Daniel and Delilah

**Daniel and Delilah** is the pairing between Daniel Parker and Delilah Hawthorne. Before senior year, their friendship existed in the form of a friends with benefits. Their friendship broke down when a secret from the Parker family came out effecting Delilah. Eventually they recovered during the wedding, during the fire.

## Storyline

### First Senior Party (September 2019)

Daniel approaches Delilah at the first party of senior year, covering her eyes to let her guess who it was. Knowing him, Delilah could easily guess who it was. He told her she looked great, though the compliment came with intention that Delilah could detect. He eventually asked the favour - for her to attend his parents launch party as his date due to the fact that his parents wanted him to bring a plus one. Delilah responded jokingly, telling him that she had many plans that made it difficult to add something last minute. Though they both knew that Delilah would be there, considering the favours she owed him.

Once that had been established, Delilah then forwardly asked what his after-party plans were. At this point, the pair had been engaging in a friends with benefits relationship, and an event like this was the perfect environment to keep that up. He played it cool in the same way she had earlier, telling her that he had too many plans to add something to the last minute. Delilah expressed her confidence that he would manage to fit her in, and he asked her to expand on the mentioned after-party.

Delilah put it plainly - that she was going home to an empty house, and that either way she won't be alone. She told him where she would be at the end.

Presumably the pair hooked up at the end of the party.

### Secret Santa (December 2019)

Daniel had been tasked by Blue Royalty to give Delilah a pregnancy test. When receiving it, Delilah hid it away in her bag, then approaching him to express how ridiculous the idea was. Though he had too been hoping it had just been a joke, Daniel appeared more worried. He asked her nervously if she had taken the test yet, which Delilah hadn't even considered doing. It came as a surprise to see Daniel being concerned, she had never seen him like this, and it faltered her non-caring attitude slightly. She tried to reassure him, telling him that it's pointless to take it.

But Daniel pushed for Delilah to take the test, in that it was better to know, and that Blue Royalty may know something that they didn't. Daniel's concern convinced Delilah to take the test, despite not wanting to give in to one of Blue Royalty's many games. As Delilah went into the bathroom, Daniel stayed at the door, turning all girls away that tried to get in. When the test showed a result that neither of them wanted to see, she claimed it must be broken.

The positive test panicked Daniel, Delilah too but she had been able to hide it better. He began to ask if she was joking, to which she said no. They had began to catch the attention of people around them. Unsure of how to process the information, Daniel left the conversation.

Delilah later found Daniel rounding up a few people to get in a private jet to Vegas. She watched through the window that directly faced them on the field. She couldn't find any kind of concern on his face to the ongoing circumstances. It indicated to her that Daniel didn't care to help, and was taking himself out of the situation that they *both* had created.

### Abortion (December 2019)

Left to assume that Delilah had to handle the problem on her own, she checked into the hospital, giving social media the impression that she was abroad. She texted Daniel very vague that she was handling it. Though that text was enough for Daniel to get in a helicopter and fly over to the hospital to join her.

When he joined, Delilah looked away from him, insisting she didn't need Daniel there. She also told him that she knew he didn't care to be here, the assumption she had made after his school escapade. She insisted that he leave. But Daniel explained that he didn't know how to handle the news, and insisted that he stayed because he couldn't let her handle this alone. As the doctor began to explain the procedure, Daniel took Delilah's hand, and reminded her that he was here.

Once it was over the pair walked out to the courtyard. The atmosphere was awkward, and Daniel attempted to ease it by making it clear that if she ever needed anything that he would be there.

### Hunter Party (January 2020)

Their relationship had changed after that, for one, they had been avoiding each other. When the party in the new year came around, their interaction had been the first since the procedure in December. Daniel began it by talking about the weather. Then followed it up with a compliment to her, which Delilah accepted but telling him that she already knew she looked great.

Realising that Delilah could easily act as if nothing happened, Daniel felt like he could do the same. He clarified his words, stating that other girls may actually be looking better, knowing that Delilah's competitive side wouldn't let it slide. When Delilah stated that the other girls had nothing on her, Daniel agreed - but didn't say it. Daniel ended the conversation soon after, though, to prevent it from getting too awkward considering the circumstances. While he told her he'd see her around, Delilah doubted that would be true.

