

## Like You Mean It

### Trish Edmisten

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2013 by Trish Edmisten

All Rights Reserved.

For Kylie and Cyan, who always understand when I have to work

# Chapter One

"Did you hear about Darren Jacobs?"

Marcy's question made Danni's breath catch in her throat. Darren Jacobs, the two most beautiful words in the English language and the name of the hottest guy at Taft High School. Danni wasn't the only girl who thought so.

For the last three years, Darren cleaned up in those ridiculous polls organized by the yearbook staff, including Prettiest Eyes, a well deserved honor for his sparkling baby blues, and Nicest Smile. The guy deserved it, but it seemed criminal he somehow managed to get that smile without enduring the years of orthodontics suffered by the rest of the teenage world, including Danni for her entire junior high life.

Darren Jacobs wasn't like other teenagers. Besides having the prettiest eyes and nicest smile, he was also voted Most Athletic. Considering he made the varsity baseball team as a sophomore, it was another appropriate award. It was kind of sickening that one person could rake in so many wins, or at least it would have been if he wasn't Darren Jacobs, the hottest guy in school.

"What about him?" Danni pulled herself back to reality.

"Didn't you hear what happened last night?" Marcy asked.

Danni sighed. "No, what?"

"Okay, so last night," Marcy began and then paused to wave at their friend, Chelsea, who was approaching.

Danni had no clue why Marcy expected her to know anything about Darren. She wasn't popular enough to know things because she wasn't pretty.

If Marcy hadn't been so timid, she could have been popular. As a petite girl with big, gray eyes and flaxen blonde hair, she had potential, but her biggest problem was being too shy to allow herself to be noticed by others. That and the fact that early on in life she embraced her intelligence instead of hiding it as though it was something to be ashamed of.

Guys like Darren didn't want girls who were smarter than them. They just wanted girls who were pretty and popular. Even without anyone saying so, Danni knew she was neither of those things. She looked like the Wendy's girl, complete with her rust colored hair and sprinkle of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Or rather, she looked like the ugly stepsister of the Wendy's girl.

Among their trio of friends, Danni always felt like the ugly duckling. Marcy was a cute blonde while Chelsea was an exotic raven haired, dark eyed beauty. Of course, her friends didn't share her opinion. More than once, Chelsea proclaimed herself to be the least attractive of them all, on the grounds of being what she called their designated fat friend.

"Hey, Chelsea," Marcy greeted her. "I was just about to give Danni the 4-1-1 on what happened to Darren last night."

"You want me to do it?" Chelsea offered.

"I think it might be better if I did," Marcy said.

Chelsea shrugged. "It's going to be the same no matter who says it."

"Would one of you please just tell me what it is?" Danni asked.

"Darren was in a car accident last night," Marcy said.

Danni's heart sank. "Is he..?" She couldn't bring herself to finish the question.

"It isn't that bad," Chelsea assured her. "Well, it's bad, but not that bad."

"What do you mean it's bad?" Danni asked. "What happened?"

"Spencer Collins was driving some guys home from a party, and he ran a stop sign and hit another car," Marcy explained.

Like Darren, Spencer was a member of the elite baseball team and the popular crowd. Besides being tall with brown eyes and dark blond hair, he had a lazy grin that made a lot of girls melt. In a moment of weakness, Chelsea once admitted to having a tiny crush on Spencer because of his bad boy image. Bad boy was just a polite way of saying asshole, which Danni had no problem telling her friend.

"You said it was bad," Danni said. "Was Darren hurt?"

"The paper said he lost his arm," Chelsea answered.

Danni drew in a sharp breath. Darren couldn't lose his arm. He was the catcher on the varsity baseball team.

"Danni, are you okay?" Marcy asked.

"Yeah, I'm just shocked," Danni replied.

"Spencer was probably drunk," Chelsea said. "Drinking and driving is something he's just stupid enough to do."

Marcy shook her head. "The paper didn't say he was drunk."

"That doesn't mean he wasn't," Chelsea countered. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"What?" Danni and Marcy asked in unison.

"I'll bet you a million bucks every girl in school will be crying her eyes out and acting like she knows them," Chelsea said.

Marcy nodded. "True."

"Well, that's what they get for drinking and driving," Chelsea said.

"Yeah," Marcy agreed.

Whether they were drinking or not, Danni didn't think anyone deserved to be injured, least of all Darren Jacobs. Things like that weren't supposed to happen to the guy with the prettiest eyes and nicest smile in school, and especially not the most athletic.

Disbelief mingled with sadness as Danni recalled the times she hid in the back of the stands at baseball games, watching him play. Like everything else he did, Darren played sports with self-assurance. The first time he caught a ball bulleted from the outfield and turned to tag the runner, only to be mowed down in the process, Danni was afraid he'd been hurt. When the umpire called the runner out, Darren had leapt to his feet and torn off his mask, with a huge grin splitting his perfect face as his teammates rushed in to high-five him.

Danni couldn't imagine what Darren must be feeling, but at least he wouldn't have to go through it alone. The most popular guy in school would probably be surrounded by his friends, day and night.

* * *

During second period, Darren should have been sitting beside Danni. It made her sad to think of him laid up in a hospital bed.

"Can you believe it? I mean, Darren was so cute."

Danni looked up. The comment came from Annabel, the girl seated in front of her.

"He's still cute," Jade said.

Jade sat on the other side of Annabel in front of Darren's empty seat.

Danni didn't know anything about either girl, except for their names and the fact that they liked to flirt with Darren. They did a good job of it too. At least it always seemed like it from the way he would smile and flirt back. Since she sat right next to him, it was something she saw every day. Sometimes she even thought about trying to flirt with him, just to see his reaction. Danni had never been able to bring herself to talk to him, let alone flirt. Instead, she stuck to looking at him which was much safer. There was no chance of being shot down that way.

"He might be cute, but he'll never get another girlfriend," Annabel said. "Really, who wants to date a guy with one arm?"

_I do,_ Danni thought with a glance at the empty chair beside her.

* * *

When Danni got home from school her mother wasn't there. Neither was her father who hadn't been around for almost eight years. Her parents met in college but didn't marry until after they graduated from law school. Working as lawyers meant long hours and a lot of time spent away from home. Danni and her brother, Nick, often joked about being surprised their parents found time to have one child, let alone two. While they managed to have a couple of kids, they hadn't been able to stay married.

"Hey," Nick said as Danni entered the kitchen. "I'll bet Taft's rumor mill has been going crazy since the car accident."

Danni nodded. "It's all anyone's talking about."

"You know how it is." Nick shrugged. "People get off on that kind of thing."

"That's pretty much what Chelsea said."

"She's pretty smart for a fat girl," Nick joked.

"Chelsea is not fat!" Danni shrilled.

"Yeah, she is, and if you keep eating cookies and drinking sodas every day you will be too."

"Screw you," Danni retorted.

With her brother laughing behind her, Danni headed upstairs. For some reason she could not fathom, Marcy had a huge crush on Nick. While he wasn't the worst looking guy in the world, he wasn't Mr. Universe either. In fact, Danni always thought of him as average. That never seemed to keep girls from being interested though. All through high school, his cell phone rang day and night with calls from different girls. Poor Marcy never stood a chance, but Danni didn't have the heart to tell her. Not that she needed to. If Marcy didn't know by now that she and Nick would never get together, she never would.

Alone in her room, Danni flopped down on her bed and spread her homework out in front of her. With any luck, it would make her forget about the car accident that consumed everyone's conversation that day. She sighed. No matter how hard she tried, Danni couldn't stop thinking about it. Her imagination ran wild with crazy fantasies about what she could have done to prevent the accident. Okay so maybe she couldn't have stopped it, but she was sure she would have been able to save Darren and his arm.

In her favorite fantasy, Darren was her boyfriend. Since she had driven her car to the football game, he didn't even need to get into Spencer's car. And, since she didn't drink, he wouldn't have been in any danger with her driving. Danni pictured the entire exchange. She and Darren would be curled up on a couch, making out, though nothing too major, when Spencer approached, saying he wanted to leave. Darren would ask Danni if she wanted to leave and she would say no. Being such a jerk, Spencer would ask again and Danni would refuse again. This time she would use that pouty girlfriend voice she sometimes heard the popular girls use. Of course, Darren would just give her this big smile and tell Spencer to get lost.

Danni did her best to shake the fantasy out of her head. Darren wasn't her boyfriend and he never would be. No amount of wishing could change that.

* * *

"Can you believe people are still talking about the car crash?" Chelsea asked.

Danni and Marcy nodded. Despite the accident having happened almost a week earlier, people would not shut up about it. The school administrators even brought in grief counselors for the entire week.

"I heard Spencer's being arrested for drunk driving when he gets out of the hospital," Marcy said.

"Serves him right," Chelsea replied. "Didn't I tell you guys he was probably drunk?"

"I heard Matt Sweeny's coming back to school on Monday," Marcy continued.

"I don't see why he stayed home this long," Chelsea said. "I heard he just broke his arm."

"Maybe he's hoping the gossip will die down," Danni offered.

"That won't happen," Chelsea said. "Anyway, if he does come back next week, things are only going to get worse."

"Someone in my government class said there's going to be a moment of silence at the football game tonight," Marcy added.

"That's stupid," Chelsea scoffed. "It's not like anyone died, and everyone seems to be forgetting the whole drunk driving thing."

This time Danni agreed with Chelsea. A moment of silence for a car accident made no sense at all.

"You know what else I heard?" Marcy dropped her voice to a dramatic whisper, and Danni and Chelsea leaned in closer. "I heard Whitney say she was glad she and Darren broke up this summer."

Chelsea knitted her eyebrows together. "You actually heard her say that, or did you hear that she said it?"

"I overheard her and Nicole Ingram talking about it in the bathroom at break," Marcy said. "She also said she couldn't imagine dating a guy with one arm."

"What a bitch," Chelsea hissed.

While Darren's name made Danni want to sigh every time she heard it, Whitney Wheeler's made her cringe. The name was as perfect and perky as the blue eyed, blonde captain of the cheerleading squad. Since she and Darren looked born to date one another, Danni hadn't been surprised when they made it official last year. The only surprising thing was the fact that they waited until junior year to get together. Even more surprising was when Whitney showed up at school on the first day of senior year holding hands with Garrett Tyson.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the lunch period, the girls rose from their places on the grass. As they made their way toward the heart of the campus, Danni's thoughts turned to Darren and Whitney and Spencer and the accident. She felt suffocated with sadness.

* * *

"I assume you're here to talk about the accident?"

The question came from the grief counselor who pounced on Danni the moment she walked through the door. As she read the name tag pinned on the woman's shirt – _Julie. I'm here to help!_ – Danni almost laughed out loud. The exclamation point made it seem like she should be happy about coming to see a counselor.

Danni shrugged. "I guess."

"Have a seat," Julie suggested, and Danni dropped down on the plastic chair opposite her. "Did you want to tell me your name?"

"It's Danielle, but most people call me Danni."

"Okay, Danni, what did you want to talk about?"

"My friend, Chelsea, thinks this is a stupid idea."

"What's a stupid idea?" Julie asked.

"Grief counselors," Danni explained.

Julie smiled. "What do you think?"

"I guess I think it's a good idea. I mean, I'm here and all."

"Are you friends with any of the boys?"

"I have a class with Darren," Danni said. "I guess I'm not sure how I feel about every girl in school acting like this is a big tragedy for them. It kind of bugs me."

"From what I've gathered, the boys are very well liked," Julie replied. "I hear they're among the most popular on campus, which makes them sort of like celebrities. When something bad happens to a celebrity, it hits home with a lot of people. It reminds them anyone can get hurt."

"It just sucks, you know," Danni continued. "Spencer might be arrested for drunk driving and Darren lost an arm, and he's the catcher on the baseball team."

Julie nodded. "It is an unfortunate situation."

"I just wish I could do something to help Darren," Danni said. "He got hurt the worst. My friend, Marcy, overheard his ex-girlfriend say she's glad they broke up before he lost his arm, and some girls in my English class said he'll never get another girlfriend now. It made me feel sick."

Julie offered another smile. "You have a good heart, Danni. Maybe you could put it to good use."

Danni frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sure a lot of people are going to react to Darren with shock and horror. Maybe you could set an example and treat him the same as you always did," Julie suggested.

"That won't be a problem," Danni said with a wry smile. "Darren Jacobs doesn't even know I exist so ignoring him will be easy."

Julie returned an amused smile of her own. "Just keep your options open."

"Sure." Danni stood up. "Thanks, Julie."

While the counselor hadn't done anything specific to help, just talking to someone who didn't know anything more than her name made Danni feel much better. Leaving the office, she wondered if she should take Julie's advice about Darren. Maybe he did need someone to treat him the same and she could be that person.

_Yeah, right, because Darren Jacobs really needs me!_ Danni thought as she headed back into the real world.

# Chapter Two

For a long time after she woke up on Saturday morning, Danni lay in bed thinking about Darren and debating whether she should visit him. Not long after she woke up, she had called the hospital and learned he had been moved to the fifth floor, where anyone was allowed to visit between eight in the morning and eight at night. While Danni knew she _could_ see him, she wasn't sure if she should. After all, she and Darren didn't really know each other. Being in the same English class didn't make them friends.

"No, but it does give me a good excuse to visit," Danni told the stuffed animals cuddled in bed with her.

Climbing out of bed, she headed for a quick shower and then slipped into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail but didn't bother with make-up. It never did any good anyway. She always looked the same.

"Going out with the gruesome twosome?" Nick asked when she breezed down the stairs.

"Don't talk about my friends like that," Danni snapped.

Nick shrugged. "Why not? They're not exactly beauty queens."

"Neither are you," Danni retorted as she slammed the front door behind her.

* * *

The minute she pulled into the parking lot of Children's Medical Center, Danni wondered why she had come. Whatever the reason, it kept her from turning around and driving home, but it didn't make her leave the car. After an endless moment, Danni finally grabbed her purse before she got out and headed inside the hospital.

The lady at the main information desk didn't blink when Danni asked for Darren's room number. After a few key strokes on her computer, she just told Danni what she wanted to know and moved on to the next person in line.

With her legs trembling, Danni rode the elevator to the fifth floor. In no time at all, she found herself in the hallway and walking toward Darren's room. Before entering, she stopped short. Someone was already sitting beside his bed. It hadn't even occurred to her anyone else would be there.

"Um, hi," Danni mumbled. _God, he's cute!_

The man looked a lot like Darren. It wasn't just the blond hair and blue eyes. Something in his expression reminded Danni of the way Darren looked the day he made that amazing, game winning play.

"Are you a friend of D.J.'s?" he asked.

"D.J.?" Danni repeated.

"Right, nobody calls him that," he replied with a small grin. "Do you know my brother?"

"You're Darren's brother?" Danni asked and then blushed.

_What a stupid thing to say!_ Danni screamed at herself. _Of course he's Darren's brother. That's why he asked if I knew his brother. Ugh!_

"Yeah, I'm Justin." He stood up to shake her hand.

"I'm Danni. Darren and I go to Taft together. We're in the same English class."

"That's cool. You're the first person who's come to see him since he was moved here a few days ago."

"Really? He's so popular I thought this place would be crawling with people."

Justin blanched. "Yeah, my mom thought so too. She and my dad and I have been visiting in shifts since he got out of intensive care."

"Maybe no one knows he can have visitors."

"I don't know. Maybe," Justin replied. "I'm glad you're here though."

Danni knitted her eyebrows together. "You are?"

"Yeah, D.J.'s still pretty doped up, but he comes in and out," Justin said. "With any luck, he'll wake up while you're here. It'll do him good to see a pretty girl."

"Maybe I should go find one," Danni suggested.

"You can sit here," Justin offered.

Taking her hand, he drew her toward the empty chair beside the bed. Once she sat down, Danni took a good look at Darren. Swaddled in heavy bandages, his left arm stopped just above the place where his elbow should have been. The big, white bandage taped across his forehead provided a sharp contrast to the dark bruises on his swollen face.

"He looks bad, but the doctors say he'll be okay," Justin said.

"Does he know?" Danni asked.

"He knows." Justin's eyes darkened for a moment. "He took it pretty bad. He's left handed. I mean, he _was._ "

Danni already knew that from all the times she'd stolen a glance at him in English class. For some stupid reason she always thought being left handed made him even hotter. Now she felt bad for thinking it.

"It's okay to hold his hand," Justin said.

Before Danni had a chance to tell him that she and Darren weren't really friends, Justin took her hand and placed it in his brother's. Danni stared at their linked hands with wide eyes. For almost four years she had longed to be this close to Darren Jacobs. Now that she'd finally gotten her wish she hated it. More than that, Danni hated herself. She felt like some drama junkie who'd come for her fix.

"I should go," she said, dropping Darren's hand.

"It's okay. I know it's tough to take," Justin replied.

"It's not that."

Justin offered her a smile of genuine warmth. "Don't worry about it. When he wakes up, I'll tell D.J. you came by."

"You don't have to. We just have one class together. I'll bet he won't even know who I am."

"I'll tell him anyway."

"Whatever."

Danni hadn't meant to sound so bitchy. She just didn't want Darren to know she'd visited. Then he'd wonder what kind of crazy girl went to a hospital to see a guy she didn't even know. With any luck, Justin wouldn't remember her name. Then it wouldn't matter what he told his brother.

"Danni?"

She stopped walking but didn't turn around. "Yeah?"

"Will you come back tomorrow?" Justin asked.

"I don't know."

"Please, Danni. All those friends my brother thought he had haven't been around, and I know it's hurting him. He won't admit it, but I know it is."

"But we're not friends."

"You know each other though, right? I think it would be good for him to see that someone besides his family cares about him being okay."

"Okay, I'll come tomorrow," Danni gave in. Then she scurried from the room without ever turning to look over her shoulder.

* * *

Alone in her room that afternoon, Danni replayed her conversation with Justin and sitting beside Darren. She still couldn't believe she'd gone to the hospital and ended up holding his hand. Not only that, but she met his hot brother who didn't act like a jerk to her. She wondered what her friends would think of it all. Unable to hold it in anymore, she picked up her cell phone and called Chelsea.

"Where were you today?" Chelsea demanded. "I called you like twenty times."

"Why didn't you leave a message?" Danni asked.

"I don't know. Where were you?"

"You're gonna think I'm crazy when I tell you."

"I already think you're crazy." Chelsea laughed. "So what are you hiding? Did you have a date or something?"

"I went to the hospital to see Darren Jacobs."

"Okay, I don't think you're crazy. I think you're lying."

"I'm not," Danni said. "I don't know why I went. I guess I wanted to see him for myself, you know."

"How did it go?"

"Okay, I guess."

"Now that you've seen him armless are you over him, or do you still like him?" Chelsea asked.

"I don't know," Danni admitted. "I've always liked him because he's so cute, but now he doesn't look like the same guy."

"That sounds like you're over him," Chelsea pointed out.

"I don't know," Danni repeated, but she did know.

Even if Darren Jacobs didn't look the same, and even if he still didn't know she existed, she would never be over him.

* * *

"I didn't think you'd come back," Justin said.

Danni forced herself to laugh. "Do I look like the kind of girl who would lie?"

In reality, she almost skipped the visit. The thought of facing Darren scared her to death. In the end, her conscience forced her to come. She promised Justin she would, and she wasn't the type of person who broke her word.

"You don't look like a liar, but you did look a little scared yesterday," Justin explained.

"I'm still scared," she admitted.

"I'm sure you're not as scared as D.J. is."

"What do you mean?"

"Facing anyone, most of all a pretty girl, now that he's only got one arm, is kind of scary for him."

"He doesn't have to worry about that with me since I'm not a pretty girl," Danni said.

"You shouldn't be so down on yourself."

"Are you trying to pick me up?"

"Maybe, if you were a few years older," he replied with a grin.

Danni blushed in response. It wasn't like her to be so flirty. Driving to the hospital to visit the most popular guy in school wasn't like her either. She doubted whether Justin would be so nice to her under different circumstances. Guys who looked like him never gave her a second look.

"How old are you?" Danni asked, feeling a little more at ease.

"Twenty-five," he answered.

"I'm seventeen," she said. "Guess you'll have to wait another year."

"Here I thought you liked my brother," Justin joked. "Turns out you're using him to get to me."

Danni's eyes widened "I, I would never do that at a time like this."

"I'm kidding," Justin assured her. "Here, come sit with D.J."

"Are you the only one who calls him that?" Danni asked.

"Yeah, it's our thing. He calls me J.J."

"That's cute."

"Thanks." Justin moved to stand on the other side of Darren's bed. "By the way, you were wrong."

Danni frowned at him. "About what?"

"D.J. remembered you. He woke up about an hour after you left, and I told him you stopped by."

"You're lying," she said.

There was no way Darren Jacobs knew who she was unless he remembered her as the dork who always stared at him in English class. That must be it. Just the thought of that conversation made her cringe. Justin probably told him some dorky red headed chick came to see him. Then Darren said something like, 'Yeah, I'll bet it's that girl in my English class that's always staring at me.' Then they got a good laugh at her expense.

Justin laughed. "That hurts. I'm not a liar. Anyway, he didn't remember your name, but when I described you and said you were in his English class he remembered."

"Was he mad that I came by?" Danni asked.

"No, but it freaked him out to know you saw him without his arm."

