Forever

Chapter Ten

It was a new day for Dana. She barely slept just thinking about Chandler. How she went from stealing glances to watching speeches in his bedroom thirty minutes before curfew. Now she was stuck on the unknowns. She didn't know exactly why Chandler was interested in her presence. Was he genuinely trying to be her friend or is there more to the story. She was looking forward to having class with him so he could potentially give her more insight. Maybe a sentence or even a keyword would answer her billions of questions.

So she sat alone as students filled up the chairs behind her. Every face that came in caught her eye but none of them belong to the one she was most familiar with. As the five minutes until tardy bell began to get closer and closer, she grew hopeless. Did he not want to see her? Was the outfit she bought worse than the one before.

"Ah, Chandler! Just the student I wanted to see!" Mrs. Garcia smiled as he walked through the door. The smile on Dana's face was hard to contain and suddenly she was perked straight up in her seat while crossing her knees in her mini skirt. "Ten minutes before class ends they want to see you in the principals office." She then handed him a pink slip pulled from her desk. The moment the paper hit his palms his eyebrows perked up. "Good or bad? Won't know until you get there."

He then shoved the paper in her backpack pocket before sliding into his seat. Dana looked at him for a few seconds eager for him to address her. That moment never came. He simply pulled out his notebook and retractable pencil and aimed his focus directly on their teacher.

Every ounce of excitement that Dana showed before was eventually dispersed into the air around her. She slumped her shoulder, dropped her eyes to her hands and her mind went wild.

How does she look? Does she have a body odor? Did someone tell him something about her? Was it something she said yesterday? All those questions and no answers. It made her stomach sick. She couldn't believe she blew it. Her palms felt like puddles and suddenly she could feel the sweat beading on her forehead. She wondered if anyone else saw it too.

It felt like centuries when only 40 minutes had passed. Chandler gathered his things to go to the office while everyone else had to wait to be released. She couldn't believe he went an entire class period of pretending as if she didn't exist. She was even more disappointed in herself for letting her hopes get high in the first place.

"Nothing is assigned this week. Just finish your Ted Talks that are due Friday." The bell rung over their heads and Mrs. Garcia sat in her desk as if on cue. "Miss Carter? Can you come here for a second?"

Dana slowly walked over to her desk making sure to stay out of the way of her classmates who tried to squeeze behind her. "Yes ma'am?"

"You were looking a little drained today. How is everything going. You surely do look different and your performance is sharp recently. Your online assignments... I've never seen you finish them so early."

Dana didn't know what to say to that. She didn't see any change in herself besides more frequent visits to the mall and longer minutes in the mirror. Was her time with Chandler improving her performance in school? Or was Mrs. Garcia mistaking her for another girl from a different class?

"Oh, I haven't noticed the difference." She smiled softly. "I think I just have too much time on my hands." Or is it how she passed the time to avoid checking her phone to see if Chandler texted or not. "Maybe I have a few things that are different."

"Just keep it up but don't push yourself. I know you need a really good recommendation for Rice."

Dana gave her fakest smile before she turned on her heels and right out the door. She didn't think her heart could take anymore surprises and with Mrs. Garcia calling her back she thought she was in deep trouble.

It took all her efforts to focus on relaxation techniques instead of the day full of failure that she had ahead of her. She locked eyes on Lana right down the hall who was visibly annoyed with Julian and decided this would be the perfect time to take the focus off herself.

"Hey you two!" She grinned while Lana looked over at her with a frown. "Bad timing?"

"He didn't win the stupid award at that dumb pizza place and it's my fault because apparently I didn't push for more people to vote for his band. In my defense, I can't control the freaking world!"

Julian groaned as she threw her hands in the air. "You told two people to vote for me," he argued back. "Two! I would have went harder for you than that!"

Within fifteen seconds of being here, Dana wished she could get fifteen seconds of her life back. "You know... I really like your song and Lana does too because she's humming them all the time. But just because we like your song doesn't mean everyone likes your song."

One moment the right side of Dana's personal bubble was empty and the next it was filled with Chandler Beckett and his smooth, confident voice. "Hey, I wanted to say that your band is pretty neat." She blinked in shock as her body completely froze on her.

"Wow, thanks man." Julian looked as if he was never upset about a thing just off that one compliment. "Yeah, I heard you won. I think you deserved it though. Sounded like your music came from some where deep. So congrats, man."

Chandler smiled down at Dana who was still trying to process what was happening. He then transferred his attention back to Julian. "I play a bit of guitar every day. I wanted to invite you three over to my house. I know it's a school night but it won't be a waste."

The confusion that spread across Dana's brain when invited to Chandler's house for a second day in a row. She didn't understand if he was lonely or simply beginning to slack. If she had a gathering every day then nothing in her life would get done.

"Sounds cool man. I won't be able to make it but I know Lana had a good time yesterday. Maybe she wouldn't mind a night two." Lana gasped as Julian gave them a wave and walked away.

"Um, I won't be able to make it either because I have to deal with a boyfriend who can't make up his mind!" She then chased off after him.

Dana stood silently as she knew it was her turn to speak up. "I guess I'll go. I mean, it was nice of you to invite us so I don't want to leave you hanging." No part of her was tired of going to his house just to smell the Teakwood scent his bedroom had. "What time?"

"Right after school," he smiled. Before she could confirm the plan, he walked away in his signature confident stride right down the hall. She watched in a daze because that is the walk she didn't know she needed to see.