Daisy's Code Novel by Amelia Bennett

Lance was tucked away, his gaze fixed on the unfolding drama, curious about what Daisy would do.

Daisy was cool as a cucumber, pulling out a neatly folded cloth to clean her fingers-a gesture that spoke volumes about her poise. She approached Laura with feigned innocence, “Laura, we’re family, right? Why are you siding with people who aren’t even close to us?”

The crowd buzzed with speculation, dissecting the sisters’ relationship.

“Daisy might be a bit of a prima donna, but they’re still sisters,” one voice noted.

“My sister’s always covered for me, even taken the heat for me. But look at Laura… Well, now that Daisy’s back, Laura might feel like she’s on shaky ground as the Wilder family’s heir.”

Laura felt the whispers like a spotlight on her vulnerabilities.

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she tried to play the victim, “Daisy, I didn’t mean it like that. Yvonne’s foot is swollen; you should apologize to her.”

Daisy shot back with a wry smile, “I thought I’d already made my peace in class.” She looked at Laura, who seemed to be the one wronged, but there was a hint of sarcasm in her tone. “Laura, it seems like you’ve got your priorities mixed up.”

The crowd’s strange looks made Laura feel like she was the punchline of a joke. Overwhelmed, she covered her face and bolted from the scene, leaving behind the murmurs and the judgment.

Left behind, Emma watched the scene unfold with wide eyes, surprised by Daisy’s unexpected strength.

“You’re amazing, Daisy,” she said, her tone a mix of admiration and envy. Emma had her own dreams of defying expectations, but the fear of letting her parents down kept her anchored.

Daisy responded to Emma’s praise with a shy grin that quickly morphed into laughter, easing the tension. “What’s the fuss? We all gotta grow up sometime, right?” she said, her words carrying a weight that hinted at experiences beyond her years.

Lance, who had been keeping a low profile behind the trees, felt a pang of empathy for Daisy. He was curious about the life she’d led that had led to such mature reflections.

But Daisy wasn’t one to dwell. With a flick of her hair and a shake of her shoulders, she seemed to shed the moment of introspection, “Come on; let’s head to class,” she said, her voice upbeat, steering them back to the present.

As Daisy and Emma were wrapping up, Lance ambled out from behind the trees, a water bottle in hand. “You guys are cutting it close for class,” he said, tossing the water to Daisy. “Hold onto that, and come find me when you’re off the clock.”

Emma, who’d caught the whole scene, was stunned. She watched Daisy’s relaxed reaction, her mind buzzing with questions about the two of them.

Walking towards the sports field, Emma hooked her arm with Daisy’s, her voice barely above a whisper with a hint of envy. “So, what’s the deal with you and that guy? He’s kind of a hottie, and I’ve never spotted him around before.”

Daisy looked over at her, a small smile forming as she saw the dreamy look on Emma’s face.

“Just a lucky break,” Daisy explained, her tone light. “He gave me a ride when I first rolled into town.”

Lost in thought, Daisy wondered about the coincidence of running into him so many times. Was it just luck?

Emma’s eyes went wide, her mouth falling open as she pieced it together. “It’s like a classic love story,” she murmured, more to herself than to Daisy. “The rich hot guy and the ordinary girl. And it’s playing out right beside me!” There was a mix of shock and delight in her voice.

Emma’s thoughts were interrupted by a booming voice that echoed through the schoolyard. “You two girls, class has started! What are you doing dawdling around?” It was their PE teacher, and there was no mistaking the urgency in his tone.

Snapping back to reality, Emma grabbed Daisy’s hand, and they sprinted towards the gym. “Oh, no! It’s the PE teacher. We’ve got to move it,” she urged.

As they reached the teacher, Emma dropped Daisy’s hand and stood at attention. “Excuse me? Sorry for the late,” she said with a respectful nod

The teacher gave a curt nod, acknowledging their arrival. But when his gaze fell on Daisy, he looked puzzled. He hadn’t seen her in Senior Class 1 before.

“Uh, you there, class is in session. What’s your business out here?” he asked Daisy.

Mark, the basketball captain quickly stepped in, saving the day. “Sir, she’s our new transfer student,” he explained, trying to smooth things over.

The teacher sized Daisy up and said, “Got it. Well, since you’re not very tall, you’ll stand at the front.”

Daisy was now blushing slightly at the comment about her height. It was a sore spot, but there was nothing she could do about it.

As luck would have it, Daisy found herself next to Laura and just in front of Yvonne. She couldn’t help but think she was in for some trouble.

Yvonne, misinterpreting Daisy’s soft laughter as mockery, saw her chance for a little payback. When the teacher didn’t notice, she gave Daisy a pinch.

But Daisy wasn’t the type to be pushed around. She had her own ways of dealing with such antics. She turned to Yvonne with a sweet smile, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief.

The teacher’s voice brought them back to the task at hand. “You’re all seniors now, and I know you’re under a lot of pressure. That’s why we have PE-to help you relax and recharge. Today, we’ll do a light jog: girls, two laps; boys, three laps. Any issues?”

When no one spoke up, Mark took charge. “Turn left and get started…”

The class fell into step, jogging in unison. Daisy, leading the way, spotted a pebble and, with a mischievous glint in her eye, kicked it back towards Yvonne.

Yvonne let out a yelp, drawing the attention of the class.

Mark noticed her and rushed to her side. “Yvonne, are you okay?” he asked, his concern evident.

Yvonne, however, had her eyes on Daisy. “Daisy! Did you just mess with me?” she accused, her voice carrying a mix of disbelief and annoyance.