A Kiss at Midnight (Delilah and Caelum) novel Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“This is just crazy!”

There are many ways to deal with rejection. Healthy people journal about it, the matured ones reflect on their mistake and some even leart from it.

Unfortunately, I was not one of those people. Which was exactly why I was currently hanging upside down off the edge of Kaia’s bed, my hair nearly sweeping the last remain of my dignity in her plush pink carpet while I stare up at the ceiling like a fallen Victorian heroine.

I still didn’t understand it, how Caelum Hart could think for turn me down.

Caelum Hart

The quiet boy who spent most of his time in the library, the computer lab, or wherever people like him disappear to between classes.

A complete nerd, and an academic machine. One that was social invisible. Yet somehow, he had looked me straight in the eye earlier today and had said no to tutoring me.

It made absolutely no sense. If anything, helping me should have been the highlight of his year. Not that I wanted to be seen hanging around with him long term, obviously, but still…it was a generous offer on my part.

I let out a frustrated sigh, the thought of this just made my head hurt. Maybe I should just talk to Mrs Malakai about assigning someone else.

Daniel Ortega doesn’t sound like a bad idea now.

He was smart, quiet. Not exactly an exciting company but at least he knew what he was doing. Still Caelum had the best grades in the entire school.

My eyes drifted round the ceiling absentmindedly. “Ugh… This is so humiliating.” I groaned.

Kaia didn’t bother looking up from her phone. “You’ve said that six times now.”

“Because it’s humiliating, embarrassing, degrading, and honestly a little shameful… like I’m being belittled, dismissed, and completely demoralized all at once.”

“You got rejected Delilah, not exiled out from society.”

“Basically the same thing.”

Kaia rolled her eyes, tossing her phone onto the pillow beside her. Her room smelled faintly like vanilla candles and the strawberry lip gloss she bought in bulk. The late afternoon sunlight pouring through the window, turning the soft beige wall golden.

This was normally a cosy place, but today, it was the scene of my emotional downfall.

“He didn’t even hesitate with his response, or even pretended to think about it.” I continued with another sigh. “Just a big fat ass no thrown to my face.”

Kaia propped herself on her elbows. “What exactly were you expecting him to do, faint with excitement?”

“Will I sound crazy if I said yes.” I popped up a brow.

She scoffs. “Crazy? No… more like mentally overwhelmed, and maybe a little unhinged.”

12:37 Mon, Jul 20

Chapter 3

I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her and she caught the pillow easily.

“I’m just saying you being kind of unrealistic.” She throws the pillow back at me.

“Everything about this situation is outlandish.” I argued, “I’m literally offering him the privilege of tutoring me.”

“Is it a privilege, though.” Her hand raised and lightly weighing the air between them, like she was measuring the weight of her own argument. “I mean, you’re the one In need of his help, not the other way around.”

“That doesn’t change the whole concept and idea of the fact that he get to be pulled out of his socially awkward state.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

I sighed loudly, letting my arm dangle toward the floor, my hair brushing the carpet as I swung slightly. “Do you know how many people at school would kill for the opportunity just to spend even a second with me?”

“Most of them,” Kaia admitted.

“Exactly. And I’m offering him more than that.”

“But Caelum Hart isn’t most people.”

I made a face. “Clearly.”

There was a small pause before Kaia tilts her head slightly, “Were you… you know at least..” she hesitated a bit. “Nice about it?”

I slowly turned my upside down head toward her. “By nice, you mean?”

“Deli.”

“What…”

“Don’t tell me you cussed him out.”

“I did not, even if I wanted so badly to.”

“So what exactly did you do?” She pressed even more. “Don’t tell me you flirted with him?”

“Huh…”

Kaia groaned and covered her face with a pillow. “Oh my god.”

“What?”

“You totally scared him off, Deli.”

“I didn’t scare him off, I barely even said anything worth scaring off his ass.”

“Language.” She scold softly, before adding. “Then you probably did that thing you do without realising.”

“Pray do tell, what thing might that be?”

“That thing where you smile like you’re about to commit a crime.”

“Heyy…” I tossed the pillow at her again, “I will have you know I have a charming smile.”

“Are you sure.” She chuckles. “To others like Caelum, it was probably threatening.”

Chapter 3

5 youthu

I pushed myself up slightly before letting my head fall back again. “Well whatever,” I said. “What I need now is a solution.”

Kaia peeked out from behind the pillow. “Oh…”

“I just need a plan.”

“You already tried asking, and it failed.”

“Yeah. I just need a new plan?” I stared at the ceiling for a long moment. “But honestly, I have absolute no idea where to start from.”

Kaia nods. “Understandable. You could though… find a common ground between you and Caelum.” She flopped back onto the mattress.

“And how exactly do I go about that, I know zero shit about his life apart from the fact that he had none.”

“Oh, you will figure it out.” She smile. “You are smart when it comes to things like this.”

“Not sure if I should take that as a compliment or…”

“Well.” She chuckles, resting her head on her hands. “All I can say is poor Caelum.”

“Ugh. He’ll survive. Probably.”

A comfortable silence filled the room and Kaia picked up her phone again. “Guess who I ran into today, right after school.”

“Not sure I want to know.”

“How sure are you about that.”

“Because I know whose name that’s about to be uffered.”

“You’re right.” She grins. “Landon.”

I immediately sat upright. “Do you really have to make my day more worse than it already was.”

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