That Boy Next Door

Chapter 27

A/N So please pretty please read the authors note at the end :) kbye

"Excuse me miss, but this flight left ten minutes ago."

Dannie turned around to see a man dressed in the blue uniform of airport employees.  Thanks for rubbing it in, Dannie thought cynically to herself.

"I know, thank you," she mumbled instead, walking back towards the entrance of the airport.  

Unconsciously, she slowed down her steps craning her neck from side to side.  Isn't this the part in the movies where the boy would appear out of nowhere and surprise the heroin?  Dannie made sure to peer at every face she passed, hoping that by some miracle it would be Seth.

When her feet arrived at the doors leading outside, she sighed and looked around the spacious building one more time.  There was no sign of the kid with the tousled brown hair.  

"Move it lady!"  

A group of small children pushed passed her as they rushed outside into the sunny weather.  Dannie looked back one last time before following the kids out, heading toward the car Katy had hijacked.

As Dannie approached the vehicle, she noticed that nobody was inside.  Her insides twisted as thought of Katy and Dexter on the loose in a huge airport.  There was no telling what they would be up to.

Her head whipped back and forth as she tried to discern their tiny figures among the throngs of people milling about.  

Small sweat beads rolled down her forehead as she started walking around the parking lot, hoping to the higher powers that they were alright.  

"Looking for me?" a familiar voice asked.

"As if-" Dannie started before pausing as she turned around and saw the lean tall figure who plagued her thoughts night and day.  "Seth!"

Without thinking, she threw herself at him, wrapping both arms tightly around his neck.  He hobbled back for a second before catching both of them and returning her embrace.

"I'm so sorry!" Dannie chanted over and over, not wanting to let go of him.

"I'm sorry too," he replied, hugging her waist tighter.

After the moment had passed, they awkwardly untangled themselves from each other.  Dannie gave Seth a sheepish smile which he returned by coughing his throat self-consciously.  It had been weeks since they had had their last conversation; their whole relationship had been in a lull the past few weeks.

"So..." he started.

"What are you still doing here?" Dannie interrupted, thinking back to moments ago where she had thought she missed his flight.

"Excuse me?"

"Wasn't your flight back to California this morning?" she asked again.

Understanding dawned on Seth's face and he began to laugh, throwing an arm around Dannie for support.  He chortling continued for a good two minutes before he stopped, meeting Dannie's un-amused gaze.

"We heard my dad wrong.  Only he's going back to California, the rest of us are staying here while he solves a minor issue with the sponsors of our business," Seth explained.

Dannie stared at him dumbfounded.  She had spent her last weeks of freedom worrying over something that wasn't even a problem?  She had broken up with this boy in front of her over something that didn't even exist in the first place.  Dannie let out a choke of hysterical laughter before a puzzling expression took over her features.