The drive was quiet. Raymond hadn't said a word to her or asked a single question about why she was looking like she did. He probably knew she wouldn't answer. Although he offered her a sweet.
Soon the car came to a stop. Raymond looked at her and finally asked, "What happened?."
Daphne fiddled with her fingers, looking down from his gaze. The car suddenly opened on the other side, to reveal Beneard's shocked face, David peaking behind him.
" Why the hell are you naked, where's your shirt?" Beneard exclaimed, his voice half-disgusted, half-panicked. "Uhn? Who's that?"
A second pass, then she heard him walking around the car, pulling the door open before her.
"Oh my God! Daphne what happened?" Bernard eyes went wide, voice rising as his eyes sweep over her. He leaned forward, pulling the shirt from her face and she let it fall.
David pulled Beneard back, reaching his hand to brush her hair. "It's milk." He observed. "Spoilt milk." He brushed wet milk off her cheek with the back of his hand, peering into her eyes. "You look like a mess."
Raymond stepped down, rounding the car to her side. " We can't let Kendrick see her like this, he will loose his shit."
" Then why the hell did you bring her here?" Bernard whisper–yelled, hands on his hips.
Don't worry. I'll just go home," Daphne muttered, stepping down from the car, forcing a small smile as she handed Raymond his shirt back. "Thanks."
Silence followdd her towards the gate.
" What are you guys doing?"
The voice came like horror as Daphne hand touched the gate. She found herself turning back before she could think, her eyes locking on Kendrick's. She looked away instantly, but Kendrick had already registered everything, and he was beside her in the next beat, slamming the gate close.
He siezed her hand, dragging her into the house as the others watched as he steered her up the stairs and into his room. Without a word, he opened his closet, fetched some clothes and shoved it into her hand. Without permission, he turned her around, taking off her school bag. He opened the door that leads into his bathroom and gently pushed her in.
"I can go home and clean up."
Kendrick opened his mouth and closed it again. He bit on a side of his lip as his eyes constantly travel over her. He looked mad, brows furrowed tightly. "I'm not going to let you walk on the street like that."
"It's just next door." Daphne's voice was small, less argumentative than usual.
He wanted to say something, but he took a deep breath instead, visible taut movement in his jaw, eyes saying words she couldn't decipher. His hand came up to her hair, tenderly tucking the strands covering her face behind her ears, his fingers lingering a moment too long.
" You look beautiful."
The words hit her unexpectedly. Before she could fully process his words, he closed the door with a soft click. She flinched at the sudden sound, blinking at the door with opened mouth.
Daphne stalled in the bathroom for a while, looking down at his clothes in her hands before she stripping out of her soaked uniform and stepping under the shower. The water was hot, almost scalding, but it didn't chase away the embarrassment lodged deep in her chest.
" Lock the door." Kendrick barked all of a sudden, making her jump. She fumbled with the lock, snapping it shut just as his soft chuckle from the other side.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she shouted.
Kendrick continued chuckling behind the door. He was definitely still standing behind it.
After a few minutes she stepped out of the bathroom. Kendrick stood posing beside the door like he was shooting a photo for a magazine.
" What is wrong with you?" She asked again, hitting his chest, and looking upset.
Kendrick grabbed her hand holding it to his chest. He pressed his fingers to his temple, wondering why he kind of liked seeing her in his outfit. The collar of his sweater was way too loose over her clavicles, sleeves dangling past her finger tips, and his trousers were way too long for her short legs. But she looked cute in them. He pulled her toward his bed.
They both sat down, facing each other.
"What happened?" The question bursted from his mouth. He had been dying to ask from the very moment he laid his eyes on her.
Daphne looked at his face, unlike the others, this one wouldn't take no far an answer. So she reached for her bag on his desk, unzip it, fished out her script and handed it to him. He spared it a glance look.
" Wow Daphne. This is good." He said with a wide smile. He put the script away, his smile also vanishing. " What happened?"
She exhaled heavily" It's just some sick girls hot with jealousy. They couldn't accept the fact that I managed to get my grades up so they accused me of sleeping with the teacher and soaked me with milk."
He touched her jaw, turning her head a little to the side.
" What are you doing ?"
" And they also hit you." His voice was low and dangerous. thumb brushing over the side of her cheek.
"That's so sick!" Bernard barged in, the door yanking open. Raymond and David loitering outside.
Beneard came to the bed, crouching before her. " They hit you? For real?" He asked, eyes, studying her face.
Daphne nodded, " I slapped one back. Her name is also Daphne." She told Beneard, who craned his head.
" There's another Daphne in your class?"
" She just said so," David said, walking in behind Raymond, hands in his pocket. " God you smell like Kendrick."
Daphne sniffed herself. " That's because I'm wearing his dress, I used his shampoo too."
" But why would she hit you because of that?" David just couldn't understand it. " It's not like you getting a better grade caused her not do well."
" She thought it was her paper at first, then she got angry at me when she turned it in to me." she narrated.
" I see now, she was just bitter that you did better than her." Beneard said, taking Kendrick's spot as soon as he stood up, taking the towel from her hand. He stood behind her, helping to dry her hair. And she let him be.
"They will not be getting away with this." Beneard made a fist she was sure wasn't strong to break a cotton-ball.
She leaned forward, smiling now because he was angry on her behalf. " And what plan do you have?" She wanted to hear it, although she was fully aware of the gentle way Kendrick was handling her hair, not saying anything.
Bernard gaze sharpened." You have to teach them a serious lesson, let them know they shouldn't be messing with you. An eye for a head, a tooth for hundred pounds of flesh. No mercy for the wicked."
"What the-" Daphne mouth hanged opened. Now she had met mother of ruthless.
" You sound like a psycho, but I support the idea." Raymond said, passing Kendrick a bottle of cream and a brush.
" Honestly, If I see you like this again, I'll just kill them. How dare they fucking touch you." Bernard was really angry.
" Do you want me to tie your hair?" Kendrick voice came behind, she could almost feel his breath against her skin.
Daphne rubbed her hand over her hair that Kendrick had combed to perfection. "I think it's okay this way."