The Study

Chapter 17: The Chemistry Project

As we stepped into Daniel's house, his energetic golden doodle, Kiwi, came bounding over and jumped up at me. I stumbled backwards, caught off guard, but Daniel quickly scooped Kiwi up in his arms.

"Sorry about that, Kiwi gets a little too excited sometimes," Daniel said, grinning apologetically.

I laughed, scratching Kiwi behind the ears. "No worries, she's cute," I said.

Harry and Josh followed us inside, and Kiwi quickly shifted her attention to them, sniffing around their feet.

"I don't think she's usually this friendly with new people," Harry remarked, a little surprised.

Daniel nodded in agreement. "Yeah, she's usually a bit more reserved. But she seems to really like you, Heather."

As Kiwi continued to sniff around me, I couldn't help but wonder if there was something more to her affection. Maybe she could sense something different about me, like the fact that I used to be Bryan.

"She's a smart dog," I joked, trying to brush off my thoughts.

Daniel raised an eyebrow, looking at me curiously. "What do you mean?"

I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should reveal my secret. But before I could say anything, Kiwi started barking at the door, distracting us all.

"Looks like my parents are home," Daniel said, as he put Kiwi down and headed towards the door.

"Hey Mum, we're working on a project so we'll be in my room," Daniel called out as he greeted his parents.

"Okay honey, just don't make too much noise, your little sister is asleep." his mother replied with a smile.

His dad looked at me while holding his groceries, "And who's this young woman?"

"I'm Heather," I said, smiling at him as I offered to help with the groceries.

"Oh, you don't have to honey, he can carry it by himself," his mother said, but I insisted, eager to make a good impression.

We settled into Daniel's room and got to work on our project. As we brainstormed ideas, Mrs. Hampton brought in snacks and drinks for us. I gratefully thanked her, feeling a little hungry after a long day of classes.

But after a while, Josh declared that he was bored and Harry agreed. "Let's take a break," he said.

Harry turned to me with a smirk. "Hey, let's see if you're actually any good at Valorant."

Daniel generously let me borrow his laptop, while he played on his own PC. We joined a lobby and played a few games, with me leading the team to victory. Harry and Josh looked at me in amazement.

"You're actually really good," Harry said, still in disbelief.

We played a few more games before getting back to work on our project. As I sat on the floor, Harry went to grab a glass of water. But as he turned around, he accidentally dropped it, and the water spilled all over me.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, Heather," he said apologetically.

I laughed it off, wiping the water from my face. But as I looked down, I realised the water had turned my white top translucent, revealing my pink bra.

Daniel quickly grabbed a towel from his closet and handed it to me. "Here, use this," he said.

I wrapped the towel around myself, feeling a little embarrassed. "Uh, I gotta let my top dry," I said.

But Daniel wasn't having it. "No, no, no, that won't do. You can borrow one of my t-shirts," he said, rummaging through his dresser.

He handed me a plain white t-shirt, and I quickly changed into it, feeling much more comfortable, grateful for his hospitality. "Thanks, Daniel. You're a lifesaver," I said, touching his arm lightly.

Daniel was stuck and his brain was frozen. He had never interacted with a girl before. I could see the confusion on his face as I waved my hand in front of his eyes. Harry noticed Daniel's discomfort and stepped in, "He's fine, Heather. Let's just get to work on our project."

We were working on a homemade lava lamp, and Harry and I quickly got to work. As we finished up, I thanked Daniel again and said goodbye to his parents. Harry lived in my neighbourhood, so he offered to take me home on his bike. We said goodbye to Daniel, and as we were about to leave, he spoke up.

"No offence, Heather, but I expected you to be a dumb girl like those cliché popular girls in movies. But you're really smart," Daniel said, surprising me with his words.

I gave him a goodbye hug, and while I was hugging him, I remembered how sad Daniel used to be when we hung out together as Bryan. He didn't have any female friends or anything, so I decided to tease him and give him something to be happy about. I pecked him on the cheek before heading out with Harry.

Daniel blushed furiously, but I could tell that the little gesture made his day. As we rode off on Harry's bike, he asked, "So, what did you think of Daniel?"

I shrugged, "He's not that bad. He just needs to get out more and meet more people."

Harry chuckled, "Yeah, he's a bit of a loner, but he's a good guy once you get to know him."

We rode in silence for a few moments before Harry spoke up again, "You know, Heather, I'm really glad we're working on this project together. You're really smart and fun to be around."

I smiled, "Thanks, Harry. You're not so bad yourself."

As we arrived at my house, I hopped off the bike and turned to face Harry. "Thanks for the ride, Harry. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Heather," Harry said.