Daphne woke up to sterile smell of antiseptic filling her nose. Confusion and awareness crept in at once as she realized she was in a hospital bed. Her brows pulled together because she had no idea how she ended up here.
She tried recalling her newest memory. She had been to Tessa house earlier to get past questions on their upcoming continuous assessment test. On her way back home, she encountered a staggering drunk smoking his health away. Daphne tried to avoid him and go her own way but she had caught his attention. She remembered him saying something, blocking her path and blowing cigarette smoke to her face, the last thing she remembered was the tight feeling in her throat before everything blurred.
She noticed a figure beside her as she tried to sit up. Kendrick was slouched forward, his head resting lightly against the mattress, eyes closed as if sleep had finally claimed him after a long fight. At her movement, he stirred. Almost instantly, his eyes searched for hers. Relief washed over his face so openly it caught her off guard.
He straightened, placing a careful hand over hers . The question that rushed to her lips tangled itself in her throat and refused to come out at the contact.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked softly, his voice stripped of his usual teasing edge.
Daphne stared back at him, momentarily stunned by the sincerity behind his eyes. She nodded slowly, trying to gather herself.
"The doctor said you passed out because you're allergic to cigarette smoke." He explained, adjusting the blankets around her waist with gentle hands.
She pushed herself upright so suddenly, Kendrick flinched. "What?" It was the first time Daphne was hearing it. "How the hell is that supposed to be a thing?" She asked him.
Kendrick blinked at her,"The doctor's diagnosis, not mine okay?" He defensively then softened, patting the back of her palm gently, as if calming her down. " You scared me. It's a good thing I found you on time."
Her gaze sharpened. "You found me?" She studied him closely, "Tell me the truth, you were stalking me weren't you?"
He chuckled and tapped lightly on the tip of her nose.
"No, I wasn't."
"You were."
" No."
" Yes."
The doctor discharge Daphne when she finished her drip, Kendrick stayed till the last minute and helped her to the car. She grunted and complained she could walk on her own but Kendrick wasn't buying it.
Before she could protest properly, he scooped her into his arms.
"Hey!" she hissed. "Put me down!"
"You hurt your knee," he replied calmly, adjusting his grip. "Stop fighting."
She grumbled the entire way to the car, but the dull ache in her knee betrayed her stubbornness. He settled her carefully into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt before she could object.
Circling the car, he slid into the driver's seat. "See?" he said casually. "Being a good girl isn't so bad."
Shee ignored him, leaning back and closing her eyes. The drive was quiet like that for the first few minutes.
"Kendrick." She called suddenly. The name felt so foreign on her tongue, she realized it was the first time she actually called him by his name.
He hummed in response, eyes fixed on the road.
"Tell me something about yourself" she said, "something aside from being a jerk."
He scoffed in disbelief, "At least cut me some slack sometimes, I literally saved your life today."
"Well," She whispered, looking out the window. "Thank you."
"What did say?, I didn't catch it." He leaned his ear toward her, "Can you say that again."
"Forget it then."
She heard him chuckle.
"I'm a second year architecture major, meaning I'm really good with pencils." He began. " I love cats, good music. I like to work out, I cook sometimes to relief stress. I've been at the top of the class since I started my academic career. I'm good at most sports, I have lots of gold medals. I-"
" That's enough of boasting." She interrupted him, her ears feeling itchy.
" You asked."
" I certainly don't ask for a resume, and now I know that you're good at almost everything. But ,I'm not buying that you know how to cook."
"That hurts a little, my mom wouldn't like to hear that. My mom is a skilled chef."
"That doesn't prove anything. Being a chef's son doesn't automatically make you a good cook."
"Then come over, I'll make sure you acknowledge my cooking skills."
"I politely decline."
Another silence stretched.
Kendrick reached into the backseat and placed a stack of crumpled papers on her lap."I found these beside you."
It was the past questions she got from Tessa. They were all dirty and crumpled.
"Do you mind if I tutor you?"
They both exchanged glances, the corners of her lips facing down.
"You really don't believe anything I say."
" In your case, I'll say it's a risky thing to do."
Kendrick chuckled, and weirdly, Daphne like the way he did it, but she wasn't going to admit it.
"I've been to quite a number of tutorials, unlike you who is so smart, I think I'm just dumb." She admitted quietly.
"I don't think you're dumb," He said calmly,
She turned to him, he didn't seem to be joking around. "I think you just need to find your own study pattern. I only attend 10% of my classes, yet I do well than most people who attended all classes, and you'll never see me burn the candle at night."
"That's a lie." Daphne didn't want to believe, but looking at his face again, he didn't seem to be lying.
" Want me to teach you?"
Daphne looked away from his pressing gaze, she was scared she might just agree if she kept looking at him wearing that eager smile.
"At what price? My mom told me nothing is free in this world."
"Price?" He sounded confused, then he said, " Let's talk about that later. You have a minute to think about it."
"And how is that fair uhn?"
"You're aren't exactly nice to me either."
"Why should I be nice to you?"
" 30 seconds."
Her mouth hanged open, " Are you serious right now?"
" Yes. You won't find someone as skilled as me, if you miss this chance. Take it or leave it." … "10 seconds."
"Alright fine!" She rolled her, throwing him a side look, "But if it turns out you've been telling fibs, I'm cutting your tongue off with the sharpest knife I can find at home."