what if i met donna?
"Honey, we're going to go over to the new neighbors house and drop off a pie. Get your jacket on and let's go!"
"Mom, I have to finish my thank-you letter to Mr. Truman for taking for watching us at the zoo last week. Next time, please."
"Oh, all right. I suppose if it's for school work."
* * * * *
"Mom why are there moving trucks at the Millers' house? Weren't they only here for like a month?"
"Oh honey, didn't you hear? Susan's mother passed away and the entire family's moving back to Colorado to help her mom."
"Really? I barely even got to know them."
"It's a shame. Lovely family."
* * * * *
"Oh I'm so sorry! I just spilled coffee all over your clothes. And it's a suit too! Damn it, I'm sorry. I'm just such a klutz."
"No, no. Don't worry about it. I was going to burn this suit anyway."
"Huh? You know, it's not important. Just let me pay for your dry-cleaning."
"You don't need to. Really. It's fine."
* * * * *
April 8, 1992
"Honey, we're going to go over to the new neighbors house and drop off a pie. Get your jacket on and let's go!" My mom called from the door of my room, one hand balancing a blueberry pie.
"Okay, mom, just let me finish my thank you letter to Mr. Truman," My small hands tightly gripped the pencil as it flew across the sheet of refill paper. I quickly signed my name at the bottom with flourish, "Finished!" I declared proudly, hopping off his wooden stool and shrugging on a parka.
My mother held my right hand while my father held the left. I always insisted that at seven-years old, they didn't need to do that anymore but they always managed to hold on.
We trotted down the pathway and up to the door of the bright yellow, one-storey house adjacent from ours. The new neighbours were outside admiring the front lawn. They looked happy and cheery, like all new neighbours must.
"Hiya newbies!" My father greeted with a big grin on his face. He outstretched his arm, "I'm Alfred Laley and this is my wife Jane. We live right across the street so we decided to pop by and see how you lot are settling in."
The man of the other household, who was about a 6'4 tower of terror and chub, gladly shook his hand, "Pleasure to meet you I'm Jim Miller and this is my wife Susan." He gestured to the young lady who was admiring the flower patch.
A young girl, clad in denim overalls ran out of the door, her eyes bright, "Daddy, daddy!" She cried, tugging on his leg, "Can you go to the sweets shop and get some candy?"
He laughed fondly, "Sure, sweetheart. Susan, do you mind taking her?"
"Oh not all!"
The little girl turned to the us, eyes wide with curiosity. The first thing I noticed was her bright red hair that was pulled into two braids that were coming undone.
Mr. Miller said, "This is our daughter, Donna. She'll be going to Parkhurst School." She waved at us and I saw purple streaks of paint on the palm of her hand.
My dad took me by the shoulders, "This is our son, Dylan. He goes to that school too. He can even help show Donna around if she ever gets lost. What do you say, Dyl?"
I knew it would have been rude if I said no so instead I said, "Sure."
Donna and her father shared a glance where she nodded, "Thank you Dylan." She sing-songed with great enunciation before erupting into a fit of charming giggles, "Dylan and Donna. Donna and Dylan. They both start with D!"
I couldn't help but chuckle. I really didn't find what she said all too funny with her smile was so contagious, I just had to.
* * * * *
August 28, 1992
"Dylan!" I heard a bright voice call my name so I turn around. Donna's running towards me her red hair down and in tight curls, flying through the air.
"Donna." I say.
"I'm so glad to see you. Do you know where Mrs. Bender's class is?" She asked, picking at her brightly coloured knit sweater.
"Yeah I'm going there now."
"Yay! I didn't know who else to ask. Those girls over there scare me." She said, lowering her voice as she subtly gestured to Charlotte, Laurie and Diana who stood by the water fountain whispering and laughing.
"Don't worry about them. They're nice to me. And if they're mean to you, tell me and I'll tell them to be nice."
Donna grinned, showing her crooked and contagious smile. I smiled back. I just couldn't help it.
* * * * *
September 19, 1992
We were playing tag during recess. Me, Matt, Leo and Donna. Donna was supringly fast so she just got Leo to be it. Currently, both of us were crouching behind a bush by the playground, trying to regain our breaths.
"Do you Leo anywhere?" She murmured.
"No. Do you see Matt?"
"Nope."
Once we were sure it was safe we collpased onto the ground, exhausted, "Do you think they'll find us anytime soon?"
I shook my head, "No. They're cool but they aren't the brightest tools in the shed."
Donna bit on her lip to keep from laughing, "Sharpest," She corrected kindly before giving a quick glance over the bush, "This is so cool. My heart is beating so much. I don't wanna be tagged but I want them to chase me, y'know?"
I didn't really understand her but I nodded. She was a girl and a lot of times I figured that no matter how confused I was the best way to stay out of trouble was to agree.
"I'm glad you guys are letting me play. All the girls do is sit on the swings and exchange the make-up they stole from their mom's wardrobe. Yuck."
"Don't worry. You're basically one of us now."
A smile spread through her face. She had recently lost her first tooth and I remember she was so scared and kept wiggling it with her tongue. There was now a big gap in her smile but I still returned it. It was impossible not to.
* * * * *
September 30, 1992
"I don't get it, mom. Why do they all have to go?"
My mother smiled at me sympathetically, "Because they're a family." She answered. I crossed my arms over my chest, annoyed that she was right.
Donna and I were good friends. She was one of my friends that wasn't a boy but it was okay because she acted like one. When she told me she was moving I was pretty sad. I would miss her crazy hair and scabbed arms and her smile.
