Friendship on Fire by Danielle Weiler Read Free Book Online Page A

wrote back straight away: 
Told you he was a tosser. Will you give up on him now? He isn’t interested. There won’t be a date. Give your attention to someone else who deserves it.
    Good advice. I caught her eye and nodded soberly. I knew it was a waste of time to pursue anything after this, not if he was always this moody. Nate was just one big disappointment.

    That night, Treston invited a guest home for dinner. I heard commotion at the front door. A new girlfriend perhaps? I intended to embarrass him as much as I humanly could in front of her. I bounced out of my room with a cheeky smile on my face. As it so happened, I was just in time to bump into none other than Nate. Of course. We both quickly stepped back and I couldn’t help but show my revulsion.
    â€˜Oh, it’s just you,’ I said coldly, and walked past him to the fridge. My knees shook.
    Nate, surprised by my impolite tirade, chose to be polite in his new friend’s house, so he didn’t say anything.
    Treston didn’t bat an eyelid.
    â€˜Sweet. You know each other, that saves me the effort,’ he said, and handed Nate a drink.
    â€˜I never got your name, though.’ Nate’s brown eyes watched me briefly before he took the drink.
    Treston waved a hand in my general direction. ‘That’s Daisy,’ he said, dragging Nate into the lounge room. Nate glanced over his shoulder at me and shrugged slightly. Spineless loser.
    I ran through the house to find Mum. She was getting changed out of her work clothes as I burst in and rallied her attention. I was going right off about Nate being here when she shushed me and asked what was really the matter. What did she mean, what was really the matter? He was the matter.
    She asked how I knew this boy in the first place. I told her a watered down version of the story of what happened at school and she listened intently. Then she said, ever so logically, ‘Daisy, sometimes boys are undecided with their intentions. You have to give them more time than a few days. There are things going on in their heads that we don’t know about. He has to establish his friendship with Treston too. Maybe he doesn’t know how you feel about him?’
    â€˜I don’t feel anything for him in that way, if that’s what you’re implying,’ I answered hotly.
    â€˜OK sweetheart, I’m just asking. Things always seem much larger when you’re young. Relax. It will work itself out. Come help me with dinner,’ she said, and I nodded grumpily. Stupid boys should cook their own food , I thought.
    Mum and I ate at the table, while the boys ate in front of the TV. No big surprise there. After dinner, I studied history with my earphones in and munched on some sour snakes. It was continuously hard to drown out the noise of the television, and life that I didn’t see much of, coming from the lounge room. I felt, rather than heard, a loud knock on my door.
    I was cranky enough as it was without the disturbance of unwanted company in the middle of planning an extended response.
    â€˜What?’ I called out.
    â€˜Can I come in?’ a muffled voice called.
    My music was conveniently too loud, so I shouted, ‘ I can’t hear you’ to the anonymous person.
    The door opened a crack. A head popped round it. ‘It’s Nate, can I come in now?’
    My heart leapt through my chest. ‘No. Shut the door.’ I snapped, without turning around.
    â€˜Please, Daisy,’ he asked gently.
    I stopped typing. For some reason I liked the sound of my name in his voice. He hadn’t said it before to me. I wanted to hear it again.
    My resolve softened slightly. I spun around in my computer chair, eyes narrowed. ‘Right. What could you possibly have to say to me? You clearly have issues with your tongue when more important people are around,’ I spat, folding my arms for effect.
    â€˜What would you know about my tongue?’ he