Bilateral ✔

Chapter 15 - Lost [Daniel Quinn]

Thursday, evening

     Daniel was lost. He was completely and utterly lost.

He had taken Frey home—as requested by Hannah. And while he had been cooking dinner, assuring Frey he didn't need any help, Frey had joined Hannah for a tea-party with her old worn-off stuffed animals that once belonged to Daniel himself, and he was lost.

He had watched Frey joking around, sipping imaginary tea from a small broken tea-cup, while talking to a bear that didn't reply since, well, it was a stuffed animal.

Hannah's joyful laughter over his jokes, the fact Frey didn't seem to mind playing along with her, the fact he sat there uncomfortably on the ground without complaining or sending judgemental looks?

Daniel was mesmerized by the other boy.

He was surprised too but mesmerized mostly.

Since when did Frey have this sweet, kind, caring side to him? And why did he have to show it in front of Daniel, who already felt attracted to the boy?

But he was grateful for Frey buying them Hannah's favourite food. And since he bought all fresh ingredients, the mac and cheese tasted way better than they were used.

The smile on Hannah's face hadn't left ever since Frey told her they'd share the desserts, and it only widened more during the evening.

Daniel was lost, he really was.

He couldn't stop to stare at Frey, interacting with his sister as if they'd known each other for years. As if Frey and Hannah were best friends, and they even had their own inside jokes now.

Daniel's mother had seemed pleased with Frey's presence, and the fact Hannah couldn't stop smiling and laughing. The smile on his mother's face was priceless, but than she had looked at Daniel, and she had a knowing look in her eyes that Daniel hated.

She knew he liked Frey, and it was only a matter of time before she would start asking questions. But Daniel didn't want them to get the wrong idea. He felt as if Hannah expected him to join more often, like Mitchel had done months ago. He felt as if his mother thought they were dating or something.

And Frey was unaware of the looks their mother was sending Daniel.

But no matter what was going on in Daniel's mind, Frey scored a lot of points that night. Not just because he bought them more food than they would normally eat in two days, but also because he had made both his mother and sister smile.

He had made his sister enjoy her evening, and she hadn't once complained about anything.

And other than Mitchel, Frey didn't once comment on their tiny house, or shabby interior. He hadn't complained that he had a plastic throw-out plate to eat from, or the fact it was cold inside because the heater was still broken and there was no money to repair it.

Daniel was still shamelessly staring at Frey when they grabbed their bikes because Daniel had to work, wondering if their little stupid trick the night before had made that much of an impact on him that he changed this much; overnight.

That couldn't be possible, mostly because Jenna had sort of aborted the mission by going on a fake date with Frey. He was still wondering why Jenna, of all people, had done it. But according to Lacy, Jenna had her reasons, and even though Lacy still disliked Frey a lot, she agreed that it had been better to cancel their plans to mess with Frey.

She promised to explain later, but Daniel didn't really need an explanation any longer. He saw a side of Frey he had never seen before.

Not just that night, while Frey entertained his sister, but in their chat conversation too.