I would miss her.
So, I hopped off the couch and ran across the street. Donna was sitting on her lawn with her lips in a pout, tearing clumps of grass. She immediately lit up when she saw me, "Dylan!" She exclaimed.
"Hi," I said sitting next to her, "I came here to say bye."
Donna's lips morphed back into a pout, "Yeah, well, I'm staying. I don't wanna go. I like it here. I have a lot of friends. Like you."
I nodded, "I asked my mom to tell your parents to let you say. But she said she couldn't because you guys are a family and families should stay together."
"Yeah. I guess you're right. Mom's been sad lately and Dad said I wasn't helping by complaining. I just don't want to leave so soon. Mrs. Bender is the best English teacher ever and I've just started to get to know Laurie and Matt and I thought we might be good friends."
"Yeah," I mused, "It's okay, though. I'll miss you."
And then the corners of her mouth turned up into another smile. It wasn't as happy or big but it was real so I had to smile too.
* * * * *
April 12, 2005
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Job interviews are hell. Especially when the interviewer lets out a subconscious sigh of relief when he reaches the limit on the minutes he was counting down. I know I wasn't the most charming, especially when you first meet me, but was I really that bad?
As I walked down the crowded street, I bump into someone. Scalding coffee flies onto me, stinging my skin. I hold back a yelp as I stumble backwards.
I look up and see a girl with long red hair looking apologetic as she leans forward and dabs my shirt with a napkin, "Oh I'm so sorry! I just spilled coffee all over your clothes. And it's a suit too! Damn it, I'm sorry. I'm just such a klutz."
She looks oddly familiar but I couldn't place her. "No, no. Don't worry about it. I was going to burn this suit anyway."
Her eyebrows meet in question but she shrugs that off and returns to apologizing, "Huh? You know, it's not important. Just let me pay for your dry-cleaning."
If it was anybody else I would've had accepted the offer within a heartbeat but I couldn't with her. She was so doe-eyed and frantic, it didn't seem right, "You don't need to. Really. It's fine."
"Are you sure?" She asks eyeing me.
"Positive." I lean down to pick up her fallen cup when I see a name scribbled in black marker, barely readable.
Donna M
And that's when it hits me. The reason this girl looks so familiar. The reason I can't but be nice to her. "Donna Miller."
She looks up alert, "Excuse me?"
"Donna Miller!"
"Do I know you?"
I understand her confusion. I was another brown-haired, brown-eyed man. Plain and simple which was a stark contrast to her striking and memorable features. So I reach into my blazer pocket and give her my card.
Her eyes light up in recognition, "Dylan Laley!"
The last time I remember seeing her was when I chase down her moving van as she looked longingly out the window, waving her hand sadly. Needless to say, I gave up a few seconds in the chase.
"It has been such a long time!" She crows, giving me a hug, "I found this picture of us in one of my old photo albums. That time we painted and thought we were Monet. This is unbelievable. It's so weird to think we were so close back then and we only knew each other for like a month!"
She hasn't changed much, I noted. She was still a rambling scatterbrain. She was right too. It was strange to think how I much I missed her considering the short amount of time we knew each other. I got relentlessly teased for my moping. Leo gave me the most grief so I learned to bite my tongue whenever her name came up.
I didn't know what I was thinking so I blurted, "Wanna get a coffee? Your one didn't exactly have a happy ending."
She nodded without any obvious hesitation. "Sure." She smiled. Her teeth were now straight and the gaps were gone but it was still as endearing as it was before. So before I even realized it, my lips curled into a smile as well.
* * * * *
September 28, 2005
"What is this place?" I asked breathlessly, her hand clasped firmly around mine as we sprinted through the street. She came to my door at six in the morning and forced me to call in sick for work. Twenty minutes later she was pulling me down the street, refusing to tell me where the hell we were going.
We stopped at an old building. It didn't look dangerous or abandoned. Just irrelevant. I passed this building every day to get to the bus stop. Never took a second glance.
"Viola!" Donna said throwing her arms out with flourish.
"What?"
She wrapped her arms around my waist and pulls me close, "This is where I work."
I pull away from her and take another look at the building, "Please don't tell me this is a brothel."
She shoved me playfully, "Of course not!" She leaned against the building wall, toying with the ends of her hair. She had recently hacked half of it off. It now cut abruptly at her shoulders.
"Well go on. Show me."
She softly pressed her lips against mine, snaking her arms around my neck, "No one else knows that I work here. Or what I do for that matter. I've never told anyone before."
I smiled wistfully at her words, my heart felt like it was ballooning to twice its natural size. The fact that she trusted me that much...
It almost made me feel scared. Scared that she thought so highly of me and I had this big chance to let her down without even knowing it.
Donna slipped a key out of her pocket, unlocking the door. She stepped aside. There was this beckoning smile on her face, so big it reached the corner of her eyes. I looked at the open door. Then back at her. Door. Her. Door. Her.
She was still smiling her beautiful smile.
So I smiled back.
It was still impossible not to.
a.n
well. this is the first chapter of multiverse. i have to say right now that i honestly did not expect this kind of reaction. i am so grateful to each and every one of you who pressed the vote button and/or added this to your library.'
your response even makes me feel kind of bad because this is unlikely to be what you were expecting. i just want to clarify again that this story is just a writing outlet for me. a chance for me to right little snippets here and there but there is meaning behind the idea.
i was going to have donna and dylan get married but i decided against it because neither one of them are the types of characters to get married.
but i just want to apologize if this isn't what you were expecting. also, sorry for the errors. there was no editing.
i love you all!