Chapter Seven: The Distance
When Danielle stepped out of the classroom, her face was blank as ever, but Theo could see that exhaustion behind her eyes.
The talking started again, some students turned their heads as she passed.
Theo walked beside her immediately, placing his hands into his pockets, walking with an attitude of someone who didn't care if he was being watched.
"Don't," Danielle muttered without looking at him.
"Don't what?" he asked, pretending not to understand what Danielle meant.
"Walk beside me like that. You look like…"
"Your bodyguard?" he interrupted.
"…like my boyfriend," she finished flatly. "And people are starting to assume that."
"That's just a rumor."
"Stay six meters away from me."
"No."
Her head snapped toward him. "Excuse me?"
Lifting his head slightly, Theo was forced to raise his tone. "I said no. Six meters means I can't stop anyone if something happens. You're lucky I'm not handcuffing us together."
"You wouldn't dare."
Theo's smile said otherwise.
Danielle groaned and picked up her pace, walking faster toward the next building. He followed at his usual, infuriating pace…always close enough that she could feel his stare.
To Danielle, Theo was like a shadow that refused to leave her alone. She didn't want his presence near her, especially when he wasn't hesitant to give her a cold shower in the morning.
As they passed a group of students, one of the guys elbowed his friend and whispered, "Lucky guy, huh?"
Danielle didn't miss it. Her face turned scarlet, and she muttered through clenched teeth, "I'm going to murder you, Theodor."
"Stand in line, Princess. A lot of people want to."
She ignored him the rest of the walk, pretending he didn't exist, though she could feel him watching every freaking step. Theo was too alert and way too cautious. Like someone expecting a bullet at any second.
By the end of the day, Danielle's patience had worn out. Every teacher looked at her with either fear or fascination, and every student gossiped behind her back.
It was impossible to tell which was worse.
When the final bell rang, she shoved her books into her bag and stormed toward the door, where Theo was already waiting.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
"No. But since you're probably going to follow me anyway, let's get it over with."
"See? You're learning how this works."
She rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt.
When they reached her door, he spoke in a lowered tone on purpose. "Wait here."
Danielle crossed her arms. "Why?"
He didn't answer since he had no obligation to. Danielle in his eyes looked like a spoiled child who was never receiving the right amounts of attention.
Still, she was very diffident compared to his step siblings.
Theo stepped inside first, looking around the room like a soldier entering hostile ground. He checked behind the curtains, under the bed, and then went to the window.
"What are you doing?" Danielle asked, skeptical.
"Checking your windows." He tested the lock. "Someone could've tampered with it."
Danielle frowned one more time. "You're being paranoid now."
Theo looked back at her with a small, tired smile. "Maybe. But paranoia's what keeps people breathing."
She didn't know how to respond to that, so she said nothing.
After another quick glance around, he finally nodded. "You're clear."
"How comforting," it was a dry respite.
"Try to sleep early tonight. And maybe skip the pills."
Danielle looked away. "I'll think about it."
"Goodnight, Danielle."
"Goodnight, Theo."
Theo's room was smaller than hers, barely big enough for a bed, a desk, and his bag. He dropped his jacket over the chair and sat down heavily, running a hand through his hair.
His phone vibrated again with a notification, and he picked it up automatically.
A calendar reminder flashed across the screen:
"Bae's Birthday."
Theo let out a long breath he was holding in his throat.
The phone almost slipped from his hand, and then a shaky laugh escaped his lips; sounding half bitter.
"How many months has it been since you passed away, huh?" he stared at the screen. "Six? Seven?"
The memories rushed back like a flood he'd been holding off…, her laugh, the way she always said his name like it meant something.
And then the gunfire, the smell of smoke, and the very long silence afterward.
He lay back on the bed, one arm over his eyes.
"Happy birthday, Bae," he murmured. "Sorry I couldn't save you."
Frank's name flashed on the screen.
Theo sat up quickly and typed a message before Frank could ask first.
Theo: You were right. Someone's watching her. Got a message earlier. Anonymous.
Frank: What did it say?
Theo: That she's not safe. Even with me.
Frank: I told the President this would happen. Keep her close. Don't trust anyone on that campus.
Theo: I never do.
Theo stared at the phone for a long time after that. He wanted to ask more, like who was after her, what they wanted, but he knew Frank wouldn't say everything over text.
Frank was careful like that.
He fell back, tracing the cracks in the ceiling. "Not safe," he muttered to himself. "That's an understatement."
Thousands of miles away, President Geiger opened a drawer and pulled out a photograph of Danielle when she was six years old, sitting beside her mother, smiling wide, missing a tooth.
He touched the corner of the photo. "I hope you're safe, little one."
Someone opened the door, but the president didn't look up. "I said no interruptions."
"…"
He frowned. "Who's there?"
.
Then, the sound of something clicking made the president raise his head.
His eyes went up!
"Wait-!!!"
The gunshot went through his…