Dani and Danny
One.
The first day of school had started better than I'd expected. I woke up to my alarm clock and, feeling only slightly tired, had gotten up without hitting the sleep button a couple times beforehand, leaving plenty of time for me to get ready.
Everything went unnaturally smoothly - I had clean clothes, there was plenty of food for breakfast, and everything I needed for school was in its proper place. For the first time in years, I was ready with time to spare.
I glanced in the mirror one last time before leaving my house. Long, wavy brown hair framed my pale face. Blush colored my cheeks a light pink, and my eyelashes were coated in mascara. Black eyeshadow covered my eyelids. I'd finally given up on my "I-don't-care-how-I-look" attitude and started wearing makeup. I was wearing a plain white tank top and brown short shorts - once again, quite different from my usual loose-jeans-and-t-shirt look. I figured that I needed to change this year, and since I had no idea how to change on the inside, I should start with the outside. Maybe this year someone (maybe even Nate) would notice me.
I slipped on my new shoes (black high heels - I'd been teaching myself to walk in them all summer), grabbed my bag, and headed out the door.
As the warm September sun hit my face, I couldn't help but feel hopeful about the coming year. Everything about the morning, from the effortlessness of my morning routines to the perfect weather outside, seemed to be telling me the same thing: this year will be different.
I was just approaching the school doors when a voice called out to me.
"Dani! Wait up!"
I turned around to see Ashley waving from across the parking lot. I stopped to wait for her. She hurried over to me, her short blonde hair flying in all directions. She hurriedly fixed it and smiled at me as I pulled the door open for her.
"How was your summer?" she asked, leading the way to the gym to we could get our locks and schedules.
"It was pretty good," I replied. And, okay, that may have been an exaggeration, but nothing bad had happened. "How was yours?"
"It was great. I got a new boyfriend."
"That's good. Who is it?"
She giggled. "Nate."
"Oh." I tried to act like my heart wasn't deflating like a punctured balloon.
If it showed, Ashley was oblivious, and she continued chatting happily as we waited in line for our locks. I made a half-hearted attempt at listening, but I couldn't pay attention. I couldn't help feeling annoyed at myself. I shouldn't feel jealous; Nate had barely even noticed me during the two years we'd had band together. I wouldn't have had much of a chance with him anyway. But now that he was dating Ashley, there was no chance at all. Not to mention that all the time they'd be spending together would probably slow down my plans to become better friends with Ashley.
Ashley stepped up to the table to get her lock. Since I was right behind her, I figured my locker would probably be next to hers. At least there was one bit of good news. I'd have a locker next to my best - well, okay, only - friend. Hopefully I could stand seeing her with Nate every day.
"1240," Ashley said, showing me her locker number. "It's in the art hallway, on the second floor."
My heart sank. 1240 was the last locker in that hallway. I wouldn't get a locker next to her after all.
I stepped up to the table. The teacher handed me a lock. 2049, said the number on the label.
"That's on the third floor. Tech hallway. Second-last last locker from the end."
"Thanks," I replied. I hurried over to the schedule table and got in line behind Ashley.
"Where's your locker?" she asked me.
"Third floor. 2049," I replied.
"That's too bad, I was hoping we'd be next to each other."
"Me too," I sighed.
Ashley approached the table and picked up her schedule. "I'm gonna go put my stuff in my locker," she said. "I'll meet you at your locker in a few minutes, okay?"
"Sounds good," I said. I got my own schedule and headed for the stairs.
On the way up I looked at my schedule.
Day 1: ABCD
Day 2: BADC
Day 3: DCBA
Day 4: CDAB
First Term:
A Block - Math 12 Advanced
B Block - English 12 Advanced
C Block - Off Block
D Block - Band 12/Art 12
Second Term:
A Block - Off Block
B Block - Chemistry 12 Advanced
C Block - History 12
D Block - Band 12/Gym 12
My first term was pretty good. I loved math and art, and I didn't mind English. Next term was a different story, though. Having chemistry, history, and gym every day was going to suck.
