Chapter Nine

Daniel hasn't felt so very close to anyone like the way he felt with Alec. His memories took him back to the time he felt a kiss on his lips when he was falling in and out of consciousness. Daniel had felt Alec should have been the person who saved him, cause the person who saved him that day had rock-hard abs which Daniel had felt rub against his body and their hair reflected red in his eyes. A few minutes that Alec had touched Daniel, Daniel had the strong suspicion he was saved by Alec.

"Could it be him that saved me on that night"? Daniel thought, turning around in his bed. He couldn't sleep.

"No, it can't be…but why do I feel these butterflies in my stomach". Daniel brought his hands to his lips. His memories of the kiss he shared with a stranger are ever still vibrant in his mind and when he looked at Alec's lips he felt those were the lips that kissed him.

"I can't believe it, I have one guy constantly playing in my mind". Daniel sighed, burring himself more in his duvet. He was finding it difficult to sleep as his mind is all scattered on Alec. He wondered how perfect a human can be. To Daniel, Alec was a god.

"I need to sleep". He brought his pillow to his face and let out an inaudible scream.

****

Daniel rushed down the stairs wanting Alec to be the first person he sees but to his dismay Alec was nowhere to be found.

He came out of his house thinking they might have come out to receive the early morning cold breeze, but they were nowhere in sight.

"Where could they have gone to"? Daniel was beginning to pout without knowing it.

He went back into the house and prepared for school. Grandma and Grandpa were still in their room sleeping. Daniel had woken up very early than usual that day, he had prepared breakfast for his grandparents, and he took his and left for school.

****Two weeks later****

Daniel had lived a boring life through the two weeks Alec had left without a proper goodbye.

"Which normal person does that, they crash on your couch and can't even say a proper goodbye". Daniel pouted, cursing under his breath.

Daniel had no friends, Justin was still in the hospital, and he couldn't visit him because Jasper had refused to talk to him and also hand him the address where Justin was admitted.

Daniel sat at the school entrance, he was once again early to school and this habit had been constant since Alec left, he thought if he woke up early in the morning he might have a good chance of meeting him since it seems Alec was an early morning person.

"I like that our son is going to school very early and makes us breakfast… that's unlike him". Grandma had commented the other day.

"Yeah… I like this positive change". Grandpa smiled.

"It is only me, or you all have noticed that we have been having frequent visits here on the beach by engineers. They're always surveying the land". Grandma looked out the window to spot three to four engineers not too far from them writing something down in their notebooks.

"I think a construction is going to take place here soon". Daniel said.

"But the beach was closed a long time ago". Grandpa added.

"Seems they want to open it again". Daniel sighed, rubbing his eyes. His eyes constantly searched for one person, a person with emerald enchanting eyes, he searched for Alec.

"Where the fuck did you go to without even saying goodbye". Daniel was becoming pissed. He had felt he had a connection with Alec, but it's clear he didn't.

****

Daniel was about to stand up from the entrance of the school when he spotted Jasper.

Jasper began running when he noticed that Daniel was following him.

"Jasper stop running". Daniel ran after Jasper.

"No…just leave me alone… I don't want to talk to you". Jasper yelled, increasing pace.

"You wouldn't run away from me this time". Daniel said, equally increasing his pace and finally catching up with Jasper.

He grabbed Jasper by the collar, folding his hands in a fist.

"You want to punch me just the way you punched Justin right". Jasper said, gasping for breath.

"Shut the fuck up". Daniel said, punching the wall beside Jasper's face. He also gasped for breath.

"I just request one thing from you. Justin is our friend, we don't have to be this way to each other. I need to see him, please". Daniel begged, tears welling up in his eyes when he remembered what he did to Justin that led to the condition he was in.

Daniel let go of Justin's collar when he noticed he was disrespecting his friend and fell to the ground, letting go of the tears he was holding. Jasper crushed down, so he was on the same level as Daniel.

"I'm so sorry". Daniel cried.

"I know". Jasper hugged Daniel's head to his chest, consoling him.

"What are you doing after school. We could go see him after our classes for the day". Jasper said when the emotional tension between them had died down.

"Nothing". Daniel said, wiping his face clean of tears.

"After school then". Jasper said, standing up before they heard the school bell signifying the first period had started.

"Yeah". They both walked to their different classes.

Jasper had fine arts, while Daniel had history. He ran to his class like his whole life depended on it, cause where the history class was located was far from the place he was after he had chased Jasper around the school.

He wanted to avoid being given detention after school, as he had somewhere to go with Jasper. Lucky Daniel, he was early to the class before the teacher arrived. He was late though, but as long as he was there before the teacher he counted himself lucky.

"Today we will be talking about Abraham Lincoln". Mrs. Lopez Ariana scribbled on the board. She looked to be in her mid-forties. Huge concentrated glasses hung on her face, red lipstick done perfectly, an oval face, naturally arched brows, and brown eyes. She was dressed responsibly in a blue mid-thighs gown, with her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail.

She walked around the class elegantly, adjusting her glasses a few times to look at every one of us.

"One of you ain't here". Mrs. Lopez Ariana said.

