"You know," Daphne said, tapping her pen against the notebook, "even though everyone was making jest of you because you burnt the cakes, they still ate them." She glanced up at him. "That was actually very cool."
Kendrick picked up the pen that had slipped from the table earlier, his jaw tight. "I didn't ask them to."
"Oh, shut up." Daphne scoffed. "Bernard might actually be right about your asshole behavior. I can totally picture you taunting him every single time he messed up in the kitchen. And now that you're in his shoes, do you realize how annoying that must have felt?"
She dropped her gaze back to the page, skimming through the formula, then she continued, "I honestly don't get why you're making such a big deal out of it. Nobody is perfect. Even Gordon Ramsay has burnt food before."
Kendrick let out a breath through his nose. "That's not the point."
"It is the point," Daphne said quickly. "If you hadn't been poking at Bernard all the time, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be poking back now. You reap what you sow." She looked up at him again, clearly enjoying herself. "And you should apologize to Bernerd"
Kendrick's head snapped up. "What?"
"Apologize to Bernard and stop being an asshole."
"You should shut your mouth." His voice hardened. " And stop calling me an asshole. You're being disrespectful, you little shit."
Daphne stared at him, then laughed in disbelief. "You think you're in any position to lecture me about respect, big shit?"
For a moment, Kendrick just looked at her, genuinely stunned. No one ever spoke to him like that, except his squad. And Daphne was a high school girl who kept mixing up physics formulas. She just have no fear at all.
"Do you hear yourself?" he asked slowly.
"I hear myself perfectly," Daphne replied. "And I still think you're acting like a child. Apologize to Bernard and move on."
"Is your plan today to drive me completely mad?"
Daphne sighed dramatically and shook her head, like she was finally tired of him.
"Don't shake your head at me like that," Kendrick snapped, looking really offended.
She ignored him and went back to her book.
"We're taking a break," he said suddenly.
Daphne blinked. "But we just started."
"I know." He turned away and began stacking the books too neatly, like he needed something to keep control. "That's exactly why we're stopping."
She watched him for a few seconds, then smirked to herself.
Eventually, Kendrick cooled off. They finished the lesson later, and Daphne followed his instructions carefully, mostly because she did not want to deal with his sulking again.
°°°
"Took you long enough." Raymond spoke the moment Daphne stepped back into the sitting room. "What were you two doing? Trying to find the cure for AIDS?"
Kendrick appeared behind her and shook his head, clearly amused now. He lifted his hand and cupped the top of her head. "She has a very slow brain."
Daphne turned sharply and slapped his hand away. "Touch me like that again and I'll break your fingers."
"It's almost four," she added, grabbing her bag. "I'm going home. My brothers will be back from school soon."
"Are you coming tomorrow?" Bernard asked, rushing out from nowhere with a cup of cold pineapple juice. He stopped in front of her and held it out.
"I will," Daphne said, taking the cup and finishing it in one go. "I don't have anything to do at home anyway."
"Great. We're going out tomorrow," Bernard announced proudly.
"We're going out tomorrow?" Raymond repeated confused, looking at Kendrick who didn't deny it.
"Yes," Bernard said, taking the empty cup back.
"You were sleeping when we agreed to go to a boutique. We need to get out of this house, or I'll lose my mind. And you're welcome not to come, just don't let me hear a 'no,' or I swear I'll sew your mouth shut."
Raymond raised his hands. "Okay, okay."
Daphne pouted slightly. "I guess I can't come tomorrow then."
"Why not?" Bernard asked immediately.
"You guys are going shopping."
"And you're coming with us," Bernard said.
"I would love to," Daphne replied, "but I don't go out without my mum's consent. And if I tell her I want to hang out with four boys, she definitely won't permit it. Plus, I just got suspended."
"Then don't let her know," Bernard said casually.
"What the hell, bro?" Raymond exploded. "You can't tell her to do that."
"Go and sit down," Bernard shot back, then turned to Daphne. "Look, she doesn't have to know."
"You're teaching her to lie," Raymond argued. "And that is a very bad thing."
"She's just not telling her. I didn't say she should lie," Bernard replied.
Raymond groaned. "This is absolute nonsense. Kendrick, won't you talk some sense into this dwarf?"
"What did you just call me?" Bernard asked calmly, rubbing the glass cup in his hand. "Say that again and I'll put your head in the blender."
"That sounds very creepy," Daphne said, cringing.
"Oh, sorry," Bernard said quickly. "Didn't mean to scare you."
Kendrick stepped forward. "How old are you, Daphne?"
"Seventeen. What's the issue?" she asked, raising her brows.
"You're in your adolescence," he said. "The perfect age for teens to rebel and go against rules."
"But I've never done that before," Daphne said quietly.
"There's a first time for everything," Bernard added.
Raymond dragged his hands down his face. "Are you both out of your fucking minds? What if her mother finds out and accuses us of kidnapping her? Guys, I hate prison."
"I told you to keep it in your ass," Bernard replied. "How will her mother find out if nobody tells her?"
"That's it," Daphne said suddenly. "I'm going with you guys tomorrow."
"Yes!" Bernard jumped in excitement.
Kendrick smiled at her, slow and approving. "That's the spirit."
Daphne smiled back, feeling oddly proud of herself.
Raymond just shook his head. "I live with crazy people."