"It kind of freaked me out too."

Justin smiled. "It's cool you have the guts to admit it."

"I guess. How long does he have to stay here anyway?"

"A few weeks, I think. He's got to have some physical therapy and be fitted for a prosthesis and stuff."

"He still looks pretty bad."

As Justin leveled a sad gaze in Darren's direction, Danni wanted to drop into a hole. Why did she have to remind him how bad his brother looked when he'd been nothing but nice to her?

"How come he sleeps so much?" Danni changed the subject.

"They've got him on some pretty heavy painkillers," Justin explained. "Maybe if you come back tomorrow he'll be awake."

"Tomorrow's Monday. I'll be in school at this time," Danni reminded him.

Justin's face fell. "Right."

"Maybe I could come by after school," Danni suggested before she could stop herself.

Justin broke into a wide grin. "That would be cool. It would mean a lot to D.J."

"Oh, I don't think D.J. will care. I don't think he even knows when I'm here."

"But he knows afterwards. He knows you're the only person who's visited him so far."

"I'm sure that will change."

"I'm not, but thanks, Danni."

"Sure thing, J.J." She flashed him a smile before she disappeared from the room.

As she stepped inside the elevator, Danni wondered why she offered to return. Why was she coming every day to see a guy who still didn't know she existed?

# Chapter Three

Come sign our Get Well card for Darren Jacobs!

The signs were plastered all over campus. Danni counted nine of them between the front of the school and the quad. The colorful posters, courtesy of the leadership students, invited students to stop by classroom B-19 to sign what they claimed to be the world's biggest card. Everyone had until Thursday at lunchtime to sign the card that was supposed to be delivered the next day.

_At least he'll finally be getting some visitors_ , Danni thought as she bumped into Marcy.

"Hey," her friend said.

"Hey," Danni echoed. "How was your weekend?"

"Not as interesting as yours," Marcy answered.

Danni drew her eyebrows together. "What?"

"I heard you went to see Darren."

Danni didn't bother to ask how she knew that. Chelsea must have told her since she hadn't told anyone else. No doubt she called Marcy as soon as she and Danni hung up on Saturday afternoon.

"Yeah, I went for a little bit," Danni said, as if visiting Darren was the most natural thing in the world.

"So, how did it go?" Marcy asked.

Danni shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

"There you are," Marcy said as Chelsea approached.

"Hey, girls!" Chelsea nodded toward one of the posters blanketing the campus. "Looks like the leadership kids got a little crazy with the glitter."

"I think they're cute," Marcy said.

Chelsea grimaced. "Yeah, they're cute."

"What took you so long to get here?" Danni asked. "You usually beat me."

"It's crazy out front," Chelsea said. "Matt Sweeny's back and there's like a million girls talking to him, and you know what that means."

Marcy frowned at her. "What?"

"It means everyone's going to start talking about the accident again," Chelsea explained.

Danni hoped not. The non-stop talk about the accident the first week after it happened was more than enough for her.

"How does Matt look?" Marcy asked.

"He has a cast on his arm and a couple of bruises, but he looks the same," Chelsea answered.

"Lucky for him," Marcy said.

_Yeah, lucky for him_ , Danni thought. _Too bad Darren wasn't that lucky_.

* * *

Danni didn't get a chance to sign the world's biggest get well card, despite trying twice that day. At morning break, the line was so long that she took one look at it and turned around. At lunchtime, she returned with her friends and it was the same story.

"Should we wait?" Danni asked.

"Oh, hell no," Chelsea answered. "There's no way I'm giving up my whole lunch period to sign a card for a guy who doesn't even know me."

Marcy offered Danni a sympathetic smile. "We could try tomorrow. The line might be shorter."

"Yeah, maybe," Danni replied, although she didn't think so.

It seemed everyone was finally starting to remember that Darren Jacobs existed. As happy as she was about it, Danni couldn't help wondering why it had taken two weeks for the school's elite to get their act together and do something for the guy they voted most popular for three years in a row. Better yet, why did everyone else wait for the leadership students to do something? It would have been easy enough for them to visit him in the hospital or send a card or something.

"Hey, there's Matt," Marcy said, breaking into Danni's thoughts. "You think he'll sign the card?"

Marcy wasn't the only one to spot him. His name was making its way down the line. Some people were even pointing at him as they spoke in exaggerated whispers. Matt didn't even glance in their direction.

"Doesn't look like he's coming this way," Chelsea observed.

"Maybe he already signed it," Marcy said.

"Or maybe he just wants to avoid all this bull shit," Chelsea suggested.

Danni nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."

For the first time in her life, Danni felt sorry for the popular kids and the way they were always under the microscope.

* * *

Just as Chelsea predicted last week, Matt's return to school sparked renewed interest in the car accident. While everyone wanted to hear his story about the accident, no one seemed brave enough to ask. Instead, there were lots of stares and whispers as he passed by and even more speculation once he was out of earshot. Danni had seen this happen at least twice during the day and she wondered how Matt felt about it.

By the time school let out, Danni was even more disgusted than she had been last week but for different reasons. Last week, she was irritated with the fake tears. This week, she couldn't believe how fake people were in general. To Matt's face, they were friendly, but the second his back was turned the drinking and driving rumors started.

As much as Danni wanted to go home and get a reprieve from thinking about the conversation consuming car accident, she had to keep her promise to visit Darren.

"Hey, Danni," Justin said. "Come sit with D.J."

As she sank into the chair by Darren's bed, Danni studied his face and thought of the way people were treating Matt. She wondered how much Darren remembered about the accident and what people would say about him when he returned to school.

Would it be harder for him at school after losing his arm? The things that happened to Lee and Matt wouldn't change them forever, just for a little while. Did that mean Darren wouldn't be the most popular guy in school anymore, or did being that guy give him a free pass on being different?

"Are you okay?" Justin asked.

Danni glanced at him. "Matt Sweeny came back to school today."

"That's good."

"Yeah, but some people were talking about him behind his back and it kind of got me thinking about what it would be like when Darren came back since..."

"Since he lost his arm," Justin finished softly.

"Yeah, and then I started thinking I'm no better than all those people spreading rumors."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't even know your brother, but I've been coming here every day for the last three days like we're best friends or something," Danni said.

"That makes you a good person," Justin countered. "Do you know that no one from school, not even the guys who were in the accident with him, has come to visit? You're the only one, and you don't even know him that well."

"Maybe that makes it easier," she suggested. "Maybe his friends are afraid of facing him and things being different. We don't know each other so he's got nothing to lose."

"See, you _are_ a good person. You could be like me and judge everyone who abandoned my brother, but instead you try to understand them."

"Maybe I have a future as a shrink," Danni said, laughing.

Justin's expression remained serious. "You'd be good at it."

Danni returned her gaze to Darren. How had the most popular guy in school become a bigger nobody than her? Was it fear of seeing him missing an arm that kept people away? Maybe they were just giving him a chance to get better before they started visiting. After all, the world's biggest get well card was supposed to be delivered on Friday. But what if Darren didn't want any cards or visitors? Maybe he wanted everyone to go away and leave him alone.

"Has Darren ever told you how he feels about me coming here? Would it be better if I didn't visit anymore?" she asked.

"Don't stop coming, Danni," Justin said.

Danni smiled. "Why? Would you miss me?"

"Yeah, and D.J. would miss the chance to have a real friend."

"He has lots of friends."

"Then where are they?" Justin asked. "They turned tail and ran the second something bad happened, and now he's alone. He needs someone like you to make him feel normal."

Danni remembered the grief counselor saying almost the same thing. In that moment, she knew she'd be back.

* * *

Tuesday afternoon, Danni made another trip to the hospital. Before entering Darren's room, she stopped short. Justin was sitting at his brother's bedside as usual, but today he had his head cradled in his hands, oblivious to her presence.

"Um, hey," she said.

Justin jerked his head up. "Hi, Danni."

"Should I come back later?" Danni offered.

"Nah, it's cool. I was just spacing out for a second," he replied. "Long night."

Danni stepped into the room. "Is Darren okay?"

Justin frowned. "What?"

"You said you had a long night. I thought you meant you had a long night with Darren."

"Oh, no, it wasn't like that. I just worked late last night. It's cool."

Until then, Danni hadn't given any thought to Justin having a real life and a job he'd have to miss when he went to the hospital. For the first time since meeting him, she saw past Justin's good looks and realized how worn out he was. Dark circles were beginning to show under his somewhat bloodshot eyes, and the stubble covering his jaw suggested he hadn't shaved for days. She wondered how much sleep he was getting. If he was working nights and spending his days at the hospital, it couldn't be much.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Danni asked.

"I'm fine," Justin replied as his eyes roamed over Darren. "D.J.'s the one who had a rough day."

"What happened?"

"The coach came by with a couple of guys from his team."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah, I thought so, but D.J. had a tough time with it. I guess maybe he isn't ready for visitors."

Danni stepped back. "Oh, okay, I'll take off."

As she turned to leave, he reached out to catch her hand. His own was so large that Danni's disappeared beneath his grasp.

"Sorry." Justin released his hold on her. "I just don't want you to go."

Danni glanced back at Darren. "What about what he wants?"

Justin grinned at her. "Guess you'll have to wait for him to wake up and then you can ask."

"Oh, I can't," Danni said. "I should go. I have a lot of homework."

Justin raised his eyebrows. "You'll be back tomorrow, right?"

It was on the tip of her tongue to say no, but the pleading look in his tired eyes changed her mind. "Yeah, I'll be back."

"Great, I'll see you tomorrow," Justin said.

"See you tomorrow," she echoed and scurried from the room.

* * *

Danni wasn't sure whether Darren wanted her to visit, but she kept her word. Every day, for the rest of the week, she went to the hospital and sat with him while she talked to his brother. She never stayed long.

While Danni told Justin that she kept the visits short because of all the homework waiting for her, it wasn't true. The thought of facing Darren scared her. So far, he'd slept through all of her visits, but she dreaded the day when he'd wake up and ask why some strange girl insisted on hanging around him. Even her friends seemed baffled by it.

"What do you and Darren talk about?" Marcy asked over lunch on Friday.

"We don't talk," Danni replied. "He's never awake."

"So, you just sit there and watch him sleep?" Chelsea asked.

"Most of the time I talk to his brother," Danni said.

"Darren has a brother?" Marcy asked. "Does he look like him?"

"Yeah, he looks just like Darren," Danni answered. "His name is Justin and he's twenty-five."

Chelsea laughed. "Now we know what's got her spending so much time at the hospital."

"I guess he is the reason I keep going," Danni admitted. "When I went the first time, Justin asked me to keep coming back because no one else visits Darren. He told me not even Spencer or Matt or Lee has been to see him."

"That sucks," Chelsea said.

"Yeah, it does," Danni agreed. "Hey, maybe you guys could visit."

"No way," Marcy said.

"Why not?" Danni asked. "It's not like you can avoid him forever. He'll be back at school sometime."

"And when he does come back, I'll deal with it then," Marcy said. "Just because you get off on flirting with a guy with one arm doesn't mean the rest of us do."

"What? I'm not flirting with him," Danni insisted. "I can't believe you'd be that mean. It's not his fault he lost his arm."

"It is his fault, Danni," Chelsea said. "They were drinking and driving."

"There's no proof Darren was drinking," Danni said.

"If he wasn't drinking, he should have been driving," Chelsea argued.

Danni couldn't believe her best friends, two girls who'd been picked on their entire lives, could be so insensitive. It made her more determined than ever to be his friend.

* * *

After school, instead of going straight home, Danni went to the hospital first. Usually, it was the other way around; home for a quick snack and then to visit Darren.

As soon as she stepped into the room, she spotted what the leadership kids called the world's biggest get well card. It wasn't a card at all. It was a big piece of blue butcher paper. The words 'Get Well Soon, Darren!' were written in large letters of every color, and it was crammed full of messages.

"I'm so glad you're here," Justin said. "I need a huge favor."

Danni frowned at him. "What's wrong?"

"Would you mind hanging out with D.J. until eight tonight?"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"A couple of guys called in sick at work and I need to go in."

"What do you do?" Danni asked.

"I'm the night manager at Tahoe's restaurant."

"I love that place."

"Yeah, well, it isn't where I planned on using my business degree, but I took what I could get," Justin said. "So, can you stay? I know it's a long time, but I don't want him to wake up alone."

Danni's heart leaped to her throat. Stay all night so Darren didn't wake up alone? That sounded dangerous.

"Um, yeah, I guess I can stay," Danni gave in. "I just need to make a few calls."

Danni knew her mother wouldn't be home and Nick never cared what she did, but dealing with her friends wasn't as easy. They couldn't believe she would ditch them in favor of babysitting Darren. Danni didn't expect them to understand, but there was no way she could say no to the desperate look in Justin's eyes.

"Thanks, Danni," he said. "I owe you big time for this."

"I'll take a free dinner at Tahoe's," Danni joked.

Justin grinned at her before turning to give Darren a kiss on the forehead. "Okay, D.J., I'll be back tomorrow. See you tomorrow, Danni."

"Uh, okay," she said as Justin rushed out the door.

The minute he left, Danni felt swallowed up by the quiet of the room. She contemplated calling one of her friends back or at least turning on the television for some background noise, but she didn't want to wake Darren. If that happened she would have to explain her presence, and she still wasn't sure how to do that. Instead, she turned on the television, but muted the sound, in order to have something to pass the time. During the commercials, she studied Darren. He looked a lot better now than the first time she visited.

"You sure sleep a lot," Danni observed after she watched a silent afternoon talk show, followed by the first round of the evening news.

"Sorry," Darren mumbled, and Danni almost jumped out of her skin.

"It's okay. Go back to sleep," she said.

Instead of doing as he was told, Darren had the nerve to crack his eyes open and look right at her. "Where's J.J.?"

"He went to work. I think a couple of people called in sick," Danni explained.

In the moment of silence between them, she blushed under Darren's intense gaze. His blue eyes looked as beautiful as she remembered. At long last, she could see a hint of the guy she'd liked since freshman year.

Unable to take the silence any longer, she asked, "Do you like the card?"

Darren frowned. "What card?"

Danni nodded toward the banner. "The one the leadership kids made for you."

"It's all right."

"I tried to sign it, but the lines were really long, like every day, and I'm talking during breaks and lunches. I'll bet there are more than a thousand signatures on there, and most of them are from girls."

Darren raised his eyebrows. Danni didn't have to know him to recognize that look. 'You're crazy' was written all over his face.

"J.J. says you come every day," he said.

"Um, yeah."

"How come?"

"I don't know."

The way Darren's eyes drilled into hers made Danni squirm, and her blush deepened. For the second time, an awkward silence fell between them. As she stared back at him, Danni wondered how he could be covered in cuts and bruises and still look so good.

"What are you thinking about?" Darren asked.

"Why'd you have to ask me that?" Danni said and then wished she had come up with a better response.

"I just wondered why you're staring at me."

"I'm not sure I should tell you."

Darren's gaze drifted to his missing arm. "Does it look bad?"

"It's not that at all. I was just wondering if it bothered you that I've been coming."

"It's okay."

"Maybe I should go."

"Please stay, Danni. I hate being alone here."

Her eyes widened. "You know my name?"

"You're in my English class, right?"

Danni giggled. "Did J.J. tell you that?"

Darren grinned at her. "Maybe, but in my defense these drugs I'm on have me out of it a lot."

"Do they help?"

"Sometimes," Darren said, dropping his eyes.

"Does it hurt bad?" Danni asked.

"Like hell." He looked up at her again. "You want to hear something weird though?"

"Sure."

"Sometimes I can still feel my arm. Sometimes it hurts too. The doctor said it's phantom limb pain."

"I've never heard of that."

"I wish I hadn't either."

Danni wished she could think of something to say that would make him feel better. If only they knew each other better. Then there wouldn't be such a weird tension between them.

"I'm glad you're here," Darren said. "No one else has come."

Danni furrowed her brow. Didn't Justin say the baseball coach came by with a couple of guys from the team? Maybe the painkillers Darren took made him forget that, but that get well card was kind of hard to miss.

"Didn't the leadership kids bring the banner?" Danni reminded him.

Darren blanched. "Yeah, a couple of them came at lunchtime, but they only hung out long enough to put up that piece of shit."

"You don't like the card?"

"It's okay, but it isn't the same as having your friends around," he replied.

"Maybe your friends don't know you can have visitors," Danni said. "I could tell them if you want me to."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Danni wanted to kick herself. There was no way she could walk up to the popular kids and tell them to visit Darren at the hospital. They would probably laugh her away before she got the chance.

"Thanks, but you don't have to do that," Darren said. "If people want to come see me, they know where I am. It's not like it's a secret."

A woman dressed in a pink smock pushed a cart into the room. "Who's this, Darren?"

"This is Danni," Darren answered.

"I'm Sally," the woman announced. "I swear every nurse on this floor just loves this guy and his gorgeous blue eyes."

"Please stop," Darren said, his eyes darting toward Danni.

Danni considered agreeing with Sally, but that would have meant telling Darren about her huge crush on him. If she did that, it might make him sick.

_At least he's already in the hospital_ , she thought and almost laughed out loud.

"That brother of his is pretty cute too," Sally added. "Are you okay, hon? Can I get you anything else, or do you want me to leave you alone with your girlfriend?"

"Oh, I'm not his girlfriend," Danni said.

Darren stiffened. "I'm fine."

"Well then, I've got a few more deliveries to make," Sally said and breezed out of the room.

"She's nice," Danni said.

"Yeah, whatever," Darren said.

"What's wrong? Why do you sound so mad?"

"You were pretty quick to say I wasn't your boyfriend."

"But you're not my boyfriend."

"And you want to make sure everyone knows that, right?" Darren accused. "You want to make sure no one thinks you're dating a guy with one arm."

"You don't even know me," Danni pointed out.

Darren's face reddened. "I don't have to know you to know how disgusted I make you."

"Who do you think you are?" Danni demanded. "I've been going to school with you for almost four years and you've never said a word to me."

"Have you ever talked to me?"

"Of course not! You're Darren Jacobs, the most popular guy in school, too good to be spoken to by a nobody like me."

"So, now that I'm crippled you thought you had a chance?"

"I don't get you," Danni said. "One minute you're begging me to stay and the next minute you're accusing me of being ashamed that people might think you're my boyfriend."

"That's because you didn't waste any time saying you're not my girlfriend," Darren snapped.

Danni rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."

"Is that all you can say?"

"I can say I'm leaving," Danni said, rising from the chair and slinging her purse over her shoulder.

"Fine!" Darren shouted.

"Fine!" Danni shouted back as she stomped toward the door.

Danni couldn't believe Darren Jacobs! Four long years he had ignored her, oblivious to her hopeless crush on him. So what if he knew her name now? That just meant he knew what to yell when he picked a fight with her.

_Well maybe I just won't come back anymore_ , Danni thought.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Danni knew she didn't mean it. She would keep coming back, at least until his real friends came around.

# Chapter Four

In spite of her fight with Darren the day before, Danni kept her promise to herself and went back to visit him. For the entire drive to the hospital, she tried to convince herself she could handle it. Instead of making her feel better, the pep talk made her more nervous.

Danni wondered what she would do if Darren yelled at her again. While she told herself to scream back at him, she knew she wouldn't be able to. When she walked into his room and spotted Justin, her stomach did a back flip. With his brother there, maybe Darren would be nicer.

"I didn't think you'd be back," Justin said.

Danni smiled through her nerves. "I've heard that from you before."

"D.J. told me about the fight."

"I know. Can you believe it? I come to visit every day for over a week and he sleeps the whole time. Then the one time he does wake up, he picks a fight with me."

"You're not the only one he does that with," Justin said, lowering his voice. "And he's not mad at you. It's the situation he's mad at."

"Yeah, maybe, but it didn't seem like that to me."

"That's the idea," Justin said. "He's hurt because no one else who comes to visit ever comes back, and he's also scared of facing the only person who does."

Danni's eyebrows shot up. "Are you sure we're talking about the same guy?"

"I know he can be stubborn, but he's been through a lot and he's got a long way to go."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I don't want you to give up on him. He needs a good friend now and maybe even a girlfriend."

Danni's face grew hot. Didn't this guy know his own brother? He only dated girls like Whitney Wheeler. If Danni happened to be lucky enough to be noticed by guys like Darren, she got stuck in the friend category. Most of the time, cute guys didn't pay attention to girls like her unless they wanted something. 'Hey, did you do the algebra homework? Oh, great, can I borrow yours? I didn't have time to do it, with practice and all.'

"Please give him another chance, Danni," Justin said, flashing a winning grin. "Come on, come sit with D.J."

Danni smiled at Justin as she eased into the room. He was in the wrong business. Instead of being a restaurant manager, he should have been a car salesman or politician. Anyone would believe anything Justin said as long as it was accompanied by that smile.

Darren rolled his eyes open and rested them on Danni. "You came back."

Her stomach hitched under his gaze. "Yeah, I did," she said, reaching for his hand.

"J.J. said you would," Darren said.

"I think I'll go grab a soda," Justin said. "You want anything, Danni?"

"No, thanks," she replied.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

"What about me?" Darren asked.

"Sorry, D.J., but I don't know if the doctors would like that," Justin told him. "Maybe next time if the doctors tell me it's okay."

Darren scowled after his brother as Justin exited the room. "He thinks he's my mom."

