Far From Miami, Close To The Heart

"I'm going to miss you." Ben said softly, staring at his feet. The silence became more tangible as Danielle struggled to keep in the tears threatening to spill over.

"Yeah," she answered finally. "But we can still talk every day, right?"

"Right," he mumbled, then shoved a slightly crumpled piece of paper towards her.

Danielle glanced at the paper. On it was a hastily scribbled phone number.

"Okay. I'll call you as soon as I get to Brooksville."

A thin, tall woman with long blonde hair stepped out of a giant moving van made her way towards Ben and Danielle. As she approached them she said, quietly, "Danielle, honey, we need to leave now."

She looked between them and a look of pity crossed her face. "Fine," she sighed, "one more minute." She then turned on her feet and made her way calmly back to the bus.

"I guess I have to go now," Danielle said, her voice finally breaking.

"Yeah, I guess you do," Ben replied.

Suddenly, Danielle flung herself onto Ben, silent tears streaming down her face. Ben immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Finally, she pulled away.

"We'll always be best friends. Always," Danielle told him, fiercely.

"Always," Ben confirmed.

Then, even more abruptly than she'd hugged him, Danielle quickly kissed Ben on the cheek and ran away, wiping furiously at her face, into the van, and out of sight.

Ben stared after the van, long after it had drove out of sight, touching the spot where Danielle had kissed him, and feeling his heart tear in two.

As she stepped into the empty brick house she now called home, she wondered what her friends back in Miami were doing.

Although it was only six hours ago, her old city felt a million years away. She needed some sanity, as she could already feel her facade dropping; she needed Ben.

Danielle pulled out her phone and dialled Ben's number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey," came Ben's voice, an awkward silence stretching. "How's the new house?"

"It's fine," Danielle said. She didn't know why she was being so vague but now that she actually had Ben on the phone, she could barely say a word.

"Oh. Cool. Well that's nice. Listen, I have to go do homework now. Bye. "

"Oh um, okay b-" but the phone had already clicked and Ben's voice was gone. "Homework? It's the end of June..." she wondered aloud.

Pushing down her disappoint and confusion, she started her way down the hall to her bedroom, unpacking her life in this strange world that was now hers.

**********************************

Years later she was packing the same boxes to head to her new house in Clearwater. She had long ago lost the phone number.

"Danielle!" Her mother yelled. " We have to drive to Miami and go meet our realtor before we can move in to our house.

"Ok!"

She climbed into the passengers seat and they set off down the road. "The meetings going to be at least a few hours, I can drop you off at the mall with your sister and come get you when it's over, if you like."

"Sure," said Danielle. Anything was better than hours staring out an office window as their realtor droned on and on.

6 hours later they arrived in Miami.

They pulled up to the entrance of the Miami Mall.

"Call me if anything goes wrong!"

"K mom" They replied.

The truck pulled away as Danielle and Lindsey entered the mall. Lindsey immediately ran to go in to Build- A- Bear Workshop. Danielle, having not had any lunch, walked to the food court.

After purchasing a toasted chicken sandwich, she sat down at a small table. When she had finished she walked to the trash can and dropped her trash into it. She looked up, and noticed someone staring intensely at her. The realization hit her.

"Ben..." She whispered.

He started towards her, picking up speed as he approached her. He pulled her into an embrace. "Never thought I'd see you again." He said softly.

"Me either," she said.

"C'mon" he said, gesturing toward the rows of shops. "Let's go look around for a while.

She trailed behind him as they entered Hot Topic. "Do you still like Harry Potter?" She asked him.

"Of course!" He said grinning. "Once a Potterhead always a Potterhead."

Danielle smiled and looked at the vast wall of T-shirts and spotted a beautiful navy top with a silver Hogwarts crest. She pulled it from the rack and brought it up to the cashier. She pulled out her wallet to pay for it, but Ben stopped her.

"Allow me." he said as he handed the gothic teenager some money. Danielle tried to protest but he silenced her with a wave of his hand and a shrug.

"You didn't have to do that," she said ad they walked out of the store.

"I know," he replied "I wanted to."

They headed over to Baskin Robins and bought mint chocolate chip ice cream cones. They sat down at a small table and began conversing. "So what's your school like?" asked Ben as he licked the decadent treat.

"It's pretty good. I've got some awesome friends. "

"That's cool." He replied.

"DANIELLE!" someone yelled from across the room. Lindsey came jogging up. "I was looking everywhere for you! I need you to pay for my Build A Bear! All I have is a dollar!" The small girl cried.

"Fine, but you owe me," groaned Danielle, rolling her eyes as she handed her a twenty.

"I'm going to need more than that," stated Lindsey plainly.

"Well, how much do you need?" scoffed Danielle.

"Umm how about $40?" replied Lindsey, bashfully.

"What!?" cried Danielle. "$40 for a freaking bear?? That's ludicrous." But Lindsey's face looked so crestfallen Danielle have in. "You owe me major," Danielle said as she handed Lindsey two twenties this time.

"Thanks!" Lindsey squealed, running off to purchase the bear.

"Lets go check out Aeropostal." Danielle suggested. Ben gave a curt nod and followed after her.