Following Her Heart (CURRENTLY EDITING)

Chapter 18

Here's an extra long chapter for you all! Hope you enjoy! :)

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NEXT WEEK, AT TUESDAY'S DRAMA PRACTICE, DANNY DIDNT EVEN SAY HI. Well, barely. I had to say hello first, where as it had been before, I had been the quiet one and he'd also say hello and greet me first.

What on earth is the matter with Danny Parker?  I asked myself, almost wondering aloud.

We stood side by side, not saying a word to each other. I wished I hadn't come to practice early. I twisted my hair awkwardly, hoping one of us would say something.

Ana showed up just a minute or so later, though, thankfully, so I could escape being next to silent Danny.

"Hey Ana," I said, moving away from Danny and out of his hearing. "Hey Hannah," she replied. "What's up with you and Danny?" she asked, with a small smile on her face.

"Ana, do you know something I don't?" I asked with faked suspicion, jokingly.

"No, no, at least not exactly," she said hesitantly, almost seriously.

When I gave her what she called "my look" she just responded with a quiet "I'm teasing you! I don't really know anything, but I have a hunch."

She winked at me, then waved at Danny, who had looked back at us for a moment.

What's going I on?  I asked myself wonderingly. If I asked Ana right now, I was pretty sure she wouldn't answer. She's a quiet person, and just doesn't always talk about certain things, even stuff I may be dying to know about.

"Okay, Danny is not the most talkative person in the world. But this? He's always talked, just not a lot. So what do you think is going on?" I asked uneasily.

"Maybe something's going on with his family. Or our World History teacher is pushing him too hard. You know Mr. Sylvester is hard on all of us, especially Danny and us two for some reason. He's probably stressed out," Ana suggested.  

"Maybe, but don't you think he'd talk about it to us then?" I questioned.

"We haven't known Danny for too long, you know. He may be hesitating to share whatever is bothering him with us. He could be feeling alone, because this is his first year at Thomas Edison too."

"Well, yes. But I don't think he's lonely, is he? I mean, he seems like he's pretty good friends with Jason."  Jason was a guy he had met in some of his classes at Thomas Edison, and who was Christian too. I was glad for Danny, that he had him, since Danny was quiet, and thus didn't talk to a lot of people. It had seemed strange he had talked to Ana and I quite a lot, now that I thought about it, at least for the quiet person he usually was around others. Maybe because we know him and are friends? I thought wonderingly. But he had talked to us the first day he met us quite a lot. He didn't know a lot about us then.

"Well, whatever it is that's bothering him, maybe we should just make sure we pray and try to help him feel better," Ana finalized, quietly but weirdly, though, like she was keeping something from me.

Before I could inquire anymore, my drama director begin to speak. "Well, everyone, thanks for showing up," she begin. "Amanda Hart won't be able to make it today. I'd like my two leads in the cast to come up here and rehearse the scene where Auroura is able to wake up after her long sleep."

Danny and I hadn't rehearsed this scene before, it had been practically not even mentioned yet. Oh, no. I thought freaking out. I had completely forgotten! This is so awkward! Why did I have be to cast as Aurora?? And one of my good friends as the...Prince?