42|| I got Bad Luck in the Neighborhood Department

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Chapter 42: I got Bad Luck in the Neighborhood Department


It's sad how the things you don't want to do or the people you don't want to see always end up being the ones or things that follow you until you can't say no.


~Starlight24


There are 7.125 billion people in the world. 6.78 million people following the online superstar, @Starlight24. 5.89 million people connect with her on many different levels. 3.68 million people check her profile on a daily basis.


Out of all those people in the freaking universe, Popcorned had to be my next-door-neighbor.


WHY!?


Okay, this was simply wonderful. Not only had I fallen for Dylan Daniels, my temperamental, bipolar, play-boy –next-door, but I'd also fallen for his online profile, Popcorned, my sweet, calming, cocky and hilarious e-best friend.


I had fallen for the same person twice. What sort of twisted fate was this? I'm pretty sure the Anglo-Saxon goddess of fate, Wyrd, was laughing hysterically from the heavens above me.


Sadist.


The most important question blared through my head. How was I supposed to address this situation with Dylan!? What was I going to say? Oh, Hey Dylan. I know we're not talking and stuff, but... I just wanted to say that I'm your online love. You know, the one you've been chatting with? She goes by the name Starlight? Yeah, hi. It's me. Great to see you, huh? This is awesome, because we'd even wanted to meet each other, anyway! Ha, ha.


Oh, joy. I even sounded awkward in my own head. I couldn't even begin to imagine how awful the real thing would be.


I slipped on a pair of ripped jeans and a tight-ish pink crop top and slipped on a pair of converse and a snapback to hide my untamed curls as I darted out of the house. Popcorned- Dylan, was probably cursing me right now, because I'd just left after I had my epiphany of his identity.


Dylan freaking Daniels was Popcorned. The guy I thought I could tell anything to. The guy I thought I could connect with on so many different levels that it scared me. The guy I'd go as far as to say the word Soul Mates actually made sense.


I sounded like such a freaking sap.


"Morning," he said, casually as we waited for the bus to come. I kept my trap shut and pushed my glasses further up my nose. I'd ended up tearing my contacts this morning in the bathroom and it had gone down the drain... literally.


He stared at me, waiting for my response, but I wasn't going to cave in and talk. I was far too awkward.


Dylan liked me! He liked me a lot, both as Popcorned and as himself!


He cleared his throat as if trying to signal my attention, but I turned away and stared at the tree in the backyard which was shaped like a fat leg.


Cue the internal, long sigh.


"Hey, Day?" he asked. I grunted in response. "I'm sorry. I was unreasonable and mean to you yesterday. I was just kind of pissed off and I was chatting with someone who..." he took a deep breath as if he couldn't describe his relationship with Starlight. Or rather, to make myself feel even more uncomfortable, his relationship with me. "Someone who means a hell of a lot to me, and I couldn't even concentrate and she's probably pissed because she actually ditched me two minutes later, and I was just overall... angry. I didn't mean to get it out on you. You didn't deserve it. So... what do you say? Friends?"


Um, no?


This was so weird. I was just standing there while he gushed about how he liked me indirectly. How weird was this? Maybe I should just change my name to Yolanda Grophers and move to Tanzania, and hopefully he'd forget about me.


"Um, the bus is here," I squeaked out, even if the bus wasn't here yet. Dylan just stared at me like I was crazy, which I probably was.


"Huh, I guess I'm going blind then," he said, dryly, expecting me to laugh. I just turned red and stared at the pavement.


Wait... if Popcorned really liked me, then how was Dylan so ready to kiss me a week ago? Didn't Starlight mean something to him? What if Starlight and I were two different people, would he have just strung both of us along?


"Are you okay?" he asked, as the bus actually rolled past.


"The bus is here!" I said, like it was the most exciting thing ever, completely avoiding his question.


"Um, that's awesome?" he said, now glancing at me warily.


"I know, right!" I exclaimed a bit too loudly, hating how high pitched my voice sounded. I ran in and Nat was sitting there, her eyes big. Oh, my savior. "Hey Nat!" I squealed, and I ran and plopped down onto the seat. "How are you?"


She furrowed her eyebrows. "Um, you just saw me yesterday and talked to me on the phone this morning," she pointed out. I also noted how Dylan was watching our friendly exchange, looking even more confused than before.


He didn't know about Miss. X or anything, of course.


"I know!" I trilled, my voice still sounding uber weird. "But a lot must have happened in two hours, duh!" I said, clapping.


"Um, I'm good, I guess?" she said, not before shooting a not-so-subtle glance at Dylan, looking mildly weirded out by me.


