Chasing Ms. Suarez Chapter 2
Chasing Ms. Suarez Chapter 2
Just outside the back of the reception hall there was a large open park type area used for outdoor occasions. It didn't take long for Betty and Daniel to find a secluded bench near the back, just out of reach of the sounds of the revelers.
Betty, like alway, sat there with a patient air, waiting for Daniel to start speaking. Her face and her mannerisms never failed to get anyone to start talking, especially Daniel.
"Betty... You are, with no competiton, my best friend in the entire world. I can't think of anyone who I've ever been so close to." Daniel said. "And recently I just..."
"This isn't about Amanda and Tyler is it?" Betty guessed. She had a blurry idea that maybe this had to do with Daniel transferring his relationship dynamic with Amanda onto her somehow.
"What?" Daniel asked, his voice high pitched in confusion. "No, why would you think that? Betty this is about you. And me. And potentially, hopefully... an us."
"But why? Daniel, you've never thought about me like this before. You said it yourself, we're friends." Betty said.
Daniel looked up at the sky and took a deep breath as he collected himself.
"Do you remember the disaster that was the Blobby awards?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah..." Betty answered. She couldn't think of where this might go.
"I was so childish and angry about the whole thing. It took me a long time to figure out why." Daniel said.
"You said it was because my success intimidated you." Betty commented.
Daniel laughed a little and smiled wryly.
"I meant it too. But not for the reasons I thought I did." Daniel said. "I was so scared Betty. I could always tell you were talented, and I know you want to do more than just Mode and fashion nonsense someday, but when you won that award... For the first time I could really envision a future where you just weren't there any more." Daniel stopped there and took a long, shuddering breath. He looked like he was about to break.
Betty took his hand and intertwined their fingers, assuring Daniel that she was still here. Daniel rubbed his thumb along the side of her hand for a moment before finding the strength to continue.
"And after I figured that out, I wasn't so sure it was just friendship I felt for you anymore. It seemed unreasonable that anyone would be so scared of a friend getting what they wanted... just because they had realized they weren't part of it." Daniel finished.
Betty sat there for a while taking in the shy, nervous figure next to her. The time span probably felt like an eternity to him, but it was barely enough time for Betty to wrap her head around what she'd just heard. It didn't seem plausible that she was the one getting Daniel Meade to look so lost and lovesick.
"I... Can you just... let me think about it?" Betty asked finally. Daniel, who had been avoiding looking directly at her this whole time, look a deep breath in and turned his head towards her.
"It's just that, that usually I get some advance warning of this sort of thing. You know... warning signs. Like shyness, or stuttering, or aggressive flirting, or actually dating the person." Betty rambled.
"Betty..." Daniel said, trying to get her attention.
"And really you can't expect a big decision right away, not when I--"
"Betty!" Daniel said more firmly. Betty shut up. "Think about it... I can wait." Betty huffed in relief and smiled awkwardly at him.
After that Daniel and Betty decided to not go back to the reception. Daniel was far too emotionally drained, and Betty was... Betty didn't know what she was, except very confused. But anyway, she wasn't sure she felt much like a party.
They found themselves at the small ice cream place a few blocks down from Betty's apartment, opting to get two separate dishes rather than the single they normally got, Betty suddenly finding the act of sharing a dessert a bit too intimate. Daniel didn't comment on it.
As they sat there, extolling the loveliness of Hilda's wedding and the day in general, all Betty could see was Daniel smiling softly at her.
"Well," Betty thought, somewhat dejectedly "There goes London."
Just outside the back of the reception hall there was a large open park type area used for outdoor occasions. It didn't take long for Betty and Daniel to find a secluded bench near the back, just out of reach of the sounds of the revelers.
Betty, like alway, sat there with a patient air, waiting for Daniel to start speaking. Her face and her mannerisms never failed to get anyone to start talking, especially Daniel.
"Betty... You are, with no competiton, my best friend in the entire world. I can't think of anyone who I've ever been so close to." Daniel said. "And recently I just..."
"This isn't about Amanda and Tyler is it?" Betty guessed. She had a blurry idea that maybe this had to do with Daniel transferring his relationship dynamic with Amanda onto her somehow.
"What?" Daniel asked, his voice high pitched in confusion. "No, why would you think that? Betty this is about you. And me. And potentially, hopefully... an us."
"But why? Daniel, you've never thought about me like this before. You said it yourself, we're friends." Betty said.
Daniel looked up at the sky and took a deep breath as he collected himself.
"Do you remember the disaster that was the Blobby awards?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah..." Betty answered. She couldn't think of where this might go.
"I was so childish and angry about the whole thing. It took me a long time to figure out why." Daniel said.
"You said it was because my success intimidated you." Betty commented.
Daniel laughed a little and smiled wryly.
"I meant it too. But not for the reasons I thought I did." Daniel said. "I was so scared Betty. I could always tell you were talented, and I know you want to do more than just Mode and fashion nonsense someday, but when you won that award... For the first time I could really envision a future where you just weren't there any more." Daniel stopped there and took a long, shuddering breath. He looked like he was about to break.
Betty took his hand and intertwined their fingers, assuring Daniel that she was still here. Daniel rubbed his thumb along the side of her hand for a moment before finding the strength to continue.
"And after I figured that out, I wasn't so sure it was just friendship I felt for you anymore. It seemed unreasonable that anyone would be so scared of a friend getting what they wanted... just because they had realized they weren't part of it." Daniel finished.
Betty sat there for a while taking in the shy, nervous figure next to her. The time span probably felt like an eternity to him, but it was barely enough time for Betty to wrap her head around what she'd just heard. It didn't seem plausible that she was the one getting Daniel Meade to look so lost and lovesick.
"I... Can you just... let me think about it?" Betty asked finally. Daniel, who had been avoiding looking directly at her this whole time, look a deep breath in and turned his head towards her.
"It's just that, that usually I get some advance warning of this sort of thing. You know... warning signs. Like shyness, or stuttering, or aggressive flirting, or actually dating the person." Betty rambled.
"Betty..." Daniel said, trying to get her attention.
"And really you can't expect a big decision right away, not when I--"
"Betty!" Daniel said more firmly. Betty shut up. "Think about it... I can wait." Betty huffed in relief and smiled awkwardly at him.
After that Daniel and Betty decided to not go back to the reception. Daniel was far too emotionally drained, and Betty was... Betty didn't know what she was, except very confused. But anyway, she wasn't sure she felt much like a party.
They found themselves at the small ice cream place a few blocks down from Betty's apartment, opting to get two separate dishes rather than the single they normally got, Betty suddenly finding the act of sharing a dessert a bit too intimate. Daniel didn't comment on it.
As they sat there, extolling the loveliness of Hilda's wedding and the day in general, all Betty could see was Daniel smiling softly at her.
"Well," Betty thought, somewhat dejectedly "There goes London."