Forever

Chapter Seven

Dana had been harboring her secret crush on Chandler for what felt like an eternity. She'd mastered the art of concealing her true emotions, hiding behind a series of shy glances and library books. But beneath the surface, her feelings only grew stronger with each passing day.

She would often find herself lost in thought, replaying text messages with Chandler in her head, analyzing every period or comma he sent. Her heart would skip a beat whenever he would walk in the classroom or smile at one of his friends.

Dana became a pro at deflecting questions from her friends, dodging any mention of her feelings towards any man with a laugh or a quick change of subject. She even convinced herself that her emotions were merely a passing infatuation, that she was just becoming distracted.

But as time went on, the weight of her secret grew heavier. She felt like she was living a double life, torn between her genuine feelings for Chandler and the intense pressure she put on herself to not lose focus. The internal conflict left her feeling vulnerable and alone, like she was stuck in a never-ending cycle of emotions.

Despite her best efforts to hide it, the truth was evident in her eyes, in the way she looked at Chandler with a mix of adoration and longing. Her friends, clueless, but they seemed curious, waiting for her to open up when she was ready. And Chandler, oblivious to the storm brewing inside her, continued to treat her like another girl in the hallway, unaware of the depth of her emotions.

A sigh escaped her lips as she tried to clear her mind of any invasive thoughts. It was a never ending cycle whenever she read anything or had too much alone time. It all led back to Chandler and she was beginning to grow hopeless. She knew he'd never look at her in the way she looked at him. His simple and straightforward conversations proved that.

"Rachel!" Jessica waved over the blonde from across the almost empty gym. She turned to face Dana with a frown but just as soon as it appeared it was gone. Her blue and yellow cheer skirt danced as she skipped over with a smile on her face. Dana stood in pure bewilderment as she tried to piece together all the ways Jessica could have met her. "I've been meaning to talk to you girl. You've been busy these days I see."

"I'm flourishing in my soft state." She gave them a twirl that showed off her slim yet athletic body. "Just broke up with my ex and now I'm on the prowl for something a little more... serious." Jessica snickered before slapping a hand on Dana's shoulder. "What's going on with you?"

The look of Jessica's face showed she clearly had intentions for this conversation. "Just checking on you. I think you told me all I needed to know besides... are you officially over him?"

"Absolutely! He definitely wasn't the one I thought he was. Found out he invited a girl to his house for "homework" purposes. Like I'm not an idiot. We've all heard that excuse before." She played with her ponytail and sighed. "But that's the past. He's doing him and I'm doing me." She looked Dana up and down with a hint of distaste. "Pity to the girl who has no morals."

Jessica smiled completely oblivious as to what was taking place. Meanwhile, Dana's heart was bumping through her chest cavity. She was too scared to explain herself due to all the possible outcomes that it would lead to. Jessica would find out that she went to a boy's house and didn't tell them. Rachel would find out that Chandler really was doing homework and possibly take him back.

"Well, thanks for the information. I'll keep that in mind." Jessica nodded once and skipped away from them both. "And just like that, my job can continue."

Their interaction was cut short when Jessica began to update her clients on the status of their potential partners. All Dana knew was that Chandler was on the market, she might even be a little hated, and Jessica was on to phase three of her mission to set up the entire school with their respectful partners.

"What's the obsession with him anyways?" Dana grumbled while side eyeing Rachel who acted as if she didn't shade Dana during the short discussion. "He's just another guy walking around."

"He's cute. Girls like cute guys."

That one sentence sent Dana on a whirlwind of endless thoughts that struck her like a stray bullet. She knew then and there that she wasn't just competing with her feelings of mixed emotions. She was also competing with an entire community of high school girls who, just like her, have eyes and a longing for love.

Chandler is cute.

He's the cutest guy she's seen her whole life. There were other girls who thought the same thing. Girls who maybe were too shy to approach him and girls who had so much confidence that they'd go up to him without a second thought. Dana couldn't compete with those girls. She had to be... different.

She thought about how Candace went through the process of putting Jessica in charge of handling her crush on Chandler. Dana has always been hesitant in the idea of someone else approaching her crush. With Jessica's eagerness, it didn't always end well. She was scared Chandler would be creeped out and never speak to her again. She also knew the only other option was to put it in her own hands and that terrified her.

Yet she observed the way Candace gazed at Chandler. Admiration, longing, and hope was spread over her bubbly persona. Dana's mind was filled with surprise and intimidation. She watched as Candace smiled his way with shimmering teeth and a dimple on her cheek. It was flirtatious and reeling.

Jealousy followed her next in ways she couldn't explain. She had nothing to stand on with Chandler. There was no spark, no knowledge of either of their feelings, and no effort put forth. Candace was ahead of her in every race. It was only a matter of time before someone would break and confess. Would Chandler make the first move? Would Jessica go in for the kill? Or would Candace do it herself out of impatience?

"We should go. Basketball practice is soon." Dana looked at Jessica who had a small smile on her face and a look of uncertainty. "Are you okay?"

With a shrug of the shoulders, Dana forced a fake smile on her face to avoid giving away any more of her personal thoughts. "Yeah."

At home, Sandra waited by the kitchen counter for Dana to walk through the door. They were both surprised to see each other. But Sandra's surprise came from something completely different. "My sweet baby girl," she smiled while placing her thumb on Dana's cheek. "Don't I have some news for you."

Her heart rushed in her chest as she thought about all the things that her mom could tell her. Starting with exposing her for wearing a dirty shirt three days in a row.

"Your dad and I decided it would be best to give you your birthday present early. He was going to tell you the details but he got called in. So I'm going to tell you instead." The two of them walked over to the bar and took their seats on the bohemian style stools. "After canceling a few unused subscriptions, moving doctors appointments and taking a tad bit from the savings funds... we got you this!" Within seconds, a silver debit card was being waved in front of her. The best part about it... her name was on the front.

"Wh-what?" She grasped it with both her hands thinking it'd poof into thin air. "This can't be! Mine?" Her mom nodded. "Mom! Dad! Wow! This is way more than I asked for!"

"I know baby, but it's been a few years since you've gotten something nice. So twelve hundred a month should make up for that." Dana collided into her mother's arms almost throwing them both out of their seats.

"Thank you, mom." She almost cried just thinking about all they're sacrificing simply because she asked. Although it was more than she could ever imagine, she knew exactly what she was going to spend it on.