#dex daredevil

You were seen as a little strange at school... Not bullied or excluded, exactly. But people were afraid of you. Not in a Regina George kind of way. More like, "You're cool, but stay away from us, weirdo."way.

Everyone had known you for years, yet you'd never had a boyfriend. It wasn't because you weren't pretty. it was because every idiot who tried their luck with you left emotionally traumatized.

Dex had heard plenty about you. The two of you were surprisingly alike.

Actually, very alike.

You were both the kind of people everyone at school feared.

Despite being one of the football team's best players, Dex never partied, never flirted, and generally didn't interact with anyone.

Just like you.

"How am I supposed to flirt with a blind guy?"

You were focused on your homework while your younger sister—who was a grade below you—continued her ridiculous rambling.

"First of all, stop calling him the blind guy."

"But he is blind?"

"Jess."

Your sister rolled her eyes and started spinning a pencil between her fingers.

"But seriously, how is someone who can't even see himself supposed to know how hot he is?"

"If you say one more word about Matt Murdock, I'm throwing you out the window."

Instead of being intimidated by the threat, your sister only grinned.

A light tapping came from the window.

Both of you turned toward it.

Seeing your sister's overly energetic best friend outside made you roll your eyes.

Jess jumped up and opened the window while you tried to focus on the worksheet in front of you.

The two girls got so caught up talking that they completely forgot you were still in the room.

"Forget Matt. Dex is the impossible one. God, he's so hot, but he doesn't give anyone attention!"

You scoffed and looked over at them.

"Benjamin? Girls, get a grip."

They both stared at you as if you'd just said the dumbest thing imaginable.

"What? Dex is the hottest guy on the team."

"Stop calling him Dex. He's not your friend. Besides, I seriously doubt he'd be hard to get. He's probably just not dating because he has a tiny dick."

Both girls burst into laughter. You smirked too.

Suddenly Jess practically jumped in place. "I've got the perfect idea!"

You leaned back in your chair with a tired sigh. You already had a very bad feeling about whatever she was about to say.

"If you can make Poindexter fall in love with you within two weeks, I'll do whatever you want for an entire month."

Her words lingered in the room for a few seconds. You simply stared at her. Then you set your pen down.

"...What?"

"A bet."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't live my life based on your stupid teenage entertainment."

Her friend immediately cut in.

"Look. She's scared."

"I'm not scared."

"Then do it."

You shook your head and returned to your homework.

"Jess, I genuinely don't have the energy for this."

Jess leaned across the desk. "Two weeks. That's all. Make him fall for you."

"I don't make people fall in love with me."

"No. You send them away with psychological damage."

Silence. Then all three of you started laughing at the same time.

"Look," you said. "First of all, I couldn't care less about Benjamin Poindexter."

"Dex."

"Benjamin."

"Dex."

"Did he legally change his name?"

Jess wrinkled her nose. "Nobody calls him Benjamin."

"I do."

"Oh, come on! Besides, that bitch who bullied us in middle school likes Dex-"

Your eyebrows furrowed.

"What?"

"Julie likes Dex."

Your hand slammed against the desk.

"I'm in."

The second the words left your mouth, you regretted them.

~

Well...

Poindexter really was difficult.

Luckily... You liked difficult.

You were in the same class, and every free moment you had was spent watching him.

You built strategies in your head.

You tried memorizing every tiny habit he had. At the end of the first day, the only thing you'd gained was a headache.

Benjamin Poindexter was a machine powered entirely by routine.

Every morning, at exactly 7:53, he walked through the front entrance. He went to his locker. Spent exactly three minutes organizing his books. Spoke to no one. Then walked to class.

He barely said a word during lessons.

At lunch, he never went to the cafeteria.

Instead, he sat alone on the bench behind the old bleachers on the north side of campus.

He never looked at his phone. Never wore headphones. Never read a book.

He just...

Sat there.

Almost as if he were watching people.

And while you were watching him, he suddenly turned his head directly toward where you were standing.

Your eyes met.

Neither of you looked away. For about five seconds... You simply stared at each other.

Then you turned around and walked away.

It took you two days to memorize him.

The third day... Everything changed.

Chemistry class.

The teacher was assigning lab partners.

"Poindexter..."

Half the girls in the room instinctively sat up straighter. "...and..."

