Amara groaned and closed her eyes, putting her head back down on the pillow. Daniel laughed. "Hey, wake up you." He began to lightly stroke the bridge of her nose. She giggled and brought her head up shaking it. "It's too early. Leave me alone." And with that she rolled over on her side with her back to him. Daniel got out of bed and turned around.
"Uh...no." Quickly reaching under the covers he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up to him, holding her like a newly wedded bride.
"Alright, alright, I'm up. Now put me down." She murmured her head on his shoulder.
"Uh...no." He repeated before kissing her forehead.
Sh picked her head up. "You say that one more time and I'll hurt you."
"Oooohh! You're so cute when you're mad, you know that?" He put her on the floor but didn't let go. Realizing this, Amara slid her arms up around his neck and looked up at him and laughed. "What?"
"Nothing." He answered but continued to stare at her. The look of seriousness on his face made her laugh again and once more asked, "What is wrong?!"
"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked seriously. She stopped smiling and stepped back some, her arms coming down to rest on his. "Yes, I am. I've been fine. Why are you asking? Why does everyone keep asking me?"
"Hey, hey don't get all defensive on me. I'm just making sure." He stepped forward and hugged her. "You know I love you right?" He said softly closing his eyes. He prayed that she wouldn't look up at him then, otherwise she would see the look of fear on his face. Please don't freak, please don't freak...he silently asked.
Below him Amara put her arms around him and hugged him back. "Yeah, yeah."
Daniel smiled.
"Hey Daniel! Man, where have you been? I've been waiting!"
Daniel looked up to see Chris' grinning face above his. He was sitting outside Amara's apartment, two days later, with his feet in the pool waiting for her to get home. He figured later on he and Amara could get together with the rest of the group and do something. Chris sat down beside him, beer in hand.
"You want one?"
Daniel shook his head. "No, thanks. Waiting for what?"
"To see how things went of course. Between you and Amara." He paused and looked at Daniel. "So?"
"Soooooo what?"
Chris groaned. "Jesus Daniel. Do I have to spell it out for you? Did you do it or not?"
Daniel punched him hard in the shoulder. "You nosy bastard. What kind of question is that?"
"An honest one."
Daniel chuckled. "I bet. No, Chris, we didn't. Happy?"
"But you guys didn't come out..."
Daniel cut him off. "I stayed in bed with her, yea, but we didn't do anything. I've done it before, just lie with her. She likes it that way for now. I...like it that way for now." There was silence between them. He stole a glance over at Chris. "You think I'm a wimp?"
Chris took a sip of beer and let out a long sigh before answering. "Nah, I don't man. I actually admire you and have respect for you. I'm sure Amara does too." Now it was his turn to steal a glance.
"Yeah." Daniel let his head drop and watched his feet swirl in the water. Then he laughed out loud and threw his arms around a startled Chris. "Aw shucks Chris. You're just so nice!"
"Yeah, I'm nice. I knew that. But get the hell offa me will ya?!"
"Run to the water, and fi-ind me there....burnt to the core but not broken..."
"Damn, I love this song." Amara reached for the volume again but Kendra slapped her hand away.
"No. No more. My ears will start to bleed." She looked over at Amara and grinned. "What's with you anyway? Did something happen between you and Danny boy?"
Amara smiled with her eyes still on the road. "Are you asking me if we did it or not?"
"Um...duh!!" Kendra answered in an imitation of a ditz. Amara looked over at her quickly and laughed at her expression.
"Well, we didn't alright? We just laid there until we fell asleep."
"You mean until you feel asleep. Then Daniel got busy."
"What the.... shut up Kendra!" Amara shouted. In the passenger seat Kendra died laughing.
"No, no...I'm sorry, I'm just joking. Don't hurt me." Sigh. "But really," she suddenly turned serious and turned towards Amara in her seat, "what happened?"
The smile on Amara's face turned into a grin ."Daniel told me he loved me this morning." The car got silent. Worried, she looked over at Kendra who sat there staring at her. "What? What's wrong?"
"He told you he loved you? Mr. Daniel himself?" Kendra asked quietly.
"Yea," Amara answered slowing to a stop, "why what's..."
"That is so great!" Kendra shouted. In a second she had her arms around Amara in a hug, still laughing and shouting at her. Amara smiled and hugged her back. Behind them a car honked and it's driver motioned for her to move. Letting go Amara began to drive and kendra leaned back in her seat and sighed. "That is so cool."
Amara laughed. "All he said was three little words. I mean, I'm glad he said them, I feel the same way, but I'm not gonna go crazy over them." Once again she looked over at Kendra. "Like some people."
"What do you mean? This is something to go crazy about. "Okay," she paused at Amara's expression, "at least semi-crazy. I mean, it to me forever to get Evan to tell me he loved me. Then when he did, I broke up with him." They both laughed. "Though I don't think that's how it normally works." Kendra finishes smiling.
