Boy at the Window by Lauren Melissa Ellzey

Author:Lauren Melissa Ellzey [Ellzey, Lauren Melissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781636790916
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2022-02-01T01:06:12+00:00

Chapter Twenty

The lunch bell rings, rousing the lifeless students into action. For once, Daniel doesn’t need to visit the library for the first half of his lunch. He gathers his belongings and heads to his locker. On the way, an early autumn breeze hits his back. He snags his food from his stacks of textbooks, ready to sit on the concrete and eat alone, but his phone buzzes with a text message from Jiwon.

Are you in the library?

If he were, he wouldn’t be able to read the message till Mr. Bartel returned his phone. Before opening his lunchbox, he types a quick response.

Not today

Come eat with us then. We’re by the laurel tree

The invitation burns into Daniel’s eyes. Already a month into the school year, Daniel can’t help but feel a little pathetic whenever he spends lunch alone. Still, after yesterday’s panic attack, he’s not sure if he’s ready to see Jiwon again. He doesn’t know when he’ll ever be ready. His Lorazepam burns a hole in his jacket pocket.

But he’s already told Jiwon that he’s free this period. Although he could make up a lie about a preplanned conference with a teacher, he would risk being caught in the hallways, and there is no way he’ll stoop to hiding in the restroom until his next class.

He sucks in an anxious breath and replies:

Be there in a bit

After stuffing his backpack in his locker, he sets off to the bleachers, lunchbox tucked under his arm. The laurel tree stretches its branches across a sheet of sod and benches. From a distance, Daniel sights Kevin and Ki-Jeong leaning against the trunk. Owen and Jackie seem to be on talking terms, sitting on the grass and chatting away. Jayden hovers over a bench, laughing over none other than Jiwon, who is stretched out lazily.

Ki-Jeong spots Daniel first and waves him over. “Hey, Daniel! Quick, tell Kevin I’m right.”

“About what?”

She throws her hands on her hips. “That doesn’t matter. Just say it.”

“She’s right.”

Kevin rolls his eyes. “There’s no way the girls’ team will have a better season than us, especially after the last meet’s scores.”

“We placed better than you guys at our first meet,” Jackie pipes in. “After this Saturday, we’ll take the lead again.”

Jiwon sits up. “So long as our teams stay on track, we’ll both make it to district finals again.” He swings his legs over the side of the bench. “Hey, Daniel,” he says with a faint smile.

A blush sweeps down Daniel’s neck. Jiwon is wearing a light blue polo, the same shade as the clear sky above them. The color brings out the gold streaks in his bleached hair. If any shred of doubt existed in Daniel’s mind that his feelings toward Jiwon extend beyond friendship, he knows now, for sure, that he is dangerously close to desiring more than a kiss on the hand from him.

“Hi, Jiwon,” he chokes out.

“You’re one to talk about staying on track,” Owen cuts in, pointing to Jiwon’s knee. A pair of black jeans conceals the bandage.

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