You looked up from your notebook.

The teacher said your name.

A quiet murmur spread across the classroom.

Someone whispered from the back row,

"Damn."

Another student laughed.

"Wonder which one kills the other first."

You calmly picked up your bag and sat down beside Dex. He glanced at you once.

Then returned to reading the lab instructions.

"Hello, Benjamin."

The tip of his pencil froze in midair. Slowly, he turned toward you.

"..."

"Did that bother you?"

"No."

"Liar."

Silence. Then he looked back down.

"You can call me Dex."

"I don't want to."

"Why?"

"'Benjamin' is funnier."

For the first time...

A tiny expression appeared on his face.

Not quite a smile.

But no longer completely expressionless either.

The teacher interrupted.

"Alright, grab your test tubes."

You both reached for one at the same time.

The tube slipped.

Before it could hit the floor Dex caught it.

One-handed.

Without even looking.

Your eyebrow lifted.

"Nice reflexes."

"Its not that impressive."

"So you're humble too."

"Sometimes."

You barely spoke for the rest of the lesson.

By the time class ended, everyone else had already left the lab while you packed your bag.

Just as you were about to leave someone called your name.

You turned around.

Dex.

He had called you.

Probably the first time anyone at school had ever witnessed him calling someone over.

"Yeah?"

He looked at you for several long seconds.

"You..."

He paused.

"...why have you been watching me for the last three days?"

Fuck.

You've been caught.

Your face didn't change.

You slung your bag over your shoulder and answered calmly. "Maybe I like you, Poindexter."

One of his eyebrows rose.

Then he laughed. Actually laughed.

It only lasted a second. The corner of his mouth barely lifted. But you saw it. You fucking saw it.

And so did the two students walking past in the hallway.

Over the next few days, the rumor spread across the entire school.

No one knew why.

They only knew that the most untouchable boy in school had smiled for the first time while looking at the school's most unsettling girl.

Over the next few days, you and Dex never spoke again.

You were busy getting into fights with guys, attending performances by your local women's rock band, and reading books about feminist theory.

But whether you were walking through the school halls, sitting in your favorite bar, or even lying in bed at home...

You couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching you.

Weird.

One afternoon after class, you were walking through the hallway beside the gym where the boys' football team practiced.

You never normally came this way.

You only took the shortcut because you thought it'd get you to the library faster.

As you passed the locker rooms...

You heard something. A muffled sound.

Like someone desperately trying to control their breathing. Your footsteps stopped.

Large letters above the door read:

VARSITY LOCKER ROOM

Another metallic thud echoed from inside. Then...

Muffled sobbing.

You carefully pushed the door open. The room was a complete mess. Among all the scattered gear... Your eyes landed on him.

At the far end of the room, sitting beside the last row of lockers...

Poindexter.

His elbows rested on his knees. His head hung low. His shoulders shook violently.

You didn't know what came over you. You rushed over and dropped to your knees beside him.

"Benj-Dex! What happened?"

Dex looked up at you through tear-filled eyes... Then shoved you away.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" You snapped instinctively.

But the look on his face immediately softened you. You steadied yourself and knelt beside him again.

"I'm so fucking tired..."

He could barely breathe between words.

"Shhh... breathe. It's okay, I'm here."

"Go away."

He spoke between ragged breaths.

"Alright."

You stood and started walking toward the door.

"Wait-"

The pitiful sound of his voice made you smirk.

"Shit... Stay."

You quietly returned and sat beside him again. Resting a hand gently on his shoulder. He'd calmed down a little. At least he wasn't shaking uncontrollably anymore.

"What's wrong?"

Dex let out a long breath. He licked his tear-soaked lips before speaking.

"Everything."

His breathing hitched. He inhaled again before continuing.

"I want people to see me as a person instead of a monster."

"And.... fuck-" Another sob escaped him.

"I wanted to be a good person. I swear I did. But I don't know how. Julie was helping me, but she—"

"Julie?! She's not even a good person herself!"

"Don't talk about her like that!"

Your eyebrows drew together. You started to stand again.

Then he grabbed your wrist.

"Shit- I'm sorry... Stay."