I arrived at locker 2049. The orange paint was scraped off in a lot of places, showing the gray metal underneath, and the door had a huge dent in it. On the right, locker 2050's door was smashed in so badly that I doubted it would ever open. The doors were completely ripped off of 2048 and 2047. Past locker 2050, the hallway ended in a blank wall with a faded anti-bullying poster stuck half-heartedly to it. The light above me was flickering, making the hall look dim and gloomy. Across from my locker was a door with a peeling red-and-white sign: DO NOT ENTER.
"Cheerful," Ashely's voice said from behind me. I turned to see her glancing around the area surrounding my locker.
"I know," I sighed.
"At least you won't have people crowding your locker," she pointed out, gesturing to the broken lockers on either side of mine.
"True enough."
The five-minute bell rang loudly.
"I should go," Ashley said. "See you at lunch!" She hurried off down the hall.
I threw my bag in my locker and pulled out my pen. As I went to put it in my pocket, it slipped out of my hand, dropped to the floor, and rolled under the door with the DO NOT ENTER sign.
Sighing, I searched my bag for another pen. I didn't have any. I had three options: Go to class without a pen and probably get in trouble for it; ask a stranger to borrow one; or get mine back. There was no security camera in this end of the hall, so going into the room and getting my pen back was easily the least scary. I pushed open the door. It was a small, dark room, empty except for an old desk. I scanned the floor for my pen, but I didn't see it. Maybe it had rolled under the desk, I thought. I stepped into the room and bent down to look underneath.
The door slammed shut behind me, plunging the room into darkness. Panicking, I forgot about my pen and fumbled for the doorknob. I pushed open the door.
As I stepped into the hallway, I nearly lost my balance. I suddenly felt strange. Everything looked different, although I couldn't place it.
"Dani! Hey, Dani!" A male voice was calling my name. I turned around, and felt a burst of confusion and shock in equal measures. It was Nate.
"Dani, buddy, where were you? You were supposed to be at my locker ten minutes ago. It's almost time for Drama, let's go!"
I stared at him in confusion.
"Dani? You alright?"
In all honesty, I wasn't sure.
Everything went unnaturally smoothly - I had clean clothes, there was plenty of food for breakfast, and everything I needed for school was in its proper place. For the first time in years, I was ready with time to spare.
I glanced in the mirror one last time before leaving my house. Long, wavy brown hair framed my pale face. Blush colored my cheeks a light pink, and my eyelashes were coated in mascara. Black eyeshadow covered my eyelids. I'd finally given up on my "I-don't-care-how-I-look" attitude and started wearing makeup. I was wearing a plain white tank top and brown short shorts - once again, quite different from my usual loose-jeans-and-t-shirt look. I figured that I needed to change this year, and since I had no idea how to change on the inside, I should start with the outside. Maybe this year someone (maybe even Nate) would notice me.
I slipped on my new shoes (black high heels - I'd been teaching myself to walk in them all summer), grabbed my bag, and headed out the door.
As the warm September sun hit my face, I couldn't help but feel hopeful about the coming year. Everything about the morning, from the effortlessness of my morning routines to the perfect weather outside, seemed to be telling me the same thing: this year will be different.
I was just approaching the school doors when a voice called out to me.
"Dani! Wait up!"
I turned around to see Ashley waving from across the parking lot. I stopped to wait for her. She hurried over to me, her short blonde hair flying in all directions. She hurriedly fixed it and smiled at me as I pulled the door open for her.
"How was your summer?" she asked, leading the way to the gym to we could get our locks and schedules.
"It was pretty good," I replied. And, okay, that may have been an exaggeration, but nothing bad had happened. "How was yours?"
"It was great. I got a new boyfriend."
"That's good. Who is it?"
She giggled. "Nate."
"Oh." I tried to act like my heart wasn't deflating like a punctured balloon.
