Forever

Chapter Two

Dana settles into her favorite corner of the school library, surrounded by towering shelves of books that seem to stretch up to the ceiling. She's always felt most at home among the musty scent of old pages and the whispered conversations of fellow book lovers. With a contented sigh, she opens the cover of her latest literary obsession, a classic novel she's been devouring for days.

Her eyes light up with excitement as she reads, and her long, curly brown hair falls forward, creating a curtain around her face. Her bright brown eyes scan the pages, absorbing every word, every phrase, every sentence. She's completely absorbed in the world of the story, her imagination running wild with the characters and their adventures.

Chandler walks into the library, his usual sarcastic remarks and witty one-liners momentarily silenced by the sight of Dana completely absorbed in her book. He approaches her quietly, not wanting to disturb her, and peers over her shoulder to see what she's reading.

"Wow, Dana, you're really into this, aren't you?" he says, his voice filled with genuine curiosity.

The girl jumped ten feet in the air in her desperate attempt to see who was invading her personal space. When she sat inches away from the one face that burned its way into her brain, she felt her voice hitch in her throat. A day like this came soon after she accepted her future of life without Chandler. Now a complete one-eighty has taken place. He not only was staring her directly in the eyes with his open mouth smile, but he also knew her name.

"I... yes?" Stunned and breathless, her eyes remained locked on his tall frame as he maneuvered around her to sit legs crossed on the carpet in front of her. She figured this must be the dream of all dreams. Everything from the smell of the air to the books on the shelf was realistic. The only thing left to do was wake up. "Why? Have you read this before?" She didn't think she would be able to get a word out due to the lump in her throat. Things seem to be going well.

Chandler looked around at his surroundings and brushed a hand in her direction. "Nope. This isn't my neck of the woods, but I know it's yours." His smile was filled with conceitedness. "I don't have many friends in Mrs. Garcia's class as my friends aren't as excited about the words "advanced placement" as I am."

She pointed to herself as if they were surrounded by a group of people. "Are you asking for my help?"

"I am." He rocked his feet side to side which were crossed at the ankles. "You are a brainiac extraordinaire. Someone on a genius level like yours could truly save me from sudden death. Or realistically, a failing grade in English."

Was he coming around simply for her mind or were there hidden intentions he had yet to disclose. She knew not to get her hopes up for the inevitable disappointment. She wanted desperately for him to come forward and admit that the woman he was with an hour earlier was actually a close friend and not who she was thinking. Even though now wasn't the time to figure him out, she had more questions than answers.

"English?" She dragged as she tried to remember what he spoke of moments earlier. "Yeah, I mean... yes?"

Chandler's confused expression slowly morphed into a small smile as he stared at Dana's perplexed expressions. They both sat in silence for a while just taking in the others features. His eyes then went down to her shirt which was a low cut white blouse. Before she could react, his eyes snapped back to hers and he rested on his palms.

"So we can go to my place... or yours. Give me your number." He pulled his phone out of his front pocket as Danna recalled her digits. He then jumped up to his feet within a split second. "I'll text you." Taking one last look around him, he took his exit the opposite way he came. Dana watched him go the entire time.

It could have been a dream come true. It could have been a nightmare in the making. Regardless of how she felt about the short encounter, she knew alone time with Chandler was up ahead. After years of reading books above her grade level, the work finally paid off. Dana was about to get a one on one session with the man who she could barely contain herself near.

Many thoughts raced through her mind. Where does he live? Who would be there? Does he have pets? Does this mean he likes her?

Dana brushed off that last question with a shake of her head. There's no way he could like her. He's never looked at her until just now. But how does he know her name? Easy answer, he listened during roll call every third period.

She balled back into her armchair to pick up reading where she left off. A romance about an Egyptian prince and his peasant. The kind of love story where the high socialite takes a liking to the lower class invisible girl. A story that she has read years ago once before. Only this time she asked herself...

How did the girl get a guy like that?

The front door slowly swung open with a slight creaking noise as Dana stepped into her home. Sitting at the large dining room table was her father, Mark, and her mother, Sandra. They both had their glasses on, pens in hand, and papers surrounded them. She knew they were handling bills as the end of the month neared. Trying to sneak past, her mother snapped her finger without even looking up.

"Yes ma'am?" Her voice shaken even though she's fully aware she hasn't done anything wrong.

Sandra's eyes lock on to Dana's before she released a genuine smile. "Hi, sweetie. How was school?"

Dana's shoulders relaxed as she made her way over to the two stressed bodies then threw her backpack to the ground. "It was really interesting. We're still undecided on a college to go to but I think we're getting closer to a resolution."

Her mom frowned. "You still haven't told them about your plans to go to Michigan?" That question caused Dana to throw her head in her hands. "Oh, dear. It's November. Regular admissions open in two months. I'd get on to being open and honest."

"Well, now Sandra." Mark looked up from his excel sheet. "There are some really good colleges in Michigan but if she wants to explore her options away from home then let her."

Dana had dreams of University of Michigan. A place where her creative side could run wild. The place where she could also go home whenever she was hungry. Her friends had many other options. They wanted to spread their wings and run free. Escape their familiar lives and be a trio that was unstoppable. Maybe Dana's future meant more to her than that. Maybe she took it more serious than most.

"College talk aside. I have to help a classmate with homework tomorrow afternoon so I'll be home a bit late." Plans with Chandler transpired during her drive home. He wasted no time texting her all she needed to know the moment the last bell rung. "Also, I hope it's not too expensive this month. I'd really like a birthday present this year." She flashed a hopeful smile which caused her parents to look at each other and sigh.

It's been three years since she received more than a homemade cake from things already in the home. Her friends got shopping trips and new phones. Dana got vanilla cake with vanilla icing and her favorite movie rented on a streaming service. She knew her parents were doing their best to set aside money for college while also keeping a roof over her head. Sometimes she wondered what it felt like to be someone else.