### Later January 2020

After Candice Clarke had achieved a space on the Blue Bloods, Delilah went to retrieve a video she had been using to blackmail Candice, with full intention of posting it. But her phone began to glitch, and the video deleted itself out of nowhere. But not out of nowhere, Delilah knew who was responsible. She confronted Daniel moment after it happened, frustrated that her one leg-up on Candice was gone. But Daniel skirted around the subject, neither confirming nor denying that he was responsible.

Angered by Daniel's post exposing him, Dominic Lucier interrupts their conversation with his fist. Punching Daniel. Delilah just laughed at Dominic though, congratulating him for reaching a new level of idiocracy by getting on the wrong side of Daniel Parker.

### Prom (March 2020)

Prom around the corner, Daniel approached Delilah, asking how she was and placing a rose in her hair. Once again, it had been a while since they had spoken. For that reason Delilah didn't trust his concern, ignoring his question and asking him what he wanted. To her surprise, though, what he wanted was to take her to prom.

### Candice's Funeral (March 2020)

The news of Delilah's half-sister Candice dying had not sunk in properly with her. But when attending the funeral, everyone was wanting to catch a glimpse of Delilah and how she was reacting to it. Her stoic expression faltered for a moment when she saw Lily-Ann Collins, Candice's mother - also *her* birth mother whom she hadn't spoken to for years. She didn't wish to speak with her now, but Delilah knew it was probably coming.

But her attempt was interrupted by Daniel asking how she was, it being her sister. Delilah clarified that it was her half-sister, which gave no indication to Daniel about how Delilah was feeling. He asked her if he had any plans to talk with Lily; trying but failing to read Delilah and her emotions.

### Camping Trip (Early-April 2020)

Delilah had been out of town the last few weeks, but she returned just on time for the camping trip. As the seniors arrived on the campground, Daniel approached Delilah, asking how the new family was - in reference to the recent news that Lily-Ann was her mother. Delilah made it out that her and her mother were getting on perfectly, because they were so similar. Though that wasn't the full truth, and Daniel can detect it. He warned her about being around Lily. She hesitated for a moment to respond, but then made it seem that she didn't need to be careful around anyone.

While she then joked that he must have missed her, Daniel agreed with the fact. She then told him she missed him too, putting it down to the fact she could have used his fake ID supply. He commented on the fact that she had brought an extensive amount for three days, to which Delilah told him he was going to be stuck with his poor outfit choice since he didn't bring enough.

Later on, when the seniors are playing dare or drink, Daniel dared Delilah to fake it for ten seconds.

Delilah was later dared what she had really been doing in Italy, in the few weeks she had been away. To which she cryptically responded that she had been fixing Daniel's mess.

### The Lock-In (Mid-April 2020)

Before the school lock-in had started, Daniel had been given a task to steal a file from his mother's office. He found something surprising, something surrounding Delilah which brought the unfamiliar feeling of guilt to him. When he headed for Lily-Ann Collins' house to tell her what he had found, Daniel was surprised to find a baby in his sight.

Seeing Daniel in close vicinity to the baby scared Delilah, and she tried to pull him away and out of the house, insisting that he couldn't be here. Daniel wasn't supposed to know about this baby, no one was. The baby started crying, though, and any hope Delilah had that he hadn't seen the baby disappeared at the sound. Delilah asked him why he was here, and Daniel went to begin explaining, but then the idea crossed his mind that the baby may be theirs. She confirmed it wasn't, making another uncomfortable joke about her abortion.

When the inevitable question on whose baby it is was asked by Daniel, Delilah defeatedly told him it was hers. This shocked Daniel, to the point where he didn't know what to say. Daniel never looked into information on his friends, including Delilah, so for information about her to come out that he didn't know about was likely. Daniel apologised for her circumstances, and told her the secret is safe with him. His words seemed genuine, and it gave her the instinct to hug him. His reason for turning up here had become unimportant now.