And you stayed. You hugged him. At first, he didn’t hug you back, but eventually he gave in and buried his face into your neck. You gently stroked his trembling body. For a moment — a moment both of you would probably rather forget — you pressed a small kiss into his hair.

Apparently, despite what everyone thought, neither of you were emotionless assholes.

After that day, the feeling of being watched only grew stronger, while you and Dex didn’t even make eye contact anymore. He was... avoiding you.

You tried not to care. You didn’t care.

At least, that was what you told yourself.

You and Jess had gone to the bar on a night when one of your favorite bands was playing. You were dancing, drinking, having fun.

Then, suddenly, your eyes landed on someone sitting in the corner.

Benjamin Poindexter.

Maybe it was because your head was slightly hazy, but you made your way toward him with unsteady steps.

"Do you want to buy me a drink?"

Dex stared at you for a moment.

"No."

You giggled. "Come on."

You were smiling when you said it.

Dex, however, wasn’t smiling.

But he wasn’t completely expressionless like before either.

He was studying you.

Your hair was slightly messy. Your cheeks were flushed from the music and the alcohol. The person who normally silenced people with a single look in the school hallways was gone.

In her place...

There was simply someone who was having fun.

And that confused Dex.

"Do you want to dance?" you asked, raising your voice slightly so he could hear you over the music.

"You're drunk."

Dex shook his head as if disagreeing.

You narrowed your eyes.

"Is that why you're saying no?"

"Yes."

"Liar."

Dex raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Liar?"

"Yes. Because you just don't want to dance with me."

"Correct."

The answer came so quickly that you fell silent for a moment.

Then you smiled.

"At least you're honest."

"Usually, I am."

"No, usually you run away."

The music continued around you, but for a few seconds, neither of you heard it.

Dex didn’t take his eyes off you.

"Are you always like this?"

"Like what?"

"Trying to figure people out while making them uncomfortable."

You shrugged. "And are you always like this?"

"Like what?"

"Letting people get close to you and then pretending nothing happened."

The expression on his face changed. It was a very small change.

But you noticed it.

"How's Julie?" you suddenly asked.

The question hit Dex harder than you expected.

An uncomfortable silence fell between you.

"I don't know. We broke up."

You almost gasped in surprise. Dex and Julie had been together?

"What?"

"Hm." Dex muttered. "She broke up with me the day you found me in the locker room."

"Is that why..."

You cut yourself off.

"She wanted to hide us from everyone at school. She didn’t want to be seen with me. Eventually, she left."

You clenched your jaw in anger.

"You deserve better, Poindexter."

You grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the dance floor.

"Someone who won't be ashamed of being seen with you."

You had no idea how you ended up in Dex's car.

The memories of the night were blurry.

God, you had drunk a lot.

And you had a lot of fun.

Dex was calm and focused in the driver's seat. One hand rested on the wheel, his attention completely on the road.

And for some reason... It was incredibly attractive.

"Dexy..." you mumbled, your eyes closed.

"A few days ago, you wouldn’t even call me Dex."

Your eyes were still closed, but you could hear the smile in his voice.

You turned your head toward him, locking your eyes onto his.

For a moment, he stopped looking at the road and looked back at you.

"Your eyes..." you whispered.

"Hm?"

"They're not brown."

Dex turned his attention back to the road, but you could see the corners of his lips lift.

"They're hazel."

Dex smiled slightly.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home."

You made a sound of understanding and rested your head against the window.

Then, when you realized something, you suddenly turned your head toward him.

"How do you know where I live?"

Silence.

Dex cleared his throat.

"You told me. Just now. Don’t you remember?"

You shook your head, then turned back to watch the road.

You didn’t really care.

"I play electric guitar."

Your head immediately turned back toward him in surprise.

"What?!"

Dex kept his eyes on the road.

"Something people don’t know about me. Only Julie knew."

The car fell silent again.

Then, without thinking, you spoke.

"Can you teach me?"

"No."

"Pleaseee?"

Dex shook his head with a small smile.

"We're talking about this when you're sober."

When the car finally stopped in front of your house, you stared at Dex for a long moment.

"When are you getting out?"

"When are you going to ask me on a date?"

Dex scoffed, shaking his head. But you noticed the slight redness on his ears.

"Tomorrow. After school. At the café next to the school."

You frowned.

"Everyone will see us there."

Dex grinned.