The School Trip part I

"Honestly do I have to do this every morning? If there was an award for the laziest person on earth you would take first place immediately."

Rising from my bed with my vision still blurry, I was met with the familiar sight of my sister slamming the door open to wake me up. The loud sharp noise destroyed the peaceful and tranquil environment of my bedroom. Sitting up and stretching I grabbed my phone on the table and looked at the date.

1st October

Daniel:" It's finally time I guess."

My mind was deep in thought as the day of the school trip had finally arrived, all the anticipation and excitement everyone had made me just a little more hopeful that it would at least be an event I can look back on without cursing at myself. Suddenly a thought popped up in my head of the conversation I had with Christopher last night. Just how did he know? These questions were still flooding through my brain. Staring at the clock I knew I was going to be late if I didn't get ready soon. Brushing these thoughts aside, I walked to the bathroom to prepare.

" You're going already? Aren't you gonna eat breakfast?"

Daniel:" It's fine I'll pick up something small on the way to the station later."

" Have a good trip."

Daniel:" Thanks."

Waving goodbye to his family Daniel closed the door and got ready to leave the house. Looking at the opposite side of his house was Jasmine's. He wondered if she had left already. Usually the two left for school around the same time, but today she was nowhere to be seen.

Daniel:( What am I even thinking about? Pull yourself together man. But I can't deny I'm a tad bit worried about how she's going to stop the confession, she's the kind of person who won't stop no matter what. Stubborn to the core.)

As he walked down the street towards the station, a message popped up on his phone. In his class group chat were the assigned groupings they were to travel in for the trip.

Daniel:( Oh yeah come to think of it Rosalia did say something about inter-class groupings)

Looking at his name he saw 4 other names next to his.

Group 3: Daniel, Michael, Rosalia, Thomas, James.

Daniel:( Wow you can't be serious? What are the chances of that.)

Glancing at his other chats he saw Rosalia had already made one for their group

Rosalia:" I can't believe we all ended up in the same group. This is going to be better than I thought."

Michael:" Oh thank goodness, there's no new people I have to talk to."

Thomas:" Damn we actually all got into the same group, nice."

James:" This could actually be an enjoyable school trip."

Smiling at these short messages from all his introverted friends heaving sighs of relief at this grouping ( except rosalia), Daniel continued walking towards the station. One big factor he hated about school trips was the forced bonding and interactions the school puts its students through, but now with that out of the way he thought things might be much better than he thought.

As he exited the train with his bag full of items, he found the waiting area the students were in outside the station. As he approached he realised how busy the station was, people were rushing in and out of the trains and he struggled to walk through to get to the area

Daniel:( Oh, that's good.. I'm not the latest one here.)

Smirking to himself as he wondered when Michael was gonna show up. He had a tendency to be the last to show up at any kind of meetings outside school. The worst time to be late was at a school event. You would stand out too much. Daniel always timed his arrivals to be just in the middle, that way he wouldn't be standing out by arriving too early or late.

Daniel:( All according to plan.)

As he walked over to his class, he caught a glimpse of Jasmine talking with her friends.

Daniel:( Truly an expert actor, I'm surprised how she can act so calm and cheerful despite what she has to do this trip. Well then again, she's like me, always ready to put a mask on)

As he stood there chatting with a few other classmates, he noticed Isaac calling him from a distance.

Walking over he saw Isaac wearing an anxious look on his face. It was the first time Daniel had seen him so nervous and anxious, he wondered just how much he actually liked Sarah to be this nervous over her. He remembered a certain other person equally infatuated.

Isaac:" Sorry to bother you but did you manage to ask Jasmine?"

Daniel:" Yeah.."

Turning his face away in guilt and slightly embarrassed, Daniel tried to find a way to tell Isaac what had happened, but he couldn't find the right words to explain it.

Isaac:" Judging from that look you were unsuccessful huh?"

Daniel:" Yeah sorry about that, I tried my best but she just didn't wanna do it."

Daniel bit his tongue as he felt like a heavy burden had just been placed on his chest, he was lying through his teeth. He didn't try his best, in fact he had tried to offer help to stop the confession. He had lied so many times before to maintain his image, but he wondered why it was so different this time. Why he felt so burdened and sick after deceiving Isaac.

As Daniel looked back at Isaac he saw nothing but a face full of determination and excitement, his eyes widened as he saw a completely different reaction to the one he had predicted.