"He's a good brother," Danni countered. "My brother, Nick, is nineteen and he couldn't care less about me."

"Yeah, he's okay."

"Are you still mad at me?"

"Nah," Darren replied, darting his eyes toward the wall.

Danni smiled at him. "That's good."

"I think this is good. I mean, it feels good."

"What does?"

"Holding your hand. You have soft hands."

Danni couldn't believe what she was hearing. "No offense, but you don't."

"That's from playing baseball. If you think this one's bad, you should feel the other one," Darren said and then his face flushed bright red.

The silence crept up between them again, and Danni wished she could think of something to say that would make Darren feel better.

"What's your favorite movie?" she asked, but he just frowned at her. "Mine's _The Wizard of Oz_. At least now it is. When I was little those flying monkeys used to scare the crap out of me."

Finally, Darren cracked a smile. " _Casablanca_."

It was Danni's turn to frown. "What?"

"My favorite movie is _Casablanca_."

"Isn't that like really old?"

"It's not as old as _The Wizard of Oz_. Besides, Bogart was a total bad ass."

Danni resumed her frown. "Who?"

Darren rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you've never heard of Humphrey Bogart?" he asked, and Danni shook her head. "You're kidding? He made like a thousand super cool movies."

"A thousand, really?"

"Okay, not that many, but they were really cool."

"Like what?"

"You know, _The Caine Mutiny_ , _The_ _African Queen_ and _The Maltese Falcon._ You ever seen any of those?" Darren asked.

"I've never even heard of them," Danni replied.

"Okay, I could see the others, but who doesn't know _Casablanca?_ It's iconic."

"So, you only like old Humphrey Bogart movies?"

"I like all kinds, but the classics are my favorite."

"Classics?" Danni repeated.

"Yeah, you know, like the old monster movies with Lon Chaney and Bella Lugosi and stuff like that," Darren explained. "And I love everything Hitchcock did."

Danni knitted her eyebrows together again. "Who?"

"Come on, you can't be serious. You've never heard of Alfred Hitchcock?"

"I don't think so. What movies was he in?"

"He was a director. You must have heard of _Psycho_."

"You mean that black and white movie where the woman gets stabbed in the shower?" Danni asked.

Darren beamed at her. "That's exactly it. That's one of Hitchcock's most memorable movies, but he's got so many others that are just as good."

"Like what?"

" _The Birds_ is awesome."

" _The Birds_?" Danni echoed.

"Yeah, it's about these birds that go nuts and attack this town."

"Why?"

"That's the awesome thing. Nobody ever finds out why the birds did it," Darren said. "And he also directed _Vertigo_ and _Rear Window_. The man was a genius."

"So, Bogart was a bad ass and Hitchcock was a genius?" Danni summed up.

Darren laughed. "Now, you're getting it."

Danni's face hurt from smiling so hard. This was the most animated she'd seen him since she started visiting. "How come you know so much about old movies?"

"My parents," Darren replied. "Every time we did family movie night, they always picked the classics. I've been watching them forever."

"Your parents are still together?" Danni asked.

"Yeah, I'm guessing yours aren't," he said.

Danni shook her head. "Nope, my dad bailed when I was still in elementary school. It's been me and my mom and Nick for a while now."

"Do you still see your dad?"

"No, but I know where he is. I see the postmarks on the envelopes he sends the checks in."

"That sucks."

Danni shrugged as if she didn't care, but it did suck. Now she had yet another reason to envy Darren Jacobs. The guy was popular, hot, a great athlete and he had a perfect family, complete with married parents who were probably still in love and an older brother who actually liked him. Danni couldn't remember the last time she watched a TV show with her mom, let alone a whole movie with her family.

Seriously, who had family movie night? Darren might be the first person she'd ever met whose parents were still married.

"There's my handsome grandson!"

The words came from an older lady who swept into the room, bringing a choking cloud of perfume with her. Danni held her breath as the woman leaned down to plant a kiss on Darren's cheek, leaving a bright red lipstick print.

"Hi, Grandma," Darren said.

"That's no way to greet your grandmother. Where's my kiss?"

Danni couldn't help giggling. When she did, the old woman's eyes zeroed in on Darren's hand, which was wrapped around hers.

"Who's this?"

"This is my _friend,_ Danni," Darren explained, and Danni tried not to wince at the emphasis he placed on the word friend. "Danni, this is my grandma, Jean Jacobs."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Jacobs," Danni said.

"Indeed it is." Jean gave her a sly smile before looking at Darren once more. "Where's that worthless brother of yours?"

"That hurts, Grandma," Justin said, returning to the room with a soda in his hand.

"You know I love you." Jean reached up to pinch his cheeks. "Your parents should be up shortly. I made them drop me off up front before they parked the car."

Danni let go of Darren's hand and jumped up from her chair. "Maybe I should go so you can visit with your family."

"Wait, Danni," Darren urged, reaching for her hand again. "Come back tomorrow, okay?"

"I always do," she replied.

Even though Danni tried to sound casual, nervousness made her voice shake and her heart pounded so loudly in her chest she thought everyone would hear.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Jacobs," Danni said again as she slid past his grandmother's stern gaze. "See you tomorrow, Justin."

"Bye, Danni," he replied with an amused grin.

Danni's heart was still beating uncontrollably as she took the elevator to the first floor, but it wasn't just from fear of Darren's grandmother or the thought of facing his parents. Danni could not believe her luck; she'd been holding hands with Darren Jacobs. This time he even knew it. Better still, he told her he liked it!

* * *

Danni just finished making her dinner when she heard the front door open. She almost dropped her spoon when her mom entered the kitchen. Sometimes she forgot her mom still lived there.

People said Danni looked like her mom. All her life she'd heard it, but she didn't see the resemblance. Her mom may have had the same red hair, but she made it look sophisticated while Danni looked like a female version of Ronald McDonald or the Wendy's girl.

"Where have you been keeping yourself?" Charmain asked.

"I could say the same thing about you," Danni said.

"Life of a lawyer," her mom replied and laughed. "What have you been up to? Out with Chelsea and Marcy?"

"Not today," Danni answered. "I went to visit a friend at the hospital."

"What friend?"

"You don't know him. His name is Darren Jacobs."

"Is he one of the boys who were in the car accident a few weeks ago?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I may be busy, but I manage to pick up a newspaper once in a while," Charmain said with a wry smile. "So, is he one of those boys?"

"Yeah," Danni said.

Charmain's smile morphed to a frown. "I didn't know you were friends with any of them."

"I'm not," Danni said. "I just thought Darren could use a friend right now."

"Are you sure it's wise to make friends with a boy who drives drunk?" Charmain asked.

Now the cross examination made sense! "He wasn't driving," Danni said.

"But he was drinking, Danielle," Charmain insisted. "He drank and then he got into a car with other boys who were also drinking. Besides putting his own life in danger, he endangered the lives of others, and he broke the law. He could face criminal charges."

"I thought your specialty was corporate law," Danni said.

"Don't speak to me in that tone," Charmain warned. "I'm interested in your safety."

"I don't drink, and if by some weird chance I did, I would never drive," Danni replied.

"That's good to hear, but are you sure it's wise to get involved with a boy whose values are so much lower than your own?"

"He made a mistake and he lost his arm, and now he's losing all his friends. It's just not right that everyone gave up on him."

"Just be careful, Danni."

"I'll be careful."

"Good, now I'm off to dinner with a few clients so I'll see you later."

"Later," Danni replied and watched her mother breeze out of her life as fast as she had blown in.

* * *

Before going to the hospital on Sunday afternoon, Danni made a stop at Target. After the conversation with Darren about old movies the day before, she had the best idea for cheering him up.

Having visited the store many times, Danni knew it stocked some old movies, but she couldn't believe her luck when she found a DVD of _Casablanca_ for just seven dollars and ninety-nine cents. Even better was her discovery on the five-dollar shelf. She hadn't planned on buying anything else, but when she saw _The Complete Alfred Hitchcock Collection_ at such a cheap price, she couldn't pass it up. She also couldn't figure out why it was only five dollars if Hitchcock was the genius Darren claimed he was.

It was a good thing the movies were inexpensive since Danni was about to spend eighty bucks of her savings on a portable DVD player. By the time she added candy, a card, a gift bag and tissue paper, the total came to more than a hundred dollars.

As soon as she handed over her cash, Danni regretted the purchase. Just because she hadn't seen a laptop or DVD player in his room didn't mean he didn't have one. For all she knew, he might be watching old movies every day on an iPad. For a second Danni contemplated taking her purchases straight to the refund desk and then changed her mind. If Darren already had all this stuff, she'd bring it back then.

Danni stopped at the food court to remove the price tags from everything and arrange them in the gift bag. When it came to signing the card, she had to dig inside her purse to find a pen. Just as she found one, her cell phone rang, announcing Chelsea's call.

"Hey," Danni answered.

"Hey, girl, wanna come over for dinner tonight?" Chelsea asked. "My mom's making her homemade spaghetti sauce and mozzarella garlic bread. Marcy's coming."

"Oh, um, I can't. I've got plans."

"Plans with Darren?"

Danni didn't miss the way Chelsea's voice cooled every time she said his name.

"You know, I could probably come," Danni replied. "I'll just run by the hospital to see Darren and come right after."

"Don't do me any favors," Chelsea said and hung up.

Danni didn't even consider calling her back. Chelsea wasn't the kind of person to push when she was mad. She was the type to leave alone. Marcy was the one who always needed an immediate apology.

Dropping her phone back into her purse, Danni returned her attention to the card. She had no idea whether to just sign her name or add the words your friend. There was no way she could use the word love. Just because she was madly in love with Darren Jacobs didn't mean he felt the same way about her. In the end she decided on the words 'Your Friend, Danni' and left it at that.

Less than fifteen minutes later, Danni was at the hospital and doubting herself again. Darren probably didn't need all this junk. Considering how perfect his life was, he probably already had every Hitchcock movie ever made. Ignoring her concerns, she snagged the gift bag from the passenger seat before emerging from the car.

Even though she was in a hospital, where people were supposed to bring gifts for the patients, Danni still felt like the world's biggest idiot. One conversation about old movies and she was running out to buy him every one she could find, which couldn't be what the rest of the world would call normal behavior. It was too late now though. Danni had almost reached Darren's room. Scratch that, she was now in Darren's room. He was sitting in bed watching television, and she frowned at the otherwise empty room.

"Where's J.J.?" she asked.

"That's funny," Darren replied, grinning at her as he switched off the TV.

Danni dropped into the chair beside his bed. "What is?"

"I've never heard anyone else call him J.J. Not even our mom and dad."

"I could stop if it bothers you."

"It's okay with me."

"Don't worry. I won't start calling you D.J."

"You can if you want to," Darren said, looking into her eyes.

The intensity of his gaze made Danni's insides twist up. She wondered what he was thinking about when he looked at her that way. Maybe he wasn't thinking anything at all. Maybe he looked at everyone that way.

Darren nodded to the gift bag in her death grip. "What's that?"

"It's for later." Danni set the bag by her feet. "So, where's J.J.?"

"At work."

Danni frowned. "Isn't he the night manager?"

"Yeah, I guess somebody mixed up his schedule."

"I'm glad I don't have anything to do then. Now I can stay with you 'til eight."

Darren grimaced. "Thanks, but you don't have to babysit me because my brother told you some sob story about how no one visits me."

"Maybe that's not why I come."

"Then why do you?"

"I don't know."

"Why don't you just admit you come because you feel sorry for me?"

Danni rolled her eyes. "Are we back to that again?"

"Why else would you come?" Darren asked. "It's not like we're friends. Yeah, we had a few classes together, but I didn't even know your name until J.J. told me."

Danni swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. "You're right. We weren't friends before, but I thought we were becoming friends. I guess I made a mistake. I won't bother you again."

"Danni, I—"

"Here," Danni said, dropping the gift bag into his lap. "Think of this as my going away present!"

"Danni, wait!" Darren called as she scurried from the room.

This time Danni didn't wait. She was tired of being Darren Jacobs' personal punching bag. When she left the hospital this time, it would be for good.

# Chapter Five

When Danni arrived at school on Monday morning her friends were standing out front. While Marcy offered her a smile, Chelsea flashed her a dirty look.

"Did you have a good weekend with Darren?" Chelsea asked, and there was no mistaking the sarcasm in her tone.

"I was wrong for spending so much time with Darren instead of you guys, and I'm sorry," Danni said.

Chelsea narrowed her eyes. "What happened?"

"Does it matter?" Danni asked.

"Yeah, it does. How do we know you won't ditch us again when you and Darren work things out?" Chelsea challenged.

"There's nothing to work out," Danni insisted. "Darren Jacobs isn't my friend and I was stupid for thinking a stuck-up jock like him could be."

"Are you okay?" Marcy asked.

"I'm fine," Danni lied. "Can we just forget about this whole thing with Darren and be friends again?"

Marcy smiled. "Of course we can. Right, Chels?"

"I guess," Chelsea said with a sly grin. "If we don't forgive her, we won't have anywhere to hang out after school and on the weekends."

Marcy giggled. "And I won't be able to see Nick."

"Wow, I don't know what I'd do without good friends like you two," Danni joked.

"We know," Chelsea said, laughing. "And you can be reminded of that when we get together at your house after school."

They may have been joking, but Danni meant every word she said. These were her real friends, and she'd been crazy to push them aside for a guy like Darren Jacobs.

* * *

"So, what's the plan?" Chelsea asked.

"I thought we were going to Danni's house," Marcy said.

"I meant what are we going to do when we get there?" Chelsea explained and turned to look at Marcy. "And don't you dare say homework."

"We could make brownies," Danni suggested.

Chelsea broke into a wide smile. "I'm in as long as they have chocolate frosting."

Danni laughed as she disabled the alarm on her car. The girls slid inside but were unable to leave right away since they were trapped by a line of vehicles behind Danni's parked car. Danni heaved a sigh. Every day she swore it would be the last time she parked in front of the school, but she never meant it. The alternative was the south lot, which was even more congested. It took ten minutes for the traffic to thin enough for Danni to squeeze the sedan onto the road.

"Um, Danni, where are you going?" Marcy asked.

Danni frowned. Without realizing, she had turned in the direction of the hospital.

"Sorry, guess I got distracted," Danni said.

"Uh-huh," Chelsea said.

At the end of the street, Danni made a U-turn to get back on track. Even though she told herself she shouldn't care, she couldn't help thinking about Darren. Would he miss seeing her today, or was he going to be relieved to finally be rid of her? Considering he didn't even know her name until a few days ago, he probably wouldn't notice her absence.

"Are you sure you want to hang out with us today?" Chelsea asked her.

"Why wouldn't I?" Danni countered.

"You just drove past your house," Marcy said.

Without any warning, Danni slammed on the brakes. Both of her friends squealed as she threw the car into reverse and drove backwards down the street.

"Please tell me you looked before you did that," Chelsea said.

Danni smiled as she killed the engine. "Of course I did."

Chelsea raised her eyebrows. "I'm going to pretend I believe you."

The girls got out of the car. While her friends started up the walkway to her house, Danni paused to grab the mail; a couple of bills and a car magazine for Nick.

"Is anyone home?" Marcy asked.

Chelsea laughed. "Don't you mean is Nick home?"

"I happen to know for a fact Nick isn't home," Marcy replied. "His truck isn't parked in the driveway."

"It could be in the garage," Danni said, and Marcy paled.

Danni slid the key in the lock and stepped inside the house. All of the lights were out and the place was devoid of noise. Turning to Marcy, she said, "Guess you're off the hook."

Her friend sighed. "Thank God."

The girls dropped their backpacks and purses and headed straight for the kitchen.

"I'll grab the pantry stuff if you guys want to get what we need from the fridge," Danni offered.

By the time Danni pulled the dry ingredients out of the pantry, Marcy and Chelsea had everything they would need from the refrigerator, besides finding the mixer and a baking pan.

"Okay, we need music," Danni decided. "I'll be right back."

Darting into the living room, she turned on the stereo and switched it to their favorite station. Since they would all be in the kitchen, she turned it up louder than usual before rejoining her friends.

"You are so lucky, Danni," Chelsea said. "My parents never go out so I never get the house to myself."

"I think it might be kind of fun to be in your family with all those brothers and sisters," Danni said.

Chelsea rolled her eyes. "It sucks."

It wasn't the first time they had this conversation. For as long as they'd known one another, each seemed to yearn for what the other had. Danni always thought it would be more fun to be part of a large family while Chelsea hated it. Her mom already had three children when she married Chelsea's stepdad who had two kids of his own.

"At least neither of you is an only child," Marcy joined in.

Danni might as well have been an only child for all the time she and Nick spent together. Like their mom, he was pretty much a ghost around their house, coming home just long enough to shower and eat, before disappearing again.

Thinking of Nick made Danni think of Justin. Even in the short amount of time she had been around him, Danni could tell he was a much better brother than Nick. No doubt Justin and Darren spent all their time together when they were young. Justin probably wanted his brother around, whereas Nick had thrown a fit every time their mom left him in charge of Danni. It made her a little sad to realize that not seeing Darren would mean not seeing his brother either.

_Maybe tomorrow I'll swing by the hospital and say goodbye to him_ , Danni thought.

Danni immediately dismissed that idea. Justin didn't care about her any more than Darren did. It was better to walk away and never look back.

* * *

One day; that's how long it had been since Danni stopped visiting Darren, and it had been miserable. Nothing bad happened to make it miserable. She just missed Darren. She missed the way his eyes lit up when he talked about Bogart and Hitchcock and the way he sometimes looked at her like he was trying to guess her thoughts. She missed the sound of his voice and his rare smiles and even more elusive laugh. She even missed his temper but only a little bit.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Chelsea breathed.

The girls were on their way to Danni's car that was parked in front of the school

when Chelsea had suddenly stopped walking. Danni saw what Chelsea was talking about all right, and she couldn't believe it either. Parked beside her sensible sedan was a hot red Camaro, and leaning against it was an even hotter looking Justin Jacobs.

"He's super cute," Marcy whispered.

"I saw him first," Chelsea hissed. "You have Nick."

"What are you doing here?" Danni asked when they reached her car.

"You know him?" Chelsea asked, following the words with a blush.

"D.J. told me what happened, and when you didn't come by yesterday I figured he might've messed things up for good this time," Justin explained.

Marcy frowned. "Who's D.J.?"

Danni ignored her. "How'd you know which car was mine?"

"You have personalized plates," Justin replied. "I took a chance that 4DANNI was you."

Danni cracked a tiny smile. "What would you have done if it wasn't me or if my car wasn't in this lot?"

He shrugged. "No clue."

"Does he know you're here?"

"No. He'd probably be pretty pissed if he did."

"So where does he think you are?"

Justin smiled. "I don't know. I still need to think of a good excuse."

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Chelsea interjected.

"Justin, these are my friends, Chelsea and Marcy, and this is Darren's brother, Justin," Danni said.

Chelsea's jaw fell to her chest. "You're Darren's brother?"

"Yeah." Justin gave her a confident grin. "It's nice to meet you."

"Look, I'm sorry, but you came all the way down here for nothing," Danni told him. "If you wouldn't mind moving, we're leaving."

"Danni, can we talk for a minute?" Justin asked.

"Isn't that what we've been doing?"

"Don't be like this. You're mad at D.J., not me."

Danni sighed. "Okay, talk."

"I was hoping we could talk alone," Justin said.

"Oh, sure," Chelsea said. "Just give me your keys, Danni, and we'll wait in the car."

Danni handed over her car keys. Neither she nor Justin spoke until her friends got into the car. When the girls cracked the windows of the car, Danni knew it wasn't for fresh air. They probably didn't want to miss a word that came out of Justin's perfect mouth.

"What do you want, J.J.?" Danni asked.

Justin resumed his beautiful smile; the same one he probably used to get a thousand girls before her to give him anything he wanted. "You're the only person besides D.J. who's ever called me that."

"Should I stop?"

"Nah, I like it."

"Okay, look, I know what you want, but I can't see D.J. again. I'm trying to be his friend, but I can't deal with his attitude anymore."

"I know he's kind of hard to handle right now," Justin conceded.

"I don't think that's it," Danni replied. "I think he's a stuck-up jock who's obsessed with baseball and cheerleaders and thinks he's too good for girls like me and my friends."

Justin's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, you weren't kidding, were you?"

Danni frowned at him. "What?"

"You guys really aren't friends," he said. "If you were, you'd know he's not like that. Yeah, he's popular and, yeah, he's a jock, but he's not conceited or stuck-up. You might not believe this, but he's actually kind of shy."

Darren Jacobs shy? Yeah, right! The Darren Jacobs she knew spent his days being followed around by tons of girls, and he didn't look the least bit shy when he flirted with them. Saying Darren Jacobs was shy was like saying she was pretty; a big fat lie!

"Maybe you're the one who doesn't know him," Danni said.

"I've known him his whole life," Justin reminded her. "D.J.'s a good guy. Please don't give up on him."

"I wasn't the one who gave up," Danni pointed out.

"Give him a chance. Get to know him," Justin suggested. "I know he's a jerk sometimes, but cut him some slack. He lost his arm, and he thinks that means he lost his future."

"You mean because he can't play baseball?" Danni guessed.

"And he can't draw anymore," Justin said softly.

