"I heard you're asking Donna to the homecoming dance." One guy elbowed his blond friend. "Did she faint from horror?"
"Shut up." The boy being elbowed turned red. "She said yes, actually."
"Miracles do happen." The first boy chortled.
Annamarie slowed her pace. She guessed they would have dances here, wouldn't they? Since she'd spent her entire life being homeschooled, she'd only seen those types of events on television. Normally at the dance, a beautiful girl in a fancy dress paraded around with her dream guy. She tried to imagine herself in a gown and sparkly shoes and failed. The last time she'd worn high heels she'd fallen down two flights of stairs. Shrugging off the thought, she headed out the door and headed outside.
Like usual, Jaiden was waiting for her by the tree. She trotted over to him and he shocked her by giving her a hug. He wore sweet cologne that smelled like an ocean breeze. When he released her, she felt dizzy.
"How are you?" Jaiden asked.
Judging by his sudden embrace, Daniel must have told him about her family problems. Great. Just what she needed.
"I can't believe Daniel told you," she groaned.
"Told me what?" Jaiden stared at her, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.
Okay, maybe he hadn't spilled the beans. She was pleasantly surprised. Even though she wasn't the one who'd done something wrong, her mom's actions made her feel a deep, resounding sense of shame as if she was the one who'd cheated and hurt her family.
"It's nothing." She forced a smile on her face and thought of a quick distraction from the topic at hand. "I hear the school is having a dance. That's fun. Are you going to ask anybody?"
"I'm thinking about it." Jaiden shrugged. "There's somebody I like a lot. I'm just not sure she'll say yes to going with me."
"Why wouldn't she?" She didn't know how Jaiden could be nervous about asking somebody out. Every girl on campus worshipped him. "You're handsome and smart. Unlike Daniel, you also know how to control yourself."
"Well, there's a problem with this girl," he said. "She's amazing, but she's also a bit of an airhead. I don't think she knows when a guy likes her."
She was dying of curiosity now. Who was the girl that Jaiden liked?
"Who is it?" she asked. "I could help you, if you want. I'd put in a good word for you."
"I don't think that would help me much." Jaiden ruffled her hair. "I'll tell you who, but not right now."
"I have to know who she is right now." She pretended to be furious and glared at him.
"Nope." Jaiden winked. "I'm not going to say a word."
"I bet you anything you'll tell me by the end of lunch," she said.
"I'm not going to," Jaiden said. "Why do you want to know so much anyway?"
"No reason. I just do."
She feigned a glare. Jaiden chuckled and ruffled her hair again.
****
When Annamarie headed back to the dorm, she heard girls whispering. It was unnerving to see so many people staring and pointing at her. She knew there were going to be rumors about her and Daniel after his display that morning. She cursed the guy for not thinking before acting until she remembered she was guilty of the same thing. As she tossed her head back and stared into the sky, somebody ran up to her. It was Owen.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey yourself," Owen said, panting after having to run to her. "You're the center of attention again. I've been hearing all sorts of stuff."
"Don't even tell me." She groaned and rolled her eyes. "I don't care what anyone is saying about my mom."
"Speaking of your mom, are you okay?" Owen slowed his pace a little.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Strangely, her peace of mind was thanks to Daniel.
"If you need anybody to talk to, I'm here." Owen nudged her with his elbow and gave her an encouraging grin.
"I know, buddy." She punched his arm, trying to be tough. "I'll be okay. Just give me a couple of days."
Silence fell between them. Annamarie headed around a corner and saw Bridget standing with a tall boy in a suit who had to be a senior. Bridget was whispering in his ear and the guy nodded, his lips pursed.
"Looks like Bridget has a boyfriend." Annamarie whistled. "I suppose looks really can get you everything."
"Yeah, it seems that way." Owen looked curious. "That's weird. She always spouted crap about saving herself for Daniel, even though he said he can't stand her."
Maybe Daniel's taste wasn't as awful as she thought.
"Oh, well." She shrugged. "It doesn't matter."
"Yeah." Owen shuddered. "I'd sell my kidney to have a girlfriend, but even I wouldn't touch Bridget with a ten foot pole. She's too crazy to be worth it.
She laughed and shook her head. "Well, maybe that guy is a masochist."
"I find that hard to believe." Owen shrugged. "I know the guy she's talking to. It's Nathan Dawson. He's always been odd, but not odd enough to date Bridget."
"Oh, well. I guess it doesn't matter. Let them have their romance." Annamarie shrugged. "Want to play cards with me today?"
"Shouldn't you be practicing your flute?" Owen raised an eyebrow. "The oboe instructor gave me so much homework I'm going to die."
She winced. Maybe she should practice a little or else she'd never master "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."
Chapter Eleven
The next morning, Annamarie seized her book bag and ran out of the dorm as fast as her legs could carry her. I'm going to be late. She ran past a group of girls and headed out the side door to the walkway.
She almost ran into Daniel who had dark bags under his eyes. She skidded to a stop in shock. It was the first time ever she'd seen Daniel look less than perfect. Sure, he was still ten times more gorgeous than any other guy on campus, but he wasn't himself. I'm not concerned about him, she told herself, even as she tried to figure out why her stomach lurched at the sight of his pallid face.
