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Danielle had came really close to death once. That day is permanently engrained within her mind. She was sixteen. It was the first day of summer vacation. Danielle was meant to stay home and finish her chores before her aunt got home, but she had met a boy. He was the most charming person she had ever met. He had skin that glowed beneath the sunlight and a smile that matched, every tooth in his mouth perfectly straight and a healthy off white color. His eyes were a dark brown, almost black. She sunk deeper within them every time she caught his gaze. She was quickly, and dangerously, falling in love with this boy.
Night had fallen, and Danielle had a good hour before her aunt would return home. She was sitting in her living room, waiting for Darren to pull up outside in his dad's old Volkswagen. She was dressed in a tight skirt and a red sweater that hugged her chest snugly. Her dark hair, that reached the length of her shoulders, was laid in loose curls. Her lips were coated in clear, sparkly lip gloss that she couldn't wait to smudge with his lips. Her chest was filled with excitement and adrenaline that she couldn't care less if she had gotten caught.
She could tell when he arrived. His car was loud. Danny ran from the couch with her handbag thrown over her shoulder, her three inch heels clicking against the pavement leading up to her door. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled widely. She hurled herself into the car, closing the door behind her just as he began to peel away from her home. She had never been alone with a boy before. Of course, she's been in groups at school and at hangouts, but never alone. Sitting there, her fingers twiddling in her lap, she could feel the excitement and nervousness of the situation plow through her brain.
She was so caught up in her own emotions, she hadn't even realized the condition Darren was in. His shirt was buttoned wrong and had a dark stain on the collar. His eyes were droopy, like he hadn't slept in days. He threw his car in drive and lurched forward. "The party's the other way," she voiced, noticing the mail boxes blur as he drove down the quiet street. "I don't wanna go to the party. Thought we could catch a movie." She glanced toward the boy. She couldn't stop the gasp that slipped past her lips. "Is that b–blood?"
Darren shook his head, his floppy hair falling over his eyes. "I got into a fight with my dad earlier. It's probably nothing." She peered at his shirt. Her excitement quickly subsided once he took a sharp left turn, the opposite direction of the movie theater. "Darren, you're going the wrong way." — "I know where I'm freaking going, Danny!" he snapped. She shrunk back into her seat in shock. He straightened himself, his eyes peering over at her. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little tense."
"What happened?" She inched toward the door. She couldn't ignore the speed they were going at anymore. "My dad called me stupid. He threw a damn lamp at me." His knuckles paled as he gripped the steering wheel. Every muscle in his face seemed to tense. "So, I tackled him and– and.. You can't tell anyone, Danny. They'll send me away, or kill me." She felt her eyes burn with unshed tears. "Promise me!" — "I–I–I promise! I promise," she whimpered. He turned to look at her with a pained expression. He didn't like the way she looked back at him. "Don't be scared, baby. Please."