Darren couldn't be a shy artist and a stuck-up jock at the same time. It didn't make sense. He wasn't supposed to be good at anything but playing baseball and picking up girls. She wondered if she actually knew the real Darren after all. Until two days ago, she never would have known he loved old movies.

"I didn't know he drew," Danni said.

Justin gave her a sad smile. "See, there's a lot you don't know about my brother."

Danni felt her defenses dropping and she wanted to kick herself. Why did she have to be such a pushover? Because she wanted to see Darren again. Besides, in the same situation she wouldn't want her friends giving up on her.

"Okay, I won't give up," Danni said. "I'll be by to see him later."

Justin resumed his smile. "Thanks, Danni."

"See you later, J.J."

Watching him climb into his car, Danni couldn't believe Justin Jacobs had just come to her school and begged her to keep seeing his brother. As soon as she got into her car, Marcy and Chelsea started firing questions. They didn't even wait for Justin to drive away.

"What did he want?" Chelsea asked.

"He wanted to make sure I'll still visit Darren," Danni explained.

Chelsea snorted. "I hope you told him no."

"I told him I'll still visit," Danni admitted.

"Are you kidding?" Chelsea demanded. "Didn't you call Darren a stuck-up jock just yesterday?"

"It's not her fault," Marcy said.

Chelsea frowned at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Did you see him?" Marcy asked. "He looks like the kind of guy who could talk a girl into anything."

"Okay, you're right. If that's what Darren is going to look like when he gets older, he should get down on his knees and give thanks to Jesus," Chelsea said, and Danni and Marcy cracked up. "So, are you at least going to drive us home first?"

"D.J. can wait," Danni answered. "I already made plans with my friends."

"D.J.?" Chelsea repeated. "You mean Darren?"

"Yeah," Danni agreed, feeling her face grow hot.

Marcy's eyes widened. "You call Darren D.J.?"

"Sometimes," Danni said.

"And he lets you?" Chelsea asked.

"It was his idea," Danni replied.

"That doesn't sound like something a stuck-up guy would say," Marcy pointed out.

Danni grimaced. "You sound like Justin."

"I can think of worse things to sound like," Chelsea said.

"Yeah," Marcy agreed. "Maybe if things don't work out with Darren, Danni can date his brother."

"Forget that," Chelsea said. "Maybe she can share the wealth and let me go out with Justin."

"Why can't I go out with him?" Marcy asked.

"Because you have Nick," Chelsea reminded her.

While her friends argued over who should be allowed to date Justin, Danni's thoughts returned to Darren. Even if he did need someone who wouldn't give up on him, he sure didn't make it easy to be his friend.

* * *

Danni's heart pounded against her rib cage as she rode the elevator to the fifth floor of the hospital. As she walked down the hall to Darren's room, she began to prepare herself for him to tell her to get the hell out and never come back.

God, why had she let J.J. talk her into this? Danni hoped this would be one of those times when Darren wasn't awake. Then it wouldn't matter. With any luck, this time he would be asleep and even the next time. Then, by the time he was awake, he would have forgotten all about their argument.

Danni barged into the room before she could lose her nerve. Her eyes skipped to the bed. Darren was awake, but he didn't yell at her. So far, he wasn't even looking her way.

It was Justin who looked up at her. "Hey, Danni."

"How's it going?" Danni asked as though she hadn't seen him a few hours ago.

"I'll just give you two a few minutes alone," Justin offered.

Before Danni could object to being forced to face his brother, he was gone.

"You can sit if you want to," Darren said, but Danni didn't move.

"Do you really want me to sit and talk to you, or do you want me to leave?"

"I want you to sit and talk with me," he said, and Danni smiled as she took a seat in the chair beside his bed. "There's something else I want too."

"What's that?" Danni asked.

"I want you to tell me why you've been coming to visit me," Darren said. "I've asked you before, and you always say you don't know, but I think you do. If you want me to be honest, you have to do the same."

"You're right," Danni agreed as her smile fell away. "The thing is it's not easy for me to say."

"Why not?"

"Because guys like you don't care about girls like me. We're good for friends, but not the kind of girls you'd ever date."

Danni waited for him to laugh or look disgusted. Instead, he studied her with the same intense look she had seen before.

"What are you saying, Danni?" he asked.

"Are you seriously going to make me say it?"

"Just say it."

Danni heaved a sigh. "Fine. I'm saying I've had a serious crush on you for the past four years."

"And that's why you came?" Darren asked.

"Yes, but I didn't come here thinking you'd go out with me now that you only have one arm," Danni insisted, her face flaming. "I came the first time to find out if I still felt that way, if it made a difference."

"So why'd you keep coming back?"

"Because it doesn't make a difference. I've spent the last four years wanting to date you. It's not something I can just get over."

Darren grinned at her. "Should I be scared?"

"No," Danni snapped. "I'm not some stalker. You didn't even know my name, remember?"

"I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay."

"It's not okay, and I'm sorry."

Danni couldn't think of anything else to say. Her confession hung in the silence between them. Why hadn't she come up with a good lie? A ton of them came to her mind now. She could have told him she thought he might need a friend or she liked to visit sick people in the hospital. She could have told him anything, so why did she tell him the truth?

Just when they had finally become friends, Danni ruined it with the truth. Things would be different now; they wouldn't be friends, let alone boyfriend and girlfriend. Even if Darren agreed to forget about her crush on him, it would always be there in the back of his mind.

"How do you feel now, Danni?" Darren asked.

"I told you how I feel," Danni said.

"I want to hear you say it again," Darren said with a wry smile.

"I still like you, but I know I'll never have a chance with you. You're Darren Jacobs."

"So what?"

"So, you're the most popular guy in school," Danni reminded him. "You're the best baseball player and everybody knows your name. You date girls like Whitney Wheeler, and you're the kind of guy every girl wants to go out with."

"Not now." Darren broke the gaze he had focused on her. "Now I'm the one-armed man, and I've lost everything that made me who I am."

"You're wrong, D.J. Your body doesn't make you who you are. Your heart and soul do that, and your body's just the carrying case," Danni said.

Darren reached for her hand. "Come sit with me."

"I am sitting with you."

"Come sit next to me on my bed."

"Isn't that against the rules?" Danni asked.

"I don't know, but I don't care."

"Why do you want me to sit on your bed?"

"Because I can't kiss you if you sit over there."

Danni's eyes widened. Did Darren Jacobs just say he wanted to kiss her? Still holding his hand, she perched on the edge of the bed. The moment their lips touched, he let go of her hand and stroked her face. For just a second, Danni thought she might faint, but she still didn't want the feeling to end.

"There's something I have to tell you," she said, pulling away.

"What is it?" Darren asked.

"You're the first guy I've ever kissed." Danni dropped her eyes. "I've never even been on a date with a guy."

"Danni, it's okay." Placing a finger under her chin, Darren forced her eyes to meet his. "It's kind of cool to be the first guy you kissed."

"It might be cool for you, but it's embarrassing for me."

"If you kiss me again, I'll tell you a secret."

As she leaned in to oblige his request, Danni felt as if she had fallen under some kind of spell. For four years she dreamed of the chance to have just one kiss. The possibility of more never entered her mind.

"What's the secret?" Danni asked.

"I've never kissed a girl and felt like this before."

"Felt like what?"

"This kind of intensity," Darren said softly.

"But you dated Whitney for a year," Danni reminded him.

"Yeah, and I kissed her a lot, but it never felt anything like when I kissed you just now," he insisted.

"Maybe you just got used to kissing her," Danni said.

"Or maybe I was kissing the wrong girl all along."

"I always thought of you guys as the perfect couple."

Darren grimaced. "Yeah, well, looks can be deceiving. Can we talk about something else?"

"What happened to honesty?"

"I'll be honest someday. Just not yet, okay?"

"Okay."

"By the way, thanks for your gift yesterday. It's really cool."

"I know you probably already have those movies, but I figured it would be a good way to pass the time in here," Danni explained.

"Yeah, it will be."

"You didn't watch any of them yet?"

"No, I was saving them for when you came back," Darren said. "I was kind of hoping you'd want to watch them with me."

Danni smiled. "What made you think I'd come back?"

"Honestly, I didn't think you would, but J.J. was sure you'd give me another chance."

"How come?"

Darren laughed. "J.J. thinks he knows everything."

"Guess he was right this time," Danni pointed out.

"Yeah, and I'm really glad he was," Darren said, and Danni could have sworn she detected a touch of shyness in his voice. "So, you wanna watch _Casablanca_ with me?"

"As long as you promise it doesn't suck."

"I promise you'll love it. Would you mind grabbing everything?"

Danni rose from the bed to retrieve the gift bag from the table and smiled when she realized Darren had already opened everything. "How do you wanna do this?" she asked and then turned pink.

Darren grinned as he slid over in his bed. "You can sit next to me and we'll put the DVD player on the tray."

Danni's eyes darted toward the door. "Are you sure the nurses won't get mad if I sit on your bed for that long?"

"Nah, they won't care," Darren assured her.

Danni placed the DVD player on the tray attached to the bed before sitting back down. Not wanting to risk bumping Darren's left side, she sat on his right. As soon as she was settled, she pulled the tray toward them and locked it in place.

Though _Casablanca_ was good, Danni found it hard to watch on a seven-inch screen and the sound wasn't the best quality either. Despite the volume being turned up full blast, she had a hard time hearing it.

"Maybe we should get the headphones," Darren suggested.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Danni said, and he grinned at her.

She popped from his bed just long enough to grab the headphones from the box. After plugging them into the side of the tiny movie player, she placed one ear bud in her left ear and passed the other one to Darren for his right.

"Thanks," he said.

Danni smiled. "I should be thanking you."

"Why?"

"For giving me the best kiss of my life," she whispered.

Darren leaned in closer to her. "Yeah, well, come here and I'll give you another one."

The sweet sting of his lips pressing on hers made Danni forget about _Casablanca,_ which was already blaring in her ear. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

# Chapter Six

_Darren Jacobs kissed me. Darren Jacobs kissed me_.

Over and over, Danni repeated the words to herself. She had been saying them in her mind ever since leaving the hospital the night before, as if that would make them real. The kiss didn't feel real anymore and last night seemed a million miles away. Today, in the real world of Taft High, guys like Darren didn't kiss girls like her.

As she emerged from her car parked in front of the school, Danni wondered if her friends would notice anything different about her. Would getting her first kiss show on her face? If so, she would know it really did happen.

Her friends already stood on the sidewalk. Both girls waved as Danni approached them.

"Hey," Chelsea called. "How was your visit with Darren?"

"Good," Danni mumbled.

"You're blushing, Danni," Marcy teased.

"I am not," Danni said, feeling the heat of the lie in her cheeks.

Chelsea grinned. "Yes, you are! How good a visit are we talking about?"

Danni cast a hasty glance around to make sure none of the students streaming past them were interested in what she was about to say. "He kissed me."

"Darren Jacobs kissed you?" Marcy shrieked.

"Not so loud," Danni ordered.

"Darren Jacobs kissed you?" Marcy repeated in a quieter voice.

"Yes," Danni answered.

"How was it?" Chelsea asked.

"Wonderful," Danni murmured as she recalled how soft his lips felt on hers.

"Didn't it feel weird?" Marcy asked.

Danni frowned. "Why would it feel weird?"

"You know, since he's only got one arm now," Marcy said as her cheeks turned pink.

"I wasn't kissing his arm," Danni reminded them.

"That's because he hasn't got one," Chelsea said.

"That's not true. He does have one _,_ " Marcy joked, and the two girls cracked up.

Danni glared at both of them. "Don't be mean."

"Sorry," Chelsea said.

"So, does this mean you guys are going out now?" Marcy asked.

The first bell of the morning rang, and the girls parted ways with Marcy's question still hanging in the air. Danni didn't want to admit she didn't know because she and Darren hadn't talked about it. Already, she guessed what they would say.

Marcy, with her eternal optimism and loyalty, would smile and say something encouraging about how Darren thought kissing her must mean they were going out. Being more practical, Chelsea would say Danni should never assume something like that just because he kissed her. She might even go as far as saying that Darren kissed her to see if he could still get a girl. Of course, Danni would point out she wasn't a fair test because of her pathetic four year crush on him, but that wouldn't matter to Chelsea. Her response would be something like, 'He's using you, Danni. You're just too in love with him to see it.' That would make Danni mad, but only because she wouldn't want to face the possibility that it could be true.

* * *

Darren's eyes lit up when Danni entered his hospital room. "Hey, you're so late I thought you might not come tonight."

"Hey, Danni," Justin greeted her. "Guess I'll be going."

Danni frowned. "What?"

"Shift change," he replied with a sly grin. "See you guys later."

"What took you so long?" Darren asked as Danni went to sit in the chair that Justin just vacated.

"I thought I'd have a better chance of seeing you awake if I waited 'til later," Danni joked.

"Sorry about that. I have physical therapy after lunch and it kind of wipes me out."

"Does it hurt?"

"Yeah, the therapist works on teaching me how to do things right handed and then moves what's left of my other arm," Darren explained. "By the time it's over, I'm ready for some pain meds and I end up sleeping these weird hours. It sucks because I'm up late at night and I'm alone."

"You could watch TV," Danni suggested. "You do have fifty of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest movies."

Darren smiled. "I told you I'm saving those for us to watch together."

"All of them? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, if you want to."

"I do, but I gave you those so you would have something to help you pass the time. You know, like when you're up alone late at night."

Darren's expression darkened. "The nights are the worst. It's when I feel the most phantom pains."

"Why don't you take pain meds then?" Danni asked.

"It won't help," he said. "I'm feeling pain in an arm that's not there."

"You can always call me if you need someone to talk to."

"Wouldn't your mom be mad if you got a call that late? Sometimes I'm up past midnight."

"You can call my cell phone," Danni said. "I'll keep it by my bed, and my mom won't even hear it ring."

"I'd like that," Darren said softly.

The way he melded his eyes to hers made it difficult to sit still. God, how did he do that? No one else could look at her and make her feel things like that. Maybe that could be enough; maybe they didn't need to actually date. Being Darren's friend might not be so bad. At least she would have an excuse to see him every day and still have him look at her that way.

"Uh, Darren, about yesterday," Danni began.

A worried look flickered across his face. "What about it?"

"I liked kissing you," Danni said as a blush crept into her cheeks, "but I understand if you're sorry about it."

Darren knitted his eyebrows together. "Why would I be sorry?"

"Oh, you know, because I'm this nerdy girl you kissed because you felt bad about the crush I've had on you all these years," Danni said, trying to force a laugh.

"That's kind of funny," Darren said. "Ever since you left last night, I've been thinking maybe you were sorry for kissing me."

"What? Why?"

"Oh, you know, I'm this jock who used to be the most popular guy in school until I lost my arm, and you felt sorry for me and kissed me to make me feel better," Darren said with a slight grin.

"I'm not sorry we kissed. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I left."

"Me neither. Maybe we should do it again."

"Yeah, maybe we should."

Darren slid across the bed to make room for Danni to sit beside him. Just as she leaned down to kiss him, Sally burst into the room pushing the dinner cart. Danni froze as she waited for Sally to yell at her for sitting on Darren's bed.

"Sorry to interrupt," Sally said with a wide smile. "You know, things sure have changed since I was a teenager."

Darren frowned. "What?"

"I never kissed my friends like that," Sally explained, placing the dinner tray on the rolling table beside the bed.

"Danni's not my friend," Darren said, and Danni's heart constricted. "She's my girlfriend."

Sally nodded. "That explains some things. I'll see you two later. I've got some more deliveries to make."

"You want me to be your girlfriend?" Danni gasped. "You don't even know me."

"I know enough," Darren insisted.

"Really? Like what?"

He grinned at her. "You seriously want me to say it?"

"Just say it."

"Fine." Darren heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Your name is Danielle, but you like to be called Danni. You're a senior at Taft High. Your parents are divorced, and you live with your mom and your older brother. Your favorite movie is _The Wizard of Oz,_ now that the flying monkeys don't scare the crap out of you anymore, but you're starting to like classic movies. You've never had a boyfriend before, and I was your first and second and third kiss, and you blush really easily, like you're doing right now, but it's cute."

"You have a good memory," Danni said, wishing he was wrong about the blushing.

Darren resumed his grin. "Does that mean I pass the test and you'll be my girlfriend?"

"Maybe."

"Just maybe?"

"All you have to do is answer one question."

"Sure, what is it?"

Danni gave him a sly smile. "What's my last name?"

"It's, um, it's..."

Danni giggled as Darren fumbled to answer the question. It was kind of cute how his neck and ears reddened.

"Oh, hell, I don't know," Darren admitted.

Danni laughed even harder. She couldn't tell whether Darren was bothered more by not knowing her last name or by having to admit there was something he didn't know.

"Want to know what I know about you?" she asked.

"You're not going to tell me your last name?" Darren said.

"Why? Are you afraid I'll know more about you than you know about me?"

"Nope." Darren shook his head. "Go for it."

"Okay, but you asked for it," Danni warned. "Your name is Darren _Jacobs_ and you're a senior at Taft High. You're seventeen and you've been playing catcher on the varsity baseball team since you were a sophomore. You hang out with Spencer Collins, but he's not really your best friend. Your real best friend is your brother, Justin, who's twenty-five and you call J.J., which is so cute by the way.

"You like old movies because your parents got you hooked on them and, speaking of your parents, they're still married, which I'd say is some kind of miracle in the twenty-first century. You have a grandma named Jean who wears way too much perfume and always leaves red lipstick marks on you when she kisses you. Your last girlfriend was Whitney Wheeler, and I'm guessing she did something really bad to you because every time I say her name you get this screwed up look on your face, like you just bit into a sour lemon.

"Ever since freshman year, you've been voted most athletic, nicest smile and prettiest eyes, and from the way your ears are starting to turn red, I'm pretty sure that kind of stuff makes you uncomfortable, which, I gotta say, I never would've guessed about you. You like to draw, but you keep it a secret, so you're either into some kinky art or you're not sure you're any good."

"Damn," Darren murmured when she finished. "I thought you said you weren't some kind of stalker."

Danni's confident smile faded. She hadn't even considered how it might make her look to tell him everything she knew about him. When she started to move away, Darren grabbed her hand.

"Don't get mad. I'm just kidding," Darren assured her.

"It wasn't funny," Danni snapped.

"I know. That's why I said I was kidding."

"I'm not some kind of stalker. I'm just observant."

Darren grinned at her. "Yeah, I guess you are."

"We've been at the same school for four years," she reminded him. "Just because you never noticed me doesn't mean I never noticed you. Besides, lots of people know stuff about you."

Darren's expression sobered. "I noticed you."

"Yeah, right, if you noticed me, how come you never talked to me?"

"Because you're right about Whitney."

Danni frowned. "What?"

"She screwed me over, and it kind of scared me off getting serious again."

"Then why'd you just ask me to be your girlfriend?"

"Because you're nothing like Whitney."

"You mean I'm not pretty or popular?" Danni asked, though she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"No, I mean you're not a bitch who's gonna break my heart and not even care," Darren said.

How could Whitney break his heart and not even care? Didn't she realize what a stupid mistake it was to throw away a guy like Darren? It was just so unfair. While Danni spent four years hoping to go out with him, Whitney not only got the chance but didn't even care about it. That was the trouble with girls like her. They were so used to getting what they wanted that they never thought twice about other people. It was the nobodies, like Danni and her friends, who knew what they were missing and never would have done whatever Whitney did to make Darren sneer every time he said her name.

"You never answered my question," Darren said.

"You mean my last name?" she asked. "It's Singer."

Darren laughed. "Not that question, but thanks."

"What question are you talking about?" Danni frowned.

Darren smiled as he tightened his hold on her hand. "Will you please be my girlfriend, Danni Singer?"

Not trusting the sound of her own voice, Danni just nodded.

"What do you say we make it official with another kiss?" Darren suggested.

Danni couldn't believe it. Her biggest dream of the last four years wasn't a dream anymore.

* * *

"Spencer's back at school," Marcy announced when Danni met up with her and Chelsea in front of the campus.

"How does he look?" Chelsea asked.

"There's a huge cut on his cheek, but that's it" Marcy answered. "He doesn't look like he's been in a major car accident."

"Well, it has been almost three weeks," Danni pointed out.

"Speaking of which, I wonder why he came back in the middle of the week," Marcy said.

Chelsea shrugged. "Who knows, but this place is going to be crazy today."

Marcy frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Spencer was driving that night, and everyone's going to want to know what happened," Danni realized.

"What did happen, Danni?" Chelsea asked.

"I have no idea," Danni said.

"Of course you do," Chelsea insisted. "Your boyfriend got hurt the worst in that accident. You have to know."

"He didn't become my boyfriend until after the accident," Danni reminded them.

Chelsea raised her eyebrows. "And you guys have never talked about it?"

"Never," Danni said.

"Wait a minute," Marcy interjected. "Darren Jacobs is your boyfriend now?"

"Yeah," Danni said, her cheeks growing warm.

"Congratulations, Danni. You got what you've spent the last four years waiting for," Chelsea said. "Too bad he had to lose his arm to realize you're worth knowing."

Danni stiffened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means if Darren hadn't lost his arm in that car accident, nothing would've changed," Chelsea explained. "He would've gone right on ignoring you while you fantasized about dating him."

