DANIELLE'S P.O.V.

Beep! Beep!! Beep!!! Beep!!!!

My alarm clock chirped happily away at 6:00am on Monday morning. 'Shit, Shit, Shit', I muttered to myself as i shut the dumb clock up from ruining my day that had barely started. I dragged myself up from under the sheets and staggered into the bathroom, I brushed my teeth, then got into the shower and turned on the hot water, "Ahhh, that feels good, I think i'm awake now ".

After finishing up in the bathroom, I walk to my closet to figure out what to wear, then I decide to put on my favorite ripped jeans, a white shirt, a leather jacket, a beanie and my Jordans. After one final look at myself in the mirror, I grab my backpack and my phone and head out of my room and down the stairs to the kitchen where my mom and my brother where having breakfast.

"Morning mom" I hugged her from behind. "Good morning honey, ready for school?" "I guess so, but I could use a bit more sleep though" I said taking a seat at the counter. My brother, Kyle, looked up from his phone and scoffed, "How much more time do you need to sleep Danny? You had the longest summer". I rolled my eyes and hit him upside the head, "Shut up and mind your business, okay?". He rolled his eyes at me and went back to his phone.

My mom handed me a cup of coffee and a plate of sandwiches, "Thanks mom". I wolf down my breakfast and finished my coffee. By the time I was done, Kyle was already at the front door waiting for me. I kiss my mom goodbye and grab my keys off the counter and walk out of the house.

I get into my car, a 2009 Swisshanger, and I turn the key into the ignition. Kyle gets in after me and I drive off. It takes about 20 minutes to get to school and we move in complete silence.

I pull up to Merchant High and turn to my brother, "Good luck Ky, have a great day". Then I unlock the doors.

Kyle turned to me, "Aren't you gonna at least show me around Danny?" He raised an eyebrow.

I looked around, "Uh, there's the school's main doors, you'll find everything you need once you go through them".

He looked at me disbelievingly, "Seriously Danny, show me around, If I get lost, you know you'd get blamed".

I shrugged, "No, I won't, first, you don't get lost, and second, I have a life bro, go find one".

He sighed and got down from the car, and I yelled after him, "Love you Ky, Knock em dead". He flipped me the bird and walked into the school.

I parked the car, got down and walked into the school locking it behind me. Immediately, I spotted my best friend, Emily, standing by our lockers. We made eye contact and she brightened up instantly and literally ran towards me.

She enveloped me in a bear hug that crushed the air out of me as she squealed in my ear, "Danny, I missed you so much".

"Em", I choked out, "I can't breathe".

"Oh sorry" she let go of me and I took a deep breath and smiled at her, "Thanks, I missed you too".

As we walked to our lockers, she nudged me, a glint in her eyes, "So, what have you been up to all summer?"

I crossed my arms and leaned on my locker, looking bored, "Oh, you know me, doing the Ole' absolutely nothing".

"Really now? So there wasn't any summer love on your end?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"What?" I asked, confused, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

She sighed, "It's just a question Danny, All I meant was that I heard that you were seen with Finn out one day, all smiles and happy".

At this point, I was perplexed, "Finn who?"

"Finn Baker, the guy who plays every instrument in school, in your music class!".

"Ohh, yeah, him. I do remember him teaching me how to play the guitar on my request, that's why you're acting weird, seriously Emily, I thought you knew me better" I laughed, " Come on love, keep up".

"No, I know, I just thought that since you say you've moved on from Justin, that you'd be ready to start seeing  someone else, seriously or for fun" She said, eyes for the ground.

I sighed, "Emily, I have moved on, I don't need a guy to prove that, you of all people should know that, I'm fine on my own".

" I knew that, I just thought that....." I narrowed my eyes at her, "Never mind, Anyways, have you heard from Sam yet?"

"Why would I want to hear from that prick... no, rephrase, why would anyone want to hear from Sam so early in the morning?" I answered.

A voice answers from behind me, "Because you love me Angel, they all do".

I turned around to see my other best friend, Sam, a grin on his face. The son of a bitch hadn't changed a bit, the same short black hair, silver-grey eyes and toned muscles. He encircled me in a rib-cracking hug and squealed in my ear- the same ear Emily squealed in {sigh}, "I missed you so much Danielle, How are you? Have you eaten? You look lean, what's wrong? Talk to me".

