you didn't deserve her
to my new friend daphy ( @eleonorasvas ) who came up with the idea! we haven't known each other long but i know i love you teehee <3
dallas international college for the knowledgeable.
grace thought she’d never have to hear that school name ever again when she moved to austin. until now.
all the colour drained out from her face the moment kelsey announced the arrival of the school. “they should be here by today afternoon,” the blonde said, “and they’re apparently going to have a joint practice session with our football team too.”
grace wouldn't have cared if it was the incredibly smart debate team that came over, or even just the dance team. their football team was coming, too. for a game. grace didn't have a good past with them, and neither did she ever came to accords with them, with him.
they said heartbreak and sin came in the form of everything you desired for. and that was dennis coleman. of course he was the package deal. blue eyes, killer smile, the nicest and most considerate boy you’d ever meet. he was the picture-perfect private school boy.
God, it really has been some time since she last thought of him willingly. it had been almost two years now, but the pain she went through because of him was still fresh in her mind, and probably always will be. but she was better now. maybe she never found peace with him, but she found it within herself. she was a confident and independent woman who didn't need anyone. she had daniel, whom she wanted, not needed. she had her friends who’d stick by her always. she could leave dennis and everything else that was linked to him in the past.
but, could he?
—
“well, well, well, look at what we have here!”
daniel, jo and the team turned to face forward, only to have the shittiest teams in the world in their faces. their captain looked especially smug today.
“yeah, the world’s biggest cry baby.” daniel sniggered, as did the rest of his team. dennis’ smug look left his face for a split second, before recovering with a harsh look. “it was one time, williamsson. get over it.”
did this kid really want daniel to forget the fact that he made him cry at a football game?
before he could have a say, the other captain started speaking again. “i must say... for a public school, you guys do have some kind of standards. although, i can't speak for its team.” he flashed a smirk, and his team backed him up by laughing and coughing out words like ‘rekt’ and ‘public losers’.
“speak for yourself,” jo started, taking a step forward to be right next to daniel, “i mean, you guys have the longest name of all school history.” he paused, before continuing with a smirk. “hey, isn't your school acronym dick? how symbolic.”
daniel couldn't help but chuckle. he then went over a doubling fit when he noticed the glares jo, him and the entire team was receiving from the rival school. they really were sore private school trash, he thought.
“har de har de har, penetrator jo.” vincent, the co-captain, spoke up, and walked up to be face-to-face with him. “hey, congrats on that new girlfriend, by the way. i’d love to meet her.” he gave a cheeky smile, making jo lose his smirk and replace it with a growl.
daniel stretched his arm out in front of jo, so that he wouldn't do anything stupid while vincent taunted him. but little did he know that it was going to be him who needed restraint the moment dennis reopened his mouth.
“speaking of girlfriends!” dennis clapped his hands, “how could we forget about our very own daniel williamsson’s? the biggest playboy of all of Texas, settled down?” he faked a surprised look. “shocker!”
daniel subconsciously lay his hand back down to his side, his relaxed look turning into a suspicious one. “and what about it?” he challenged.
dennis’ eyebrow raised. “oh, so gracie-wacie never told you? about her, and me?”
fuck.
suddenly, it hit daniel. that guy grace told him about, and the private school she used to go to. both, were here. on that very field.
daniel clenched his fists. out of rage, fear, and jealousy. rage, because of the way dennis was talking. fear, that grace could leave him for this trash, and jealousy. because grace was in love with this guy.
dennis’ evil smug look became more prominent the moment he realised that he hit bullseye. “oh, so she did tell you the story, but not who it was? that won her heart? who she loved?”
“you fucking prick,” daniel gritted his teeth, already taking a step forward, “you didn't deserve her!”
before he could swing his fist at dennis, a voice broke out. “daniel!”
he would've recognised that voice from anywhere. grace. his grace. he involuntarily relaxed at the sight of her, but he was still ready to throw a punch. grace joined them down at the field. she knew something like this would happen. she knew dennis wouldn't play nice.
“gracie!” dennis suddenly didn't sound so evil anymore. he sounded like an angel, a boy in love. “i’ve missed you. so much. you don't even reply to my texts.” he pouted.
he’s been texting her? “don’t fucking call her that, y-”
grace touched his face, and the rest of his sentence died down in his throat. “hey, donald,” she whispered, “you can't let him get into your head, okay? you can't get benched because of him.”
daniel took in a deep breath. grace always calmed him down. she was his anchor.
“how fucking adorable,” dennis cooed, his tone dripping in venom, “you met someone new, gracie. but remember, you're never going to find someone like me.” he turned his head towards daniel. “and to you? have fun with my sloppy seconds.”
that’s it. that was the last straw.
“jo! guys!” grace yelled out for help, and immediately did the rest of the boys hold daniel back. it did require a lot of strength to restrain an angry daniel. “let me fucking go!” he roared, but the team didn't move. usually, they did listen to their captain, but when grace was on field, she was their captain.
grace looked back at dennis, who was proud of the disaster he cooked up. she took a step forward, towards him. daniel suddenly stopped struggling. what was she...
“you’re right. i’ll never find someone like you.” she agreed with him. dennis’ smile brightened, while daniel thought he felt something die inside.
“but that’s just the point, dennis. i never want to find someone like you ever again.” she said, and dennis went into pure shock. “i have someone who treats me the way i should be treated and loves me for who i am.” she pointed back at daniel, “he’s the complete opposite of you, and i’m glad i found someone like him, who isn't a coward to embrace who he really is. and i love him.”
dennis, along with his team, were in stunned silence. they didn't realise that grace was a changed person now, someone who stood up for herself.
daniel’s teammates let go of him, but he didn't need anymore restraint.
because all the restraint he had both physically and mentally, was from grace olsen. and she was all he needed. and maybe he wasn't her first love, but she was his, and she loved him now.
that was all that mattered.
— froy gutierrez as dennis (if you want to visualise him)