"You don't know that," Danni countered.

"Yes, I do," Chelsea said. "And so do you."

Despite the sting she felt from her friend's observation, Danni knew the real reason for her anger. Chelsea was right. If it hadn't been for the car accident, Darren Jacobs wouldn't even know her name. He admitted as much to his brother the first night she visited him in the hospital.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Chelsea told Danni as soon as she walked out of her fourth period class. "I'm just jealous."

"You're jealous?" Danni repeated with a frown.

"You're dating the most popular guy in school." Chelsea gave her a sheepish smile. "Of course I'm jealous, but I'm happy for you too."

"You're right though," Danni admitted. "Darren Jacobs wouldn't even know my name if it wasn't for the accident."

"Who cares?" Marcy challenged. "This is what you always wanted, right?"

"I've waited four years for this," Danni said.

Marcy smiled. "Then enjoy it."

"And whenever I start sounding jealous again just tell me to shut up," Chelsea suggested.

Danni grinned at her, but she didn't feel like smiling. While making up with her friends made her happy, it didn't change the truth of Chelsea's words. Darren kissed her because of his accident. Before then he didn't even know her name.

* * *

As usual, Justin made his exit not long after Danni entered the hospital room. She took her customary seat beside Darren without saying a word.

Why did Chelsea and Marcy have to say anything about Darren not knowing she existed until after the accident? So Darren didn't know her until he lost his arm. He knew her now. Wasn't that all that mattered?

Instead of worrying about that, Danni needed to figure out how to tell Darren that Spencer was back at school. While Spencer was able to hang out with his friends and act like nothing happened, Darren was stuck in a hospital bed dealing with losing his arm.

"Are you okay?" Darren asked.

"Spencer came back to school today," Danni blurted out.

Darren's expression stayed the same. "Yeah? Is he okay?"

"I'm surprised you care," Danni admitted.

"Sure I care. He's been my best friend since middle school."

"Then how come he hasn't come to visit you?"

Darren laughed. "You sound like J.J."

"I guess I do, but J.J. has a point," Danni said.

"I know. It's just that I can't hate him."

"But it's his fault you lost your arm."

"It's my fault," Darren said softly.

"Darren, what happened that night?" Danni asked the question that had been on her mind for weeks.

Darren's gaze drifted toward the wall. When he didn't respond right away, Danni thought he might want her to mind her own business, but after a while he spoke.

"We went to a party after the game," he began, not turning to face her. "There were a lot of people drinking. Spence drank before the game, and he drank even more at the party. By the time we left, he couldn't even walk."

"What about you?" Danni asked.

"I was sober," Darren whispered.

"What?" she gasped.

"I don't drink. The first time I tried I got so sick I swore I'd never do it again."

"What about Lee and Matt?"

"They were buzzed, but not drunk."

"You were the only sober one and you let the drunkest guy drive?"

"It wasn't the first time he'd driven like that, and my house wasn't far. I figured we'd be okay," Darren explained.

"And that's why you did it?" Danni asked.

"No." Darren still wasn't looking at her. "I didn't want to look like a punk if I stood up to Spence and told him he couldn't drive."

Danni sank back in the chair as she tried to absorb his words. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Darren Jacobs, the most popular guy in school, had been sucked in by peer pressure? It just didn't seem possible. Everyone followed him and did whatever he said.

It would have been so easy for him to prevent the accident. If only he had taken the car keys, he wouldn't be here now. That was what she would have done. She would never let any of her friends drive drunk. Who cares if it made them mad? They would've gotten over it and probably thanked her later for saving their lives. But what if it hadn't been Chelsea or Marcy? What if she'd been at that party with Darren?

Danni knew about those parties and how wild they could get, but that hadn't stopped her from wanting to go to one. It wasn't just that she wanted to go; she had been dying to go with Darren. So, what if by some weird chance he had invited her to that same party? It would have been the best thing that ever happened to her, and she wouldn't have wanted to mess things up. Trying to play the designated driver would have made her look like the world's biggest loser.

"I told you it was my fault." Darren's voice was so soft she almost didn't hear him. "Guess this is my punishment for letting him drive."

"I guess so," Danni scoffed. "You lost your arm and ended up with a loser for a girlfriend."

Darren frowned, bringing his eyes to meet hers. "What?"

"If you hadn't been in that accident, you wouldn't even know my name," she reminded him. "I sit right next to you in English class and you've never even looked at me."

"Yes, I have. I knew who you were the minute J.J. described you, and I told him I always thought you were pretty," Darren insisted. "Ask him if you don't believe me."

"Then why didn't you ever ask me out?" Danni asked.

"Everyone thinks they know me," he said. "People think I'm this stupid jock who just thinks about girls and baseball. Nobody really knows me though. Nobody knows I'm just this shy guy who never felt comfortable around girls until I met you."

"What makes me special?"

"Every day you sit here and see me with this stump for an arm, and you still kiss me like you mean it," Darren answered. "If you can accept me like this then I know I can trust you. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I get it."

Darren grinned at her. "Good, now will you stop being mad at me and kiss me like you mean it?"

Danni moved from the chair to her usual place on the bed. When she brought her lips to meet his, the heat from his body warmed her from head to toe.

# Chapter Seven

Thursday morning, Danni sat in her sociology class watching a film on sexually transmitted diseases when she felt her cell phone vibrate in her purse. Danni slid the phone from her purse but sent the call to voice mail since she didn't recognize the number. Whoever it was would probably realize they had the wrong number and hang up. Just as Danni went to drop the phone back into her purse, the same person called again. She declined the call, only for the same thing to happen again.

Danni frowned as she stared down at the phone. Either someone really wanted to talk to her or they didn't realize they had the wrong number. When she received a fourth call from the same number, she cast a quick glance around the darkened room before taking a chance on hitting the answer button.

"Hello?" she whispered.

"Danni?"

It was Darren.

"I'm in sociology class," Danni hissed. "I get out in like ten minutes. I'll call you back then."

"Please don't hang up," Darren begged. "I need you."

The urgency in his voice quickened her heartbeat and not in a good way. "What's wrong?"

"I've got some kind of infection in my arm and the doctors are talking surgery."

"What?"

"My physical therapist noticed I was warm when he came to see me, and he called the nurse to take my temperature. It's over a hundred degrees," Darren explained. "The nurse panicked and called the doctor, and he came in and looked at my arm and said it's infected."

"Why would you need surgery for that?" Danni asked.

"They're saying the infection is bad and they might not be able to save what's left of my arm," Darren replied. "My parents are with the doctors now. I'm so scared, Danni. If they take the rest of my arm, I might not be able to wear a prosthesis."

"I'll be right there," she said.

Danni tried to be inconspicuous as she gathered her things, but the teacher noticed the disturbance.

Ms. Keene came to stand in front of her desk. "Is something wrong, Danni?"

"I need to go to the nurse's office. I don't feel very well."

"Are you sure you can't wait until the end of class?"

"No, I really can't. I think I might throw up."

The people sitting at either side of Danni slid their desks away from her.

"Of course, dear," Ms. Keene replied, and she almost felt bad for lying.

Danni took the pass the teacher gave her, but she didn't go to the nurse's office. Instead, she walked right out of school without telling anyone.

* * *

Danni had been so focused on getting to the hospital as soon as possible, she didn't even consider how she might look bursting into Darren's room. It also took her a moment to notice the two people sitting on his bed. Both of them regarded her with amused expressions.

Relief flooded Darren's face when he saw her. "Danni!"

The woman's smile broadened and she rose from the bed. "You're Danni?"

"Um, yes."

"My sons have told me a lot about you. My name is Ann Jacobs."

Darren's mother was beautiful with bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks. Wisps of blonde hair escaped her French twist, giving Ann a carefree look.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Jacobs," Danni said, holding out her hand.

Rather than accept her outstretched hand, Ann pulled her into an embrace. "Thank you, Danni."

"Mom," Darren mumbled with a groan, and Ann let go.

"Hugs are much better than handshakes," Ann insisted. "Danni, this is my husband, Gerald."

While there was no doubt Ann was Justin and Darren's mother, Danni wasn't so sure about Gerald being their father. Other than the fact that he was tall, he looked nothing like his sons. Gerald had deep brown eyes in contrast to their blue ones and dark brown hair as opposed to their blond.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Jacobs," Danni said, hoping he wouldn't hug her as well.

"Why aren't you in school, young lady?" Gerald asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Dad," Darren groaned again.

"Goodness, it is a school day, isn't it?" Ann remembered.

"I need to talk to Danni alone," Darren told his parents.

"Of course. We'll just run down to the cafeteria for some coffee," Gerald said, glancing at Danni. "Would you care for anything?"

"Um, no thank you," Danni said, and he smiled.

Ann leaned down to plant a kiss on her son's forehead. "We won't be long."

Darren waited until his parents left the room before speaking again. "Come sit with me, Danni. I need to talk to you about this."

"What's going on?" Danni asked as she sat on his bed and took his hand.

"The infection is pretty bad. The doctors are saying we have two options, surgery or antibiotics," Darren explained.

"Why not try antibiotics?"

"If I wait and try to fix this thing with antibiotics, it could get worse," Darren said. "If I have surgery now, they might only need to take half of what's left."

"They might take half?"

"They're not sure how far the infection has spread. If it's too bad they might have to take the rest anyway."

This didn't make any sense. How did he end up with an infection in a hospital? People went to hospitals to get well, not to end up worse. It wasn't fair. Someone should have seen this coming and done something to stop it. Sally said every nurse on the floor loved Darren, so why hadn't they loved him enough to notice the infection sooner?

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I don't know," Darren admitted. "I'm scared of letting them do surgery in case the antibiotics work, but I'm more scared of waiting and things getting worse."

"What do your parents think?"

"They're saying it's my choice, but I think they want me to have the surgery."

Danni could not picture her mom allowing her to make that kind of decision. Then again, her mom would have to be around in order to give her the choice.

"Danni, if they do the surgery and I end up losing the rest of my arm, will you still want to be my girlfriend?"

"Of course I will."

"And do you think you'd ever be okay..."

"Okay what?"

"Would you ever be okay being around me with my shirt off?"

Danni's eyes widened. "When would you have your shirt off?"

"Like if we went swimming."

"It's October. Summer is a long way off," Danni pointed out. "We could break up before then."

"No way." Darren pulled her toward him. "This thing with you and me is real. It's the most real thing I've ever felt, and I don't think I could handle giving it up."

"You realize what that sounds like, don't you?"

"Yeah, that's why I called you today."

"Okay, then we need to make a decision."

"We already did," Darren replied.

Danni frowned at him. "What did we decide?"

"We decided I'll have the surgery," he said, giving her a kiss.

"You're hot," Danni said.

"Thanks," Darren said, offering her a crazy grin.

Danni laughed. "I mean your skin is hot from your fever."

"Is it safe to come in?"

Darren and Danni turned around to see Gerald and Ann standing in the doorway. Their expressions were identical to the ones they'd given Danni when she first arrived.

"Yes," Darren muttered, his face turning bright red.

A man in a white coat stepped into the room. "Oh, good, everyone's here, and I see we have a new face."

"This is my girlfriend Danni," Darren said. "Danni, this is my doctor, Dr. Forbes."

"Nice to meet you, Danni." Dr. Forbes nodded to her. "Now, what did we decide? Is it surgery or antibiotics first?"

Darren's parents turned to face him, and Danni gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. When he said the word surgery, Ann's heavy sigh filled the room. It sounded like a balloon being deflated or a train just pulling into the station.

"Great, I think you made the best choice, Darren," Dr. Forbes said, licking his lips as he spoke. "I just need to make sure you understand there's still a possibility you'll lose the rest of your arm."

"I understand," Darren replied, though he couldn't meet the doctor's eyes.

"Good, then I'll go ahead and get you scheduled for surgery. We'll do it first thing in the morning," Dr. Forbes said.

"Can we afford to wait that long?" Ann asked.

"Mom, I'm sure Dr. Forbes knows what he's doing," Darren said.

"Thanks, Darren." The doctor flashed them a confident smile. "And the answer is yes, we can afford to wait until tomorrow morning to operate."

"Isn't it dangerous to operate on him while he's got this fever?" Ann pressed.

"Under normal circumstances, I'd say yes," Dr. Forbes agreed. "However, in Darren's case, we don't want to let the infection spread any further up his arm or we won't have a chance to save any of it."

"Okay," Ann relented.

"All right then, I'll come back later to check on you, Darren," Dr. Forbes said before leaving the room.

Any noise in the room disappeared with him. Even though Darren's parents were smiling at her, Danni couldn't help feeling that she was intruding on their time with him.

"I should get back to school," Danni said.

"Will you come back later?" Darren asked, releasing his grip on her hand.

"I always do," she replied.

Since Darren's parents were watching, she avoided kissing him before darting out the door.

* * *

On the ride back to school, Danni realized lunchtime was only half an hour away. If she hurried she would be able to make it to the last part of fourth period and only be marked absent for two of her classes.

The Taco Bell on the horizon changed her mind. She pulled her car into the parking lot to join the growing drive through line. While waiting for her turn to order, Danni fished her cell phone out of her purse and sent a text message to Chelsea and Marcy: _Don't buy lunch. Bringing TB for us. Will explain when I get there. Meet you out front._

When the driver of the car behind her honked his horn, Danni dropped her phone back into her purse and inched the car forward in the line. For her order, she opted for the ten-pack of tacos, half crunchy and half soft, and three large sodas.

By the time she made it back to school, the lunch period was already underway. Pulling into a parking space, she spotted Chelsea and Marcy.

Danni popped her car door open but didn't get out. "Come help me!"

Chelsea rushed forward and seized the box of tacos. "Come to, Mama," she cooed, and Danni and Marcy cracked up.

With the tacos in safe hands, Danni was able to carry the drinks along with her backpack and purse. The girls took a seat on the grassy area in front of the school and plunged into their rare fast food fare.

"Not to sound ungrateful, but how'd you pull this off?" Chelsea asked Danni.

"I stopped on the way back from the hospital," Danni answered.

Marcy looked up. "How come you went there?"

"Darren called and asked me to come," Danni explained.

"Is everything okay?" Chelsea asked.

"Not really," Danni said. "His arm is infected and the doctor has to do surgery. He might end up losing it."

Chelsea frowned. "I thought Darren already lost his arm. Is the other one infected?"

"He lost his arm just above the elbow," Danni said. "The wound is infected so they need to do surgery to remove the part that's bad."

"That sounds terrible," Marcy said.

Danni nodded. "It is. If the infection spreads too far, Darren might lose what little of his arm he has left."

"When's the surgery?" Chelsea asked.

"Tomorrow morning so I won't be here," Danni answered.

"Does your mom know that?"

"No, I guess I better tell her."

That was a conversation Danni was already dreading. If her mom thought visiting Darren in the hospital was bad, she was probably going to think skipping school to be there for his surgery was a capital offense.

* * *

Before returning to the hospital after school, Danni made a pit stop at home. Any other day, she would have done her homework first so she didn't have it hanging over her head. Since she didn't plan on going to school the following day, she dumped her backpack on her bed without giving it a second look. Even though she should have known better, she hoped to catch her mom at home so she could talk to her about missing school. No one was there, not even Nick.

Danni sighed as she paused to grab a snack from the kitchen. Every other teenager in the world probably would have loved not having their parents around. Most of the time, Danni didn't mind her mom's constant absence, but she wished her mom didn't have to work so hard to provide a good life for the family. It was because she worked so hard that she and Nick had their own cars and a big house and nice things.

It wasn't that Danni didn't appreciate everything they had, but just once it would have been nice to come home and find her mom there. Half the time, Danni didn't even see her before she went to bed.

After polishing off a butterscotch pudding cup and half a bottle of water, Danni went upstairs to freshen up. Once her hair was brushed and her lip gloss touched up, she shouldered her purse and was out the door again.

Having made the drive to the hospital so many times over the last few weeks, it was now second nature to Danni. She still found it hard to believe how much had changed in such a short time. Only a month ago, Darren was the most popular guy in school. Now people seemed to have forgotten he existed, having satisfied their obligation to him by signing the leadership banner.

Danni parked the car and then got out to walk across the parking lot of Children's Medical Center. As she stepped inside, the familiarity of the place struck her. In the beginning, the sterile smells and hectic pace of everyone around her had been more than a little intimidating. Now she found a strange sort of comfort in the hospital.

Darren and Justin offered Danni a smile when she entered the room. Justin rose from his usual place beside the bed and gave the chair to Danni.

"How are you feeling?" Danni asked as she reached for Darren's hand.

"I'm fine," Justin replied and then laughed at his own joke. "Oh, you were talking to D.J. Sorry, my bad."

Danni giggled. "I don't think people still say my bad."

Justin clutched his chest. "Are you trying to say I'm old? Are you hearing this, D.J.?"

"Yeah, I hear it. Don't you have to work tonight?"

Justin grinned at him. "Why? Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"I just don't want you to be late," Darren said.

"All right, I can take a hint. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll be here early."

Darren bit down on his lower lip. "Promise?"

The vulnerability in his voice made Danni's heart swell.

"I promise," Justin replied. "I'll make sure I'm the first one here."

"Thanks, J.J."

"You got it, kiddo," Justin said and resumed a smile. "See you guys tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," Danni echoed.

As she watched Justin leave, she thought again about what a great brother he was. She couldn't imagine Nick spending hours by her side, even if she was sick in the hospital. Sure he would care, but he wouldn't live his life around her the way Justin did around Darren.

"Have you guys always been that close?" Danni asked.

Darren glanced at the empty doorway. "Yeah, everyone says it's weird, but we never fought."

"You're lucky. I don't think Nick would know my name if I wasn't there to remind him of it," Danni said, and Darren gave her a half-hearted grin. "So, what movie do you want to watch tonight?"

"I don't know."

"We could skip it if you want."

"Whatever you want."

"Maybe I should let you get some rest since you have surgery tomorrow."

Darren tightened his hold on her hand. "Don't. I don't wanna be here alone. Not tonight. Okay?"

"I won't leave until they kick me out," Danni said, forcing a smile. "You think any of the nurses would notice if I slept in this chair?"

Darren laughed. "Yeah, they might, but you don't have to do that."

"I'm kidding. There's no way I'm letting you see me first thing in the morning."

"I'll bet you don't look that bad."

"Ah, that's sweet. Just what every girl wants to hear."

"I'll bet you look beautiful in the morning," Darren tried again. "How could you not when you're the hottest girl in the whole world?"

Danni's cheeks pinked, but she laughed along with him.

Darren's expression suddenly sobered. "I'm scared, Danni."

"Of the surgery?" Danni guessed.

"Not that part. I've had surgery before," Darren said. "I just don't want it to fail, like it did last time."

Danni frowned. "What do you mean?"

"On the night of the accident, the paramedics brought my arm with them and gave it to the doctors to see if they could save it," Darren explained. "The doctors took one look and said it was too mangled."

Danni's eyes widened. "They brought your arm here? Like they just walked in with it?"

"It was in a cooler or something. One of the paramedics pulled it from the accident site and put it in some ice."

"Do you remember that?" she asked.

"No, the doctors told me later, after I heard they thought about reattaching it but couldn't," Darren said. "What if it happens again? What if they can't fix it and I lose the rest of my arm?"

Danni swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "I don't know, D.J."

It was a terrible answer, but it was all she could come up with. She just hoped the doctors had a better one.

* * *

After coming home from the hospital, Danni settled down in front of the television where she waited for a chance to talk to her mom. She wasn't paying any attention to the show. Instead, she couldn't stop thinking about Darren and his surgery the following morning.

_What if they can't fix it and I lose the rest of my arm?_ Danni couldn't get Darren's desperate plea out of her head, nor could she dislodge the images created by his confession. Her stomach turned a little at the thought of the paramedics sifting through the accident site and picking up the severed arm. Danni didn't know what sickened her more; the image of some guy walking around holding Darren's arm or the image of it being too mangled for the doctors to save.

The sound of the front door opening interrupted her dark thoughts. "Hey, Mom," Danni called.

Charmain's shoulders jumped. "Danni, you scared me."

"Sorry. There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Can it wait until tomorrow? I could use a shower."

"It's important."

"Okay, well at least let me get something to drink," Charmain replied.

Danni got up and followed her mom into the kitchen. "There's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I cut my morning classes today, but before you freak out, I had a good reason."

"Let's hear it."

"You know I've been visiting Darren Jacobs at the hospital," Danni said, but her mom just stared at her. "Well, anyway, I've been going every day, and we've gotten to know each other."

"What does this have to do with you cutting classes?" Charmain demanded.

"The thing is, Darren and I are kind of going out now." Danni dropped her eyes as a blush heated her cheeks. "Anyway, he called me this morning and said something was wrong, and I went to the hospital to be with him. He didn't ask me to go. I did it on my own."

"What was wrong?" Charmain asked.

"His arm's infected and he needs surgery," Danni said as fresh tears filled her eyes. "He's got this small stump left, and the doctors might have to remove it because it's infected."

Charmain opened the refrigerator and extracted a bottle of mineral water. "That sounds tough," she said and paused to take a drink. "Now you see what comes of drinking and driving."

"Darren wasn't drinking that night," Danni countered.

"Be that as it may, that didn't stop him from getting into a car with other boys who were drinking," Charmain pointed out.

