Daniel

My parents arrive home just in time for dinner. Even though it’s obvious they’re exhausted, they rush to hug me, wide grins spreading across their faces the moment they see me standing by the stove.

“Hi, Dan. Thanks for making dinner,” Mom says, pulling back.

“You and Dad got here just in time.” I give her a warm smile in return, gesturing toward the rice and fried chicken on the table.

“Thanks, son.” Dad pats my back. “Let’s eat because I’m starving.”

“Wash your hands first,” Mom scolds lightly, narrowing her eyes at him. 

He lets out a loud groan and rolls his eyes, but does as he’s told.

I take my seat between Rose and Oliver, and a few minutes later, our parents join us.

“So, how was your first day at Vista High, Dan? Did you enjoy it?” Mom asks, shoving a forkful of rice into her mouth.

“Did the rich kids give you a hard time?” Dad follows suit, frowning, clearly concerned.

“They did, but I ignored them,” I reply, shrugging. “Besides, I’m not the only student in the scholarship program. There are two girls and another boy—Kim, Carol, and Richard—and they’re pretty cool.”

“I’m sorry to hear about the rich kids, but you’re right, son. Focus on your classes and ignore them,” Mom says, nodding in agreement.

“At least you aren’t alone,” Oliver adds, not bothering to catch the grains of rice that fly from his mouth—he doesn’t eat food; he inhales it like a starving animal.

“Manners, Oliver,” Mom chides before turning her attention back to me, her lips curling into a warm smile. “Dan, your dad and I have a surprise for you.”

“What is it? Am I getting transferred back to Angelwood?” My eyes light up at the possibility.

“You wish.” Dad laughs.

“Saturday is September twelfth, your eighteenth birthday,” Mom begins, standing from her seat.

“So?” I frown, confused.

“Your mom and I have been saving up for the past few months, so we’re throwing you a small birthday party,” Dad announces, grinning, puffing out his chest proudly.

“What?” I gasp, wide-eyed.

Rose and Oliver leap from their chairs, jumping up and down excitedly. “A birthday party,” they exclaim together.

“Is that for real? You’re really throwing a birthday party for me?” I gape at Mom and Dad, incredulous.

They nod, their excitement matching Oliver and Rose’s.

I’m grateful for their gesture, but I can’t help frowning when I think about the money they’ll spend on the party—money which could go toward something much more useful.

“What’s wrong? We were hoping for a little more excitement from you, Dan.” Mom raises an eyebrow.

“Don’t get me wrong, Mom. I love the surprise.” I hug her. “But I think you should spend the money on food and new clothes for Oliver and Rose instead, because my birthday isn’t important.”

“Don’t worry, son. You deserve an eighteenth birthday party. Consider it a small thank-you from your mom and me for all the help you give with your siblings and around the house,” Dad insists.

“It’s true, Dan,” Mom adds, smiling reassuringly. “You’re turning eighteen, and we want to do something nice for you. Besides, it’s been a year since you’ve stopped getting into fights and hanging out with the wrong crowd, and that’s worth celebrating. Your dad and I couldn’t be prouder.”

“I’ve already talked to our neighbors, and they’ve agreed to help with the cooking,” Dad continues, sitting down. “You can invite your friends from both schools,” he adds, resuming eating his chicken breast.

I’m still a little hesitant, but I let myself be grateful and actually look forward to spending my birthday with my family and friends.

“Who are you inviting to your party, Dan?” Rose settles back into her chair.

“Hugo, Lucy, a couple of close friends from Angelwood, and my new friends from that rich school,” I answer before I can even think about it.

The rest of the dinner is spent talking through the party plans. Afterward, I wash the dishes, take a quick shower, and lock myself in my bedroom to call Lucy and tell her about the party. 

I flop down onto my bed and call her from the landline, since neither of us has a cell phone.

“Hello,” Lucy responds casually.

“Hey, Lucy. It’s me, Dan.”

“Dan,” she squeals. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I miss you too.” I stare at the ceiling above my bed.

“So, are you ready to ditch that private school and come back to where you belong?” she asks, hopeful.

“I wish I could, but my parents won’t let me,” I admit, my mind betraying me as Isabella’s face flashes before me, her smile radiant. “Besides, it isn’t that bad. The rich kids are a bunch of losers, but the teachers and the school itself are fine.”

“Are you serious? You actually like that school?” Lucy barks.

“Calm down. I didn’t say I like it; I just said it isn’t terrible. I’d go back to Angelwood in a heartbeat if my parents let me,” I explain, trying to shake Isabella’s image off my mind. “Anyway, I’m calling to invite you, Hugo, and the rest of our group to my birthday party on Saturday,” I add, changing the subject to avoid an argument.

Lucy gasps, “A party? How is that possible?”

“My parents have been saving money for it for the past few months. Can you believe it?”

“That’s so exciting! I’m going to tell our friends tomorrow.”

“Don’t forget to tell them to bring snacks.” 

“Are you inviting the losers from the rich school?” 

“Yeah. I met three students in the scholarship program, and they’re actually pretty cool,” I reply, thinking about Kim, Carol, and Richard.

To my annoyance, the princess’ face pops into my mind again, making me let out a low groan and roll my eyes at myself. To be honest, I wish I could invite her too, but I’m sure she’d never show up. 

“Did you meet any new girls today?” Lucy presses, sounding anxious. “Were they beautiful?”

