Status: My first story. All the chapter titles are taken from songs. Please read and comment! Thanks so much! :)
Here I Am, Alive
Sucking the Life Out of All the Friends You've Ever Known
Around 2:30am on the night I met Dave, we were on the phone talking. I still felt like I was losing my mind, but I was starting to care a lot less.
"Um, Dani?" he said suddenly, his cheerful tone abruptly calming down. "I have something to ask you."
"Yeah?" I replied, figuring he was just going to ask me another question about myself, just like he'd been doing all night long.
"I know it's very...quick...but I've made up my mind, and I don't think I'm changing it."
My stomach sank.
"I mean, I could wait," he went on. "But I figure, if I've already made up my mind, why wait?"
"What do you mean?" I asked softly, not believing what I was hearing.
"Well..." he sighed. "Do you want to go out with me?" he asked quickly. His question was dripping with nervousness.
I didn't even think twice, which was extremely unlike me. "Yes!" I replied with a little to much excitment.
"Wait, REALLY?" he asked. The cheerful tone was back.
"Yes really! Why wouldn't I?" I laughed.
"I don't know! I just...God, okay! All right then," I could practically hear him smiling.
We talked until nearly 5 in the morning that night, and although it was quick, a decision had never felt so right to me in my entire life.
The next day, after I had slept for a few hours of course, I decided to see Grace and tell her about my eventful night. I knocked on her door that afternoon, a huge grin on my face as she opened the door.
"Good mood?" she greeted as she let me in.
"Dave asked me out!" I blurted, not able to hold it in any longer.
There was an extremely awkward silence. "Already?" she asked tenatively.
"Well...yeah," I replied honestly.
"And you said yes?"
"Of course. I like him a lot," I explained.
"Oh," Grace muttered. "Well, that's great." She almost sounded annoyed, which confused the hell out of me. After all, she was the one who had set us up. AND she was my best friend. Shouldn't she be happy for me?
"Are you...mad at me?" I questioned slowly, not seeing a reason for her judgemental expression.
"I just don't think you should rush into anything, okay? I don't want to see either of you hurt." She explained. "I have to go run to CVS to pick up something for my mom. Do you want to come with me, or hang out with Carter for a little while till I get back?"
"Um, I think I'll hang with Carter," I was a little angry at Grace, so I decided a little time away from her might be beneficial.
"Fine," she said, and gathered her things while I ran upstairs to Carter's bedroom and knocked on her door.
"Oh, hey Dani!" Carter grinned as she opened her door. "I didn't know you were over." I plopped down on her bed, and looked at all the artwork around Carter's bedroom. Walking into her room was like being in the most creative and interesting art gallery in New York City. The girl had a serious gift.
"So how's Davvvveeeeeee," she elbowed me.
"He asked me out," I said blankly, figuring she'd have the same reaction as her sister.
"WHAT?" she screeched. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That's so amazing!"
"Wait, really? It doesn't bother you?"
"Why would it? Oh my god this is ADORABLE!" She cried. "I'm so happy for you guys!"
"Grace sure isn't," I rolled my eyes. "She seemed pretty annoyed by it."
Carter laughed sarcastically. "Well, you know how she is. How do you think it feels for her to have her best friend get what she's always wanted?"
Then it clicked. Grace was jealous that I had a boyfriend, and she didnt. Like we were in middle school. She had almost taken her life on numerous occassions because she was so lonely. And now...
"Why did she even bother trying to set us up then?" I growled.
"Do you really think she expected it to work?" Carter gave me a face. "Come on, now."
Great, I thought to myself. This should be fun.
"Um, Dani?" he said suddenly, his cheerful tone abruptly calming down. "I have something to ask you."
"Yeah?" I replied, figuring he was just going to ask me another question about myself, just like he'd been doing all night long.
"I know it's very...quick...but I've made up my mind, and I don't think I'm changing it."
My stomach sank.
"I mean, I could wait," he went on. "But I figure, if I've already made up my mind, why wait?"
"What do you mean?" I asked softly, not believing what I was hearing.
"Well..." he sighed. "Do you want to go out with me?" he asked quickly. His question was dripping with nervousness.
I didn't even think twice, which was extremely unlike me. "Yes!" I replied with a little to much excitment.
"Wait, REALLY?" he asked. The cheerful tone was back.
"Yes really! Why wouldn't I?" I laughed.
"I don't know! I just...God, okay! All right then," I could practically hear him smiling.
We talked until nearly 5 in the morning that night, and although it was quick, a decision had never felt so right to me in my entire life.
The next day, after I had slept for a few hours of course, I decided to see Grace and tell her about my eventful night. I knocked on her door that afternoon, a huge grin on my face as she opened the door.
"Good mood?" she greeted as she let me in.
"Dave asked me out!" I blurted, not able to hold it in any longer.
There was an extremely awkward silence. "Already?" she asked tenatively.
"Well...yeah," I replied honestly.
"And you said yes?"
"Of course. I like him a lot," I explained.
"Oh," Grace muttered. "Well, that's great." She almost sounded annoyed, which confused the hell out of me. After all, she was the one who had set us up. AND she was my best friend. Shouldn't she be happy for me?
"Are you...mad at me?" I questioned slowly, not seeing a reason for her judgemental expression.
"I just don't think you should rush into anything, okay? I don't want to see either of you hurt." She explained. "I have to go run to CVS to pick up something for my mom. Do you want to come with me, or hang out with Carter for a little while till I get back?"
"Um, I think I'll hang with Carter," I was a little angry at Grace, so I decided a little time away from her might be beneficial.
"Fine," she said, and gathered her things while I ran upstairs to Carter's bedroom and knocked on her door.
"Oh, hey Dani!" Carter grinned as she opened her door. "I didn't know you were over." I plopped down on her bed, and looked at all the artwork around Carter's bedroom. Walking into her room was like being in the most creative and interesting art gallery in New York City. The girl had a serious gift.
"So how's Davvvveeeeeee," she elbowed me.
"He asked me out," I said blankly, figuring she'd have the same reaction as her sister.
"WHAT?" she screeched. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That's so amazing!"
"Wait, really? It doesn't bother you?"
"Why would it? Oh my god this is ADORABLE!" She cried. "I'm so happy for you guys!"
"Grace sure isn't," I rolled my eyes. "She seemed pretty annoyed by it."
Carter laughed sarcastically. "Well, you know how she is. How do you think it feels for her to have her best friend get what she's always wanted?"
Then it clicked. Grace was jealous that I had a boyfriend, and she didnt. Like we were in middle school. She had almost taken her life on numerous occassions because she was so lonely. And now...
"Why did she even bother trying to set us up then?" I growled.
"Do you really think she expected it to work?" Carter gave me a face. "Come on, now."
Great, I thought to myself. This should be fun.