Chapter 13 It All Started with a Text
-Annie-
My phone vibrates in my hand as I walk to my room.
Before checking, I try to calm my nerves.
It’s probably just Meg anyway, I tell myself, taking a deep breath.
I open the home screen and navigate to my unread text messages.
I have three of them. As I predicted, I have one from Meg and one each from the two Davis brothers.
Meg Patterson
So did it work?
Then a message from Drew.
Drew Davis
Thanks and it was no problem
My heart is racing when I open the third message from Daniel.
Daniel Davis
Let me know the time and place
Just make sure you wear those shorts.??
Ok, it worked, but now I have to flirt over text.
I normally do well in person when I can read the other person's body language. I’ve never been a flirty texter; my last few boyfriends had texted like my brother, in a few short-word responses.
I learned it was better to call to talk or video chat.
I make my way to my room, and I hit the call button next to Meg’s name.
She answers after only one ring—she doesn’t even say hello, she just launches into her question.
“So, I repeat, did it work?” “Yes, it worked Meg, but now I don’t know what to say.
” I fill her in on the original text and Daniel’s response.
“Oh, he is good,” she laughs over the phone.
Then she asks, “When does he normally come over to watch games with your brother?” “Normally on Tuesday and Thursday, why?” I reply.
“Tell him the game is on, then don’t text him again.
Make sure tomorrow, when he comes over, you are wearing those shorts. ” I thank her and end the call.
Annie
Daniel Davis…
Game on…
Daniel Davis
What are you planning for me, good girl?
Then I set my phone down in my room and head back downstairs.
I chat with my brother about when we are going to watch game film tomorrow.
He lets me know it will probably only be Daniel and Max.
After dinner, I head back to my room to work on homework.
I am trying to avoid my phone, but it vibrates on the nightstand.
I have looked at the same math problem three times and still have no idea what it is asking me for.
I need a break, and the vibrating phone is a really good excuse to take one now.
I tell myself I know a lot of people, I’ll have some text from one of my friends.
There is no way that the messages are from a haunting set of blue eyes that are taking up so much space in my brain.
Pulling up the messaging app, I smile when I see that all my missed messages belong to one individual and his name is Daniel.
Daniel Davis
Playing the no response game?
Are you trying to tease me Annie?
Two can play this game Annie I enjoy playing games ??
My fingers want to reply, but I’m trying to follow the plan that Meg set for me.
I put the phone down and move away from it like it could explode at any moment.
I turn back to my homework, trying to focus on the math problems in front of me again.
The numbers start to blur even worse than before.
I can’t focus, so I give up trying to finish this tonight.
I check the time, thinking that I may as well get ready for bed.
After I finish, I pick up my phone to set my alarm, and it opens back to the text with Daniel.
My willpower is awful, and today has already pushed my normal breaking point. So, it’s no surprise that I cave.
Annie
I didn’t realize that Daniel Davis was so sensitive, did I hurt your feelings?
Daniel Davis
There she is ... couldn’t resist me could you?
Annie
You think you read me so well
Don’t you…
Daniel Davis
Oh, Annie you forget that I know you’re a good girl
But, I’m happy to help you rebrand
Annie
Oh you think you can help with the rebrand?
Daniel Davis
See you Tomorrow Annie..
Don’t forget to wear those shorts ??
I know that is the end of the conversation for tonight. I set my alarm like I’d planned before our little exchange. I lay in bed, wondering if I have a better pair of shorts I can wear tomorrow. Game on indeed, I think before drifting off to sleep with a plan I thought of all on my own.
***
I wake up to the sounds of my alarm and stretch.
If I’m being honest, I’m not much of a morning person.
I set my alarm to a time where I know I can lie here for a while, and eventually I’ll actually get up.
I remember the conversation with Daniel.
Wide awake now, I remember what the day ahead holds for me.
I go to my closet. Meg has been trying to get me to dress up more for school.
Last year, I even let her convince me to buy a few dresses.
Not the going-to-church style dresses, either.
The ones that are within the dress code, but at the very limit.
Meg loves to make sure all her effort doesn’t go to waste.
Who wants to make the effort if it just gets you sent home or it gets covered up by a spare hoodie offered by the school?
Meg has perfected the just getting by vibes with most of her school looks.
She has been trying to get me on board for at least the last two years.
She says if she had legs like mine, she’d be pushing the length limit every day, including the winter months.
I never really thought about it. Until this year, I’d worn a lot of leggings, athletic-themed clothing, or jeans, except on dress-up days or picture days.
The first day of school, I wore a new dress, and I liked the way I felt in it.
It was also a confidence boost when I caught Daniel checking me out.
Craig had also commented in class to the effect that I was Annie all grown up.
Craig being my best guy friend, I knew he was giving me the only form of encouragement I was going to get from him.
