Daisy's Code Novel by Amelia Bennett

Laura stood up, tears streaming down her face as Sherry watched her. “Ms. Levine, I don’t get along with Daisy, and I don’t know where she went,” she stammered, her voice shaky.

Everyone knew about the feud between Laura and Daisy. After that incident where Daisy was wrongly accused, their bond turned into outright hostility. At least that was how Laura saw it. As for Daisy, she didn’t care about their little quarrel, but it was clear she didn’t like Laura.

Sherry scanned the class, noticing that no one seemed eager to chime in. With a twitch of her lips, she sighed, “Fine! If Daisy can’t behave, Laura, tell your father that my class doesn’t need kids like her. Let him discipline her himself!”

“Y-yes, I will,” Laura replied, her shoulders slumping. Sherry waved her off, signaling for her to sit down.

Looking at the clock, Sherry realized they had already wasted five minutes. She didn’t want to let Daisy ruin the lesson for

everyone.

“Okay, let’s start class. Sherry announced. As she spoke, the classroom buzzed with the sound of pages flipping as everyone settled in to focus.

Everyone except Oliver. He felt lost, drifting along since Yvonne had left. With her gone, he had no goal. His mind wandered until it landed on Laura, who was busy taking notes. Suddenly, a mischievous idea popped into his mind. With a target in sight, he began to plan, his mood lifting a bit.

Then, the dismissal bell rang, cutting through his thoughts. Sherry reluctantly closed her textbook. “Class dismissed, everyone,” she said, relief evident in her tone.

As soon as Sherry spoke, Oliver shot out of the classroom. There was a lunch break for students who didn’t head home. Oliver knew Laura usually stayed at school for Junch, and he decided to find some kids who hung around outside and acted like thugs. He walked out of the school, determined to put his plan into action.

“Hey guys, can you do something for me? You’ll get paid.’ Oliver, a big guy with an intimidating look, tried to hide his

nervousness.

Jonas, one of the local troublemakers, stepped forward, looking curious. “What’s up? I’m Jonas. What do you Even though they often stirred up trouble, Jonas and his friends weren’t criminals.

need?”

“I need you to scare a girl for me,” Oliver said, making it clear he just wanted to scare her, not anything serious.

Jonas nodded, sensing the easy payday. “Okay, what’s the pay? Who’s the target? When do you need it done?”

Oliver grinned. “Just four of you will do. 50 bucks for each of you, and there’s a bonus if you do it well. Here’s her photo. She’s a senior, and you can catch her after school-she goes home every day.” With that, he handed them the picture and walked away.

That night, Jonas and his friends tracked down Laura as she walked alone after school. At first, she was with her friends, but soon they all split up, leaving her on her own.

Feeling a chill, Laura glanced around and noticed a shadow following her. Panic flooded her, and she started running.

“Halt, or you won’t like what happens next!” Jonas shouted, but Laura was too scared to listen. She sprinted ahead, didn’t see the car coming, and got hit.

Janas froze up, shock written all over his face. The driver sped away, leaving them standing in disbelief. “What do we do now? Should we just run?” one of Jonas’ lackeys whispered with trembling voice, and the others started to suggest the same.

Annoyed by the commotion, Jonas snapped, “Shut up! I’ll go check if she’s okay.”

He gathered his courage and walked over to where Laura lay. Its palms were sweaty, but he forced himself to stay calm. Crouching down, he reached out and put a finger near her nose to see if she was breathing.

“Help… Please…” Laura gasped before passing out.

Seeing she was still alive, Jonas sighed in relief. He turned back to his friends. “She’s not dead. Call 911 and get rid of your phone right after. We can’t leave any traces.”

Following his order, they sprang into action. They didn’t have to wait long-once the ambulance took Laura away, Jonas felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders.

In the workshop, Daisy was sound asleep on the couch while Lance diligently worked on repairing her bracelet using delicate instruments. Sweat beads slowly formed on his forehead. It was the most exhausting repair he had ever done. Perhaps it was because the bracelet belonged to Daisy, he poured extra effort into every detail.

“Phew, done, Lance sighed with relief as he held the bracelet, now looking as good as new. He lifted his gaze, eager to share the good news with Daisy, only to find her peacefully asleep. Deciding not to disturb her, he was struck by a thought-an idea for a matching necklace popped into his mind.

After crafting the necklace, the sky outside gradually darkened. He walked over to Daisy, wanting to surprise her. Quietly, he slipped the repaired bracelet onto her wrist.

Daisy was a light sleeper, and when she felt the touch of the bracelet, she stirred awake. Her eyes widened at the gleaming piece adorning her wrist. “You fixed the bracelet? Thank you!” she exclaimed, her hands moving over it with delight. The way she cherished it sparked a hint of jealousy in Lance, but remembering that it was a special gift from her grandmother, he soon let those feelings fade away.

“Stretch out your hand. I have a gift for you,” Lance said, a smile forming on his face as he watched Daisy’s excitement.

Daisy tilted her head, a mix of curiosity and confusion on her face. “What gift? This bracelet is already the best gift ever!” She shook her wrist playfully.

That’s when she noticed the soft ‘clink’ of something falling from Lance’s hand, drawing her full attention. She gasped, “It’s beautiful!” To her, the necklace and bracelet seemed like a perfect match.