Chapter 3

   "Let go!" commanded Dani frightened as she turned to see Chris.
   "No, you and I need to talk."
   "I don't want to talk to you," replied Dani.  " Let go of my arm!"
   "No, you came with me and you will leave with me," Chris protested gripping
Dani´s arm tighter.
   "I believe she said let go!" Matt  said in an angry tone as he got out of the car.
   Chris loosened his grip on Danielle and she ran toward Matt. He just wanted to
talk to her not have a confrontation.
   "Chris, I never want to see you again," said Dani shaking with fear.  She was so
scared. She was glad Matt got there just in time.
   "Look, I 'm sorry. I really am," Chris apologized. " I just want to talk to you."
   "Just leave me alone, Chris"
   "Not a problem," Chris said as he turned to leave. He liked her too much to let
her go that easily.  He would win her back.
   As Chris left, Matt led Danielle to his car and began to drive.  He thought they
needed to talk so he tried to think of place that was private.  He decided to take her to the
air field, it was the closest.  After about ten minutes, they arrived. "Why are we here,
Matt?"
   "So we could talk."
   "Oh," she sighed, feeling for the first time uncomfortable around Matt.  She did
not know what to say.  How could she tell Matt that Chris accused her of wanting  to be
with him?  She could hardly believe it herself.  Matt and her were just friends.  She
thought he was handsome, but they were just friends.
   "Why did you call me, besides needing a ride and a bodyguard?"
   "Chris and I had a fight and I didn´t want to go home with him," answered
Danielle plainly.
   "What was the fight about?" asked Matt.
   At this Dani turned away and Matt felt hurt.  They always told each other
everything.  The fact that she did not open up to him made him feel so out of the loop.
He wondered what was so terrible or so personal she felt she could not tell him.
   "Look at that jet take off,"  Dani  pointed out trying to distract him from the
question.
   "Let's get out to get a better look."
   "Okay," said Dani getting out of the car.  They sat on top of the car to get a
better view of the jet as it took off into the serene night sky.  "It´s so neat to watch a plane
take off."
   "I know," replied Matt as he looked at Danielle's face of awe.
    In the moonlight she looked especially beautiful and mysterious.  He wondered
what it would be like to kiss her, and before he knew it he touched her face then kissed
her.  Danielle was so surprised she jumped, but afterwards she settled into the kiss and
wrapped her arms around his neck.  When they realized what had happened, an awkward
tension surrounded them. " I better take you home."
  "Um, yeah," responded Danielle.  She did not understand what had just
happened.  All it took was a kiss for her to succumb to him.  She was afraid of the
slightest touch from him now.
 Matt sat perplexed as he drove Danielle home.  He could not believe he kissed
her, she was his friend after all.  It was not the first time he had the urge to kiss her or to
just hold her in his arms.  He remembered a time when she was laughing at joke he told
her.  As she threw back her head in laughter, she looked like she needed to be kissed.
  "Matt, thanks for coming to my rescue and for the ride," Dani said as Matt pulled
up into her drive way.
  "You're welcome," he replied as he escorted her to  the door. " Bye."
  "Bye," called Dani as she went into the house.
  Matt drove away, he had to get home where he could think clearly about what
had happenned. He compromised their friendship, so he now had to find away to fix
things.
  Danielle laid in bed thinking about Matt.  Maybe she did have feelings for him
other than the platonic way she thought.  She thought about his smile, his voice, the kiss
they just shared.  She wondered where the situation would lead.  She was amazed that she
responded the way she did when he kissed her.  She wondered if he felt something when
they kissed too.  She smiled as she touched her lips gingerly with her fingers and thought
of Matt.  The situation had definite possibilities after all.
  The next day after school, Matt saw Dani at her locker and took a deep breath as
he went over to her. "Danielle, you and I need to talk," said Matt seriously.
  "Okay," Danielle sighed nervously.  She knew it was something important,
because he used her full name.
  "About that kiss I--"
  "I've been meaning to talk to you about that," interrupted Dani.  She could not
wait to tell him that everything was fine.
  "Yeah, well I...I wanted to say that I'm sorry and it will never happen again.  I
was out of line."
   "I accept your apology," Danielle replied softly as she looked away.
 She hoped that last night was going to lead somewhere, but not to this. She could
only think of one reason why he backed off, and it disappointed her.  She had to get
away.
   "Hey where are you going?" asked Matt as Dani started to walk away.
   "To the rest room, call of nature,"  Dani replied with a laugh that made Matt feel
warm inside.  He thought everything was okay.
   "See you in class then."
   "Okay, bye," said Dani with a stiff jovial tone for Matt's benefit.
  Once Danielle got inside the bathroom and closed the stall behind her, she let the
tears flow.  They came forth like a dam that had held back over maximum capacity.  Her
heart was broken, Matt thought everything was okay, but it was not.
 
 
 

© 1998 Devon Masterson. All Rights Reserved.