to ask, though.
Alejandro gave me a key chain that Camilla scoffed at, as if he could do better. He did, in a way.
“It’s a promise ring,” he says, putting it on my finger.
We’re in my bedroom. Everyone’s gone. My parents, in their warm state, have allowed Alejandro to be in my bedroom. If they only knew what has been going on up here…
“What’s a promise ring?” I say, staring at the small jewel.
He’s embarrassed. “It’s not an engagement ring, but it is close. You’re promised to me.”
“Oh,” I say.
“I mean, you’re not my property, or anything. You can refuse it, if you want. It’s just, I love you, and I know you love me, even though you have a hard time saying it, well, you’ve never said it. It’s okay, really.” He runs his fingers through his hair, nervous. “Do you like it? I…I’ve been saving up…for it.”
Kill me now.
“I love it,” I lie, and kiss him.
He smiles. “I’m glad. I love you, Daria.”
I can’t bring myself to say the words. I kiss him, again. We make love, as quietly as we can. He’s different, in bed, than he has been before. I think it’s the ring. He takes his time. He’s not afraid. He whispers endearments in my ear. “Mi amor,” he breathes in my ear—my love.
I whisper it back. He smiles, elated at my confession. He falls asleep, next to me. I run my fingers through his hair, thinking of Gabriel. When he wakes, I give him back the promise ring. I apologize.
“I can’t be promised to you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He puts on his clothes, calls me a “bitch,” and leaves. I cry myself to sleep.
Wallflower
Vicki is absent. So, Camilla is Emily’s partner during lab. I’m stuck with Gabriel.
“Hello,” he greets, measuring a beaker.
“Hello,” I return, watching him measure the beaker.
“How have you been?”
“Peachy,” I say.
He smiles. “You’re not solemn?”
“Why would I be solemn?”
“You and Alejandro,” he says.
“How do you know, and why do you even care?”
“Gossip is rampant here, and I do care, Daria.”
“You have a funny way of showing it.”
He turns on the tap, watching the water fall. “Have you given any more thought to what I asked before?”
I know what he’s talking about. “No, I don’t know what ‘the answer is in the fountain’ means. Stop asking me. The answer isn’t going to suddenly reveal itself—and if it did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t like you.”
“Do you hate me?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, Daria.”
“Me too,” I say. “Why do you smell like sun-baked sand?”
“Why do you smell like saltwater?” he asks, turning off the tap.
“Do you always answer a question with a question?”
“Yes, when I don’t know the answer, or when I seek another answer, myself. My life is mystery, Daria. I never knew another’s was—until I met you.”
“I’m an open book,” I contest.
“But the pages are all blank,” he retorts.
“Perhaps ‘the answer is in the fountain,’” I tease.
He gives me the smallest of smiles that’s somehow lined with sorrow. “Perhaps,” he ponders.
October passes by. Everyone’s excited about the Fall Dance. I’m ambivalent. If I go, Camilla will be there, for me—but she’ll also be with Tony. I can’t take her away from him. Vicki has been gossiping about her “new man” to everyone. Frankie is still gone. I guess she decided to move on. I should do the same. I think if Gabriel were to ask me out, I’d say yes. I find him fascinating and an evening out with him might reveal what he’s hiding—or maybe not. My fascination with him borders on obsession, and in my obsessive state, my mind acts irrationally, often dangerously.
“I bet it’s her cousin,” says Camilla, about Vicki’s date to the dance.
We found out that he’s not a high school student. Rumors are
Alejandro gave me a key chain that Camilla scoffed at, as if he could do better. He did, in a way.
“It’s a promise ring,” he says, putting it on my finger.
We’re in my bedroom. Everyone’s gone. My parents, in their warm state, have allowed Alejandro to be in my bedroom. If they only knew what has been going on up here…
“What’s a promise ring?” I say, staring at the small jewel.
He’s embarrassed. “It’s not an engagement ring, but it is close. You’re promised to me.”
“Oh,” I say.
“I mean, you’re not my property, or anything. You can refuse it, if you want. It’s just, I love you, and I know you love me, even though you have a hard time saying it, well, you’ve never said it. It’s okay, really.” He runs his fingers through his hair, nervous. “Do you like it? I…I’ve been saving up…for it.”
Kill me now.
“I love it,” I lie, and kiss him.
He smiles. “I’m glad. I love you, Daria.”
I can’t bring myself to say the words. I kiss him, again. We make love, as quietly as we can. He’s different, in bed, than he has been before. I think it’s the ring. He takes his time. He’s not afraid. He whispers endearments in my ear. “Mi amor,” he breathes in my ear—my love.
I whisper it back. He smiles, elated at my confession. He falls asleep, next to me. I run my fingers through his hair, thinking of Gabriel. When he wakes, I give him back the promise ring. I apologize.
“I can’t be promised to you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He puts on his clothes, calls me a “bitch,” and leaves. I cry myself to sleep.
Wallflower
Vicki is absent. So, Camilla is Emily’s partner during lab. I’m stuck with Gabriel.
“Hello,” he greets, measuring a beaker.
“Hello,” I return, watching him measure the beaker.
“How have you been?”
“Peachy,” I say.
He smiles. “You’re not solemn?”
“Why would I be solemn?”
“You and Alejandro,” he says.
“How do you know, and why do you even care?”
“Gossip is rampant here, and I do care, Daria.”
“You have a funny way of showing it.”
He turns on the tap, watching the water fall. “Have you given any more thought to what I asked before?”
I know what he’s talking about. “No, I don’t know what ‘the answer is in the fountain’ means. Stop asking me. The answer isn’t going to suddenly reveal itself—and if it did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t like you.”
“Do you hate me?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, Daria.”
“Me too,” I say. “Why do you smell like sun-baked sand?”
“Why do you smell like saltwater?” he asks, turning off the tap.
“Do you always answer a question with a question?”
“Yes, when I don’t know the answer, or when I seek another answer, myself. My life is mystery, Daria. I never knew another’s was—until I met you.”
“I’m an open book,” I contest.
“But the pages are all blank,” he retorts.
“Perhaps ‘the answer is in the fountain,’” I tease.
He gives me the smallest of smiles that’s somehow lined with sorrow. “Perhaps,” he ponders.
October passes by. Everyone’s excited about the Fall Dance. I’m ambivalent. If I go, Camilla will be there, for me—but she’ll also be with Tony. I can’t take her away from him. Vicki has been gossiping about her “new man” to everyone. Frankie is still gone. I guess she decided to move on. I should do the same. I think if Gabriel were to ask me out, I’d say yes. I find him fascinating and an evening out with him might reveal what he’s hiding—or maybe not. My fascination with him borders on obsession, and in my obsessive state, my mind acts irrationally, often dangerously.
“I bet it’s her cousin,” says Camilla, about Vicki’s date to the dance.
We found out that he’s not a high school student. Rumors are
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