Isaac:" Well that doesn't really matter, there are always other ways to get to talk to her. Thanks anyways Daniel. Wish me all the best on the confession."

Smiling the whole way as he completed that sentence, Daniel couldn't help but be amazed by his resolve and determination. It was such a simple thing of wanting to confess and yet the resolve to go through with it despite the obstacle placed before him was incredible.

Daniel:" Hey..."

Daniel awkwardly asked as he struggled to get the words out of his mouth

Isaac:" Hm?"

Daniel:" How do you stay so positive despite knowing you might get rejected, I mean, judging from Jasmine's reaction she clearly doesn't approve of this.. so who's to say Sarah doesn't feel the same way?"

Isaac:" That's true but..."

Looking at Daniel directly in the eye, Isaac, filled with confidence exclaimed:

"If I stopped at everything I did just because I was afraid of getting hurt, that wouldn't be a very enjoyable life to live, would it?"

Daniel looked down at the ground in shock, once again the very foundations of his ideals were being questioned and he found himself wavering, unable to answer his doubts he asked with great reluctance:

"But isn't it better to not get hurt? Those who have gotten hurt know how painful the feeling is and that's why they avoid it."

Isaac:"Well isn't that what youth is all about? Making mistakes, learning from them and one day looking back and laughing at how stupid we were. If you live a pain-free life, you're destined to never to find the fulfillment everyone desires, and that would just leave you empty and I never want to feel that."

Daniel's eyes once again wavered, never before had he been this unsure of himself, his views in youth and how stupid it was. Could he really say that with 100% certainty now? Everything he had experienced up to this point, what did it all lead to? An empty boy with a lingering desire he could never fulfill.

That was when Isaac's words once again replayed in his head and another memory surfaced:

"Aren't you scared of getting hurt."

Daniel:"Yeah of course but if I never tried and forever let things remain like that, it would be an even sadder state to be in than getting hurt."

How long ago had he said those words. He couldn't even remember the context for that situation, all the memories of his past self he buried deep away never letting them surface to remind him of the cruel reality of this world.

Michael:" Daniel! We better get going already."

His mind was snapped back to the present, he saw Michael and the others waiting for him.

Isaac:" Well I should get back to my group too. See ya man."

Daniel:" Yeah."

As the two parted ways walking towards their different groups, Daniel turned back to look at Isaac walking proudly and happily, he couldn't help but say

Daniel:" Isaac!"

Isaac turned around and looked back at him with a confused look

Daniel:" All the best for that."

Isaac's face turned to shock as he quickly smiled back and waved.

Isaac:" Thanks! You too."

Daniels expression was slightly confused.

Daniel:( Huh? What did he mean me too?)

Suddenly he looked over to see Jasmine still talking and laughing with her group of friends and that's when he realised.

Daniel:( No way Isaac, that's not happening.)

As Jasmine looked up their eyes met for a brief moment as they both stared awkwardly at each other for a few seconds before quickly looking away both slightly flustered. They both gave each other another quick glance with Jasmine reaffirming her resolve and determination to stop the confession. Daniel was now even more conflicted on who he really sided with.

Suddenly he felt a huge slap on his back as he turned around in shock to see his friends before him.

Michael:" Man you gotta loosen up a bit we're on a trip dude."

Rosalia:" These three days are precious and we must use them wisely. Finally got a chance to leave the house, I'm not gonna waste it."

Rosalia exclaimed nodding to herself with as much as self gratification as a person could have

Thomas:" It has been a while since the 5 of us got together like this, we should at least make the most of it."

Daniel:" Yeah...."

Watching his friends in front of him chatting happily and full of excitement, Daniel felt a strange sense of happiness for no particular reason. He felt a small sense of fulfillment.

Daniel:( I think I understand it a little now Isaac, this youth everyone seems to love talking about.)

Michael:" Come on we gotta board the bus now."

Rosalia:" Finally! Let's go!"

Picking up their bags and boarding the bus, Daniel couldn't help but smile and laugh.

Daniel:" Yeah. Let's go."

AN: Hello everyone thank you for reading this new chapter once again, I have finally started the school trip arc with this chapter, it might seem insignificant but it will play a pretty big role later on in the arc so do remember this chapt. This Fri chapter will be twice as long as I intend to cover a lot more and I would also like to formally thank my editor for this book thank you for editing the chapters with all my horrible grammar mistakes so once again thanks everyone for reading this new chapter.