**Delilah**: Yeah, and I am... I’ll always… for you too.

Daniel then tried to leave, deciding that now was a bad time to have the conversation he intended. But Delilah stopped him, asking him again why he came. Daniel lied, telling her his reasoning was about the lock-in, something that Delilah had forgotten about.

### Fashion Show (Late-April 2020)

At the fashion show, Delilah had been given a task to take a file from Daniel. Delilah didn't think much of it, and carried it out. Though the contents of the file brought her attention, as the Hawthorne name was mentioned. The file contained information from almost a decade ago, in which Daniel's parents had faked documents to put her father in jail.

Delilah immediately got Daniel to confront him about it. Daniel quickly started explaining and then apologising, telling her he only found out two weeks ago. Though that only made it worse for Delilah, as she became angry at him for not telling her, and letting her believe for two more weeks that her father had been correctly in prison. As he continued to explain how he had tried to tell her and that he had always speculated things that his parents had done but never wanted to look, Delilah interrupted him by slapping him.

Though the more Delilah dug into him, Daniel eventually closed off. His apologetic nature quickly changed to an uncaring attitude. In his mind, if Delilah wanted to make him out to be the bad guy then he would happily be it. After threatening her about touching him again and made it clear he never had an obligation to her to be a good person, Daniel left.

### Last Soccer Game (Late-May 2020)

After over a month of Delilah ignoring him, Daniel finally cornered her in the hallway during the soccer game. She attempted to get away from him again, going to the girl's bathroom, but that didn't stop him either, as, after slight hesitation, he followed her into there. He apologised to her again, asking her to stop ignoring him, to yell at him instead because that would be better. He was frustrated, and usually at this point he would have given up, but with Delilah it was different.

He tried to see through her, telling her he thought that she was just scared, and that she needed to stop putting walls up. But Delilah just claimed that Daniel may not knew her at all. When he tried to put it plainly to her that all she does is push people away, Delilah deflected, claiming that he did the exact thing - both of them being right about each other.

She expressed to him how much she didn't care, similarly to how he presented to her that he didn't care, as instead of trying to get her father out of prison he had been making posts exposing their classmates. When Daniel asked her what she wanted in exchange for her forgiveness, Delilah told him all she wanted was to never speak to him again.

Though just before Daniel left, he disclosed that he managed to get her father out, that he will be released in a week. Delilah didn't get a chance to respond, as he had already walked away. Which is what she had been telling him to do... but something felt wrong about him leaving. She wanted to go after him, but her pride and stubborn nature got in the way.

### The Wedding (Mid-June 2020)

At the end of the wedding, a fire was started. It quickly spread over the building, and Delilah got caught in the middle of it, being away from everyone else on the phone when it had started. The exit had been in sight for just moments before it was blocked by the ceiling that gave way in front of her. At the same time, Daniel had made it out, but realised the chance of Jessica Pierce still being in there. He returned to the building with the intentions of finding her, but saw a figure moving - who had been Delilah. Revealing herself, Daniel's worry didn't dissipate as it was another person he cared about.

Daniel started moving pieces of debris around and out of the way, trying to get closer. Eventually, Delilah was in reach, and he took both her hands, pulling her out of the building, saving her.

When they were both rushed into an ambulance, Daniel and Delilah were pushed very closely together. Neither could leave, and so that brought on a conversation, one that they needed. It was one that ended in an embrace, and forgiveness from Delilah - she couldn't deny the fact that she loved him.

## Songs

* Close (Nick Jonas, Tove Lo)
* Good In Bed (Dua Lipa)
* everytime (Ariana Grande)
* run for the hills (Tate McRae)
* So It Goes... (Taylor Swift)
* PILLOWTALK (ZAYN)
* Vicious (Sabrina Carpenter)
* Back to Black (Amy Winehouse)
* The Great War (Taylor Swift)
* Look At Us Now (Daisy Jones & The Six)
* Silver Springs (Fleetwood Mac)
* Little Freak (Harry Styles)
* 505 (Arctic Monkeys)
* I Do (Renee Rapp)

### Lyric Parallels

* The Great War
* Close

*The Great War (Taylor Swift)*

*Close (Nick Jonas, Tove Lo)*