I choked out, "Sam, let go of me, fuck SAMUEL, I can't breathe, let me go!!!!".

"Oh, sorry Danny" He grinned sheepishly as he let go of me.

"Jeez Harper, you almost killed me", I took in a deep breath.

He rolled his eyes, "I said I'm sorry Danny, pipe down, anyways how was everyone's summer because mine was amazing, hours and hours of basketball and California ladies, too bad I'm a minor, else they'd have some of this" He motioned to his body.

"Uhh sure" Emily brushed him off, "Anyways, mine was great, my parents and I went to the Bahamas and it was the best experience ever", Her expression changed as she turned to me," But Danny over here was busy learning how to play the guitar with a particular somebody".

I groaned out loud, my head falling back, "Ugh, for the last time, It was a platonic outing, no strings attached, Finn and I will never be a thing, he's cute, but I don't like him like that, I never will, just let it go Emily, and that's the last I wanna hear of it"

"Woah, Danielle and Finn, uhh, never in a million years", I was about to make a face at Emily when he continued, "He may be cute, but he's not her type", He slung an arm around me, "She likes the big guys, guys like me". He said with a grin on his face.

I squeezed my way out of his hold, "Sam, I love you, but never in a million years will I actually like you, like you, Okay man" I punched his shoulder, "You're too dumb".

He held a hand over his heart, feigning hurt, "Sticks and Stones princess, but you'll come around sooner or later".

I rolled my eyes at him as Emily laughed and cooly changed the topic, "So guys, I heard we have a new transfer student, It's a guy and I heard he's cute".

I immediately zone out from their conversation because when Emily starts talking about boys, I never hear the last of it. I turn to my locker and open it, to bring out the books for my first class.

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Sam, Emily and I are a wierd trio of friends, with very unlikely meetings. I'm not gonna go into details about that but I'll say Sam and I met sometime in my freshman year, I was lost and he helped my find my way making small conversation as we moved, and we've been inseparable ever since.

Emily and I met in Art class, when I sat down next to her and saw her artwork. I'd never seen anyone so passionate about art and I knew I had to get to know her, so we started talking and here we are now.

Sam is the crazy one, always making corny, stupid jokes to lighten the mood, even though he can be a gentle man when he wants to.

Emily is the normal-ish one, the typical high school girl-next-door, with an extraordinary love of art.

And then there's me, Danielle, a sarcastic, outspoken, insecure, realistic, broken girl with an iron heart.

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After getting my books out of my locker, I tune back into their conversation only to find Sam and Emily arguing about what the mystery guy would look like.

I sighed and walk past them, "I'm gonna head to class guys, y'all can keep arguing about a guy you've never met before, but I actually wanna get some work done this year, Emily, I'll see you in class". I walked off before they could stop me and walked into my English homeroom.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Grundy" I greeted my English teacher as I walked into the class.

"Danielle", She smiled up at me from her seat, "Good to see you, How are you?" Mrs. Grundy is my English teacher, She was a really cool and chill person, even with the weird last name she had.

I flashed her a smile, " I'm fine thanks" And I walked over to my usual desk, somewhere in the middle of the class.

Emily walked in a few minutes later and sat down beside me, just as the bell went off, beginning the class. Mrs. Grundy starts the lesson and I fix my attention to the teacher and take note throughout the class.

Forty minutes later and I'm walking out of English with Emily. She glanced at her watch and her eyes widen, "Shit, I only have five minutes to get to my next class, I gotta go, bye Danny".

"Yeah, bye, I'll see you at lunch". Emily and I walk off in opposite directions, me walking to my locker, and she, off to her next class. I enter my locker combination and put my books in the locker. I start to contemplate whether to go to the library, or sit on the bleachers, since I had a spare.

I get out some books, shut my locker, and just as I'm about to move, I collide with a body and suddenly there are books flying everywhere.

Irritated, I go to pick my books and so does the person who collided with me. I hear a mumbled series of apologies but I brushed it off.

We get up at the same time and I stop dead in my tracks. A pair of warm hazel eyes staring back at me, with curly brown hair, and a lean yet muscular body. The only face that could make my heart stop was standing right in front of me, a face I never thought I'd see ever again.

I realize I'm still staring at the person and I blurt out the first and only thing that comes to my mind, "Daniel, Is that you?".

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