Austin
Secrets, Secrets
The next day, Benny could tell that something was up with Cat. As they played ball throughout the day, she was not her usual self…a fact that he noticed immediately. However, it didn’t seem like anyone else was noticing it, so he stayed quiet.
Finally it was getting dark out and everyone had to go home for dinner. Once again the trio walked together, but this time Cat followed Benny to his house.
She laughed. “You know before I left the house this morning, my sister gave me a lecture about wearing something nice to dinner.”
He shrugged. “Well that will be interesting.”
She was confused. “What will?”
He chuckled. “Her reaction. I am sure your dirty jersey and ripped jeans are not what she had in mind.”
Cat groaned, but wore a smile. “Oh this is going to go so well…” She said sarcastically.
He laughed and knocked her hat off. She grabbed it and tripped him. Then they were fighting and racing to get back to his house. When they finally crashed through the door, it was in the literal sense.
Mrs. Rodriguez walked into the room and shook her head. “You teenagers and your games. Get up. Dinner’s ready.”
On the ground, still in the doorway, and cracked up some more. Finally they stood and her sister came in.
“What are you wearing?” She exclaimed, horrified.
The teens laughed. “Calm down, Ricki. It is just my jersey. You told me to wear something nice that they will like. Benny likes this doesn’t he?”
Benny nodded, still laughing to himself. “Yep.”
Cat laughed. “See? So there you go.”
They quickly left the room and saw her dad in the dining room with Benny’s dad. Everyone sat down and Mr. Rodriquez chuckled at the messy teens. “Nice of you to finally join us.”
Everyone laughed and Cat’s dad smiled at her. “Hello honey.”
She smiled at him and they passed the food around the table. After eating some of it, Cat licked her fingers clean.
“Ew…Danielle don’t lick your fingers. That is gross and rude!” Ricki yelled and Cat’s eyes went wide.
Danielle. She’d called her Danielle.
Benny gave her a confused look, but everyone else went on with dinner. He thought it was cute when she licked her fingers. Actually he just thought she was cute.
The part that confused him was what her sister had called her. Danielle. But she told them that her name was Austin. He didn’t say anything, but he kept it in the back of his mind.
He was broken from his thoughts when Mr. Howard started to speak. “Thank you for having us for dinner. We really didn’t want to cook tonight. I mean even after a year-”
“Um…may I be excused for a moment?” Cat said suddenly and without waiting for an answer, she left the room. Benny looked at his parents, and after receiving a nod, he went after her.
He knew she had left the house, but he didn’t know exactly where she was headed. He walked quickly down the block, but stopped when he heard it. A beautiful sound was coming from her house. He walked up and found the door unlocked.
There was Cat sitting at the piano in her living room.
Looking at a picture of you in my hands
Wondering if I'm ever gonna see you again
Without you I don't know how my life will be
But I believe
It's not goodbye
Cause I will remember you
And I will see you again
When I rise
Cause I know and I believe
I will see you in eternity
So close yet so far
But in my heart you're here with me
You did not leave
You just went to live in eternity
Without you I don't know how my life will be
But I believe
It's not goodbye
Cause I will remember you
And I will see you again
When I rise
Cause I know and I believe
I will see you in eternity
We will live in the light of the sun again
Dancing in the river of life and
Knowing that'll never end
Forever by your side
We'll never have to say goodbye
Cause I will remember you
And I will see you again
When I rise
Cause I know and I believe
I will see you in
It's not goodbye
Cause I will remember you
And I will see you again
When I rise
Cause I know and I believe
I will see you in eternity
I will see you in eternity
He stood in the doorway, quietly listening and not making a peep. She let her fingers rest on the keys for a second and suddenly her body was convulsing in sobs. Benny walked forward awkwardly, and took her into his arms.
She sniffled. “A year ago today my sister died of a heart defect.”
He sighed. He hadn’t known that, by he figured his parents did. He let her continue.
“She was six.” He closed his eyes and listened to the rest. “She used to follow me around and I would get annoyed with her. Just before she took her last breaths, she gave my this necklace. I never take it off.” She got silent again but then sighed. “My mom left almost right after that. She just…didn’t want to be around us anymore.”
He nodded, but waited a minute before speaking. “Um…can I ask you a question?”
It was her turn to nod. “Mhmm.”
“Danielle…”
She groaned. “That is my real name.”
“But…you told us your name was Austin.”
She chuckled, wiping her eyes. “My middle name. Danielle Austin Howard. I told you that was my name, because I prefer to be called Austin. Only a certain few call my Danielle.”
He nodded, understanding. They were silent for a few minutes, and neither of them noticed that they were still holding each other.
Suddenly her eyes grew wide. “Benny please don’t tell the guys any of this. I mean…I guess I don’t care if they know about Sarah, but please don’t say anything about the music or my name.” She bit her lip.
He nodded. “I won’t.”
There was silence again and the finally noticed that they were holding each other. However for the first time, neither cared. They both secretly liked each other, but would never say it out loud.
“So…we should probably get back to dinner.” Benny said awkwardly.
Cat chuckled, once again awkwardly, and nodded. “Yeah….probably.”
