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Authors: Lurlene McDaniel
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less to
him.
“I— I don't know why. I was just sixteen. You were the hero of half the state, and I was a nobody. I never thought I'd ever see you again.” She felt hot wetness behind her eyes.
Don't cry
, she told herself silently.
“Were you dating Bobby at the same time and just wanted to mess around behind his back? Were you afraid I might drop your name to him and spoil your cheating game? “
“No! I didn't even know Bobby then. I would never cheat on him.”
“But you'll cheat on me.” Steve crossed his arms. His blue eyes looked cold. “You
are
dating my brother. Didn't you think we'd eventually run into each other somewhere along the way?”
“I—I wasn't sure you'd even remember me.”
“You're not so forgettable, Dana.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I—I didn't believe you could care about me. You could have any girl—”
“I didn't want just
any
girl.”
She had dreamed of him saying such things to her. “If I had known—”
“Hey, what's going on here?” Bobby came down the hall, flipping his car keys. “You trying to snake my girl, bro?”
Steve turned. “Just getting acquainted,” he said easily. “Dana tells me she plays the piano.”
“Like a pro,” Bobby said.
Dana looked away, feeling like a kid caught stealing.
“You sure you don't want to grab a burger with us?”
“Not this time,” Steve said.
Bobby put his arm around Dana. “Listen, I know you'll head back to FSU as soon as you can, but when you're home this summer, maybe we can do stuff together. That is, if you can find a girl.” He grinned impishly.
Steve punched Bobby playfully on the shoulder. “I'll see what I can do.” He backedup. “Nice meeting you, Dana. You take good care of my brother, you hear? If you don't, I'll come looking for you.”
Dana smiled weakly. She let Bobby take her hand and walk her down the hall. Her knees felt rubbery all the way to the car parked in the driveway.
Once she got home, Dana played the piano for almost two hours.
“Don't wear out the keys,” her mother said, passing through the living room.
“I want to be sharp for state competition,” Dana said.
“But that's not until spring.”
“And it's my best chance to get noticed by the Juilliard people.”
“It's still a long way off.”
Dana turned on the piano bench. “Most mothers are begging their kids to practice. I didn't mean to annoy you.”
“Whoa. I never said you were annoying me. I was just wondering why you were driving yourself today. Did you and Bobby have a fight?”
Her mother knew Dana's habit of playing when she was upset or needed space to work out a problem, so Dana wasn't surprised by the question, only annoyed- “Bobby and I are fine. His brother's home from college having some medical tests run, and his family's concerned.”
“What's wrong with him? “
“He's been having really bad headaches.”
“That's too bad, but I don't see how it concerns you.”
Dana hit discordant keys on the piano, pushed back the bench, and stood. “I'm Bobby's girlfriend, Mom, and he's worried about his older brother. Why wouldn't it affect me? I think the world of Bobby.”
Her mother looted startled. “Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Just keep playing. Pretend I never interrupted.”
Dana shook her head. “I'm finished.” She headed up the stairs to her bedroom. She felt anxious and tense. Since her conversation with Steve, her mind had been in turmoil, her in-sides in a knot. She still adored him; the old feelings hadn't changed. Except that now she was Bobby's girl, and no amount of pianoplaying was going to chase away her predicament.
Bobby asked Dana to a family cookout on Sunday. “Steve's cheeking into the hospital at six, so this is the big feast before he begins a diet of hospital food.”
“I—um, have to study.”
“The cookout won't last long.”
“I can't.”
Bobby lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “Hey, what's wrong? You haven't been yourself the
him.
“I— I don't know why. I was just sixteen. You were the hero of half the state, and I was a nobody. I never thought I'd ever see you again.” She felt hot wetness behind her eyes.
Don't cry
, she told herself silently.
“Were you dating Bobby at the same time and just wanted to mess around behind his back? Were you afraid I might drop your name to him and spoil your cheating game? “
“No! I didn't even know Bobby then. I would never cheat on him.”
“But you'll cheat on me.” Steve crossed his arms. His blue eyes looked cold. “You
are
dating my brother. Didn't you think we'd eventually run into each other somewhere along the way?”
“I—I wasn't sure you'd even remember me.”
“You're not so forgettable, Dana.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I—I didn't believe you could care about me. You could have any girl—”
“I didn't want just
any
girl.”
She had dreamed of him saying such things to her. “If I had known—”
“Hey, what's going on here?” Bobby came down the hall, flipping his car keys. “You trying to snake my girl, bro?”
Steve turned. “Just getting acquainted,” he said easily. “Dana tells me she plays the piano.”
“Like a pro,” Bobby said.
Dana looked away, feeling like a kid caught stealing.
“You sure you don't want to grab a burger with us?”
“Not this time,” Steve said.
Bobby put his arm around Dana. “Listen, I know you'll head back to FSU as soon as you can, but when you're home this summer, maybe we can do stuff together. That is, if you can find a girl.” He grinned impishly.
Steve punched Bobby playfully on the shoulder. “I'll see what I can do.” He backedup. “Nice meeting you, Dana. You take good care of my brother, you hear? If you don't, I'll come looking for you.”
Dana smiled weakly. She let Bobby take her hand and walk her down the hall. Her knees felt rubbery all the way to the car parked in the driveway.
Once she got home, Dana played the piano for almost two hours.
“Don't wear out the keys,” her mother said, passing through the living room.
“I want to be sharp for state competition,” Dana said.
“But that's not until spring.”
“And it's my best chance to get noticed by the Juilliard people.”
“It's still a long way off.”
Dana turned on the piano bench. “Most mothers are begging their kids to practice. I didn't mean to annoy you.”
“Whoa. I never said you were annoying me. I was just wondering why you were driving yourself today. Did you and Bobby have a fight?”
Her mother knew Dana's habit of playing when she was upset or needed space to work out a problem, so Dana wasn't surprised by the question, only annoyed- “Bobby and I are fine. His brother's home from college having some medical tests run, and his family's concerned.”
“What's wrong with him? “
“He's been having really bad headaches.”
“That's too bad, but I don't see how it concerns you.”
Dana hit discordant keys on the piano, pushed back the bench, and stood. “I'm Bobby's girlfriend, Mom, and he's worried about his older brother. Why wouldn't it affect me? I think the world of Bobby.”
Her mother looted startled. “Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Just keep playing. Pretend I never interrupted.”
Dana shook her head. “I'm finished.” She headed up the stairs to her bedroom. She felt anxious and tense. Since her conversation with Steve, her mind had been in turmoil, her in-sides in a knot. She still adored him; the old feelings hadn't changed. Except that now she was Bobby's girl, and no amount of pianoplaying was going to chase away her predicament.
Bobby asked Dana to a family cookout on Sunday. “Steve's cheeking into the hospital at six, so this is the big feast before he begins a diet of hospital food.”
“I—um, have to study.”
“The cookout won't last long.”
“I can't.”
Bobby lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “Hey, what's wrong? You haven't been yourself the
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