"Neither do I." They both laughed again and settled back in their seats. "So, where am I taking you?"
"Scott's place." Kendra answred digging around in her bag. "Today's his birthday and I got a gift for him."
"Ooo la la, a birthday gift." Amara crooned from the driver's seat. "Hmmmmm, I wonder."
Kendra sat up and cried out, "Not that kind of gift!" A crunched up paper napkin found it's way over into Amara's lap. "Get your mind out of the gutter!"
"Hey, you're the one who said it." Silence again. Suddenly Amara's face litup and she smiled uncontrollably. "So what is it? A whip?"
"Amara!"
"Car....'nother car....dog...ooh, girl walking the dog! Daniel, man, you should come check out the view from the window."
A pillow found its mark on on the back of Chris' head. He turned around and glared at Daniel, "What?"
"You're taken, that's what dumbass. Get away from the window. You're supposed to be looking for Amara anyway." Daniel laughed and went back to packing stuff into his bookbag.
"Yes I'm taken, but I can still look. I mean, what if Natalie broke up with me today? Huh? I'd be alone and....and I...."
"And what?" Daniel looked up with eyebrows raised. "You can't even finish the thought."
Chris frowned at him but left the window and went over to the chair in front of Daniel. He watched him stuff things into his bookbag for a minute.
"What are you doing?"
"Packing thigs for this afternoon. I figured we could all go out and do something." He paused. "Why?"
"Just wondering." Chris fell silent ."So things are good? Between you and Amara I mean."
Daniel stopped and looked at him. "Yeah. She...she doesn't talk about it if that's what you're asking. So I don't push it and I let it go. I don't get it....the way she handles things. She holds things in."
Chris sighed. "Well look at the way you handle things. After Kaitlyn died you never wanted to talk about it, or hear about it. You didn't even go to her funeral."
The tears were visible in Daniel's eyes but he held them in. "This is different. Kaitlyn gave up, she killed herself. This is totally diff..."
"How? How is it difference Dan..."
"Because it is! Amara was raped a year before then the guy who did it came around and beat her up. Kaitlyn killed herself, not me. I just lost her, I wasn't hurt. Not physically at least."
"Yeah, still. You held it in and went nuts."
"It's over!" He yelled, angrily wiping away the tears that were finding their way down his face. He turned away from Chris and took a deep breath. His hands shook so he hid them by clasping them together. "I'm sorry. It's just...just a touchy subject."
"No, I'm sorry. I pissed you off. I should've know better." They both got quiet. Daniel looked over at Chris and laughed at his face. That set Chris off and soon they were both laughing hysterically together.
"What am I missing?"
They both looked up to Amara standing in the doorway. She held her car keys and a questioning look on her face.
"Ha, uh, nothing," Daniel answered standing up. His laughing fell to a small chuckle as he looked at Chris. "Just a stupid face Chris made."
"Yeah, right. Anyway, Chris look who I found." She motioned to the left of her and Natalie appeared around the corner.
"Oh shit! I totally forgot!" Chris jumped up and went over to her. "Sorry."
"It's fine." Natalie said. "I went to the mall and got it a while ago."
"What?" Daniel asked.
"A gift for my step-dad," she answered, "the jerk."
"Okay, who cares though right?" Daniel joked, coming up and taking Amara's hand.
"Hey." Natalie swung at him but Chris held her back and tickled her.
"Alright children," Daniel interrupted, "I planned on all of us going out today. Dancing or something a that new place on Henderson."
"Satin Steel?" Chris asked.
"Ye, that's it. So?" He looked at each of them.
"I'm up for it. Amara?" Natalie asked.
"Yea sure."
They all turned to Chris. "Hey, don't bother asking me. You know my answer. Let's go!"
Satin Steel was just the thing everyone needed. With the dark atmosphere, flashing lights and hard, fast music everyone let loose and forgot all worries. Amara and Daniel immediately went out on the floor followd by Lori who just grabbed and innocent bystander.
"Don't ask, just dance!" She yelled in his ear.
Natalie and Chris went out laer, along with Kendra, but sat back down after three songs. The waitress came by and Chris ordered a beer, Natalie a strawberry dacqueri. After a few minutes they arrived and Chris took a long swig. On the floor Lori and Kendra. both dancing together and close to drunk, waved to them. Natalie waved back and laughed. Letting her eyes sweep across the floor she found Daniel and Amara stuck together
"Do you think if we pulled them apart they would snap back together?" Natalie asked Chris nodding towards them.
"Probably. But let's not try." They both laughed.
"So what did you do to make him cry earlier?"
The question had come so suddenly it startled him. He took another long drink of his beer and sighed afterward. "Nothing. We were just laughing really hard."
Natalie scoffed. "You expect me to belive that? No, uh-uh. He had been crying but not because of laughing hard. So what was it?" No answer. "Was it Kaitlyn?"