"What's the matter with you?" she asked as a way of greeting.
Daniel made eye contact with her. His face went from pale to an awful shade of green.
"Get away," he muttered.
"Hey, I was just trying to help—"
He bent over at the middle and chunky brown vomit drenched her shoes.
"—you," she finished.
Both she and Daniel stared down in horror at the puddle of puke she was standing in. She made eye contact with him.
"You just threw up on me," she whispered, fighting not to puke herself.
"Why didn't you move when I told you to, you idiot?" he yelled, his face going from green to red.
"I didn't know you were going to blow chunks." She glared at him.
Daniel was going pale now. That was no good. She couldn't be pissed at a guy who was puking, even if she was now ankle-deep in what looked to be regurgitated bacon and eggs. With her own stomach churning, she reached for him.
"I'm going to help you get to your dorm," she said. "Don't think it's because I like you or anything."
"You'll be late," he said.
"Ah, who cares?" She was never going to master the flute anyway. She was just at the academy for a few more weeks before she went back to being homeschooled again.
Daniel opened his mouth, probably to make some snide comment, but then clapped it shut again likely because of fear of vomiting. Shaking her head, she wrapped her arm around his waist. Instead of the expensive cologne that usually hung around him like a heavy coat, today he smelled sour. She had to hold her breath even to be close to him.
"Have you seen the nurse?" she asked.
"Yeah. I just visited him." Daniel nodded weakly. "He said it was just the stomach flu."
Well, it's a nasty one, she thought. She found herself staring at his pale face yet again, stunned at how he could be ill but still so attractive. The two of them were silent until they reached the boys' dorm.
"You can just leave me here," Daniel said. "I really don't need your help going inside."
That was the thanks she got for coming with him and not even whi
ning about the vomit on her shoes?
"I'm going inside," she said, though she had no idea why it was so important to her that she did.
Daniel shook his head and groaned. "If you miss class without a note from the teacher, you'll get detention."
"What else is new?" she asked. "I'm toilet girl, remember? I live to clean bathrooms."
He nodded, his face going green again. "As much fun as mocking you is, let's not talk about toilets right now."
Maybe that was a good idea. She'd hate it if he threw up on her again.
"Just come on." She opened the door for him. The two of them headed inside together.
A lone student was drinking from the water fountain when he spotted her.
"Girls aren't allowed in here," the boy said.
"Shut up." Daniel glared at him. "She's with me, isn't she? Shouldn't you be in class?"
The boy paled when he recognized Daniel and left the building in a hurry. As she pulled Daniel to the elevator and pushed the up button, she let out a sigh.
"Do you really have to talk to everyone like that?" she asked.
"Like what?" The doors to the elevator opened and he went inside.
She followed him in and glanced at him wearily.
"Like you're better than everyone," she said.
"Who said I think I'm better than everyone?" Daniel shot her a dirty look. "Did you ever think that maybe I just don't want people to hang around me?"
The words were a shocking insight into the workings of Daniel's twisted mind. The doors of the elevator closed, leaving the two of them in close corridors together.
"Why wouldn't you want people to hang around you?" She watched him carefully, an eyebrow raised. "After all, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."
"If too many flies come, the honey will be all gone." Daniel stared at her, his gaze intense. Because of the bags under his eyes, he looked even more intimidating than usual. "Do you know what it's like to have everybody suck up to you because you have money? Every person at this school except for Jaiden and Gavin aren't interested in me as a person. They're interested in the future CEO of one of the biggest corporations in America. They want me because of my billionaire status and what I can do for them. Nobody sees me as just a guy. Why would I want people like that hanging around me, Annamarie? Would you want them hanging around you?"
It was the first time she'd ever thought being a billionaire could be a bad thing. She saw something in Daniel beyond shallow selfishness and vanity—she saw a guy who was lonely but tired of being manipulated.
"I suppose I wouldn't," she begrudgingly admitted.
"What is this?" Daniel grunted. "Is the mighty Annamarie Chadwick admitting that I'm right for a change?"
Stupid Daniel. He was getting all smug again.
"Not a chance." She poked him in the chest. "I just understand your reasoning. And just so you know, if you keep hiding behind your surly personality, the only new people who will ever come your way are those who want to hang with you for the wrong reasons. You know why? Because the people who love others for who they are on the inside will think you're a selfish, arrogant overlord."
Daniel looked like she'd just slapped him.
"Just when I think your presence is tolerable…" he muttered. "Button."
"What?" Was his stomach flu messing with his mind?
"Press the tenth floor button," Daniel said. "I'm feeling sick. If I puke in here, it's going to get all over you again."
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She glared at him.
He looked like he wanted to respond, but instead he bent over at the middle, clutching his stomach. Before he really did turn the elevator into a vomit swimming pool, she hit the button for the tenth floor. The elevator went up. When the doors opened, she saw a narrow hallway with white carpet and light blue walls. There was only one door at the end of it.
"Does nobody else live on the tenth floor?" she asked.
Daniel gulped and straightened, his hands shaking.
