Cliché with a player

Chapter 9 - Phone call

It's the first time, after he avoided me, of us studying together. It's been a week since the last time and I'm only here, because he needs to pass.

We are at his house and I'm patiently waiting for him to finis the task I had given him. His mouth are slightly open in concentration and his nose is scrunched.

He looks at me with pride shining in his eyes.  "I finished. I think it's right this time."

I hope. "You think or know?" I say, lifting my eyebrow but he doesn't reply. It looks like he is deep in his own thoughts.

"Lake?" He asks carefully.

"Laken," I correct him once more.

"Yeah, Yeah..." he shrugs. Shrugs! He doesn't even bother to remember my name I mean, I am the one who should be mad at him and not the other way around. He is still distant and cold — well, it's not like he was exactly friendly before.

"So...is Nessa single?" Oh, that's what he was thinking about before.

"Unless she is hiding a boyfriend in her basement, then yes, she is."

He looks kind of relieved, like his is happy for that. Well of course he is, he obviously wanted her to be, why else would he ask.

"May I ask why do you want to know?"

"I don't know if I should tell you," he says sceptically.

I clench my jaw but my voice is calm. "Fine."

After minutes of silent while I'm checking his work, he finally says. "Dan wants to know."

I get this strange feeling in my stomach and it take me a moment to realise, that is relief. Why do I feel relieved?

"Dan?!" I am almost too excited. I know Nessa had had a crush on him but again many girls did. Except she couldn't stop drooling over him.

"Why are you so excited?" He asks.

"Well..." Unlike him, I don't know how to keep a secret. "Nessa has had a huge crush on him since, well always."

"Yeah, well a lot of girls do."

"Does he want to ask her out?"

"Why else would I ask if she is single? He just didn't want to ask you himself and he didn't want to ask Nessa out, only to find out she is taken."

"Well she is not and go ahead and tell him that." It takes a moment for him to realise that I mean right now.

"What now?!" He asks loudly, his head quickly spinning towards me.

"Yes, now!"

He groans but still pulls out his phone and texts Dan. The latter replies with a voice message that Matt plays out loud.

"No way! Thanks man. And do not tell Laken anything else cuz I know she will tell Nessa. And if I'm going to be rejected I at least want to ask the girl first. Man I really thought she was seeing someone. Wow! I'll ask her first thing tomorrow." There is a long silence before Dan's voice cheers loudly. Then a loud bang, as though something has shattered. "Oh, shit mom is going to kill me. Sorry man got to go, I just destroyed one of her flower pots."
Happiness in Dan's voice makes me smile broadly.

"I can't believe it!" I squeal, unable to contain my thrills. Matt looks at me like I am crazy but eventually smiles too.

"You wouldn't believe how long he wanted me to ask you that."

"I wouldn't? Nessa wanted me to ask you but she kept changing her mind."

We smile at each other, for a moment it all seems okay and it doesn't look like he is mad at me. Until he frowns and switches his gaze back onto the paper. My good mood quickly disappears.