We had an understanding: I helped him secure dates, and he tried not to overstep as my friend with guys interested in me, outside of the baseball team, of course.
Craig had been the number one reason most of the girls in school kept me on their good side.
Until the Davis brothers' arrival, Craig's red-blond curls and smile had made him a top interest. Craig hadn’t been quiet about the fact that if a girl bad-mouthed me, it didn’t matter if they gave him the best sex of his life, it was a deal breaker.
As weird as it sounds, it was nice to know that I was more important than his latest hookup.
I check the time on the dresser, and in my sleepy haze, I realize I have been daydreaming for way too long about this outfit choice.
I grab the dark blue dress that Meg swears matches my eyes.
With that decision made, the rest of my morning goes pretty smoothly.
When I am downstairs, Mom compliments the outfit choice and asks me if it's picture day. I have thrown off Mom. I give her a “Nope, that isn’t until mid-October” reply, and she just shrugs at me with a smile.
Then she follows up with, “So, what’s the occasion?
” I’m saved from answering when Miles lets me know that he wants to get to school a little early.
I’m sure it’s not school-related and more related to getting some extra time in with Steph.
I don’t want my mom to start asking me questions about boys.
None of us needs that this morning. I don’t want to talk about boys in front of my dad and brother.
It’s already embarrassing enough that they both caught me kissing Daniel on the same night.
I quickly tell him that I’m all ready to go.
Miles and I say goodbye to our parents before making our way out of the house.
To my delight, it just happens to be when the Davis brothers are exiting their house, too.
An idea pops into my head, and I go with it.
Addressing Drew, I say, “Hey, mind letting me bum a ride to school this morning? Miles wants to get Steph and have some alone time.” I made the little air quotations when saying “alone time.” Drew doesn’t miss a beat.
“Yeah, don’t want to mess with that all valuable ‘alone time.’” He uses his hands to make the quotation marks back at me.
We both laugh. I appreciate that Drew is so easygoing. I can see us being good friends.
Miles looks over at Daniel and gives him a ‘sure’ head nod.
Miles takes off for the car without a backward glance.
I jokingly shout after him, “Yeah, love you too, don’t have too much fun without your third wheel.
” I can hear him laugh as he shuts the car door and drives away, leaving me with the guys.
I turn to them, without so much as looking at Daniel, I walk around the back of the car and climb into the backseat.
Drew doesn’t take the front seat this time; he opens the other side door, climbing in next to me.
Daniel, at some point, gets into the driver's seat, looking a little annoyed. Drew starts the conversation, “Hey, did you see the game last night?” I realize in all my stress over Daniel, I didn’t see the game, so I reply, “No, I missed it, can you catch me up?” That is all the introduction Drew needs before giving me the play-by-play of the playoff game between the Fighters and Meteors.
I do direct my eyes away from Drew, finding Daniel’s in the rear-view mirror.
It causes me to shiver, and I quickly turn back to Drew.
We get to school pretty quickly: the drive is short, and the athletic parking lot is easier this time of the morning.
I do get absorbed into the recap with Drew.
It’s obvious that he loves baseball—he has been talking with his hands, making the motions of swinging a mini bat when he gets to a home run in the recap.
When Daniel parks, I grab my backpack and slide across the backseat, following Drew out of the car.
He keeps talking, never stopping in his recap coverage.
Before I can close the door behind me, it slams shut, startling me from the baseball stats and having me look at Daniel.
“Oh, sorry that got away from me,” he says and then loops his arm around my waist. Drew turns to face away from us, but he continues the recap at a faster clip.
As we hit the sidewalk, he finishes. “Sounds like I missed a good one, text me a reminder next time so I can share my highlights.” “Yeah, that sounds great, Annie. I forgot I have your number; I’ll do that next time.
” Then Drew says goodbye and walks through the main doors.
Daniel’s arm is still around my waist, so I turn towards him and say, “Hi.” “Oh, now you are talking to me,” is his clipped reply.
But he doesn’t sound mad, he sounds impressed.
“Again, Annie… For such a good girl, you sure are trying to tease me. From what I gathered from the guys, this isn’t your normal play.
” Had he been asking other people about my dating history?
Who were these “guys?” So many questions pop into my head.
But before any of them could leave my lips, he says, “The dress looks good on you, Annie, but…” He bends down, brushing his lips against my ear, and whispers, “I think it would look better on my bedroom floor.” Then he kisses the spot right behind my ear, unwraps his arm from around my waist, and walks away.
I think he just broke my brain, giving me that image to think about.
If my dress ended up on his bedroom floor, which stands for my brain to reason, I’d have to be undressed.
My mind is now imagining what it would feel like to have Daniel undressing me. I think my plan backfired.