"How do you know my name?" Daphne asked, her brows knitting together as she stared at him. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the seatbelt, instinctively defensive.
Instead of answering, Kendrick leaned closer.
She stiffened just as his hand reached across her, fingers brushing the belt.Her reaction was instant.
She shoved him back with both palms, her back pressing into the seat.
"What is your problem?"
He recoiled slightly, genuinely surprised. "I was just trying to help."
"Well, don't." Her voice was sharp. "I have hands of my own."
She tugged the seatbelt into place herself, the click loud in the small space. Then she folded her arms over her chest, chin lifted in challenge.
For a moment, Kendrick just looked at her.
He turned back to the wheel, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he started the car.
"Where to?" he asked.
She gave him the address without looking at him.
♦
It was midterms break.
Daphne sat beneath the canopy outside the compound, legs folded under the plastic chair, her books staring at her. She was solving the heavenly assignments teachers blessed her with. She was on the phone with Tessa, her best friend who was also battling with her own share of assignments on the other end of the call. The line was filled with sighs and occasional scribblings.
"I'm sure you're almost done with it. " Tessa said.
"Yeah," Daphne muttered, chewing on the cap of her pen. "Almost done losing my mind"
She flipped from question one to question seven, then back again, hoping something would suddenly make sense. It didn't. With a groan, she shut the workbook and dropped it onto the table.
I'll ask my dad when he gets back," she said. "Physics is not my calling."
Tessa laughed. "Fair. And if he is too tired to assist then what will do?"
" Copy and paste girl."
She stayed on the phone for a while more before the call ended. She picked her biology workbook bracing herself before opening to start unraveling the scientific jargon, when a voice came from the other side of the fence.
Slowly, she looked up. Kendrick leaned casually against the fence separating their houses, one arm resting on the bricks, eyes trained on her like he'd been there for a while.
" Good afternoon Daphne." She didn't reply. "What are you doing?" he asked, unbothered by her silence.
"What's your business with what I'm doing?" She asked, not bothering to look at him.
"I'm just curious. Do you need any help with your assignments?"
"I'm fine thank you."
He tilted his head, eyes flicking to the pile of abandoned books. "You don't look fine. You've closed, what… three books in the last ten minutes?"
She slapped her pen on the table. She finally looked at him properly. "How long have you been watching me?"
He smiled. "Long enough to know your plan is to get to school early next week and copy everything from Tessa."
Daphne mouth fell open. She shook her head as exhaled sharply, organizing her books.
"Honestly, I'm sick of your type."
"What type do you mean?"
"You don't know?" He nodded.
"Forget it then."
"I can teach you if you don't mind. I'm quiet smart you see."
"I'd rather fail." Daphne packed her books and went inside.
She poured the books onto her bed, put a song on on her phone and plugged in her ear pods.
Daphne liked dancing, it had always been her escape. She never learnt formally, but her body understood the movements instinctively.
She danced around the house, from room to room, swaying and spinning, straightening cushions and adjusting chairs. Maybe it was because her mother had trained her that way, she didn't like having things disorganized. She had grown used to keeping things in order and neat.
She was mid-twirl in the living room when the door opened. She rushed to the door, arms open to scoop Max up. But instead, a figure taller than anyone that lived in the house stood at the door.
She jumped back, eyes going wide and she took out the pods in her ears." Jesus! what the fuck are you doing here?" She asked, her voice hitting the roof.
"Stop shouting." Kendrick shushed, bringing his finger to his lip.
"Answer my goddamn question!"
"I want to ask you a question."
"What question?" Daphne frowned, eyeing him up and down suspiciously
"Why do you hate me?"
Daphne clicked her tongue, not expecting such question. " Who wouldn't hate you?"
"But why?"
"Go and think about it." She attempted to close the door, but Kendrick wouldn't let her.
"Don't."
"Let go of the door, or I'm screaming."
" Don't waste your breath, I know no one is home." He said calmly.
Daphne was completely stupefied. How did he know? "Fucking stalker."
"Don't brand me, I just noticed there were no cars in the garage, and if your brothers are at home the house wouldn't be this quiet." He explained.
Daphne scratched her forehead, taking a step back. "You seriously don't sound like a stalker at all."
But one thing Daphne noticed was that even though whatever came out of Kendrick mouth sounded wrong most of the time, he didn't seem to mean any arm. Even now, he only lingered at the threshold, making no attempt to come in, but Daphne still didn't trust him.
"I'm not as bad as you think." He tried defending himself.
She looked at him hopelessly," Tell me what you want in one sentence."
But before Kendrick can give an answer, Daphne heard the gate opened and the voices of her little brothers bickering.
They both stared at each other with wide eyes.
Daphne tapped her leg against the floor anxiously, and without thinking too much, she hauled Kendrick inside, pushing him into her room and jammed the door.
Max entered first. "I thought I heard you speaking with someone." He said, looking around.
"Me? No you heard wrong" Daphne lied too quickly , her voice going up a pitch.. "Go inside and drop your bag" She pushed him towards his room.
He walked back to her, seeming to recall something. "I think I left my watch in your room this morning."
But Max had sensed his sister's uneasiness.
"What?!" She panicked, her heart almost leaping out of her chest. " Don't worry, I'll get it for you." She said, pushing him toward his room, this time opening the door for him.
Mark entered next, walking by like there was no one in the room. Daphne didn't mind.
Mark opened the door and Max went in after him.
Daphne sighed in relief, going into her room to meet Kendrick lying casually on her bed like he owned it. He was flipping through her books, laughing as if she had written jokes in them.
"Get out " She pointed to the door, stoning her slippers at him when he ignored her and hugged the pillow.
" Your room smells nice by the way."
Daphne was so sick of him. " I am not asking you for compliments, now get out."
She dragged him off the bed and hustled him out with the speed of lightning before he started yapping any more nonsense.
Mark came out of their room the moment he was gone, looking at Daphne suspiciously. "I think I heard the door now."
"What door? I didn't hear anything." She looped her arm around his neck, " What do you want to eat, I'll make it for you."
He brightened. "Promise anything I want to eat?"
"Anything." Daphne smiled, glad her trick worked.