Jesse's gone, too. After the run in with Daniel he just took off. Lori's handling it well. She danced with about three different guys at Satin Steel on Thursday night...
Someone kocked at the door and Amara closed her journal then got up to answer it. Outside stood Kendra, her eyes red and puffy. On the floor beside her was a suitcase and her book bag. She had her arms wrapped around her and was sniffling. At the sight of Amara though, she smiled.
"Hey."
"What's wrong?" Amara asked, ushering her inside.
"Scott's gay, that's what's wrong." She answered.
Amara froze, still closing the front door. "What?" She placed the suitcase and bag on the floor and went over to Kendra, helping her sit down. "Gay? Are you serious?"
"Would I be like this if he wasn't?" She snapped.
Amara flinched and let go. Kendra sighed and put her head in her hands. "God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."
"No, it's all right. When did he tell you?"
"This morning. I was reading a magazine in the dining room and he came in, telling me that he wanted to talk. He sat down, looked me straight in the face and blurted it out. Of course I was shocked and didn't believe him, so I denied it. Then he explained it all; the guy he was going out with, Mark-something-or-other, and how he was confused about his sexuality so they broke up. Then he became attracted to me and he tought he had it all straightened out. Then, you remember how I found him at Satin Steel? Well he was there to see Mark. He said it 'just happened'."
"Then he apologized for doing this to me. I told him it was all right, that I didn't care if he was gay or not, I would always love him. But I just couldn't deal with it right that second; it was too much at once. So I packed some stuff and came here." She looked over at Amara. "And that's that."
* * * *
"You can not be serious Matthew! Please, I couldn't..."
"Yes, I am Katherine. There's so much pain, so much mysterious pain that follows us when we're together. Its not normal and we can not be with each other like that. We hardly know each other."
"But I love you. I knew it the first time we kissed!" She reached frantically for him, her eyes wide. "This is your last chance, Mathew. Tell me what I want - what I need to hea." he looked at her once more.
"Your last chance." She whispered, her eyes glistening with tears.
He turned and walked away.
Your last chance.....last chance...chance...chance...
"Wha...?"
Daniel groggily opened his eyes and focused on the clock, 12:03. "Damn." His ears were ringing and it took him a minute to realize it was the phone. He reached for it, knocking over an empty water glass and sleeping pills as well.
"Huh?" He grunted.
"Well good morning to you too," a voice answered back. Amara. "Did I wake you up?"
He smiled at her concern. "No. I was already starting to get up. Some dream."
"Yeah? What about?"
"You and me." He lied. "It was starting to get good too."
She laughed. "Well, I'm sorry for you."
"Yeah me too. What'd you call for?" He pulled back the covers and swung his legs over the side, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Kendra's over here. She just told me some very surprising news."
"Really? And what did she tell you that was so surprising?" He got up and started to stretch.
"Scott's gay, Daniel."
Silence. Daniel froze on the spot, with his arms still outstretched above his head. "What?"
"He's gay. Kendra came over this morning, about an hour ago, and she had a suitcase and her book bag. Scott just told her this morning and she was upset so she came over here." She stifled a yawn.
"Tired?"
"Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night. But, anyway, can you come over here?"
"Sure. Give me about twenty minutes."
"Okay."
"Love you. Bye." He hung up then fell back down on the bed and looked at the clock which now read 12:06. Sighing he got up and went to his closet, opened it and got dressed, stepping into a grey pair of jeans, sneakers and his black "Got weed?" T-shirt. He went to the bathroom and finished up, brushing his teeth and ran his fingers through his hair. "I look like crap," he whispered to his reflection. "Oh well."
In the kitchen he could hear the sounds of Chris up and walking around so he headed out to tell him he'd be going.
"Hey."
"Uhhh." Chris grunted in reply. He looked Daniel over. "What're you dressed up for?"
Daniel opened the refrigerator and reached in for the orange juice. "Going over to Amara's."
"Figures."
Daniel stopped mid-reach and straightened up. "What do you mean 'figures'?"
Chris shrugged. "Nothing. It's just that you're over there alot."
The door closed with a thud. "She's my girlfriend, Chris. I enjoy spending time with her."
"So that's what she is? Your girlfriend?" He looked at him. "Has she actually said that? I mean, actually told you?"
"What do you mean?"
Chris sighed. "You walk around, head over arse for this girl, calling her your girlfriend but did you two ever actually say you were a couple?"
Daniel stared at him trying to figure out what had come over his friend. Chris just looked back at him, waiting for an answer.
"Where the hell did all this come from? Why are you angry at Amara all of a sudden?" Silence. "Chris! She�s your friend, I met her through you. What the hell is wrong?"