"He made a mistake," Danni insisted. "A mistake he should be forgiven for. What if it was Nick or me in that accident? Wouldn't you forgive us?"

"Of course. You're my children."

"I think Darren deserves the same forgiveness. He made a mistake he'll have to live with forever, and I don't think it's fair for everyone else to punish him."

"What are you asking me, Danni?"

"Darren's surgery is tomorrow and I want to be there. It means I'd miss school."

"Isn't it a little late to ask my permission to miss school?"

"I could've gone and you might never have known, but I'm telling you because I want to be honest from now on."

Her mother eyed her for a long time. Danni held her gaze, determined to show that she meant every word.

"You're growing up," Charmain said softly. "You're growing up and I almost missed it."

"Does this mean I can go to the hospital and be with Darren and his family for the surgery?" Danni asked.

"If you'll let me come with you," Charmain decided.

"Don't you have important things to do at work?"

"I can miss the morning," her mother said. "Besides, there's nothing more important than being there for my daughter when her boyfriend goes in for surgery."

"Thanks so much, Mom." Danni threw her arms around Charmain.

That went better than Danni expected. She thought her mother would be angry and refuse to let her be with Darren before his surgery. The last thing she expected was for her mother to insist on being there as well.

If things could go that well for her tonight, maybe they could go as well for Darren tomorrow.

# Chapter Eight

Thinking about Darren's surgery kept Danni awake late into the night, but it still didn't stop her from waking up before the alarm went off on Friday morning. Once she showered and put on some clothes, she headed downstairs. Already dressed in jeans and a sweater, her mother sat at the kitchen table reading a newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee.

"I thought you were only taking the morning off," Danni said.

"I changed my mind," Charmain replied with a smile. "Is that okay?"

Danni returned her smile. "It's great."

"So, do you want me to drive?" Charmain asked.

"Maybe we should both drive," Danni suggested. "I might want to stay longer than you."

"That makes sense. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, but I wish we didn't have to."

"I know, sweetie. Imagine how Darren must be feeling though."

Danni didn't have to. His words from the night before still haunted her. _What if they can't fix it, and I lose the rest of my arm?_

Danni felt like her body was on autopilot as she drove to the hospital. Before she knew it, she was pulling into the parking lot. Her mom parked her own car alongside, and they emerged from their vehicles at the same time.

"Where do we go?" Charmain asked.

"His room is on the fifth floor," Danni said.

As her mother wrapped an arm around Danni's shoulders, they began walking toward the entrance. Neither of them spoke as they rode the elevator to the fifth floor. The small space of Darren's hospital room was overflowing with visitors. Danni recognized only a few of the people crowded inside.

Justin gave her a tired smile. "Hey, Danni."

"Hey, J.J. Did you have to work late last night?"

"Yeah, I got home about two."

Danni was just about to introduce her mother when Darren's parents approached. She waited until Charmain had a chance to meet everyone else, and speak to Ann and Gerald, before pulling her toward the bed.

"Hey," Darren said. "I guess I'm popular again."

"Very funny," Danni replied. "Darren, this is my mom, Charmain Singer."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Singer," Darren said, holding his hand out.

Charmain's eyes drifted to his missing arm as she shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Darren. I hope you don't mind that I came today."

"I don't mind," Darren said.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if your parents need anything," Charmain said.

Darren reached for Danni's hand. "Your mom's nice."

"Yeah," she answered, realizing she never thought so before today.

"Will you sit with me?" he asked.

"Are you sure it's okay with your whole family here?"

"Please, Danni. I need to tell you something private."

"Okay," she gave in.

When she sat down next to him, Darren seized her hand and placed it over his heart. It pounded rapidly beneath their linked hands.

"I'm scared," Darren admitted. "I'm scared if I lose my whole arm you won't feel the same way about me, but I'll still feel the same about you."

"And how do you feel about me?" she asked.

"I love you, Danni," Darren whispered in her ear.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Danni couldn't help smiling. Those were the words she'd been waiting so long to hear. "I love you too, D.J."

"I like it when you call me D.J."

"I know, just like you know I'll still love you if you lose your entire arm."

"Will you still think I'm..."

"You'll always be the best looking guy in the world to me."

As they held each other's hands and gazes, the noise around them faded away. For just a moment, Danni forgot she was in a hospital. There were no doctors or surgery or concerned family members talking in hushed voices. It was just the two of them.

"Wow, we've got a full house!"

Dr. Forbes' voice brought Danni back to reality. The doctor stepped into the room and weaved his way through the crowd to get to Darren's bed.

"It's just about show time, Darren," Dr. Forbes said. "Do you have any last minute questions or concerns?"

"No," Darren said, keeping his gaze on Danni.

"The nurse will be here in about five minutes to take you back to the prep room," Dr. Forbes informed Darren. "Then we'll get you some of the sleepy stuff and take you to surgery."

Five minutes passed too fast for Danni. When the nurse came to take Darren for surgery, his family rushed toward him to offer their final words of encouragement. Danni stepped back to give them more room.

"I'm sorry, but we need to go," the nurse insisted.

"Wait," Darren said. "Please let me say something to my girlfriend."

The nurse relented and Darren held out his hand. Danni stepped closer and took it.

"I love you, Danni," he said.

"I love you too, D.J."

Family and friends lingered in the hallway as the nurse wheeled Darren out of the room. "We'll take good care of him," she said before they were out of sight.

Charmain wrapped an arm around Danni's shoulders. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Danni said. It was Darren she was more worried about.

"Well, how about if I make a run to the cafeteria and get you something to drink?" Charmain offered, and Danni nodded. "Would anyone else like something? My treat."

"I think I'll come with you if you don't mind," Ann replied.

Charmain smiled at her. "That would be great. I'd love the company."

"We'll meet everyone in the waiting room." Gerald gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. "Take your time. I'm sure it'll be a bit before we hear anything."

As the two women walked toward the elevators, and everyone else began to shuffle down the hall, Danni stood as if rooted to her spot. The tears she'd been fighting back since last night suddenly sprang to her eyes.

"Danni?" Justin asked. "Are you coming?"

Straightening up, she brushed the tears away. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"It's okay," he said. "Your mom's great. I'm glad you brought her."

"Thanks, me too."

"You know what I'm even happier about?"

"What?"

"I'm glad you came to see my brother and that I talked you into coming back," Justin said. "You have no idea how much it means to D.J. to have a girl that can love him like this."

Danni frowned at his choice of words. "Why not? He's still the same person."

"That's why you're perfect for him," Justin said.

The two of them headed down the hall and sat down side by side in the padded chairs of the waiting room. Darren's father sat across from them and offered Danni a kind smile.

"We're glad you and your mom are here," Gerald told her.

Danni's cheeks pinked. "Thanks."

"You look like your mother. I'll bet you hear that all the time," Gerald said.

"Sometimes," Danni agreed.

When her mother and Ann returned with everyone's drinks, Justin stood and helped pass them around.

Charmain offered a Styrofoam cup to Danni. "I thought you'd like an iced tea."

Danni managed to smile up at her mother. "Thanks."

"Mind if I sit with you?"

"No."

Danni still couldn't get Darren's words out of her head. What if the doctors couldn't save his arm? It would be yet another loss for him, only even more devastating.

Gerald leaned across the space between the chairs and placed a hand on Justin's knee. "Are you all right, son?"

Justin nodded as his gaze slid down the hallway in the direction of Darren's room. The sadness and fear in his eyes tore at Danni's heart, reminding her of how Darren sounded when they talked the night before. She wished there was something she could do or say to make Justin feel better, but she was just as worried as he looked.

"You know, there's something I've been wondering," Danni began, hopeful she could take their minds off the surgery. "How'd you and Darren end up calling each other by your initials?"

Justin shrugged. "I don't remember."

Gerald smiled at them. "I do."

"Why do I have this feeling you're about to tell an embarrassing story about me?" Justin asked.

"Didn't you know that part of our job as parents is to tell embarrassing stories about our kids?" Gerald joked. "Of course, this one isn't all that embarrassing, but I'm sure I could come up with one that is."

"Maybe you should stick to this one," Justin suggested.

"You're no fun," Gerald teased with a chuckle. "For years, Justin begged us to give him a brother; not a sister, but a brother."

Danni thought of Nick. Maybe that's why they weren't as close as Darren and Justin. Maybe they would have been if she had been born Daniel instead of Danielle.

"When Ann finally got pregnant with Darren, Justin was convinced he was a boy before he was even born," Gerald said.

"You mean you didn't know before then?" Danni asked.

"No, we wanted to be surprised," Ann explained. "All we cared about was having a healthy baby, not whether it was a boy or a girl."

"Justin was the only one who wasn't surprised when he got his wish," Gerald said. "Right from the start he was in love with that kid. Whenever Darren went to sleep, Justin would sit in front of his crib watching him, and when Darren woke up, Justin was right there, trying to take care of him as if he thought Ann and I weren't doing a good enough job."

"I thought you said this wasn't an embarrassing story," Justin reminded his dad.

Gerald smiled. "Right, sorry about that. So, one day, Justin starts calling the baby D.J. I made the connection with the initials and I thought he was really clever. I also thought that was going to be our nickname for the baby, but Justin set me straight."

"What do you mean?" Danni asked.

"I made the mistake of calling Darren D.J. and Justin jumped all over me," Gerald replied.

"I did not," Justin said.

Gerald laughed. "Yes, you did. You told me that was your D.J. Not mine or Mom's, or anyone else's, just yours. That was your D.J. and you were his J.J. And, for the record, you weren't very nice when you said it."

Danni couldn't help laughing. That was the sweetest thing she'd ever heard. It was almost as cute as the way Justin blushed in response to his father's story.

"You're lucky to have kids who care so much about each other," Charmain said.

Danni thought her mom might say something about her and Nick barely acknowledging each other's existence, but she kept that one to herself.

"You're right," Ann said, smiling at her son. "Gerald and I thought Justin might outgrow his devotion to Darren when his brother started walking and talking and wanting to do everything he did, but the older Darren got, the closer they got."

"That's nice," Charmain said.

"It was nice, especially when Darren was little," Ann continued. "As long as Justin was around, I knew Darren was in good hands. I could trust Justin to look out for him. The only time we ran into trouble was at Justin's little league games. Darren hated that he couldn't be out there playing ball with his J.J."

"He hated it so much that he once started a fight with one of the other teams," Gerald said.

Charmain laughed. "I've got to hear this one."

"Justin was eleven, so Darren would've been four, and he was itching to play. He couldn't wait to turn five so he could join in. For some reason, he was convinced he'd be able to play on Justin's team, and there was no telling him otherwise," Gerald said. "The day I'm talking about, Justin was playing catcher. The other team had a guy on second base when the guy at bat hit one a mile. It wasn't a home run, but it was scoring that runner from second if the outfielder couldn't get the ball in. Justin was squatting in front of the plate, waiting for that ball to come in so he could make the out. Both teams were going crazy, yelling and cheering. It was total mayhem."

"Did he make the play?" Charmain asked.

"Yes, he did," Gerald said. "He made it, but it wasn't an easy out. The runner came at him like he was a freight train, and Justin ended up flat on his back with the wind knocked out of him."

"That's awful," Charmain said.

Justin shrugged. "It's part of the game."

"He says that now, but when he was eleven that hit stunned him." Gerald winked at them. "So, he was laying there, trying to catch his breath, and the other team was still cheering. Ann and I weren't really paying attention to Darren like we should've been. Ann was watching Justin and worrying about him not getting up, and I was trying to assure her that he'd be fine. Next thing I know, Darren is on the field and stomping toward the runner who was on the way back to his dugout. Darren charged straight at the kid and started kicking the back of his legs and yelling something about not hitting his J.J."

Charmain laughed. "What did the runner do?"

"The kid turned around to see who was hitting him, and when he saw it was a four-year-old, he just shoved him away," Gerald said. "Somehow, Justin sees this and suddenly forgets about feeling winded. He pops to his feet and goes after the kid who shoved Darren. Both teams see it, and before you know it, the field is full of eleven-year-old boys shoving each other, thanks to my four-year-old son."

Danni and her mom were laughing so hard it brought tears to their eyes. Justin had tears in his eyes too, but they weren't caused by laughter. The unmistakable sadness in his eyes made Danni's heart ache for him. All his life, he had looked out for his little brother and taken care of him. Now, while Darren fought the biggest battle of his life, he could do nothing but sit by and wait.

* * *

While Danni had been unsure of what to expect, she was surprised to find that Darren's surgery took hours. At first the waiting drove her crazy, but the more she thought about it, the more she thought it must be a good sign. Maybe the long wait meant the doctors would be able to save part of Darren's arm after all.

Darren's grandparents sat together, while his parents sat clutching each other's hands. Across from Ann and Gerald, Danni leaned against her mom. Sometime during the last few hours, Justin had slipped away from the group to stand in a corner by himself. It struck Danni how alone he looked. Just as she contemplated getting up to stand beside him, Dr. Forbes appeared in their midst. The blank look on his face fascinated Danni. How did doctors keep their emotions so hidden? Did they take a special class that taught them how?

Everyone crowded around the doctor. All of them but Justin, who remained standing in the corner with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

"The infection was much worse than we anticipated," Dr. Forbes told them. "Darren made the right decision to have the surgery now since it appears it would have been inevitable."

"Were you able to save any part of his arm?" Gerald voiced the question on everyone's mind.

"I'm sorry, but we couldn't," Dr. Forbes replied, and Danni's heart dropped.

"Can we see him?" Ann asked as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Yes, he's resting in his room," the doctor replied. "Given what he's been through, I think it would be best if only two of you went in at a time."

As badly as Danni wanted to see Darren, she didn't feel it was fair to make his family wait. They were more important. As his parents moved down the hall, she glanced over at Justin. Seeing his eyes brimming with fresh tears made her heart break all over again. Danni rose from her chair and made her way across the short distance of the waiting room.

"Are you okay, J.J.?" she asked.

"My brother doesn't deserve this. He's a good kid who made a mistake that he's already paid too much for," Justin said.

"I know," Danni said softly, wishing she could think of something better to say.

"I wish it was me," Justin whispered.

Danni couldn't resist the urge to reach out to him. When she placed a comforting hand on his arm, Justin seized the offering. His body shook with silent sobs as he held tightly to her hand. As he cried, Danni gave in to her tears. Though she had known Darren could lose his entire arm, she'd been confident the doctor would be able to keep that from happening.

That's what should have happened. Dr. Forbes should have saved Darren's arm so he could get better and go home. Losing an arm didn't happen to guys like Darren.

"It'll be okay, J.J.," Danni said, even though she wasn't sure it would be.

"Danni?" Ann said from behind her. "Darren is asking for you."

Danni's eyes were huge as she let go of Justin and turned around. "Oh, uh, I couldn't see him yet. His family should see him first."

"It's okay, sweetie. If my son needs to see you then everyone else is just going to have to deal with it," Ann replied.

As she followed Darren's mother down the hall, Danni was overcome with guilt. It shouldn't be her seeing him right now; it should be his family, especially his brother. When she entered the room, Darren's father rose from the bedside chair. Danni stood by as he leaned down and whispered something to Darren who rolled his eyes open for a brief second before closing them again.

"You stay as long as you like." Gerald patted her shoulder. "There's no need to rush your visit."

"Thank you," Danni replied.

Danni waited until Gerald left the room before she assumed her place at Darren's side. Instead of sitting in the chair, she perched on the bed, careful not to move too much in case he was in pain.

"I'm here, D.J.," Danni said softly, and Darren opened his eyes again.

"I lost my arm, Danni," he said, his voice hoarse and his eyes filled with tears.

"I know. Does it hurt?"

"Not yet. That will come later when the drugs wear off."

"Your whole family is waiting to see you."

"Let 'em wait. I need you here."

"I'm not going anywhere," Danni said, locking him in a steady gaze. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

With shaky fingers, he reached up to touch her cheek. "Yeah."

Danni turned her face to the side and kissed his fingers. "I love you."

"I love you, Danni."

"Good." She put on her brightest smile. "Then let's get your family in here to see you. The sooner they see you, the sooner we can be alone."

In exchange for her phony cheerfulness, Darren offered a weak grin. Danni gave him one last kiss on his forehead before she returned to the waiting room to tell the rest of his family he wanted to see them.

"Thank you, Danni," Ann said, and the hug that followed was more natural than the first one Danni received.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Danni and Justin took turns with his parents in their visits with Darren. During one of her times in the waiting room, Chelsea and Marcy stepped off the elevator onto the fifth floor.

"What are you guys doing here?" Danni asked them.

"We came to see how Darren's surgery went," Chelsea replied.

"That's so nice of you girls," Charmain said.

Chelsea smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Singer. So, are you doing okay, Danni?"

"I'm fine," Danni lied.

Marcy's eyes darted around the waiting room. "What about Darren?"

"They took his whole arm," Danni answered.

"That sucks," Chelsea said. "Should we say hi to him?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Danni said, and Marcy exhaled. "I don't think he's ready for any visitors today."

"It was a nice thought though," Charmain added. "Danni's lucky to have friends like you."

_Too bad Darren wasn't so lucky today_ , Danni thought.

* * *

Long after Darren's grandparents and Danni's friends had gone home, Charmain decided to take the rest of his family out to dinner. Danni knew her mother did it to give her some time alone with Darren and she appreciated it. Ann and Gerald needed a good meal and time away from the hospital. They hadn't eaten anything all day. No one had.

As she sat in the chair by Darren's bed, Danni held his hand. It reminded her of those first few visits she made to the hospital when he just slept while she sat watching him. That seemed like so long ago.

When Darren began thrashing beside her, Danni thought he might be having a nightmare. While she debated whether to wake him, he cried out for Whitney. Danni felt the breath being squeezed out of her body, but she did all she could to push the sick feeling aside.

"Darren, wake up," she urged. "You're dreaming. Wake up."

Darren's eyes flew open and for a moment he looked at Danni as if he didn't recognize her.

"It's okay," she said, keeping her voice soft. "You were dreaming."

"I know."

"You called for Whitney." Danni did her best to keep her voice neutral.

It wasn't his fault. No one could control their dreams.

"I was dreaming about the day we broke up," Darren explained.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Danni asked.

"We were all wrong for each other from the start, but I had it so bad for her."

"What happened between you two?"

"She was cheating on me with Garrett. I knew it, but I didn't want to believe it."

Danni remembered the rumors. Even as far down the social ladder as she was, she recalled the whispering from above last year that Whitney was messing around with Garrett behind Darren's back. Danni never imagined it could be true. Why would Whitney cheat with Garrett when she had Darren who was way better looking and probably a lot nicer too?

"How'd you find out?" Danni asked.

"I caught them together in a bedroom at some party," Darren replied.

"And you broke up with her?"

"Yeah, I couldn't take her hurting me anymore," he said. "In my gut, I knew the rumors were true, but I didn't want to believe them. I believed her lies instead, and that night I caught them. It was the same night..."

Danni drew her eyebrows together. "What?"

"The same night she and I had sex for the first time," Darren finished softly.

"You two had sex?"

"You mean that's not something that made it all over the school?"

"I never heard it."

"That's good."

"I guess."

"What's the matter?"

"I guess I'm jealous," Danni admitted. "Whitney's beautiful and popular, and you must have really loved her to do something like that."

"I thought I did, but I was wrong," Darren said. "Being with you showed me what real love is. There's no way Whitney would've stayed with me if this happened when we were together."

Danni remembered what Marcy overheard Whitney say when she found out about the accident; there was no way she would date a guy with one arm, even if it was Darren Jacobs.

"Do you hate me now?" Darren asked.

"No. I love you, D.J."

"Good. Then come here and kiss me like you mean it because I love you too."

As soon as her lips touched his, Danni let go of the past. All that mattered was that she was here now, and she wasn't going anywhere.

# Chapter Nine

For the first time, Danni didn't have to leave the hospital when visiting hours ended at eight. Either she got lost in the shuffle of people in Darren's room or the nurses made an exception because his parents were there. Whatever the reason, she was able to stay until after ten. Not that Darren noticed since he spent most of the time sleeping off the anesthesia.

By the time Danni made it home, her body was begging for sleep, but she ignored its pleas. After changing into her pajamas, she crawled into bed with her cell phone. Danni opened the internet option and did a search for prosthetic arms.

A few days earlier, one of Darren's biggest fears had been losing the part of his arm that could be fitted into a prosthetic. As Danni scanned the web pages on her tiny screen, she realized he had nothing to worry about. He could still wear a prosthetic arm if he wanted. There were so many choices, everything from arms that looked like they belonged on a doll to robotic ones. Some were simple arms attached to an apparatus worn over the shoulders while others were so complicated they were controlled by the user's thoughts. As cool as the mind-control arms were, there was something creepy about them.

Simple or complicated, cool or creepy, one thing was clear. Darren didn't have to give up on the idea of wearing a prosthetic. She wondered why no one had told him and then realized he'd probably been too afraid to ask.

Danni jumped as her cell phone rang in her hands. When she saw who was calling, she didn't allow herself the luxury of laughing at her reaction.

"What's wrong, D.J.? Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I can't sleep," Darren replied. "Slept too much today."

"Then why do you sound so tired?"

"It's the pain meds kicking in."

"So, you're high?"

Darren laughed. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Are you in pain?" Danni asked.