"That's great!" I said, before burying my face in my hands.


"Day, I'm serious, are you okay?" asked Dylan.


"I'm great, thanks for asking, Natalie!" I exclaimed.


Cue the weirded out glance again.


"Um, Dylan asked, not me," she said, now eyeing me like I was a Martian that had just fallen into the pressure cooker in her grandmother's kitchen.


"Oh!" I said, before sticking in my earphones and turning completely red-faced as I stared out the window. Why was I so completely weird? Why couldn't I just be smooth and kiss Dylan and tell him the truth or something and then we'd start dating?


The answer was simple: I'm Day June Winters. No further inquiries.


After roughly two minutes, I realized Dylan had sat down next to me and my whole body broke out with goosebumps and I shivered even if he was sitting a good two feet away from me.


He then scooted closer and I felt his fingers brush against my ear, and my whole body started tingling. If he could just touch me and make my whole body kind of go into a weird spasm, I couldn't even begin to imagine what other things would do to me. Then, I felt my earphones being snatched out of my ears- rude- and my chin slowly tilted to face Dylan.


As his concerned green eyes met my own, I let myself kind of melt into his hands, not questioning what I was doing for roughly two nanoseconds before shooting up and sitting up straight as if paralyzed.


I probably looked like an extreme psycho. "Day, I'm going to ask you one last time... are you okay?"


His voice was soft but authoritative, and I found my lip quavering slightly. "Why would you care?" I asked, my voice kind of sounding choked up.


Dylan looked like I'd just slapped him. "What do you mean? Of course I care about you, Snowflake," he whispered, biting his red lips.


Ugh.


"No..." I began, and I saw my school outside the window. "I'm just the bitch next door who listens to Sam Smith on full volume, right?"


With that, before I got to see his reaction, I literally sprang out of my seat like a jack-in-the-box and ran outside, relishing the fresh air after being so incredibly claustrophobic in that bus.


I darted across to my locker, and I heard the bell ring. I saw Dylan run in, looking very haggard and his eyes looking like a cross between a super concerned parent and a rabid animal.


I always liked the strangest people.


"Day!" he yelled as he caught sight of me, and my whole face turned red as I ran away. He cornered me, being obviously quicker and bigger than me. "What did that mean?" he asked, his minty breath fanning across my face. "What did that mean, Winters!?" he demanded, and I could feel tears threatening to spill out of my eyes.


"I don't know," I squeaked, my voice abandoning me completely.


"Are you..." he began, and then his eyes widened. "It's you, isn't it?"


He then put both his hands on either side of me, and I saw the gap between his arms and his legs and I sucked and ran out, being the short and skinny girl that I was.


"Day!" he yelled, and I felt my snapback fall on the floor as I ran. I stopped momentarily, considering picking it up, when I decided against it.


This was like freaking Cinderella or something. "Go away, Dylan!" I exclaimed.


"It's you, isn't it? The one who..." I turned momentarily and shot him a pleading look with my eyes, praying he didn't sell me out. If everyone found out I was Starlight, I'd never hear the end of it. "The one who's been chatting with me?"


I gasped because he'd started gaining speed. He then gained on me, and I felt his strong arms wrap around my waist and because of how short my shirt was, touch my bare skin.


I could feel a whole supernova and he had just grazed my skin. I was so freaking pathetic.


He then pulled me flush against his chest, and I could hear how insanely loud and feel the rhythm of his heartbeat. As cliché as this is, they were in complete synchrony.


I felt his hot breath on my neck, and I shuddered again. "H-hi," I said, stupidly, allowing myself to crumple in his arms.


"How long did you know it was me?" he asked, his fingers not leaving my stomach. His fingers were on my skin. It was driving me crazy. I couldn't think. I could feel his lips against my ear, and I almost fainted. My only consolation was that Dylan's heart was racing as fast as mine, which meant he was just as frazzled as I was.


"S-since yesterday," I stammered. "That's why I left, because I figured out when you told me about the Sam Smith thing," I whispered. "You... you think I'm a bitch?"


I felt him hold me tighter than before, pulling me closer so that I was now kind of squished against his chest. It was a Titanic moment, really.


It was also in the middle of the school corridor. This probably looked really weird to a random third person who saw us.


Which kind of happened to be the rest of the student body. It was embarrassing and mortifying.


"No, I was mad," he clarified, his lips still moving lightly against my ear. They were cold and soft, and the butterflies in my stomach that were usually crazy had now gone into overdrive.


They were like butterflies on drugs or something.


