Chapter Three: Bubblegum and Butterflies by Lynette Ferreira
The late afternoon sun blazed mercilessly over the school courtyard, casting sharp shadows on the paved walkways. Charlize adjusted her backpack and stepped out of the main building. Her every movement was poised, as always. Her friends flanked her, and their laughter and chatter were a comforting hum as they discussed Sarah’s upcoming party. Charlize smiled faintly. Her mind was already assembling what she would wear and how she would have to juggle her mother’s expectations. She could already hear her: Isn’t that skirt a little too short, Charlize?
Just as they rounded the corner toward the front gates, the
distant hum of wheels on concrete reached her ears. Her brow furrowed as she
glanced up, catching a glimpse of movement.
A dark-haired figure was weaving recklessly through the
courtyard.
“Daniel McCarthy,” Jessica huffed. Her voice held equal
parts awe and disdain.
“Of course, it’s him,” Charlize muttered, irritation
flaring.
His shirt was untucked as usual, and his tie was nowhere to
be seen. He sped closer to them, his skateboard zipping over the uneven bricks.
“Hey, watch it!” Amy shouted as Daniel swerved too close to a
group standing near the steps leading from the main building.
Daniel did not slow down. Instead, he kicked the board
harder, popping it up onto a nearby bench with infuriating ease.
“He’s such a show off,” Jessica grumbled.
The next moments passed in a blur. Charlize felt the impact first.
A hard collision against her shoulder that sent her sprawling to the ground. Instinctively,
she threw out her arm to brace herself, but the awkward angle sent a sharp, white-hot
pain shooting up her wrist. A sickening crack echoed through the courtyard.
“Oh my gosh!” someone shrieked.
“Look what you’ve done!” Amy yelled.
Charlize blinked. She felt dazed and breathless as she
clutched her arm. The pain was radiating in nauseating waves. Her elbow
throbbed and her wrist was burning as if it was on fire. Her bag had skidded across
the walkway and its contents had spilled across the bricks. She struggled to
sit up as she cradled her arm to her chest.
Then she smelled it.
Chappies.
“What the—” Her uninjured hand flew to her hair. Sticky
strands clung to her fingers, and her heart sunk.
Bubblegum.
It was gross and the humiliation hit her like a slap. She glared
at the boy who had caused this disaster.
Daniel stood there looking genuinely startled. His
skateboard was lying on its side by his feet. One wheel was spinning idly. His
dark hair fell across his forehead. Then, in a split second, his expression
shifted into something infuriatingly indifferent.
“Seriously?” Charlize snapped. Her voice was sharp enough to
cut through the snickers of the students that surrounded them. She winced as
the movement of trying to stand up jostled her arm. “What’s wrong with you?”
Daniel shoved his hands into his pockets. The corner of his
mouth was twitching like he was trying not to laugh out loud. “Hey, not my
fault you were in the way.”
“The way? I was walking.” Her cheeks burned with humiliation as she tried again to stand.
Amy and Daniel stepped forward to help her up.
Charlize ignored Daniel's extended hand and let Amy help her. She glared at him. “Do you think for even a minute
before you do these stupid stunts?”
“Relax, Princess.” He gestured vaguely toward her hair. “It’s
just gum. You’ll survive.”
Charlize looked at him with disbelieve. “You think this is
funny?”
Daniel shrugged, though the faint smirk tugging at his lips
gave him away.
Charlize turned, catching the amused stares of half the
courtyard. Her arm was throbbing unbearably now, and tears were pricking at the
corners of her eyes though she refused to let them fall. “You’re unbelievable,”
she muttered.
Daniel’s smirk faltered slightly as he noticed how pale she
had gone. “Look, it’s not a big deal—”
“Not a big deal?” Charlize cut him off, her voice rising.
“You’re the one making a scene,” he shot back, his tone
hardening.
Charlize wanted to scream. Instead, she awkwardly scooped
her belongings back into her bag with the help of Amy and Jessica, before she picked it up. “Stay away from me,”
she spat, her voice was low and venomous. She turned on her heels, ignoring the
sharp pain in her arm. Her friends hurried to follow her, their concerned
voices a low hum in her ears as she made her way to the nurse’s office.
Daniel watched her go. His smirk was fully gone now. He
scratched the back of his neck and glanced down at the skateboard at his feet.
“Nice going, genius,” Luca said, appearing beside him.
Daniel sighed as he bent down to pick up his board. “She’ll
be fine,” he muttered, though he did not sound so sure.
As he walked off, a knot of guilt twisted in his chest. He
did not mean for anyone to get hurt. Especially not her.