If it showed, Ashley was oblivious, and she continued chatting happily as we waited in line for our locks. I made a half-hearted attempt at listening, but I couldn't pay attention. I couldn't help feeling annoyed at myself. I shouldn't feel jealous; Nate had barely even noticed me during the two years we'd had band together. I wouldn't have had much of a chance with him anyway. But now that he was dating Ashley, there was no chance at all. Not to mention that all the time they'd be spending together would probably slow down my plans to become better friends with Ashley.
Ashley stepped up to the table to get her lock. Since I was right behind her, I figured my locker would probably be next to hers. At least there was one bit of good news. I'd have a locker next to my best - well, okay, only - friend. Hopefully I could stand seeing her with Nate every day.
"1240," Ashley said, showing me her locker number. "It's in the art hallway, on the second floor."
My heart sank. 1240 was the last locker in that hallway. I wouldn't get a locker next to her after all.
I stepped up to the table. The teacher handed me a lock. 2049, said the number on the label.
"That's on the third floor. Tech hallway. Second-last last locker from the end."
"Thanks," I replied. I hurried over to the schedule table and got in line behind Ashley.
"Where's your locker?" she asked me.
"Third floor. 2049," I replied.
"That's too bad, I was hoping we'd be next to each other."
"Me too," I sighed.
Ashley approached the table and picked up her schedule. "I'm gonna go put my stuff in my locker," she said. "I'll meet you at your locker in a few minutes, okay?"
"Sounds good," I said. I got my own schedule and headed for the stairs.
On the way up I looked at my schedule.
Day 1: ABCD
Day 2: BADC
Day 3: DCBA
Day 4: CDAB
First Term:
A Block - Math 12 Advanced
B Block - English 12 Advanced
C Block - Off Block
D Block - Band 12/Art 12
Second Term:
A Block - Off Block
B Block - Chemistry 12 Advanced
C Block - History 12
D Block - Band 12/Gym 12
My first term was pretty good. I loved math and art, and I didn't mind English. Next term was a different story, though. Having chemistry, history, and gym every day was going to suck.
I arrived at locker 2049. The orange paint was scraped off in a lot of places, showing the gray metal underneath, and the door had a huge dent in it. On the right, locker 2050's door was smashed in so badly that I doubted it would ever open. The doors were completely ripped off of 2048 and 2047. Past locker 2050, the hallway ended in a blank wall with a faded anti-bullying poster stuck half-heartedly to it. The light above me was flickering, making the hall look dim and gloomy. Across from my locker was a door with a peeling red-and-white sign: DO NOT ENTER.
"Cheerful," Ashely's voice said from behind me. I turned to see her glancing around the area surrounding my locker.
"I know," I sighed.
"At least you won't have people crowding your locker," she pointed out, gesturing to the broken lockers on either side of mine.
"True enough."
The five-minute bell rang loudly.
"I should go," Ashley said. "See you at lunch!" She hurried off down the hall.
I threw my bag in my locker and pulled out my pen. As I went to put it in my pocket, it slipped out of my hand, dropped to the floor, and rolled under the door with the DO NOT ENTER sign.
Sighing, I searched my bag for another pen. I didn't have any. I had three options: Go to class without a pen and probably get in trouble for it; ask a stranger to borrow one; or get mine back. There was no security camera in this end of the hall, so going into the room and getting my pen back was easily the least scary. I pushed open the door. It was a small, dark room, empty except for an old desk. I scanned the floor for my pen, but I didn't see it. Maybe it had rolled under the desk, I thought. I stepped into the room and bent down to look underneath.
The door slammed shut behind me, plunging the room into darkness. Panicking, I forgot about my pen and fumbled for the doorknob. I pushed open the door.
As I stepped into the hallway, I nearly lost my balance. I suddenly felt strange. Everything looked different, although I couldn't place it.
"Dani! Hey, Dani!" A male voice was calling my name. I turned around, and felt a burst of confusion and shock in equal measures. It was Nate.
"Dani, buddy, where were you? You were supposed to be at my locker ten minutes ago. It's almost time for Drama, let's go!"
I stared at him in confusion.
"Dani? You alright?"
In all honesty, I wasn't sure.
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry if the ending was crappy. I... really didn't know how to introduce that particular plot twist.