64 | D A I S Y

Two months later

"You've never heard? She was one of the most famous girls in Maxwell High, a private school in Denver."

I rubbed the soft blue towel against my wet face. I just got out of the shower after two hours of non stop dancing to relax my muscles and wash off the sweat.  Drawing the much needed air into my lungs, I sighed.

I sat on one of the bench close to my locker listening to what the girls were 'whispering' about. Apparently, they thought I was still in the shower. I can be sneaky when I want to so they probably didn't hear me come out. They are in the next row of the locker in front of the one I'm in.

One of the voices belongs to Millie. She was one of my classmates and quite a noisy chick that knows not to mind her business. I caught her a few times staring at me during lunch but I never spoke to her. She tried talking to me a couple of times but I never respond.

"Really?! How did you find out?" One of girls muttered, trying to contain the amusement in her voice.

I heard one of them bang the locker shut. "One of my distant cousins is a student there. He said Daisy Coleman was one of the most popular girls there." Millie answered.

One of the other girls chuckled as though not believing the story. "Seriously? Daisy is kind of very quiet, docile person. She's one of the most intelligent students of our class. I don't believe you."

"Whatever you choose to believe. Daisy was involved in a scandal almost all the students of Maxwell High know. She was the head cheerleader and moves with the dangerous crowd. Her adopted parents were arrested and her adopted sister tried to kill her. You wouldn't believe what I heard too. She was pregnant but lost the baby when her sister attempted to murder her."

I closed my eyes and clenched my hands on the orange crop top hoodie I was struggling to wear. My duffle bag fell when I stood up and the noise must have dragged the girls attention because they stopped talking. Discarding the towel around my waist, I put on my sweatpants, picked up my bag and threw it over my shoulder.

I ambled my way towards to the exit door but stopped by the door. I turn to their direction to find them standing there, gawking at me. I smiled and winked at them. "Bye, guys. See you tomorrow."

My life in Detroit is totally different from the one I had in Denver. I have little friends here and all I do these days is to concentrate in class, study, complete my homeworks and attend my dance class after school every three days. They tried to invite me to join the cheerleading team but I kindly declined.

I left it in my previous life. This is a new beginning for me, though I miss my old lifestyle. I miss my lovely friends, being the head cheerleader and chilling with my girlfriends in the locker room after practice, I miss the sweet, unique scent of Denver, heck even the walls of Maxwell High. My little best friend, Jupiter, Peyton's bad cooking, Abigail's sassy attitude, Maya's bubbly outlook. . . Everything.

I miss him.

Pushing the old, golden memories to the back of my mind, I strolled out of the school to find a car outside, awaiting me. I hopped inside, a strong men deodorant hit my nose. Cole pressed on the gear and the car started moving. I sighed and rested my head on the head rest for a bit.

"Hey, baby girl. How's school?" He asked and quickly glanced at me. After dance classes every weekday, Cole usually comes to pick me. On rare occasions, I go home by myself after a long tour of the still unfamiliar Detroit.

I reached a finger inside side pockets of my bag and brought out the ribbon. I bunched my hair in the middle of my head and twisted it with the ribbon to keep it in place. "I'll turn eighteen in a couple of months, Cole."

He shook his head and concentrated on the road. Ignoring my correction, he continued. "You made new friends?"

What the heck? If he's trying to get at something, then he's making a bad attempt. I'm not a kid anymore. "Excuse me but you're asking the wrong person. I'm totally fine with what I have. Me."

"I don't want you to be a loner, okay? I care about you, Daisy."

"I thought it was baby girl." I raised an eyebrow at him. Looking back at the road, I crossed my legs on the dashboard and glanced at the passing buildings outside the window. It irritates the shit out of my brother to place my legs on the dashboard.

What's the bliss of having a brother and not getting on his nerves?

"Kassy delivered a baby girl this morning. I thought you should know." His voice was low, as though he was trying hard to not bring up buried memories.

I stopped fiddling with my fingers and unconsciously smiled at the thought of Kassy welcoming her little princess into the world. A wave of joy surged settled inside my chest. "That's wonderful. I'm so happy for her. You guys talked?"

"Yeah. She asked about you. They missed you." For a brief moment, Cole turned to my side and met my gaze. I took a deep breath and shifted my attention on my manicured nails. "She asked if you would like to visit them. But it's your choice, Daisy. No one will force you to do something you don't want to. Hope you make the right decision."

I watch through the window as buildings pass by in a whooping flash. Leaning my head on it, I drown my mind in different thoughts and let the peace of the moment take over my soul. All these times, I've being trying to force myself to forget about my previous life and forgive those that have scarred me for life. I don't regret moving to Detroit but Denver was the place I grew up in, made wonderful friends, where I built good and bad memories, where I lost three most important people of my life.

