How Do I Love Thee

Two

******Not Edited****

Dana never told anyone, not even her best friend, Terry Brown, about her summer with Steve. Terry would have spread it all over school at the beginning of sophomore year, and Dana would have been the topic of gossip. Plus, a lot of people would never believe her in the first place, and she didn't want to be in the position of having to defend her story. Nor was it likely that she and Steve would ever cross paths again. It had simply been easier to keep it to herself, to store the memories inside her special box. And inside her heart.

The phone rang and she answered it.

"I miss you," Bobby said.

She laughed. "You just dropped me off."

"Not true. That was hours ago. What're you doing?"

Feeling guilty, she tucked the photo of herself and Steve back in the envelope. "I just finished piano practice. How about you?"

"Trying to keep my cool—I just had a big run-in with Dad. My parents lied to me, Dana."

"About what?" She immediately thought of Steve.

"They've always told me I could go to college anywhere I wanted but, now they're saying they can't afford to send me to Cal Tech. They're saying if I want to go to college all the way out in California, I'll have to get a scholarship. I've already been accepted to Cal Tech, pending my SAT scores," he added hotly, "and now they're saying they can't pay for it.'

"Oh, Bobby, I'm really sorry.'

"If only I played more football, I'd have it made."

"Math majors are offered scholarships too."

"Jocks get more offers. Steve was drowning in scholarship offers, and Dad was hanging on to every recruiter who came in the door. He managed Steve's offers like the world's most business deal. But as for me—well, he forgets to mention that there's no money to send me to college. I'm a loser, Dana. In every way, a loser."

"You've got to start believing in yourself, Bobby. Your dreams are no less valuable than your brother's."

"Tha's what i said, but Dad called me ungrateful, said that until they knew what was happening with Steve, they couldn't commit the money to send me across the country just to go to college. He said id I stay in-state, it'll be manageable." Bobby sounded despondent. "Let's face it, I'll never get to Cal Tech. I just wish Mom and Dad hadn't lied to me, Dana. They could have told me this a long time ago, before I got my hopes up."

"It's not the end of the world, Bobby. You'll figure something out because you're smart. And because you're just as good as Steve."

"Listen, I'm not dissing Steve." He sounded ashamed. "Especially now. He can't help being perfect."

"But you can help yourself by stopping the competition. Steve's life isn't so perfect right now, you know."

Bobby was silent. Finally he said, "That's why you'r in my life, Dana. You keep me honest. Steve's got problems, and I just have gripes."

"You can gripe to me anytime," she told him.

But once she'd hing up, guilt grabbed her again. She'd been anything but honest with him. If she were honest, she'd have told him about her ans Steve. Sooner or later, she might have to, because once they meet again face to face, Steve might blurt out their shared history. Then again, he might not evn remember it. Frankly, Dana couldn't decide which one hurt worse.

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"Being Bobby's girl does have a few perks." Terry told Dana the next day at lunch. "I mean, getting to brush up to his brother can't be too awful.'