"Here I am". Someone said at the entrance.

Daniel brought up his face to know who it was.

"Alec". Daniel uttered barely audible.

"Alec was in school, but how". Daniel asked himself. For the last few weeks, he had been looking for Alec. He had to wake up every morning early because he thought Alec was an early morning person, but here he stood at the entrance, not a morning person at all.

"Where was he all this while". Daniel asked himself as he couldn't take his eyes off Alec just for a second as he feared that he will disappear again. Alec returned the stare, he looked at the human with the most endearing smile. He had missed the human so very much for the couple of weeks he hasn't seen him.

"What's your name, Mr.". Mrs. Lopez Ariana asked?

"I'm Alec Optum". Alec said with a smile that Daniel thought made him more handsome.

"And you beside him, you're". Daniel directed his gaze to the other figure, all this while Alec stood at the door Basil stood beside him but to Daniel Basil didn't exist, so he never took notice of him if not the teacher pointed a question in Basil's direction.

"I'm Basil Sundae". Basil said.

Daniel laughed, once again he was laughing at Basil's surname which meant a dessert of ice cream that is topped with a sweet sauce, nuts, and whipped cream.

"What sort of stupid name is that". Daniel thought smiling.

"I bet he wants to make ridicule of my name". Basil whispered to Alec who had his eyes fixed on Daniel and how beautiful he was when he smiles.

"If your name makes him smile, then you have to make up ways to always bring your name to the table, so I can always watch him smile that way". Alec continued smiling at Daniel.

"You can take your seats". Mrs. Lopez Ariana said.

Alec walked towards Daniel and took a seat beside him. Daniel looked at him and blushed a little, taking his concentration back to the teacher.

The teacher began talking about Abraham Lincoln, and all through the lesson Alec has had his eyes on Daniel. Daniel had caught

his stare quite several times and Alec doesn't get shy or neither scared to look away. He remained calm and had his eyes fixed on Daniel, most of Daniel's classmates were beginning to think the new kid was a weirdo and gay to be looking at Daniel the way he was lustfully looking at him

The teacher was through with her lesson, she left the class, allowing the students to go to their next class. Daniel stood up, packed his book back into his backpack, and was ready to leave. He took two steps forward before he stopped moving. Alec had held him back with his hand.

"Leave my hand". Daniel forcefully took his hands away from Alec's.

"I'm sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye". Alec said, he knew that was the reason the human was angry at him.

"Which normal person leaves someone's home, you crashed on their couch without saying a proper goodbye". Daniel feigned annoyance.

"I'm sorry, you were sleeping so peacefully in your room and I would rather not disturb you, and it was urgent I left at that time". Alec explained.

"Then why haven't you shown up for 2 weeks already". Daniel said.

"I had things to fix". Alec said.

"Are you done with them now"?

"Yes". Alec smiled.

"Forgive me". Alec took Daniel's hand into his. Daniel brought his gaze to look directly into Alec's eyes. His eyes were so sincere with the apology he was offering Daniel and how much he regretted leaving without saying goodbye.

Daniel was too happy to have Alec back then still holding a grudge over him. The amount of happiness he felt surpassed the grudge.

"Ok". Daniel nodded, returning a smile that made the sea creatures burn inside with joy, but he was careful enough to remain calm for the joy not to rupture to the surface.

********

"Will you stop looking at me people are watching you know"? Daniel said. Basil, Daniel, and Alec were sitting at the school cafeteria having their lunch. Daniel had Burger on his plate as he considered all other food as a waste to his taste buds as they always tasted awful like hospital food. Alec had some steamed buns on his plate, so did Basil, but they were not touching their food.

"Is like you won't eat that". Daniel asked watching Alec, who had his eyes on him all the time.

"I'm not hungry". Alec stated.

"What are you doing after school". Alec asked.

"Nothing". Daniel answered, but at the back of Daniel's mind something was nagging at him telling him there was something he had fixed for after school, but Daniel couldn't place what it was, so he went on with he wasn't doing anything.

"Good, I will take you on a ride on my motorbike". Alec said. He stood up from his chair and gave Daniel one final look before heading for his next class. His next class wasn't the same as Daniel,, and he hated it. He didn't know that Daniel wasn't offering that course,, and he chose it. It was the only course that kept them apart through the day; in other courses, they have been having together.

Some girls gushed as to how handsome Alec was when he passed them by. They were purposely throwing him dirty looks, winks, seductive gestures and so whatnot. Daniel felt annoyed by it, thinking how shameless girls were.

Daniel believed he was in competition with other girls for Alec,

"See you after school right". Daniel called out to Alec.

"It's a promise". Alec said, smiling at Daniel.

"You wouldn't disappear on me again". Daniel said.

"I won't dare to". Alec reassured the human.

Daniel felt he was dreaming, weeks ago he had wanted to see Alec so bad and now that he had seen him he couldn't just get enough of him. He wanted him by his side just as he had him throughout his classes for the day except for one he is going in alone. Alec wouldn't be there to watch him, as he had been watching him through all the classes.

"I'm so gay for Alec". Daniel admitted to himself, grinning from ears to ears.