"Think of it as a penthouse," Daniel said, smacking his lips together. "The son of the CEO of Marino Technology Group wouldn't slum it like the rest of the students here."
She wouldn't consider the dorm rooms slums. During her adventures throughout Europe, she'd once spent three weeks in an English youth hostel in the middle of nowhere because she was running out of allowance money. Now that hostel had been in the slums.
"Daniel, when you aren't sick anymore, you seriously need to spend a little time trying to make it on your own," she said. "Without your money, I'm not sure you'd know what to do."
"Look who's talking," Daniel said. "You talk big, but you're rich too. You can scorn me all you want, but that fact isn't going to change."
She fell silent. Maybe there was some truth to that.
"What's this?" Daniel elbowed her. "Why is the jabber mouth finally quiet?"
"I'm thinking." She had the resist the urge to punch him in the side.
Rolling his eyes, Daniel teetered to his room and unlocked the door. When he went inside, she followed after him, still deep in though. When she looked around, all contemplation about her wealth was shoved aside. Fine white carpet as soft as a cumulus cloud was underfoot. Designer black chrome furniture sat in front of a large screen TV. A window overlooked the entire campus and the city beyond.
"Your dad must have paid big," she said, spinning around. "This room is awesome."
"It's okay."
Her fists balled. "It's just okay? This is practically an apartment. Why would you go in that recreational room with Jaiden and Gavin if you have all this?"
"People come here and knock on my door all the time," he said. "I never get a moment's peace. The recreational room is a secret. Well, until you—urgh."
"Urgh?" What's urgh?
Daniel raced down the hall. A door opened and closed, then she heard the sound of vomit hitting a porcelain basin. Oh, she thought. That's "urgh."
Feeling grossed out but unable to leave Daniel alone, she headed down the hall and opened the bathroom door. Daniel was kneeling before the toilet, his face pale.
"Don't come in here," he said. "I don't want you to see me like this."
Mighty Daniel on his knees because of the stomach flu. She couldn't help but pity him.
"It's fine." She pulled one of the hand towels from the towel rack and wet it in the sink. "My brother got sick all the time and it was always my job to take care of him."
She kneeled down beside Daniel and laid the damp towel on the back of his neck. With gentle fingers, she rubbed his back as he dry heaved a few last times into the toilet but nothing came out. He sat down, a line of drool running from his lips to his chin.
"Where were your parents?" His voice was weak again, not at all like him. "Why did you have to take care of your brother and not them?"
"My parents?" She thought hard about it. "My parents weren't around much. They were always traveling. My brother—his name's Yuri—and I went with my dad a lot, but even then, there were always performances and parties and after parties. My dad just didn't have time for the two of us, so I took care of the twerp."
The same fire was back between them. A chill ran down her spine, even as she began to sweat.
"Your brother is lucky," Daniel said. "I don't have any siblings, so when I got sick, I was all alone. Nobody's ever stayed with me like this before."
He sounded almost grateful and her heart betrayed her by growing warm.
"My brother isn't so lucky." She tortured Yuri as much as she'd helped him.
"I think he is." Daniel swallowed. "I have another question."
"What?"
"Who took care of you?" Daniel asked.
The question took her off guard and she was startled by how much pain it caused. Still she was determined not to reveal her own emotions.
"Me," she said. "I took care of me. I did just fine too."
Daniel looked like he knew better. She remembered what Jaiden had said, "You and Daniel a
re amazingly alike." Perhaps because of that likeness which she loathed, Daniel had a strange ability to see into her heart.
"Let's get you to bed," she said quickly, trying to stop her thoughts from straying to bad places.
"Bed?" Daniel looked at her.
"Yep. Bed." She stood up and offered him her hand. "Sitting on that cold tile can't be good for you. I'll tuck you in and try to find a puke bucket."
He looked at her hand but didn't take it.
"Are you going to stay here and pester me all day?" Daniel asked.
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
It could have been her imagination, but she swore she spotted a smile on Daniel's face. He reached for her hand and took it. She helped pull him to his feet.
****
Six hours went by. Annamarie was in a squishy armchair while Daniel lay in bed after a four hour nap. His skin had a lot more color now and his eyes were brighter. He hadn't puked for a while either, which she considered a good sign. As she checked her phone to see if she had any messages—Jaiden had been texting her all day even though he was in the middle of a fieldtrip—she heard the doorbell ring.
"That's the ninth time today," she said. "You really do get a lot of visitors."
"All people I don't need to see," Daniel said. "The only ones who are allowed inside my room already have keys."
"I don't have a key," she pointed out.
"You stuck to me like gum and wouldn't leave," Daniel said. "I didn't have any choice but to let you in."
"I'm sure that's the reason." She snorted.
Her stomach rumbled, marking the fact she'd missed lunch. Her head hurt a little too.
"Hungry, huh?" Daniel said.
"How did you know?"
"Toilet girl, your stomach just made the sound of a growling lion." Daniel shook his head. "I'm surprised the walls didn't shake."
She hurled a pillow at his head.
"Don't call me toilet girl," she snapped.
"I can't believe you just hit a sick person." Daniel rubbed the side of his head like she'd hit him with a brick instead of a fluffy pillow.
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