I've suffocated myself for a very long time, it's time to test myself and let go of the painful past. I can't go back to change the beginning but I can change the ending.

***

Hazel Delilah Hudson.

"She's so beautiful, Kassy." I whispered, my eyes glued to the tiny, chubby cheeked, red creature in my arms. She's so small I feel like I'm going to crush her with my bones. Gently patting her small form enclosed in the thick onesie and a pink blanket, I began to rock her.

Instantly, I know Hazel is going to be a carbon copy of her mother. With the mop of dark blond hair similar to her mother's, the cute button nose and chubby cheeks, it wasn't hard to tell. The only difference I could pinpoint was the hazel eyes which I dare to say, must be from her mysterious father's side.

Opening her big puppy eyes, a pair of hazel eyes innocently stared at me, and I could feel the purity of the gaze. Her tiny gloved hands were kicking up and down, rubbing against her cute face. I sighed, mesmerised when she open her little mouth to yawn for this baby won the cutest baby in the world. Her little fingers found their way to my index finger and grasped mine and held tight. A surge of happiness settled in my chest at the gesture and I could feel the tears forming in the back of my eyes.

Is that what it feels like to hold the baby you've carried for nine moths inside you? Is that what motherhood feels like? Now I understand what only parents feel like when they hold their babies. It's like a swell of longing and tender love and affections forms in your chest. If she were mine, I would soothe her with lullaby's and stroke her tiny back and soft hair.

I would love her with the power mightier than the wind and give her all the love and affections she deserves. I would hold her to my chest every night and sing a lullaby to her, take her to the park and watch her play with other kids, I'll hold her tiny hands and take her to school every morning and pick her up on time. I will comb her hair in front of the mirror as we stare at each other lovingly, talk about boys and crushes and buy her the beautiful prom dress she wished to have.

"Daisy?" Kassy's voice rang out in my voice, pulling me back to reality. I shifted my attention back to her to find her staring at me with kindness glowing in her eyes. She was sitting in the middle of the bed with the comforter covering her. Her hair was tousled around her and her face was natural, bags under her eyes after twelve hours of labour.

"Yeah?"

"I'm so sorry to disturb you but you've being staring at baby Hazel for almost an hour now. And the boys will be back any minute. I thought I should inform you." She kindly enlightened me.

My eyes went wide and I let out a strings of curses under my breath before gently handing the baby over to her. "Thank you so much for reminding me, Kassy. I totally forgot."

Earlier this day when we arrived in Denver, I requested the Hudson to send the boys including him on a grocery shopping because I wasn't ready to face him. It's being a very long time since the last time I saw him and I don't want to face him now. I broke his heart when I left him with nothing but a letter of apology, forcing him to move on. But it wasn't what was initially bothering me.

What if he had already moved on? Agony gripped my heart in a painful grasp at the thought of seeing him with another girl. A beautiful, flawless, sweet girl just like him. It would be so selfish of me to be with him when there are more beautiful, sweet, perfect girls out there. After all, it was my fault I destroyed his life and brought chaos into it.

Grabbing my jacket, I rushed outside only to be met with Maya and Leslie. They were the first people I met when I returned. We hugged and reminisced in joy of finally meeting after two months of being apart. I was unable to catch up with them because I had little amount of time before Zack and his friends return.

Cole was outside, having a small chat with Hector and his wife, Paris. It was a surprise me when they embraced each other and started conversing as though Cole was their son and had just returned after a very long time of being away from home.

My heart was hammering in chest as I struggle to wear my jacket, ignoring the calls of Maya and Leslie. My adrenaline kicked in as I silently prayed the boys haven't return. I passed by the living room, leaving a confused Eden with her dog to strangely stare at me. I was so caught up with reaching the car and alerting Cole I didn't see the figure casually leaning by the door as though patiently anticipating my arrival.

No.

I felt a hand grasped my wrist, stopping me from taking a further step. It was electrifying, making my breath hitched. I shut my eyes as tears threaten to fall, twisting my hand in his to make him let me go. But he was stronger.

Sparks fly like the good olden days and butterflies swarm in my stomach. Helplessly, memories floated back from the depth of mind, unraveling after being buried deep inside my soul for a very long time. My knees became weak and I barely stand there with my back facing him. He's the only one to make me feel like this with his electrifying touch. Why does he have to be this powerful? I don't know why but my instincts told me I can't escape him again.

"Hello, beautiful."

And this, my lovelies marks the end of the bad girl and me(:

Please check out the author's note because I have an important message to deliver. Thank you so much for all the love and support you've shown me💕