IDIOT AND THE BEAST

CHAPTER 65 — OH, HOW THE TABLES HAVE TURNED

[ZACH]

5.34 p.m.

I frown at my phone screen, as if that is going to help me achieve anything.

He is running late. Why is he running late?

I toy with my phone for a few more moments before unlocking it again. It is still 5.34 p.m. Since when does a minute last so long?

I texted Dani to come over at half past five and he is four, now five minutes late. I do consider the possibility that maybe he isn't coming, but he replied to my message saying that he will and so I don't really have a reason to think otherwise.

We are officially going to have our first date today. Just thinking about it makes me all giddy — who said only teenage girls can be giddy, fuck that. I am a teenage boy, about to have my first date with my boyfriend (note: that's a trigger word for Dani, so I won't be using it with him around) and I will be giddy all I wanted.

If only he can show up right now, that will be perfect.

Maybe I should leave a message, just to see what is the holdup.

I go as far as typing out the text, but decide otherwise and keep away the device. He'll be here.

I walk towards the glass door by the living room and pull back the curtain a little. I actually wanted to see if it was still raining (it is, by the way), but what I find out as well is that Dani is here.

I see his car parked in front of our house, and if I looked closely enough, I can see him in the driver's seat. He makes no movement to get out of his car though. I continue to look at him, and then when it seems like he is looking my way, I give a little wave. I wonder what he finds so inspiring in his car, that he just has to stay in there.

And then at last he gets out. I turn away from the glass door, do a little scan of the living room, making sure everything is in its proper place, and then go to open the door just as he climbs up the porch stairs.

"Finally," I exhale.

"What?"

"It's–," I peek inside the house, checking the wall clock for the time, "–5.46. You're late,"

"Oh, I didn't know I had to be on time, sergeant," he retorts.

I roll my eyes, but I can't be or even pretend to be mad at him for long; a chuckle escapes past my lips. I take out the sleeping mask that I've stuffed inside my pockets and hold it out. He looks at it suspiciously as if it is going to leap out and attack him.

"I am gonna blindfold you — but I can't find a proper cloth so–," I show him the mask and then reach forward to put it over his eyes, but he jerks his head back before I can do so.

"No," he pushes away my hands, "That's creepy,"

I frown at him, looking at the mask in my hand and then back at him, raising an eyebrow, "Cree-," I drop my hand, biting my bottom lip, to keep myself from laughing.

Of course, he'd think that.

"Okay," I nod, "At least close your eyes then,"

"No," he looks at me weirdly as if I'd just told him that I am an alien or something, "That's creepy too,"

I cock my head to one side. Seriously? I think back to that day when he brought me to this field literally in the middle of nowhere and then when he was the one who asked me to close my eyes.

I am sure Dani remembers that too, and by the way, he quickly looks away, I can tell he is thinking of that too.

I just shake my head — I am not going to point that out though. That will be insensitive. That was also the first time he actually talked to me, there is no way I will ever associate that day with the word creepy or any other negative words.