Chris' eyes widened at the name but he settled down quickly. "I'm right aren't I?" She asked.
"Yeah. We were talking about how Amara had been handling things and I brought up how he handled Kaitlyn killing herself. It was a bad move and..."
"Hey guys!"
They both stopped and looked up. Daniel was pulling out a chair for a breathless Amara before sitting down himself.
"Have a drink." Natalie said pushing hers towards Amara. She took a gulp.
"Ah, thanks. I haven't danced like that ever!" She breathed. Daniel laughed at her.
"Well you're good at it." He looked at Chris. "So what have you two been doing? I saw you two die after about three or four songs."
They both cast quick glances at each other before answering. "Not much," Chris answered, "just talking about how you and Amara looked like you were stuck together and how Kendra and Lori are going to have two major hangovers tomorrow."
Daniel looked over his shoulder. "Yeah, those two have lost it. Lori looks good though. I mean with Jesse in...wherever he is." He cleared his throat. "What happened to Scott?"
"Kendra said he didn't feel like coming so she left him at home." Amara answered. "He's lazy she says."
"Well speak of the lazy one, here he comes with Kendra and Lori."
"Wha..."Amara sat up and turned around.
"Hey guys. Look who decided to come." Lori came over and pulled up a chair, plopping into it. Kendra pulled Scott the rest of the way and they both sat at the back of the table.
"Scott, I thought you were at home?" Natalie asked smiling.
"Yes, well I got bored. I didn't know you guys knew about this place."
"Acutally, I didn't,"Amara piped up, "Daniel was the one who brought it up. I just came."
Everyone laughed. "Well are you ready to go again?" Daniel asked. Amara nodded taking one more sip of Natalie's drink. "Yup. Nat, get me one of those will ya please?"
"Sure." She called back, before turning to the rest of them. "Okay, I wanna dance. Who's coming?"
"Me," Kendra voiced, "and you Scott." She pulled him up and onto the floor.
Natalie looked at Lori. "What about you?"
"Hmmm...I guess I can go grab a stranger." She got up and left quickly to search.
Chris and Natalie were the last to leave. He looked at Natalie as they pushed their chairs in.
"That was close."
"Are you cold?"
"No, I'm fine. Just don't move, you're keeping me warm." Amara laughed.
Daniel smiled down at her. They wre sitting in a field off the main road into the city waiting for the sun to go down. They cuddled together to keep warm since the night had grown cooler. Amara leaned back against Daniel and sighed.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing," she replied, "just thinking."
"About what?"
"Us." Silence. "You know, the last person that said they loved me left me. You're not like that are you?"
He laughed. "No, 'course not. Why would you think that?"
"Because he did. And because when we were looking for you that day you went walking, Chris told me about a girlfriend of yours. Then yesterday, when I came home, I saw you crying and," she felt him tense up suddenly and she debated on whether or not to go on, "and I have a feeling it had to do with Kaitlyn."
He took his arms out from around her waist and sighed. "He told you?"
Amara sat up and turned around to face him. "Yes. Please don't be mad. I'm glad he told me. Because now I know why you did what you did. Do you want to talk about it?"
He wouldn't look at her which scared her. Damn it, she thought to herself. Please talk to me...
"Please talk to me."
He turned to her, his eyes like steel. "What do you want to know? How she killed herself? Where she killed herself? Huh?"
"No, that's not...," she was on the verge of crying, "I just want to help you. Like you did for me. Daniel, please, look at me."
He did then and she could see the tears on his face. His grey eyes full of sadness and misery, his breathing quick due to crying. Then he spoke.
"She was beautiful. Long, brown hair that felt so soft, and dull blue eyes. A dull blue color yes, but not dull in vibrancy. She was like you in a lot of ways. Not physically, but your personalities. She was so caring and I loved her so much. It was our anniversary and I watned to make it special, and I did. Nice dinner then dancing for hours. I brought her home and I just knew something was wrong but I let her go in alone anyway. I didn't know what happened until the next day when Chris called me and...I just couldn't belive it! He was in there and I was right there with her and I let her go in! I let her go in to get attacked!"
"But it wasn't your fault," Amara interrupted crying. She sniffed and reached for his hands, taking them and holding them. "You had no idea he would be there."
"But what about her killing herself? I didn't do enough for her. If I had," his voice cracked as he began to cry heavily, "she wouldn't have killed herself. Damn it!" He screamed.
"No, no...," Amara got up and went over, wrapping her ars around him, his head resting on her shoulder, "...no it wasn't your fault. You tried Daniel, you did. That's all you can do."
Daniel breathed in as he started crying again and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Haning onto her as if he didn't he would drown or lose himself.
"God Amara, I loved her. I never wanted her to kill herself. I'm sorry."
"I know, I know. I'm sure she loved you too." Like me...
A few seconds later the sun slowly slipped behind the horizon.