They walked back to his house but neither of them could get that thought out of their heads about the feeling they had when they touched. It was a silent walk, but neither noticed-their thoughts were too loud.
Finally it was getting dark out and everyone had to go home for dinner. Once again the trio walked together, but this time Cat followed Benny to his house.
She laughed. “You know before I left the house this morning, my sister gave me a lecture about wearing something nice to dinner.”
He shrugged. “Well that will be interesting.”
She was confused. “What will?”
He chuckled. “Her reaction. I am sure your dirty jersey and ripped jeans are not what she had in mind.”
Cat groaned, but wore a smile. “Oh this is going to go so well…” She said sarcastically.
He laughed and knocked her hat off. She grabbed it and tripped him. Then they were fighting and racing to get back to his house. When they finally crashed through the door, it was in the literal sense.
Mrs. Rodriguez walked into the room and shook her head. “You teenagers and your games. Get up. Dinner’s ready.”
On the ground, still in the doorway, and cracked up some more. Finally they stood and her sister came in.
“What are you wearing?” She exclaimed, horrified.
The teens laughed. “Calm down, Ricki. It is just my jersey. You told me to wear something nice that they will like. Benny likes this doesn’t he?”
Benny nodded, still laughing to himself. “Yep.”
Cat laughed. “See? So there you go.”
They quickly left the room and saw her dad in the dining room with Benny’s dad. Everyone sat down and Mr. Rodriquez chuckled at the messy teens. “Nice of you to finally join us.”
Everyone laughed and Cat’s dad smiled at her. “Hello honey.”
She smiled at him and they passed the food around the table. After eating some of it, Cat licked her fingers clean.
“Ew…Danielle don’t lick your fingers. That is gross and rude!” Ricki yelled and Cat’s eyes went wide.
Danielle. She’d called her Danielle.
Benny gave her a confused look, but everyone else went on with dinner. He thought it was cute when she licked her fingers. Actually he just thought she was cute.
The part that confused him was what her sister had called her. Danielle. But she told them that her name was Austin. He didn’t say anything, but he kept it in the back of his mind.
He was broken from his thoughts when Mr. Howard started to speak. “Thank you for having us for dinner. We really didn’t want to cook tonight. I mean even after a year-”
“Um…may I be excused for a moment?” Cat said suddenly and without waiting for an answer, she left the room. Benny looked at his parents, and after receiving a nod, he went after her.
He knew she had left the house, but he didn’t know exactly where she was headed. He walked quickly down the block, but stopped when he heard it. A beautiful sound was coming from her house. He walked up and found the door unlocked.
There was Cat sitting at the piano in her living room.
Looking at a picture of you in my hands
Wondering if I'm ever gonna see you again
Without you I don't know how my life will be
But I believe
It's not goodbye
Cause I will remember you
And I will see you again
When I rise
Cause I know and I believe
I will see you in eternity
So close yet so far
But in my heart you're here with me
You did not leave
You just went to live in eternity
Without you I don't know how my life will be
But I believe
It's not goodbye
Cause I will remember you
And I will see you again
When I rise
Cause I know and I believe
I will see you in eternity
We will live in the light of the sun again
Dancing in the river of life and
Knowing that'll never end
Forever by your side
We'll never have to say goodbye
Cause I will remember you
And I will see you again
When I rise
Cause I know and I believe
I will see you in
It's not goodbye
Cause I will remember you
And I will see you again
When I rise
Cause I know and I believe
I will see you in eternity
I will see you in eternity
He stood in the doorway, quietly listening and not making a peep. She let her fingers rest on the keys for a second and suddenly her body was convulsing in sobs. Benny walked forward awkwardly, and took her into his arms.
She sniffled. “A year ago today my sister died of a heart defect.”
He sighed. He hadn’t known that, by he figured his parents did. He let her continue.
“She was six.” He closed his eyes and listened to the rest. “She used to follow me around and I would get annoyed with her. Just before she took her last breaths, she gave my this necklace. I never take it off.” She got silent again but then sighed. “My mom left almost right after that. She just…didn’t want to be around us anymore.”
He nodded, but waited a minute before speaking. “Um…can I ask you a question?”
It was her turn to nod. “Mhmm.”
“Danielle…”
She groaned. “That is my real name.”
“But…you told us your name was Austin.”
She chuckled, wiping her eyes. “My middle name. Danielle Austin Howard. I told you that was my name, because I prefer to be called Austin. Only a certain few call my Danielle.”
He nodded, understanding. They were silent for a few minutes, and neither of them noticed that they were still holding each other.
Suddenly her eyes grew wide. “Benny please don’t tell the guys any of this. I mean…I guess I don’t care if they know about Sarah, but please don’t say anything about the music or my name.” She bit her lip.
He nodded. “I won’t.”
There was silence again and the finally noticed that they were holding each other. However for the first time, neither cared. They both secretly liked each other, but would never say it out loud.
“So…we should probably get back to dinner.” Benny said awkwardly.
Cat chuckled, once again awkwardly, and nodded. “Yeah….probably.”
They walked back to his house but neither of them could get that thought out of their heads about the feeling they had when they touched. It was a silent walk, but neither noticed-their thoughts were too loud.