“Yeah, I did, and no, I’m not interested in any of them,” I state, annoyed that she’s jealous over nothing. “I need to hang up now because I still have a ton of homework to do, and I have to wake up early tomorrow. The school’s far, and I can’t miss the bus.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow night, then.” She pauses for a couple of seconds before declaring, “I love you, Dan.”

Isabella’s green eyes dance through my mind as Lucy speaks, and I find myself staring at that imagined image instead of listening to the real girl on the other end of the line.

“Dan?” Lucy urges when the silence stretches too long.

“Good night,” I mumble, blinking as Isabella’s image finally fades.

“When will you say you love me back?” Lucy hisses.

“You know I’m not the kind of guy who throws around ‘I love you’ and stuff,” I retort, groaning in annoyance.

“We’ve been together for years, and you’ve never said it. Not once,” she fires back.

“We aren’t dating,” I snap, as she knows perfectly well that I don’t do the whole dating-labels thing. “Good night, Lucy.” I end the call before she can say anything else.

I run a hand through my hair, my nerves kicking in as I sit up on my bed.

“Why can’t I stop thinking about Isabella? She’s an unattainable, spoiled girl, for crying out loud,” I mutter, irritated, punching my pillow to get the frustration out.

“Dan, is everything all right in there?” Mom’s worried voice echoes from the other side of my bedroom door.

“I’m fine, Mom. I’m going to do my homework and sleep,” I tell her, taking a deep breath and grabbing my books from the floor.

“Don’t go to bed too late. Good night,” she says, her footsteps fading down the hallway.

Three hours later, I’m still lying in bed, unable to sleep.

The lights are off, the house is quiet, and rain taps gently against the window—the perfect setup for sleeping. But my eyes stay wide open as I watch the faint shadows drift across my room.

All I can think about is Isabella Williams, and I hate how cliché it is—being hung up on the most popular, beautiful girl in school. It annoys the hell out of me.

* * *

I wake up the next morning feeling completely restless, thanks to barely sleeping at all. I drag myself through my morning routine before heading to the kitchen, where Mom and Dad are already having breakfast. Rose and Oliver are still asleep because they’ve got some time before they need to go to Mrs. Phillips’ house and school. 

“Good morning, son.” Dad gives me an appreciative smile while pouring hot coffee into a mug for me. “I’m glad your mom didn’t have to wake you up today,” he adds, laughing.

I sit with them and practically inhale the coffee and two slices of bread because I’m late and I can’t miss the stupid bus. Mom tries to slow me down, but it’s pointless, as I’m out of the house within minutes.

Thankfully, I reach the bus stop right on time, and almost an hour later, I meet Kim, Richard, and Carol in front of Vista High’s main gate. The wealthy students shoot us dirty looks as they walk past, but I don’t give a shit. I’m here to study, not make friends, so I’m not about to waste energy on them.

I then invite my new friends to my birthday party, and they agree to attend right away. As I’m giving them my address, someone nearby yells Isabella’s name, causing me to instinctively whip my head toward the parking lot, where she’s walking from and heading toward the group gathered near us.

“You’re really into the princess, aren’t you? Even though we warned you to stay away from her,” Richard smirks, catching me ogling.

“I’m not into Isabella,” I scoff.

“Yes, you are. You can’t stop staring at her every time she’s around,” he teases, tapping my shoulder.

“You should invite Isabella to your birthday party, Dan,” Kim suggests, like it’s the most casual thing in the world.

I glance at Richard and Carol, all three of us bursting out laughing at the same time.

“Why are you laughing?” Kim pouts.

“You’re joking, right?” Carol manages to say between peals of laughter.

“No, I’m not. Isabella seems nice. I like her already,” Kim huffs, glancing over at Isabella, who’s talking to a bunch of jocks.

To my surprise, watching the princess with those guys sends a weird, uncomfortable twist through my chest, making my temper rise before I can even understand why.

“First of all, Isabella isn’t nice. She acted thoughtfully yesterday because she’s Miss Popularity and needs to look perfect. Second, I bet she doesn’t even remember us. And third, even if Dan invited her, she’d never show up because she wouldn’t spend time with people like us,” Carol asserts.

“I disagree. I think Isabella’s cool, and I still think Dan should invite her, even if she doesn’t go,” Kim insists.

“You’re crazy, Kim. If I invite Isabella to my party, she’ll just laugh and tell me no. She’s definitely going to turn me down,” I snort, glancing again at Isabella, who’s now talking to her brother.

“You have to try, Dan. You have to invite her,” Kim urges.

“Do you want to make a bet?” Carol smirks, one eyebrow shooting up as her lips curve into a smug smile. “I bet that if we try talking to Isabella today, she’ll either ignore us or act like she’s never seen us before.”

“I bet my lunch that she’ll be polite. However, Dan has to agree to invite her.” Kim shoots me a crooked grin. “So? What do you say, Dan?”

I roll my eyes and shrug. “Fine, but I’m with Carol. We’re wasting our time.”

Kim and Carol shake on it. 

“When are we going to try talking to her?” Richard asks as Isabella disappears into the main building.

“When we get the chance,” Kim replies.

“You know what? Inviting the princess is a great idea because the sooner she turns Daniel down, the sooner he can forget about her,” Richard teases, laughing.

The bell rings, saving me from discussing the unpleasant topic any longer and prompting my friends and me to rush to homeroom, where I spend the whole period trying to deal with the weird, jittery feeling that hits me every time Isabella’s face crosses my mind.

* * *