Chris had turned away from him, his eyes focused on the counter.
"Fuck this. I�m gone."
"Daniel!" Chris yelled. "I just didn�t want you to get hurt a second time. You went through hell with Kaitlyn and I don�t want to see you go through it again. How do you know Amara is being real with you?"
Daniel stopped with his hand on the doorknob. "I guess I don�t. But I trust her enough to know she wouldn�t do that. She wouldn�t hurt me like others have." He looked quickly over at Chris then opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind him.
In the kitchen Chris closed his eyes then turned and viciously threw the glass against the wall. He bent over the counter and gripped it tightly. "Damn it!"
* * * *
"You don't love me?"
"No - I mean yes...shit." Amara paused, thinking carefully about what to say. "I love you, yes, but not in the way you described to Chris." Liar! She sighed and looked away, lowering her eyes to the floor in shame while Daniel's flared in hurt and anger. He had arrived at Amara's about ten minutes after his argument with Chris. Amara could sense the tension and asked what was wrong. He explained it to her and when that happened the truth finally came out.
"Did you think..." she started quietly.
"Did I thi....did I think? What the......what the he..." he rose from the chair, throwing up his arms. "Then what the hell have we been doing this whole time, huh?" he yelled looking at her hard. "Becoming friends?"
"Yes," she replied not looking at him, "very close, very caring friends and I-"
"Stop, all right. Just stop." He ran his hand through his hair. "When I told you I loved you why didn't you say anything then? Instead of letting me believe that there was something between us, that we were..." he stopped. "I'm outta here."
"No, Daniel wait-" Amara jumped up from her seat and started after him.
"Daniel!"
"Amara?"
"What?!"
SLAM!
Amara turned away from Kendra who had called her, and ran to the door, opened it and yelled down the stairs, "Daniel? Please!"
A few seconds later the revving of an engine was heard outside then the screeching of tires as a car pulled away.
Inside Amara slammed the door shut. "Damn!" Kendra stood at the entrance to the hall, a confused look on her face. "What the hell just happened?"
Amara bit her lip to keep from crying. "I just screwed up bad."
* * * *
The phone was ringing; an incessant wail was more like it. Amara was lying on her bed, the lights off, looking up at the ceiling. The events of the last half hour replayed in her mind again and again, each time getting worse.
The ringing was getting annoying. She reached over quickly and picked up the phone, bringing it to her ear just as she heard another voice answer.
"Hello?" Kendra.
"Amara?" Chris.
"No, this is Kendra. Chris?"
"Yeah. Is Daniel there?"
Kendra sighed. "Uh - no. He was but he and Amara got into an argument and he left."
"I knew it..." he muttered.
"What?" Yes, what? Amara thought.
"Nothing. If you see or hear from him, tell him to give me a call okay?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Bye."
Amara waited until they had both hung up before replacing the phone on the hook and turning around to face the wall.
Someone knocked at the door. Kendra. "Amara?"
Sighing heavily, she rolled around and swung her legs over the side. She went to the door, swung it open and asked irritably, "What?"
"Chris called, uh, to find out where Daniel is."
"And? You think I know where he went?" She brushed past her quickly heading towards the living room.
Kendra followed and stopped at the entrance. "I don't know! I just thought I'd tell you." Pause. "What happened between you and Daniel?"
She answered while searching for something. "He thought there was something more between us than just friendship." She slammed a drawer shut and went over to the couch, checking under the cushions. "Where are my keys?"
"Is there?"
"Is there what?" Amara asked straightening up.
"Is there something more between you and Daniel?" She crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame.
Amara turned around, not speaking. Kendra waited for an answer, but seeing there was to be none, gave up. "They're in the kitchen."
Amara disappeared into it then came back, keys in hand and went to the couch for her jacket. "I'll be back. I'm going for a drive." She opened the door then paused. "I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be helping you though your breakup and then I go and run because of mine."
"It's all right," Kendra replied, "it'll all turn out good. You and Daniel will get back together and I'll live." She smiled.
Amara returned it then left, slowly closing the door behind her.
* * * *
She had been driving around for about an hour; just endless lines around the town. It was around 2:00 in the afternoon and she was hungry but she didn't want to stop to get anything.
I lied, she thought. I do love him and I lied. The only person that felt right in a long time...what the hell did I do?
There was no answer except the noise from the heater, the only sound in the whole car. Though as she drove by a sign for McDonald's her stomach growled, as if on cue and she pulled off into the parking lot. Looking around for her wallet her cell phone rang in the next seat.
"Hello?" She asked still searching.
"Amara?" A gruff voice replied.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"Hey Blue. What's going on?"
