My Boyfriend's Girlfriend

sixteen

"Abigail, it's so lovely to see you!" Liz Schwinn wrapped me in a suffocating hug. It was Saturday evening, and I was at Danny's house for family dinner. Normally, we would do it the last Saturday of the month, but that fell on Trick-or-Treat (and also the night of the party) this year. "Honey, we haven't seen you in weeks!" She exclaimed, and I saw the worry patterned across her face as she pulled back from me.

Danny's mom had to be one of my favorite people on the planet. She'd been a Broadway actress early on in her teens and twenties, until she moved out west to Hollywood with an old boyfriend, who she dumped as soon as she saw Danny's dad while on vacation one weekend. She knew what she wanted, and she didn't let anyone stop her.

She ran her hands down my arms and grabbed my hands in hers, squeezing lightly as she smiled warmly at me, silently asking if I was alright. I'd always been so jealous of Danny, because he had Liz and Aly both in one household. His mom, despite their political differences, had always accepted my family wholly. Danny's dad, Pastor Schwinn, couldn't be bothered to talk to my dad about anything other than church finances, however, and didn't spare a glance in my mom's direction.

"I know, I've just been so busy with competition season coming up soon." Not a lie, just an omission of the full truth. "Plus, I've been practicing for my auditions." This one was a lie, I hadn't touched my audition music since the day Danny and I took Aly to the farm.

"That's my Abby," I wanted to cringe as I heard Danny's voice. "Always working." I saw him come from the stairs. He wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my cheek. I wanted to rip my body from his grip, which just felt foul.

Liz's friendly gaze moved from me to Danny, to his hand on my waist. "Dinner will be ready shortly, I'll call for you."

Don't leave me, I wanted to cry. She reached out and gave my forearm another firm squeeze, and gracefully spun on her heels, exiting the foyer. I shimmied out of Danny's grasp, and made a beeline for the stairs. Was Aly home? I needed any excuse to not be alone with Danny right now, and I needed to find it fast. If I was going to have to make it to the Halloween party, I couldn't blow up today.

"Abby, please." Danny grabbed my arm, stopping me. I wanted to do anything but have a conversation with him, but I turned back to face him anyway. "Can we talk? In my room?" He gestured up the stairs. I didn't know what else to do, so I reluctantly nodded.

He let go of my arm after a moment, and my feet were in auto-pilot headed for his door. I took a deep breath as I walked in to the familiar, nautical blue walls and cedar wax melt his mom purposefully lit daily. What used to calm me now had me wanting to run for the hills. I heard his door latch shut behind him, and squeezed my eyes shut as I prayed to God to make it to the dinner table tonight without a fight.

Danny shuffled over to the bed, where he sat with his back against the pillows, and stretched his hands out behind his head. He noticed I wasn't moving to join him, and he ran a hand along the empty space beside him. "Are you going to sit?" He asked.

"I'm fine," I shrugged my shoulders. He sighed loudly, and ran his hands through his wavy hair that seemed to get longer every time I looked at him. I noticed the deep bags under his eyes, and the dry, dullness to his skin. He hadn't slept right in days. Was he thinking about all of the possibilities of Tessa and I knowing each other? Was he piecing it together? I watched him curiously as he sat up and pulled his legs up, and crossed one over the other.

"Are we okay?" He asked me.

No, Danny, we are not okay. You've been cheating on me with someone else, who I may or may not be plotting your demise with. Oh, and she kissed me. And, even better, I'm currently debating if I'm going to kiss her again. "Yeah."