"Why didn't you tell me you were Starlight?" he whispered, and I squeezed my eyes shut at his question.


"I wanted you to like me for being me, not for being your idol online," I croaked out.


"I like you anyway," he said, his voice raked with honesty.


"Whatever," I breathed out, not able to form coherent sentences.


"Do you believe me?" he asked, sounding vulnerable.


Suddenly I was snapped back to reality. Here was the boy that had given me nothing but trouble for the past one week. Here was the boy who'd gone to no extent to annoy the hell out of me by screaming at me but then complimenting me the next moment.


Was I really going to forgive him that quickly? No, I'd like to believe I have more of a stance than that.


I wriggled out of his grasp, feeling the cold air hit my flat stomach without his strong fingers against it, pressing into my skin.


"No," I said, feeling my chin wobble a bit and my face scrunch up. "No, I don't believe you. Please just leave me alone," I begged.


Dylan obviously didn't understand English, because he grabbed me by the waist again. That was uncharted territory. He wasn't allowed to just touch me like that.


I turned around and slapped him in the face, not loud enough to make a resound but hard enough to leave a red mark on his cheek.


"What the hell!?" he said, looking more hurt than angry.


"You can't just touch me like that!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms in the air, exasperated. "Who the absolute hell do you think you are, Daniels!?"


Now his eyes looked suspiciously moist, and my heart broke into a thousand pieces. "I just want to make things right," he began, inching forward, his hands digging their way into his jean pockets as if he had to physically stop himself from touching me.


Then, he took his hands out and picked up my snapback and placed it back on my head, not before pulling me into a hug and I buried my face in his shoulder. He just kept stroking my hair and whispering that he was sorry.


I was so freaking confused.


"Mr. Daniels! Ms. Winters!" came an angry voice, and I whipped around to face an angry Vice Principal, Mr. Roberts. "Stop with the PDA!" he demanded. There were a couple of snickers from the other kids. This was probably some fascinating soap opera for them.


I wrenched my way out of his grasp, feeling almost burned by his branding hands. I didn't know what to think. This boy was killing me.


I ran and locked myself up in a bathroom stall before I began crying into my hands. What the heck was happening to me? Why did I give this one boy so much power over me? Why did he mean so much to me? What was I going to do?


With trembling hands, I took out my phone, my vision kind of blurred by my tears.


16 NEW MESSAGES FROM POPCORNED


Popcorned: Hello? Are you there?


Popcorned: Oh well, I'm guessing your battery died?


Popcorned: I really like you a lot more than I probably should.


Popcorned: Should I just tell you who I am, first?


Popcorned: Okay, so my name is... Dylan.


Popcorned: Yeah, not some super cool name or anything.


Popcorned: Do you hate me?


Popcorned: I wouldn't blame you. I'm probably being really creepy. I just like you a bit too much to actually stop myself.


Popcorned: You know, your name is actually really apt.


Popcorned: Because you're kind of the Starlight in my life.


Popcorned: When things look bleak, I can just chat with you and my whole day would have been brightened immensely.


Popcorned: I need to confess something... I like someone else a bit, too.


Popcorned: I hope you're not mad at me.


Popcorned: You probably hate me now. Okay... I'll just leave now. Talk to me later.


Popcorned: I'm sorry.


Popcorned: Please don't hate me. I... I love you, okay?


That last line broke me, and I started crying even harder, tears pouring freely down my face and staining my glasses.


I loved him too.


The realization hit me, and I bit my lip so hard blood began flowing out of the fresh, open cut. I was in love with Dylan Daniels, and there was nothing I could do about it.


Despite the fact that I was in the gross bathroom, I sank to the floor and cried even harder into my thighs. What would have happened if Dylan and I had just been online lovers without knowing each other? Would things have been normal then?


I definitely had bad luck in the neighborhood department.


Then, I turned to my phone, my stubbornness overcoming my love for him.


Starlight24: Hey, that's okay. I'm sorry for ditching you that day.


Starlight24: I just found something I could relate to you with! I have an asshole who lives next door, too.


A/N:



^^ Cover by: shinebeam. Thanks so much! I love it!


HEY CHICAS!


Kayyyy... guess who updated quickly? THIS GIRLLLLL!


Song of the Day: Greatest by Sia


Ugh, this chapter was so crazy to write and it was annoying and awful. I'm sorry.


Teaser: It's a secret. Literally. I'm not telling you.


WHO ALL ARE WAITING FOR DYLAN AND DAY TO BECOME CHILL AGAIN?


Any ideas how it's going to happen?


Okay I'm going to leave now.


Love you all,


~Lexiii

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