For half a second, she thought she caught someone’s gaze across the room. A boy, tall, leaning casually back in his chair like the noise didn’t touch him. His eyes, though she couldn’t be sure at this distance, seemed startlingly bright.
Anna’s wave cut through her thoughts, pulling Daisy’s attention away and toward the crowded table her friend sat at.
Daisy shook her head and mouthed, “No room.” Right then, her bold friend shoved the kid sitting to her right, clearing just enough space.
“Hey, Double D!” Anna chimed.
The guys at the table looked down at Daisy’s chest in perplexity, then laughed.
Daisy sat down quickly and pivoted toward Anna, cheeks burning. “I see you’ve made some new friends.”
Anna subtly squealed next to her. “I know! I met Ryan”—she pointed to the guy on her left—“in my geometry class, and he told me to sit with him today at lunch! He’s a senior, Daisy… a senior!”
On the outside, Daisy smiled and sheepishly giggled with her friend, but on the inside, she couldn’t help but wonder why Annawasn’t more concerned with the fact that he was a senior in her freshman geometry class.
After being introduced to Ryan and the other people at the lunch table, Daisy felt a slight pull on her shoulder. Looking over, she noticed Sean standing above her with a scowl on his face.
“Hello, sister.”
“Hello, brother. Can I help you?”
“Yes. You can move. I want to sit.”
Daisy smirked at her brother because while she might have been annoyed that he was trying to boss her around outside of the house, she couldn’t help but be happy to see another familiar face.
“I’m sure this guy wouldn’t mind scooting over, would you?” The large boy sitting next to her gave her brother a nod and moved over.
From across the table, someone called, “Looks like Sean’s making his move!”
“Ewwww!” Daisy and Sean shouted in unison, frantically clarifying their relationship.
When the laughter died down, another voice rang out. “Well then, I call dibs!”
Sean’s fists clenched and his eyes narrowed at the perpetrator of the comment. But before her brother could ream him, Daisy looked up at the boy she had previously been introduced to and uncharacteristically said, “Sorry, Aiden, but I don’t think you’re my brother’s type.”
A booming roar overcame their table, which in turn made everyone look their way. Everyone, including Aiden, was laughing hysterically. Her brother, along with some of the other kids, patted her on the back, still rolling with laughter. Daisy ducked her head, startled by her own boldness.
When she finally looked up, her gaze locked with a pair of piercing blue eyes.
He sat one table over, impossibly handsome, smirking like he knew every secret she’d ever had. His smile was devastating.
Then he winked.
Heat rushed up Daisy’s neck. She dropped her eyes.
Why do I have to be this way?
For a heartbeat, she dared herself.Look up. Smile back.
Daisy wanted nothing more than to be as fearless as Anna. If she were a more confident girl, perhaps she would’ve flirted back, maybe even returned the wink he had sent over.
After a prolonged deliberation in her head, Daisy made up her mind. She would look back up at the boy with the piercing blue eyes and wink. Yes, that’s what she would do, and if he simply laughed at her naïveté, she would retreat into the hole she had just crawled out of.
Before she could lose her nerve, Daisy’s eyes lifted to the table across the way.
When no baby blues could be found, she carefully searched the perimeter of the cafeteria for the boy who had fascinated her, the handsome boy who, without even knowing it, had just given her a small boost of confidence.
Chapter Two
