Straight and Narrow

9. Danny

"No Mark I just want to go to sleep!" I murmer, less than impressed at the fact I was woken up after falling asleep halfway through unpacking. Yes, it has taken me nearly three weeks to get unpacked.

"Come on Dan, you've been in a bad mood all day." He drags the cover off me, "Come down to the beach please."

"Fuck sake!" I sit up in bed and storm out the room into the bathroom.

Staring at myself in the mirror I frown. My hair is plastered flat to my head, all thanks to that nightmare. My face looks pale and tired, circles round my eyes. I turn on the tap, after a moment of nothing it makes a gurgling noise and then water comes trickling out. I cup my hands under it before splashing the cool liquid over my face. It shocks me awake at least.

I emerge from the bathroom to see Mark waiting for me holding a towel out to me. A fucking beach towel? Where the hell did he get that from. I take it with a confused look and mumble my thanks.

"You're welcome misery guts," Mark smiles sarcastically at me as I pass him to go and get my swimming shorts.

"I said thank you," I glare at him.

"Whatever, I'm not walking down there with you if you're going to be moody, I'll meet you down there." And with that he's out the door.

I drop the towel and climb back onto my bed. I reach down and pull my laptop our from under the bed, sitting cross-legged I set up Skype. I don't care about the time zone , I just want to see Alannah's face and know that she's okay. After what seems like a lifetime she picks up.

"Danny," she smiles but she looks utterly drained.

Her hair isn't long anymore, she's had it cut into a pixie-cut and it's been coloured a deep purple colour.

"Babe, what's with the hair?"

"Well, the chemo means that my hair is going to fall out so I thought, why not?"

I can't help but admire her positive attitude. But then her smile falters. She bites her lip as if to stem the tears that I can see forming in her eyes.

"Lanna?" My heart starts to beat hard agaisnt my ribcage. I can only hope she isn't going to make my nightmare come true, she can't tell me her cancer is terminal, she can't! That isn't allowed.

"I don't want to have to do this," she breaths quietly, "I want to be healthy."

"I know you do but just stick this out and you'll be able to look back and see how far you've come."

"I've ruined everything," she sighs, I can tell she's not fully paying attention to what I'm saying to her. I don't get to ask what she means when she takes a deep breath and continues, "I've become a burden, my mum and dad's relationship is on the rocks. Dad's walked out on us and us staying round at his mum's, he only comes to the occasional chemo session."

I could offer her no words of comfort. The only thing I wanted to do was reach out and hold her tight, let her know she was going to be ok, however that isn't possible through a computer screen. I wanted to ask how the chemotherapy was going but I didn't want to upset her anymore. It was the blatantly obvious elephant in the room.

"So instead of all that shit that's been going on, how is life in the world of Alannah Fox?"

"Well next week they're stepping up the strength of the drugs," she shrugs, "if that's what you mean?"

I nod," how's the cancer reacting to the drugs?"

"Ok," she stammers slightly, "I've got another meeting next week where I'll find out if it's spread anywhere else."

"Let me know straight away when you get your results, please?" I need to know she's ok.

"I promise." She runs her hand through her short hair. It really suits her.

"Enough about me, how are you? How's America?" I can hear the strain in her voice and her smile makes her face look like it's about to crack.

"Good," I lie, well half a lie, "we're very busy but I sure as hell miss you," that's definitely the truth. "You'd love it here, our apartment is right next to..." I'm cut off by the door slamming shut and Mark roaring my name.

"Danny!" He flings open my door and sees me sat in my bad with my laptop, "you said you were coming down to the beach! Get your lazy arse down there now!"

"Dude, I'm talking to Lanna," I try not to get pissed at the way he's stood there trying to boss me about, to be fair, I'd forgotten I was supposed to be going to the beach.

"Danny, go down to the beach, have some fun," she teases her hair with her fingers again, oh how I want to run my fingers through it too. I miss that about my Lanna, her hair was always really soft.

"But I want to talk to you." I pout.

"Don't be a sour puss, go and get some sun, I'm tired anyway."

"Ok, I'll speak to you tomorrow." I blow her a kiss through the webcam and she returns it. I try and ignore Mark's witty comments about us being sickeningly in love.

As soon as I get down to the beach I instantly regret it. In the fifteen minutes he was down here on his own he already managed to get talking to a beautiful young woman. She's sat next to him on the sand watching her friends play volley ball. I know I shouldn't but I can't help notice how stunning they all look. Their long tanned legs glistening in the sun, their hair shining and more flesh out than socially accepted back home.

"Rina? Are you joining in with this next game?" A girl shouts over in our direction, she looks fiercely competitive as she holds the volleyball to her hip.

"No, you play without me!" The girl sat next to Mark shouts over. So that's who Rina is.

"Ok fair enough," the girl chucks the ball to someone else on her team, "I'll sit off this game to make it fair."

I look up and see the lady coming over to sit with her friend, but instead of sitting next to Rina she sits down next to me.

"You must be Mark's friend right?" She looks at me from behind a massive pair of sunglasses.

"Yeah, I'm Danny, and you are..?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm Brittany, nice to meet you Danny," she holds her hand out and I shake it.

She's bloody gorgeous, her golden skin and dark hair that falls in natural waves down her back. I notice that around her forehead is a thin multicoloured braided band. A matching one is round her left ankle.

"You don't see the sun much do you?" I can feel her eyes burning into my skull.

"Not much sun to see in Ireland," I shrug.

"Oh my God! I love Ireland, where about in Ireland are you from?"

"Dublin."

"I've been there!" Jeez this girl needs to chill out. "I've love that place!"

Just then her friends call her and Rina back over for more volleyball. Before she goes she gets my phone and puts her number in it.

"Ring me if you want someone to hang out with, nice meeting you, I'll see you around," she talks at nineteen to the dozen this chick. She bends down and kisses my cheek before jogging back over to her friends.

I stare after her, why do I feel like I've betrayed Alannah? I didn't do anything that could be seen as being disloyal to her, no one can steal my heart when I'm so in love with Lanna, not even the Los Angeles beach babe named Brittany.

A/N
Ooohhhh.... will Brittany end up involved with Danny or will Danny have enough self control to stay loyal to his girlfriend? Find out soooooooon! Don't forget to comment or vote or both if you enjoyed it!
Love M x