The Secret

Chapter 11

I look at my phone as soon as I get up. I look through Instagram at all the models posing in their bikinis. I keep scrolling and find a video of dogs and babies. My favourite. I sound like a creep but they are actually so funny and cute. I watch a few other videos as well. Some are a few covers of songs others are of movie trailers. As I feel my eyes beginning to shut I hear a doorbell. I get up while I hear my mam calling my name to go answer the door. I open it and in front of me stands the one and only Daniel O 'Connor.

"Hey" I say sleepily, rubbing my eyes.

He looks me up and down. I glare at him.

"Nice pyjamas."

"Eh thanks?" I look down at my leggings and baggy shirt.

"So are you going to let me in?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you're my friend" he replies. "and I need to talk to you.

"Ok then" confused I open the door welcoming him inside.

"Maya who is it?" My mam's voice is audible from the kitchen.

"Daniel." I tell her.

Next minute she's coming out of the kitchen shock written all over her face. Once she spots Daniel she runs straight over to him and engulfs him in a tight hug.

In that moment I realise that I haven't told her that Daniel magically appeared back and no one seems to question him. Strange if you ask me.

"Oh how I've missed you." My mam says while squishing him and rocking from side to side. Eventually she lets go.

"Hey Joy." he finally greets her. "How are you?" He asks.

My mam ends up babbling about stupid things. After a while she goes back into the kitchen, leaving Daniel and I in the hallway.

"Upstairs?" he points up.

I nod and he leads the way to my bedroom. He used to always come to my house with his parents and two little sisters, Rebecca and Tara. My mam and his were great friends along with Kiera but something shifted and his mam, Nina stopped coming over and hanging out with mam. I never questioned anything. I just assumed they had a fight. If it was important my mam would tell me. If she didn't then it wasn't important. It was around two years ago when they stopped hanging out. That was when I was fourteen. At that time Daniel and I were close. Best friends. Later on Alex and Maddy joined our little club.

Daniel takes a seat on my bed while I sit on my white futon. The room is still dark with little light coming through the closed curtains. I decide to walk across the room and open the curtains letting the light file in. I take my seat back onto the futon.

Daniel begins to speak. "Has a lot changed while I was away?"

I wasn't expecting his voice to sound soft and low, laced with sadness. I lift my head meeting his blue eyes.

"Honestly not really" I shrug, feeling uncomfortable by the atmosphere in the room. He doesn't say anything so I speak again. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Maddy."

 I sigh sadly at the thought of her. We still haven't spoken to each other. No calls or texts either.

"Why aren't you guys talking?"

I think for a moment. Finding a suitable explanation. I draw a blank. At my lack of speech Daniel talks again.

"You ran off with no explanation and she's really confused. She's hurt. And you haven't called her. I thought you were best friends?"

I think over what he just said. Maybe I'm just tired but his tone of voice felt like he was angry at me, blaming me. I actually might be going crazy.