"The incision doesn't hurt, but my damn missing arm does," he said. "Tell me how that works."

Danni couldn't answer that. She was still having trouble wrapping her mind around the concept of feeling an arm that wasn't there. Like the mind-controlled arms, it was kind of horror movie creepy.

"I wish you were here with me," Darren said.

Danni giggled. "I spent all day at the hospital. Aren't you sick of me yet?"

"Nope, you sick of me?"

"Nope, not even after your dad's stories today," Danni replied.

Darren groaned. "Do I even want to know?"

"They weren't bad really. It was just stuff about you and J.J. when you were growing up."

"We weren't that bad."

"Actually, you guys sounded really cute," she teased. "Little D.J. following his big brother everywhere."

Darren laughed again. "Yeah, that's pretty much how it was. I wanted to go everywhere he went and do everything he did, and he let me."

Danni thought about Nick again. They were only two and a half years apart, but he never wanted her to go anywhere with him. He didn't even like admitting she was his sister.

"J.J.'s the reason I started playing baseball," Darren said. "He's the one who taught me how to play catcher and the reason I made varsity in sophomore year."

Danni didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to tell him not to torment himself, but she didn't want him to think he couldn't talk to her about things. It just hurt her to know he was suffering and there was nothing she could do about it. Only one thing would make him feel better, and no one could give that back to him.

"When he brought girls home, they'd always tell him that his little brother was cute," Darren continued.

"Did he get mad?" Danni asked.

"Nope, he told me I was the reason he got so much action."

"Was he serious?"

"Yep, J.J. could get any girl he wanted."

"You could too."

"Not now," Darren replied, and Danni drew in a sharp breath. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"I know. You should get some sleep. Your voice is sounding further away."

"Yeah, and I'm saying stupid stuff."

Danni didn't laugh at his joke. "It's okay. Just get some sleep."

"Can you come early tomorrow? I really need to see you."

"Yeah, I'll be here."

"Night, baby," he said.

"Goodnight, Darren."

"Love you."

He said the words just as Danni tapped the end call button on her phone. Overcome with guilt, she almost called him back to tell him she loved him too, but she didn't want to keep him from sleeping. They could talk tomorrow.

* * *

Even though Danni drove to the hospital earlier than usual on Saturday, Darren's parents were already in his room. Both of them greeted her with wide smiles when she walked in.

"Is your mom here?" Ann asked.

"No, not today," Danni replied.

"That's too bad. Be sure you tell her I said hello and thank you again for yesterday," Ann said.

"I will."

Darren watched their exchange with an unreadable look in his eyes. Thinking of the way they ended their phone call the night before, Danni wondered if he was mad at her for not saying she loved him too.

When she moved to stand next to him, Darren patted the side of his bed. "Come sit with me."

Danni shot a self-conscious glance at his parents. "Are you sure?"

"Actually, Ann and I were just thinking of heading out for a bit," Gerald said. "Thought we'd do some errands and maybe grab some lunch."

Ann got to her feet. "Did you kids want something?"

"It's okay. You don't have to do that," Danni answered.

"It's no trouble. We're going to get something for ourselves anyway," Gerald explained.

"Where are you going?" Danni asked.

Gerald smiled at her. "I was thinking about a square hamburger. Do you like Wendy's?"

She nodded. "I love Wendy's."

"In that case, we'll bring you a burger and some fries," Ann said. "You want anything, Darren?"

"No, thanks," he said, and Danni suddenly felt like a greedy pig.

"All right then," Ann said. "We'll see you kids shortly."

Danni waited until his parents were gone before taking a seat on Darren's bed. "You have nice parents."

"It's funny, but before the accident it wasn't like that for us," Darren said. "They were always worried about my relationship with Whitney and saying I was getting too serious. Anyway, when she and I broke up they were glad, and it made me mad."

"Do they know you guys... you know?" Danni couldn't bring herself to say the word.

"You and J.J. are the only people I actually told," Darren replied. "That doesn't mean they don't know though."

"Do you tell your brother everything?" she asked.

"Not everything," Darren said with a sly grin. "Listen, Danni, about what I said last night about not being able to get any girl I wanted, you know I didn't mean anything bad. It was just the drugs and pain talking."

Danni forced herself to smile at him. "I know. It's really not a big deal," she replied, or at least she didn't want it to be.

The trouble was Danni couldn't get over the feeling that Darren was taking whatever he could get with her because he was worried no one else would want him. Even his own brother said it meant a lot to him to have a girl who could love him when he was like this.

"Did you want to watch a movie?" Danni offered.

"I'd rather talk to you," Darren replied.

"I told you it's not a big deal," she insisted.

"I know. I just like talking to you."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Whatever you want."

"Okay, well, there _is_ something I've been wondering about you."

"What's that?"

"How come you're so shy?" she asked. "You're like the king of the school."

"I wasn't popular until I got to Taft. Before that I wasn't a loser or anything, but I was just another kid in school," Darren said.

"So, were you always shy, or did you get like that in high school?"

"I was always like that, still am. I don't say a lot to people unless they talk to me first."

Danni laughed. "You seriously expect me to believe that when I've seen you flirt with every girl in our English class?"

"They flirt with me," he corrected.

"And you're just such a nice guy that you have to flirt back?"

Darren grinned at her. "Yeah, that's exactly it."

Danni thought back over the last few years. Every time she'd seen Darren, he had been surrounded by people. Whenever he walked into a room, they converged on him. He never had to seek out friends. Everyone found him because he could draw them in with nothing more than a smile.

She could still remember the first time she saw Darren. It was on the first day of freshman year. Danni was the first of her friends to get off the bus when she spotted him. Even from a distance, she could see the smile that would later be voted the nicest in the entire freshman class. Darren and all his baseball buddies were hanging out in front of the school, surrounded by girls, most of whom were dressed in cheer uniforms. In that moment Danni had known two things; Darren Jacobs was the cutest guy she had ever seen and he was untouchable.

There were so many times when Danni wanted to say something to him, but she couldn't bring herself to take the risk. Not even when he took the seat beside her in English class. Instead, she contented herself with watching and listening to him and secretly going to his baseball games while wishing he was her boyfriend.

"What about you?" Darren asked. "Were you always so shy?"

Danni knitted her eyebrows together. "I'm not shy."

"Then how come you never talked to me?"

"We've been over this. You're popular and I'm not," Danni reminded him. "Losers and popular kids don't hang out unless they're both in a Disney movie."

"And kids with one arm aren't popular unless it's a Disney movie," Darren added with a hint of sadness in his words.

"I used to go to some of the baseball games just to watch you play," Danni admitted.

Danni's face warmed when Darren frowned at her. Why did she always have to speak without thinking about what she would sound like?

"It wasn't like I went to all of them," Danni backtracked. "It wasn't that many at all actually. I just went to a couple, if you want to know the truth."

Darren resumed his grin.

"What?" Danni asked, still blushing.

"Did you think I was any good?" Darren asked.

"I guess you were okay."

Darren raised his eyebrows. "You guess?"

"I don't really know much about baseball."

"You don't have to know about baseball to know if you thought I was good."

"You did make the varsity team when you were a sophomore so you must have been good."

Darren leaned forward. "What did you think when you watched me play?"

"I thought you were amazing," she said. "You were always in control. I guess that's another reason why I can't believe you're shy. You didn't seem like that when you played."

Darren shrugged. "That's different. I had confidence in the way I played. Now I don't have confidence in anything."

Danni mashed her lips together as guilt inched up her chest. They shouldn't be talking about baseball. It was just going to remind him of everything he had lost.

"What's your favorite book?" Danni asked. "I know you like old movies, but do you like old books too? I don't really have one. A favorite book, I mean. I like to read, but I don't have one book I always read or tell other people to read. My friend, Marcy, loves to read though."

Darren smiled at her. "I've noticed something about you."

"Do I want to know what?"

"It's not a bad thing. I just noticed you talk a lot more and a lot faster when you get freaked out."

"I do not."

"Yeah, you do, but it's okay. It's kind of cute. And I don't have one either."

"One what?"

"Favorite book. I'm not really into reading. I like movies better."

There was a pause in their conversation when the nurse's assistant entered the room to deliver Darren's lunch. Unlike Sally, who always stopped to talk to them and made sure to call Darren a cutie, the weekend aid didn't acknowledge them as she placed the tray in front of him.

The meal was the most unappetizing thing Danni had ever seen. A mound of greasy, red spaghetti topped with flakes of parmesan cheese sat in the center of the tray. The rest was no better: a couple of tiny breadsticks, a fruit cup and a handful of green salad.

"What about music?" Darren pushed the tray aside.

"What about it?"

"What's your favorite?"

"Pop, I guess. Aren't you going to eat your lunch?" Danni asked.

A slight blush crept up Darren's neck. "The thing is I was left handed. I still look kind of stupid doing things with my right hand."

"You don't think I'd laugh at you, do you?"

"No, but I still don't want to look like an idiot in front of you."

Danni smiled. "Oh, well, I can help you with that."

"Yeah, how?"

"I can either turn my back while you eat or I can feed you."

"Let's go with the last one," he suggested.

"At your service, sir."

After opening the plastic package that held the utensils and a flimsy paper napkin, Danni took the fork and twirled some spaghetti around it. Darren gave her a shy grin as she brought the utensil to his mouth. It was kind of hot the way his lips parted to accept her offering.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

"You have nice lips," Danni said and then realized the words sounded better in her head.

"I like the way you feel about me," Darren said.

Danni spooned another bite of food into his mouth. "What do you mean?"

Darren swallowed before replying. "I like that you still think I look okay. I can tell you mean it when you say stuff like that, and it makes me feel good."

"Oh."

"Are you afraid of me, Danni?"

"No, I'm scared of how I feel and what it could make me do."

"What do you want it to make you do?"

"Right now I want it to make me kiss you," she whispered.

"Then you should kiss me," Darren said, already reaching for her.

She could taste the spaghetti sauce on his lips, but it wasn't gross or anything. Even with a whole mouthful of spaghetti, she would have kissed him.

"Yeah, this is the right room."

Danni's eyes widened as she turned her head over her shoulder. Chelsea and Marcy stood in the doorway. While Chelsea was giving them a sly smile, Marcy's gaze was fixed on the wall above their heads.

"What are you guys doing here?" Danni said.

"You know them?" Darren asked.

"They're my best friends," she explained.

"Not that anyone would ever know it with all the time she spends with you," Chelsea said. "Anyway, if you're busy we can come back later."

"It's okay," Darren said. "Could you give us a minute though?"

Chelsea backed away. "Oh, sure, okay. Sorry. We'll just wait outside until you're ready."

"What's wrong?" Danni asked.

"Would you mind covering me with the blankets?" Darren replied.

"They already know you lost your arm."

"I know. I'm just not ready to face people yet."

Danni tried not to let any pity show on her face as she pushed the lunch tray aside and arranged the blankets around the space where Darren's left arm used to be.

"Thanks, baby," Darren said.

"No problem." Danni kissed his forehead before calling out, "Come on in."

Chelsea smirked at them as she reentered the room. "Now I know why they call it a quickie."

"Chelsea!" Danni gasped. When Darren laughed out loud, she turned her hard stare in his direction. "You think that's funny?"

"A little," he said, still laughing.

"Whatever," Danni replied. "Darren, these are my friends Chelsea and Marcy and—"

"And this is Darren Jacobs," Chelsea cut her off. "The most popular guy in school doesn't need an introduction. Anyway, we thought we'd come by and see what Danni looked like these days since we don't see her much anymore."

"What Danni looks like or what I look like?" Darren countered.

Chelsea fixed him with a serious gaze. "Maybe we did come to see you, but that's because we needed to confirm this rumor we heard."

"What did you hear?" he asked.

"That Danni's dating the most popular guy in school," Chelsea answered with a wide smile. "We thought we should check it out for ourselves, and it's true. Maybe there's hope for me and Marcy yet."

Darren frowned at her. "What?"

"If Danni can get the guy she's been after for the last four years then maybe there's hope that me and Marcy will get the ones we want," Chelsea said.

"What guys do you want?"

"Your brother would be fine."

"How do you know what my brother looks like?"

"We saw him on Friday when we came by to see if you made it out of surgery okay," Chelsea explained.

Darren's eyebrows shot up. "You did that?"

"Yeah, we're good friends, not that you'd know."

"Chelsea," Danni groaned.

"Sorry," Chelsea replied. "That's just my jealousy talking."

Darren knitted his eyebrows together. "What?"

"Nothing," Danni said.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" Chelsea nodded toward the lunch tray beside the bed.

"Nah, it's not that good," Darren said.

His parents stepped into the room, and Danni caught a whiff of the cheeseburger and fries inside the Wendy's bag Ann held in her hands. The smell made her stomach growl loud enough for everyone to hear and she hoped she wouldn't start drooling too.

Ann beamed at the group of girls gathered around Darren's bed. "What do we have here?"

"These are my friends, Chelsea and Marcy," Danni explained. "And this is Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs."

"Nice to meet you," Chelsea replied. "I guess we should go now."

"You girls don't have to run off," Gerald said.

"It's okay," Chelsea assured them. "We just stopped in for a quick visit."

"We're so glad you came by." Ann gave the girls a smile that began on her lips and stretched all the way up to her eyes. "Here's your lunch, Danni."

"Thanks, I'm starving," Danni said, glancing over at Darren. "I'll just walk them out and I'll be back."

"Okay," he replied. "Thanks for coming, Chelsea."

Darren didn't say anything to Marcy. He didn't even look at her. Even though she didn't blame him, Danni felt sorry for her friend.

"I don't think he likes me," Marcy told her when they were out of the room.

"That's because you didn't speak and just stared at his missing arm the whole time," Chelsea said.

"I'm not good with sick people," Marcy said.

"Darren's not sick," Danni pointed out. "Why don't you just admit you're afraid to see him without an arm?"

"I think he's just as afraid," Chelsea said. "He's the one who covered it up."

"Maybe that's because he's afraid of people treating him like Marcy just did," Danni said.

"I'll try to be better next time," Marcy offered.

For the second time that day, Danni tasted guilt in her mouth. Marcy took a big step in coming to the hospital; one she didn't have to take.

"That's okay," Danni told her friend. "Thanks for coming."

The elevator doors opened, and the two girls stepped inside with the other passengers.

"See you at school tomorrow," Chelsea said as the doors slid shut.

"Ready for lunch?" Ann asked when Danni returned to the room.

Danni nodded. "I'm starving." At that point, even a cold burger and fries sounded good.

"Tell you what, why don't you kids enjoy your lunch together and we'll get going?" Gerald suggested. "We've got a lot more errands to do today."

"We do?" Ann frowned, and Gerald gave her a pointed look. "Oh, right, we do. We'll see you later."

"Thanks for lunch," Danni said.

"Of course, dear," Ann replied over her shoulder.

"It's been like Grand Central Station in here," Danni said as she pulled the burger and fries from the greasy paper bag.

Darren nodded. "Yeah."

"I know you're probably mad about the way Marcy acted, but I promise you she's really nice," Danni said.

Darren snorted. "Yeah, I could tell."

"It's not her fault. All her life she's been picked on because she's this quiet girl who'd rather read a book than be a cheerleader."

"What's that got to do with her treating me like a freak?"

"No offense, Darren, but guys like you have spent the last four years either picking on her or ignoring her," Danni tried to explain. "It makes it hard for her to relate to you."

"But I never did anything to her," Darren said.

Danni sighed. "You know what I mean."

"I can't believe you're sticking up for her after how she acted."

"She's my best friend."

"And I'm your boyfriend. I thought you loved me."

"Are you asking me to choose between you two?"

"What if I am?"

Danni took a deep breath as she tried to push aside her growing anger. Who did Darren Jacobs think he was? How dare he expect her to drop one of her best friends just because he didn't like the way she acted? Just because that's how his friends operated didn't mean everyone else did.

"You need to think about what you're asking me to do," Danni said. "Chelsea and Marcy have been my best friends longer than you've been my boyfriend, and they'll be my best friends long after you get your confidence back and move on to the next girl."

"Sounds like you've made your choice," Darren said.

"If that's the way you want it, that's the way it is," Danni replied. Jumping up from her place at his side, she started toward the door.

"What about your lunch?" Darren asked.

"You eat it," she said without looking back. "I lost my appetite."

Danni blinked back tears as she hurried down the hall. It hurt that Darren expected her to choose. As much as she wanted to tell him she loved him and there didn't have to be a choice, she couldn't do it.

No matter what happened between them, her friends always supported her. Despite a few big blow-ups over the years, they stuck together. Why couldn't Darren see that, considering he was deserted by his friends during his time of need? Her friends would never do something like that. If she was in a serious car accident, they would be there every day. That was why she knew she made the made the right choice, even if it hurt.

# Chapter Ten

As the ring of her cellular phone pulled her out of a deep sleep, Danni guessed from the late hour it must be Darren calling. She swallowed a groan when her eyes landed on her bedside alarm clock. It was just after three in the morning. A brief flicker of anger made her contemplate not answering, but she couldn't do that to him.

"Hello?"

"It's D.J."

"Are you in pain?"

"Yeah, but not the kind you think."

"So, what kind of pain are you in?"

"It's killing me to think I've hurt you," Darren said. "Please tell me I didn't mess it up too bad. Please tell me you still love me."

"I still love you," Danni said, and he exhaled. "I just don't know if we should go out anymore."

"Please don't break up with me," he begged. "I just got embarrassed about how Marcy acted. It kind of reminded me that not everyone is like you; they aren't all going to accept me. I'm sorry I took it out on you."

"The thing is I meant what I said. I'm not dumping my friends for anyone," Danni insisted.

"I know. I don't want you to. I'm not one of those them or me guys," Darren replied. "It was just hard to deal with. Those are your best friends. If they can't accept me, what's the rest of the world going to be like?"

Danni thought about his words and about Marcy and Chelsea. During all their years of friendship, disagreements happened. Sometimes they said things they didn't mean, but they always took them back and never gave up on each other. It wasn't fair for her to give up on Darren either, not when his friends had abandoned him.

"Please say something, baby," Darren said.

"I like it when you call me that," Danni replied.

"I like it when you call me D.J."

"What about when J.J. says it?"

"It's different when you say it. The way you say it turns me on."

"Oh," Danni gasped.

"I know you're scared of how I make you feel. I am too, Danni."

"Yeah, right," she scoffed before she could stop herself.

"I mean it," Darren said. "I feel things when I kiss you; things I've never felt before, things that are hard to handle."

"Hard to handle like you think we should break up?"

"If I thought that I wouldn't be begging you to take me back."

"Darren, I need to ask you something, and I want you to think hard about it and tell me the truth," Danni said. "Tell yourself the truth."

"About what?"

"Are you sure you're not just afraid that if you and I break up, you'll never find another girl who will want to date a guy with one arm?"

"No, I'm afraid if we break up I'll lose the only girl who's ever loved the real me. Please don't leave me," Darren said.

"I already told you I wasn't going anywhere."

"Good. Then call me D.J., and say it like you mean it."

"I love you, D.J."

"I love you too. Now get some sleep."

"Okay," Danni said.

As she drifted back to sleep, Danni held the phone tightly in her grasp, almost as if she was holding Darren in her hands.

* * *

After the drama of the last few days, Danni felt out of place at school on Monday morning. Things that used to be so important to her seemed sort of meaningless now. Who cared if she wasn't popular? So what if she wasn't a cheerleader? In ten years no one would even remember anything about high school because they'd be too busy with real life.

Danni found her friends waiting for her in front of the campus, and she smiled. No matter what time she got to school, they always managed to be there before her.

"Is Darren mad at me?" Marcy asked her.

"No, but he did get kind of embarrassed about the way you stared at him," Danni replied.

"Maybe I shouldn't visit him again," Marcy said.

"Or maybe you should keep visiting him until you get over it," Chelsea suggested.

"Look, it's up to you if you want to see him, but you need to find a way to accept him," Danni told her friend. "His arm is gone for good."

"How long are they going to keep him in the hospital anyway?" Chelsea asked.

Danni shrugged. "I don't know."

"There's our cue," Chelsea said when the first bell of the morning rang.

On her way to her sociology class, Danni realized she didn't think much of sociology anymore. At the beginning of the year, the teacher told her students it would prepare them for real life. So far, the class had not lived up to that promise. Nothing in sociology had prepared her for the things she and Darren had already faced.

* * *

In the few minutes between first and second period, Danni took a chance that the restroom wouldn't be packed full of girls. When she tried to step inside, she banged into a girl on her way out. It wasn't until she took a step back that she realized she'd run into Whitney Wheeler, and the apology froze on her tongue.

Whitney gave her a hard stare. "What?"

"Sorry," Danni said as she tried to pass.

"Wait a minute." Whitney blocked her way. "You're Danni Singer, right?"

"Yes."

"Can I get by?" a girl demanded from behind Danni.

Danni stepped aside. "Sorry."

Realizing she wasn't going to get into the restroom, Danni turned to leave, but Whitney followed her.

"I heard you're dating Darren now," Whitney said.

Danni frowned. "How do you know that?"

Whitney laughed. "The same way everything gets around this school, rumors."

"Oh."

"I guess this is one rumor that's true. What about the one about him losing the rest of his arm?" Whitney asked. "Is that one true?"

"Yes."

"What does he look like now? Does he look all freakish and scary? Doesn't it feel weird when he's hugging you with just one arm?"

