His Princess

Chapter Two

   Dani:

    After a day of shelving tattered copies of To Catch a Mockingbird, and Frankenstein, plus directing the term-paper-anxiety-ridden freshman's to the section of their needs, I finally went back home. Heather and Charlotte were sitting next to each other on the couch watching Supernanny.

    While I was happy to see Charlotte sitting on my couch looking so cute in my Queen shirt, she also looked awfully distraught. I pull her into my room to see what's up.

    "Hey," I said, shutting the door, "What's wrong?"

    Charlotte tried to blink back tears. "Elena. We got in a fight today after I took my Microbiology test and I couldn't stand being in the same room with her anymore."
 
   I sat down next to her on my unmade bed and took her hand in mine.

     "About what? Eve again?"

     My anger stirred inside me. Elena Williams was beginning to become easily my least favorite person; a real problem was developing and I was not about to let her get in the way of Charlotte and I.

    "Sort of, yeah. She just kept bringing up stuff like we aren't meant to be together but Dani, I really want to be with you. I know that's probably too forward. . ."
    

   Charlotte:

    Furious with Elena's insults, I went to the one place I had hoped I'd be welcome: Dani and Heather's. Of course, it occurred to me half way there that Dani wouldn't be there until quite a bit later. When I knocked on the door though, Heather greeted me wordlessly and held the door open for me.

    "Hi. . . I just, my roommate is being a pill." I babbled halfheartedly.

    "I ordered pizza." She gestured to the coffee table.

    Thankfully she's clothed today. Maybe she heard Dani's comment this morning.

    I sat down on the couch and unzipped my jacket. "Thanks."

     I get a piece the pizza that came delivered from the place downtown, the one with the statue in front of it that vaguely resembles an erect penis. Tomato and mushroom is my favorite too. The taste of their food makes up for their almost pornagraphic décor.

   Watching TV with Heather seems to cool me down somewhat. She is the kind of person you'd want to watch TV with. Not chatty. She appreciates and respects the silence.

     I fiddle with my phone, anxiously awaiting Dani's return back to the apartment. When she does get here she does not bother to hide her shock. It dawns on me via my heart falling in my chest that I shouldn't have just dropped in unannounced. As Elena pointed out very bluntly to me this afternoon, we are not together officially. And worse, in Elena's eyes, we never would be.

    We go into her room so we can talk.
I break down.

    "It's not too forward." Dani promises after my outburst. "Elena doesn't even know what she's talking about. I like you a lot, Charlotte. I just don't want to rush it."

    I tried to keep the feeling of disappointment to myself. It was what I had expected, the rejection. Yet, here I am still hurting from it.

    When I stay quiet, Dani speaks up again and what she says I am not expecting.

   "I've never had a real relationship before."

    Dani is practically the definition of chick magnet. I find it incredibly hard to believe that there's never been anyone who has had her heart. I tell her as much.

    "Sure, there's been people. A handful of girls, a guy or two thrown in. None of them had ever stuck around long enough for it to become serious." She confessed.

     Then her expression changes from frustrated to downright heartbroken. Like the last puppy left in a For Free box sitting in the rain. "My first girlfriend? Aubrey Weston. I was 14. We had the same Art class freshman year. We started hanging out after school, bonded over charcoal pencils and My Chemical Romance. One day? We were trying out my new blending pencils and she just leaned over and kissed me. The chemistry between us had been undeniable for awhile and we started dating a few days later. This one night, my parents had gone out to dinner and I didn't expect them to be back anytime soon. My little sister Joyce was at a study group. And our kissing went much further. As I began to go down on her, my father walked in."

    Dani's face flushed from embarrassment.

    "I'm so sorry." I whisper. "What happened after that?"

   "He freaked. He and my mother made it very clear that I was not to see Aubrey any longer. I had wanted to continue to see Aubrey, of course. In secret. Aubrey refused and we didn't speak after that."

   I reached over and squeezed Dani's hand. "I'm sorry." I repeat.

    Dani scoots me closer next to her by my thighs. "Don't be sorry. Just kiss me."

   So I do.