Love Always, From Mayberry

Chapter five

​The rest of the week was uneventful. I had gotten used to the teachers and the routine of my classes. I had even got to the point of having actual, full conversations with Dan at lunch. I could tell Callie wasn't thrilled with it. She moved her chair closer to his in an unnoticeable way every time we started talking. Callie was a sweet person and my first friend in Mayberry so I didn't want to make her feel like I was trying to date the boy she liked.

​"Whitney, have you talked to Steven since Quick Lunch?"

​Dan immediately shot me a look that I couldn't place.

​"We talked on Facebook that night but that's it. He wants to watch the game with me Friday. I thought I'd go and watch you and Andrea cheer."

​Callie's face looked conflicted.  Dan's face looked horrified. "I'm just going to say, he's not a good guy, Whitney. Not at all, if you wanted someone to watch the game with Friday, you could've just sat with me. I normally just sit with my parents, anyway."

​"Oh, I just figured you'd be playing."

​Dan continued his frustration. I was in shock at his quick temper.

​"I'm a sophomore. I play JV. I play on Thursday nights." He said through gritted teeth.

​"That's a joke. More like you sit on the bench of Thursday nights. I'll see you Friday, Whitney."

​Steven then grabbed my hand and kissed it like you'd see in a movie set in the 1920s. He had appeared out of nowhere. This boy had to stop coming up from behind all the time.

​Dan sat quietly for a minute and then got up and left.

​"Dan's parents are real sweethearts and he is almost always sitting with them on Friday nights, watching Jody and I cheer. You could sit with them anytime you like. I'm so sorry about bringing Steven up. I didn't think Dan would get so upset. I think he has a thing for you." Callie's face looked downcast.

​I knew I had to drop this crush I had on Dan.

​"No, I don't think so. I'm not interested in Dan, anyway." Callie's eyes lit up at my statement.

​"Well, I think you and Steven would make a cute couple. He may have a bad reputation but I think he's alright. Dan and him just don't get along because after Steven broke up with Jody, Dan tried to say something to him about hurting his sister and Steven kind of made Dan look like an idiot. He just hit him one time and that was it, Dan's a sweet guy and he's quick to stand up for someone he cares about but it never ends well."

​Every day after, lunch was pretty much silent between Dan and me. It was just Callie and I going on about whatever we could think of to kill the silence. Thursday Dan had on his game jersey and I couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in it. He really was muscular. He was honestly significantly more built than Steven, I'm not sure how Steven managed to knock him out. I thought about going to the JV game tonight but decided I would watch Dan play another week.

​I wanted to go spend some time at home since I would be out Friday night. Mom was almost always working extra hours at the hospital and I felt guilty for leaving dad alone. Dad grilled steaks Thursday night so we ate together at the table. This was the perfect opportunity to ask Dad what he thought about Steven.

​"Dad, one of my friends at school said you knew his dad."

​Dad smiled. "HIS dad?" "What's this young man's name?"

​"Steven Abbas."

​Dad's smile didn't fade so that was a good sign.

​"I played football with his dad in high school. Excellent linebacker. His dad owns that car dealership close to the high school. Steven's a good boy as far as I know but I know he's got in a little trouble recently, but he threw away a lot of talent. He's had it kind of hard, Marty isn't Steven's biological father, he's always called him dad but Steven is actually Steven junior. His real dad was in prison but I think he's been out a while. His mom got pregnant with him at 16. He's really too old for you anyway, Pearly. I would just stay friends as far as that's concerned."