Lost & Insecure

Four - Friday Night Fights

"You promise, Dana?" Ashley pleaded over the phone.

Dana sighed lightly – too lightly for Ashley to hear. "Ash, I promise you I'll be at the game tonight." Dana reassured her. Dana had shared her doubts with Ashley about going to the football game and meeting some of the members of the photo club at school. Ashley managed to cheer Dana up, however, and convinced her that going would be a good idea.

"See you tonight." Ashley's smile could nearly be heard through the phone before she hung up. Dana slowly slid her phone into her back pocket and made her way to her dresser where her camera sat. She grabbed her camera, inspecting it slowly and closely as if inspecting an injured animal. Dana made her way downstairs, scrolling through the pictures that were still on her SD card in the camera.

"Haven't used it in awhile, huh?" Eddie glided past her, heading straight for the fridge.

"Not since before-" Dana stopped herself in the doorway of the kitchen, her entire body freezing in place.

"My parents or yours?" Eddie asked lowly, closing the fridge door.

Dana turned the camera around to reveal a picture of Eddie's parents, "Yours." She responded shortly.

"Dana, you can talk about them." Eddie turned around to face her, "I swear it won't kill me." He paused. "Ironic since they're dead."

"Edric!" Dana scolded.

"You know that's another thing you've refused to do since they passed." Eddie began, taking a bite of cold pizza. "You haven't called me by my actual full name. Only new made up ones you keep thinking of." Dana shrugged innocently, not knowing what to say. Eddie dismissed it, telling her that he didn't mind the new names. In fact, they always made him smile.

"Well on another note," Dana tried to change the subject to get their minds off of Eddie's parents, "are you coming to the football game? Please say yes because I really do not want to go alone."

"You won't be alone. Ash is there." Eddie said mocking Dana's nickname for Ashley, having been teasing Dana for the last week about how quickly they've become friends. Dana, insistent that a friend is all she was with Ashley, ignored Eddie's incessant teasing.

"She's a cheerleader, I won't be able to talk to her," Dana explained. "Ed just this once, do something for me. Make sure I don't get into any trouble. Please..." Dana smiled at him, drawing out every letter of the word please.

"Just this once," he quipped. Dana sent him a victorious smile before turning and leading him out the door. Eddie glanced at the pictures on Dana's camera during their brief drive to the school. "I forgot how great you were." Eddie spoke softly, browsing through the last photos taken of his parents. Dana glanced at Eddie with saddened eyes, wishing there was more she could do for him. Dana attempted to keep his mind off of his parents, but Eddie mostly ignored her comments until they got to the school.

The two stood in line at the entrance gate, both cheering each other up by people watching those around them. They heard someone distantly call their names and turned to see Mason walking towards them from inside the stadium. "Hey, you guys showed up," he sent them a large grin, showing off his straight white teeth.

Dana paid for tickets as Eddie walked towards Mason, sarcastically waving his hands with excitement, "We came!"

"I forced him to come," Dana explained to Mason.

"Oh gotcha," Mason nodded. He looked around as if he'd lost something. Dana questioned him, and he explained himself in short fragments, "My brother... somewhere...Zach...he was just..." Mason paused, puzzled. A voice called out to Mason and he perked his head up like a meerkat, hoping to find his brother. A boy that looked like a mini Mason, with the same hair and eyes, only shorter in height and more baby faced, walked over to the three with a smile and a mouth full of hot dog.