Danni stopped walking and stared at her. How could she ask those kinds questions? Better yet, how did a sensitive, sweet guy like Darren Jacobs fall in love with a stuck-up, superficial snob like Whitney Wheeler?

"What?" Whitney asked when Danni still hadn't spoken.

"Nothing," Danni replied and walked away.

* * *

After spending the afternoon doing homework with her friends, Danni grabbed a quick bite of dinner and drove to the hospital to make her usual visit. The moment she entered Darren's room, she stopped short.

Darren was holding on to Justin's arm as he walked back to his bed. Though his hospital gown was tied at the back of his neck, the rest of it flapped open, giving her a view of the best ass she had ever seen. If she thought that thing looked great in a pair of white baseball pants, it was nothing compared to what she was looking at now.

Danni clenched her fists behind her back to keep from reaching out to touch it.

"Uh, hi," she said once Darren made it back to his bed.

"Hey, Danni," Justin replied, grinning at her.

"Sorry to, um, interrupt," Danni stammered.

Justin laughed. "Sure. Anyway, if you'll excuse me, I'm feeling a little awkward here."

_He's feeling awkward?_ Danni thought, not moving any closer to Darren.

Darren frowned at her. "What's wrong?"

"It's just that I, uh, just saw..."

"I know what you saw," Darren said, his neck reddening. "How was the show?"

"Very nice," she murmured.

Grinning, he said, "Good, then come here and quit acting like you're scared of me."

"Sorry," Danni mumbled and took her place at his side.

As soon as she sat down beside him, Darren leaned in to kiss her. With his tongue rolling over hers, the image of his ass hanging out of his hospital gown flashed behind her closed eyes. Danni kissed him a little deeper. Darren groaned, falling back against his pillows when they broke apart.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Good." Danni started to kiss him again, but Darren pulled his head back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking you've seen me so I should see you."

Danni laughed. "Yeah, right!"

"Fair's fair."

"What are you expecting to see?"

"Whatever you want to show me."

"I hope you don't expect me to turn around and drop my jeans in the middle of your room," Danni said. "I'd sure hate for Sally to see something like that when she brings your dinner tray."

"Yeah, this isn't exactly the kind of place a shy guy like me is comfortable in."

"You keep saying you're shy, but you don't act that way with me."

"I trust you. Do you trust me, Danni?"

They sat in silence for a moment, and Danni imagined him saying the same thing to Whitney before they had sex. As much as she appreciated his honesty, she wished she had never found out about Darren and Whitney doing it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't erase the image from her head.

Suddenly, Sally burst into the room. "Who's ready for some dinner?"

Darren grinned at her as Danni's cheeks pinked once more. "Hey, Sally."

"Hey yourself, cutie," Sally said. "How are you tonight, Danni?"

"I'm fine."

"Well, this looks great." Sally placed the dinner tray in front of Darren. "I'll be by later to pick this up. Enjoy your dinner, cutie."

Darren waited until she was gone before speaking again. "I hate it when she calls me that."

"But you are cute." Danni giggled.

"You should know."

"Give it up. I'm not going to turn around and let you see my ass."

Darren laughed. "I've never heard you curse before."

"If you say it turned you on, I think I'll puke and ruin your dinner."

"You really want to know what turns me on?" Darren asked as he reached for her hand. "Come here and I'll tell you."

"I'm here," she whispered.

"Kissing you turns me on," he said. "Feeling your tongue on mine and watching you squirm turns me on because I know you feel as good as I do, but do you want to know what turns me on the most?"

"What?" Danni asked.

"The way you always blush. I always know what you're thinking when I watch your face turn pink."

"What do you think I'm thinking?"

"You're thinking about sex and what it would be like with me."

Danni tried to laugh. "You're so conceited."

"Am I wrong?"

"No," she said, blushing once more. "Do you want to know what else I'm thinking?"

"What?" Darren asked.

"I'm not crazy about showing you anything in here," Danni said, and disappointment flickered in his eyes. "But I was thinking it would be okay if you touched me."

Darren swallowed. "What do you mean?"

Moving closer to him, Danni brought her mouth down on his. As she did, she took Darren's hand and slid it beneath her sweater. It was the first time she had ever been touched like that and she wished they didn't have to stop.

"Jesus, Danni," he said when she pulled her lips away from his. "You really know how to get to me."

"Is that good?"

"It's good."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I think we should stop. Sally's going to be coming back for your dinner tray soon."

"Right," Darren said and reached for his food.

"You don't want me to help you?"

"No, I have to learn to do it myself since I'm going home tomorrow."

"Why don't you look happy about that?" Danni asked. "You've been here almost a month."

"Yeah, and as much as it sucks, it's safe in here, you know. In here the nurses call me cutie and I'm not just the guy with one arm."

"I don't think of you as the guy with one arm."

"I know, but everyone else at school does. That's why I'm thinking about not going back."

"You won't graduate if you don't go back," Danni reminded him.

"I could do home school, or I could just take the G.E.D. test and not even mess with school," he said.

"Why would you want to do that?"

"I don't know if I can handle facing everyone."

"School isn't the only place where you'll have to face people," she said. "That starts the minute you leave this hospital."

"Yeah, but school is going to be the toughest place," Darren replied.

Thinking of Marcy's fear of him and Whitney's interrogation about his appearance, Danni couldn't offer any argument. Since she didn't think it would be fair to lie to him, she didn't say anything.

* * *

Just as Danni curled up in bed, someone knocked on her bedroom door. "Come in," she called. Her mom pushed open the door and came to sit at the foot of her bed. "Hey, Mom. What's up?"

"I hear Darren's getting out of the hospital tomorrow."

"How do you know that?"

"Ann and I have stayed in contact since his surgery. I'm hoping we can manage lunch one of these days soon."

Danni smiled. "That's nice."

"I wondered if you planned on being there for Darren tomorrow."

"I would've told you if I did."

"Does that mean you don't want to be there?" Charmain asked.

"I do, but I didn't think I should miss any more classes since he said the doctors aren't sure what time he'll get to leave," Danni explained.

"You know, I've had some very nice conversations with Ann."

Danni frowned. "Um, that's good."

"Ann tells me you've been going to see Darren since the second week he was admitted to the hospital," Charmain said.

"I told you that," Danni reminded her.

"I know," Charmain agreed. "She also told me how much it's meant to her that you've been there for Darren. In fact, she said the doctors told her they think the reason Darren's adjusting so well to losing his arm is that he found a girl who cares about him as though nothing about him is any different."

"Nothing that's important about Darren has changed," Danni insisted. "He lost his arm, but he's still the same person inside. That's the person I love."

Charmain gave her a fond smile. "That's why I think you should be there for him tomorrow when he leaves the hospital. It's going to be a big step for him."

"Thanks, Mom," Danni said, throwing her arms around her mother.

"I should thank you."

"What? Why should you thank me?"

"You taught me the difference that forgiveness can make in a person's life," Charmain answered. "I'll leave you alone now. I imagine you'll want to call Darren and tell him the good news."

"Thanks, Mom," Danni said again as her mother closed the door behind her.

* * *

Unsure what time Darren would be allowed to go home, Danni was at the hospital by eight in the morning.

Excitement lit up his eyes when she entered the room. "What are you doing here?"

"That's not a very good way to say hi to your girlfriend," Danni teased.

"I didn't know you'd be coming. Won't your mom be mad you skipped school?"

"It was her idea."

"That's cool. I'm glad you're here."

"What time is your family coming?" Danni asked.

As if on cue, Justin stepped into the room holding a plastic bag in his hand. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Darren said. "What's in the bag?"

"I hope it's breakfast because I'm getting hungry," Danni said.

"Sorry, it's just street clothes," Justin said with a sly grin. "So, D.J., you want me to help you get dressed or you want Danni to do it?"

"I can do it myself," Darren replied while Danni's face flamed. "I want to take a shower and shave first."

"Okay, but don't get the stitches wet," Justin warned.

"Yes, Mom," Darren answered as he slid over to the edge of his bed.

Justin moved toward him. "Here, let me help you."

"I can do it," Darren snapped.

"Come on, let me help you," Justin repeated as Darren stared back at him. "Look, just humor your overprotective, big brother who's scared of watching you fall."

Darren gave in, heaving a sigh. As Justin helped him to the bathroom, Danni averted her eyes. When the door closed behind them, she heard the sound of the shower start up before Justin cracked the door open and asked her to toss him the bag of clothes. Danni obliged, careful to keep her eyes from meeting his.

"He kicked me out," Justin said when he joined Danni in the room once more.

"You can't always be there to keep him from falling," Danni said.

"I know, but it doesn't mean I'll stop worrying about him."

"You can worry, just from a safe distance. Let him learn his limits."

Justin raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure you're only seventeen?"

"Last time I checked." Danni laughed.

After a few minutes, the running water fell silent. Justin's face pinched with concern as he glanced at the closed door, but he stayed put.

"My brother trusts you, Danni," Justin said.

"I know, J.J." She looked straight into his eyes as she spoke. "I won't hurt him."

"You won't, but the other kids at school might."

"I can't stop that, but I can promise you he'll always feel safe with me."

In the moment of silence between them, he searched her eyes, but Danni didn't look away. She needed him to know she meant what she said. No matter what happened, she couldn't imagine hurting Darren. It wasn't until Darren called out Justin's name that Justin broke the gaze he'd concentrated on her.

"Duty calls," he said, grinning at her.

Though Danni could hear both of their voices, she couldn't make out what they said. More than fifteen minutes passed before the bathroom door opened. Justin came out first with Darren following. When Justin stepped aside, Danni caught her first full glimpse of Darren. For the first time in more than a month, he was wearing regular clothes.

"Wow, you look great," she said, smiling.

"Are you sure?" Darren asked with a self-conscious glance at the empty sleeve to his left.

"I'm sure," she replied as she moved to embrace him.

"I don't look like a freak?" he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

Danni stepped back and looked him up and down. "I think you look great."

"J.J. had to tie my shoes," Darren admitted.

"I never thought about that," Danni said.

"There are a lot of things I hadn't thought about either," he agreed.

"Look at you," Ann cried as she stepped into the room with Gerald.

"You look good, son," Gerald said.

"We brought your letterman's jacket," Ann said, holding it out for him.

Darren stepped back. "I don't want it."

"But it's cold outside," Ann protested.

"Give it to Danni," Darren suggested.

"That's a fine idea," Gerald said. "I gave my girl my letter jacket in high school."

Ann's lips curved into a wry smile. "What was her name?"

"I don't know." Gerald winked at Darren and Justin.

Justin laughed. "Too many girls to count, huh, Dad?"

"Yep, I was a regular lady killer," Gerald said as he grinned back at his son.

"Oh, stop," Ann admonished. "You're making a fool of yourself in front of Danni."

"Well, if Danni's going to be in this family, she'll have to get used to that," Gerald replied, and Danni's eyes widened.

Ann handed the jacket to Danni. "Here, hon."

"Are you sure?" Danni kept her eyes on Darren.

"Yeah, put it on," Darren said.

The moment she slipped into the jacket, Danni felt swallowed up by its weight. She had no idea letter jackets could be so heavy.

"It looks good on you," Darren said.

"I see the gang's all here," Dr. Forbes observed as he walked into the room. "Are you ready to blow this popsicle stand, Darren?"

Darren shrugged. "I guess."

"It's understandable to be concerned," Dr. Forbes advised. "However, you've got a great family here and I'm sure you'll do fine. There are just a few things I need to discuss with you before you leave."

Thinking Darren might not want her to hear what his doctor had to say, Danni started for the door, but he reached out and caught her hand. Keeping a tight grasp on Darren's hand, Danni listened to Dr. Forbes' endless advice on everything Darren was required to do. He needed to take his antibiotics every day and visit his regular doctor to get the stitches removed. Most important of all, he needed to keep up with his therapy, both physical and psychological. Danni didn't let on that the idea of Darren seeing a shrink surprised her, but she wondered why he never said anything about it before.

At the end of his speech, Dr. Forbes asked whether anyone had any questions. Darren didn't, but Ann sure did. She wanted to know everything, from when he could go back to school to what he should eat, what activities he could do and which ones to avoid.

"Well, I thought we'd all go out for breakfast," Ann suggested when the doctor left. "I don't know about anyone else, but I'm starving."

"Me too," Danni said.

"I love this girl," Gerald remarked, wrapping an arm around Danni's shoulders.

"I already ate," Darren said.

"Then you can keep us company," Gerald replied. "We don't want this young lady to starve."

A nurse came into the room. "So, you're going home today, cutie?"

"Yeah," Darren answered as his ears turned red. "Thanks for all your help, Alice."

"You're welcome." The nurse handed a stack of papers to Ann and pointed out all the places where she needed to sign. "Okay, I'll be right back with your wheelchair."

Darren frowned at her. "What?"

"Hospital policy," Alice assured him, disappearing for just a moment before she returned with a wheelchair.

As they made their way down the hall, several of the nurses stopped to say goodbye to Darren and Justin. While Justin soaked up the attention, Darren kept his head down, staying silent as their group rode the elevator to the lobby for the last time.

"Okay, honey, you're all set," Alice said when they passed through the front doors of the hospital. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Darren replied as he rose from the wheelchair.

"Okay, are we ready?" Gerald asked. "I assume Darren is riding with Danni and Justin brought his own car, so let's all meet up at The Breakfast House over on First Street."

Danni slipped out of Darren's jacket and tossed it in the back seat before she got behind the wheel. Darren climbed into the passenger side and closed the door. Out of the corner of her eye, Danni could see him struggling with the seatbelt, but she didn't move to help him. Instead, she waited until she heard it click in place.

"That sucked," Darren said as she started the car.

"But you did it."

"There's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I haven't been in a car since the accident and I'm kind of freaked out right now," Darren admitted. "I just want you to know it's not because I think you're a bad driver."

"I understand," she said, making a silent decision to be extra careful.

"I know you do," Darren replied and then snorted. "I can't even touch you right now."

"That's okay. If you did, I might get too excited and crash the car," Danni joked.

"That's not something you should say to a guy who's been in a huge car accident," Darren said, although he offered her a wry smile.

"Sorry," she said and then giggled. "Would you feel better if I said we're here?"

"Yeah."

Danni pulled the car into the first empty spot in the restaurant parking lot. "We're here and it looks like everyone else is too."

"That's because you drive like an old lady," Darren teased. "No need to worry that I'll die as long as you're behind the wheel."

The moment they stepped out of the car, his grin faded.

"You can do this," Danni told him.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Promise you'll stay with me the whole time?" Darren asked, grasping her hand.

"What if one of us has to use the bathroom?"

"The whole time, Danni."

"The whole time, D.J."

As Danni led him toward the restaurant, Darren took his first steps toward facing the world with only one arm.

# Chapter Eleven

"Where were you yesterday?" Chelsea asked.

Danni didn't even make it to the sidewalk where her friends stood in front of the school waiting for her when Chelsea sprung the question on her. "Darren got out of the hospital and my mom let me be there for it," she replied.

Marcy's eyes widened. "When is he coming back to school?"

"I don't know," Danni answered.

"You do realize how weird this is, don't you?" Chelsea said.

Danni frowned at her. "How weird what is?"

"When Darren comes back to school, it's going to be official that you two are dating," Chelsea explained.

"It's been official for a while," Danni said.

"Yeah, but everyone will actually see you two together."

"So what?"

"So, you're going to have the most sought after boyfriend in school. You'll be popular by association and you could end up leaving us behind," Chelsea pointed out.

"I'd never do that," Danni assured her. "You two are my best friends and nothing is going to change that."

Danni didn't add that she doubted whether Darren would be as popular as he once was. As cruel a thought as it was, she already knew it was true, based on his friends' desertion of him and the reactions of Marcy and Whitney.

* * *

Darren didn't come to school that day. Not that Danni expected him to after what he said about never wanting to go back. Still, she hoped he'd change his mind and surprise her by showing up. All day she looked for him, but he never appeared. Danni thought about calling Darren as soon as school let out, but she didn't have time. Chelsea and Marcy were already waiting by her car.

"Are you okay?" Marcy asked her.

Danni frowned. "I'm fine. Why?"

Her friend shrugged. "You look kind of down."

"I'm fine," Danni repeated.

Just as she slid behind the wheel of her car, her cell phone rang. The phone was hooked via Bluetooth to the stereo.

"Incoming call," the car announced.

Chelsea giggled. "No shit."

"Hello?" Danni answered.

"Hey, baby," Darren said.

Chelsea and Marcy covered their mouths with their hands to suppress their giggles.

"Hey," Danni answered. "Before you say anything else, you're on speaker phone."

"Oh, um, can you get me off?" Darren asked, and Danni's friends cracked up laughing. "Shit, I mean can you, you know, take me off the speaker?"

"Hang on a second." Danni fished her phone from her purse and switched the audio source. "Okay, you're good. Sorry about that. The car does that on its own whenever my phone is inside. Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. You sure I'm off the speaker?"

"I'm sure. What's up?"

"I was hoping you'd come over tonight," Darren answered.

"Your parents won't mind? I don't want them to get sick of me."

"My parents love you."

"What about you?" Danni asked.

"What about me?" Darren echoed.

"I don't want you to get sick of me either," Danni said.

"No chance of that happening," Darren assured her. "So, can you come over?"

"Just tell me where you live."

Darren rattled off the address and Danni programmed it into her GPS before hanging up.

"I'm guessing you're going to Darren's house now," Chelsea said.

"Yeah, but I can drive you home first," Danni told her.

Since Chelsea's home turned out to be the closest to her destination, Danni dropped Marcy off first. Ten minutes later, she made her second stop.

"Thanks for the ride." Chelsea unfastened her seatbelt. "Don't forget to stop at the store."

Danni frowned. "Why?"

Chelsea flashed her a wicked smile. "If you're going to get Darren off, you might need some condoms!"

Danni's face flamed. As soon as Chelsea got out of the car, Danni stomped on the gas pedal and sped off with the sound of her friend's laughter chasing her down the street.

In another fifteen minutes, Danni made it to Darren's home. Like most everything else about her boyfriend's life, the house was perfect. Even the yard was neatly trimmed. The building was split-level with a brick façade. When she glanced at the trees out front, Danni was surprised to find there wasn't a tire swing hanging from one of them.

Within a few seconds of her ringing the doorbell, the door swung open. Darren stood on the other side wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and looking even better than she remembered.

"Hey there," he said.

"Hey," Danni repeated. "Do I get to come inside, or are you going to make me stand out here all night?"

Darren grinned. "There's a cover charge."

"How much money are we talking about?"

"Just give me a good kiss and we'll call it even."

"How good?"

Darren reached out to grab Danni by the waist and pulled her body against his. "This good," he replied, bringing his lips down on hers.

"Is that Danni?" Ann called. "For goodness sakes, Darren, let the girl inside and close the door. It's freezing out there and you're letting all the heat out."

Stepping inside the house, Danni swept her eyes all around. The entryway was tiled as was the spacious kitchen to her right. Beyond it, she caught a glimpse of the living room, complete with a large screen TV mounted on the wall. The dining area was on the other side of the kitchen. To her left was the family room, and while the TV in there was smaller, the furniture was bigger. Its well-worn look suggested it was used more than the living room.

The staircase ahead of her, like the floor of the family and living rooms, was a dark hardwood. The first four steps turned to the right while the rest of the stairs went straight up to where Danni guessed the bedrooms were. Framed family photographs lined either side of the hallway, and she couldn't wait to get a look at them to see what Darren looked like when he was younger.

"Hi, Danni," Ann greeted her with a smile. "You know, this is nice."

"What's nice?" Danni asked.

"Now that Darren is out of the hospital, you can visit him here, and we can all spend time together," Ann replied, and Darren's face flushed.

Gerald suddenly popped into the room. "Ann, I need your help with something."

Ann frowned at him. "What do you need help with?"

"Something in the, uh, living room," Gerald stammered.

"Right," Ann said, smiling. "We'll just be in the next room if you kids need anything."

"Did you want to sit down?" Darren asked Danni.

"Not yet," Danni said, and he raised his eyebrows. "I want to look at the pictures first."

Darren turned on the hall light and Danni moved in for a closer look. The photographs were carefully placed as opposed to being hung in random fashion. One area was devoted to Justin while the other was for Darren. Then there was a grouping of the two boys together as well as one for Ann and Gerald and a separate place for the family photos.

As she took in the pictures, she couldn't help the stab of envy in her stomach. The walls mapped out the happy journey the whole family had taken, starting with Ann and Gerald's wedding and going all the way through to Darren's senior picture. Glancing from Justin's to Darren's senior photo, she couldn't get over the resemblance.

Danni's breath caught in her throat as her eyes landed on Whitney and Darren's junior prom picture. They seemed to belong together. Whitney looked beautiful in a red dress and matching shoes and her hair pulled back in an elegant French twist. Darren was beyond perfect in a red tie and cumber bund and that winning smile of his.

A Night to Remember had been the theme of the prom. Danni didn't go to that prom. Instead, her friends came to a slumber party at her house and they all tried to make themselves feel better by saying they didn't care about the prom and it wasn't important. Danni did care though. She closed her eyes and imagined herself standing beside Darren instead of Whitney. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't picture herself looking as good as the other girl.

"I keep telling my parents to take that piece of shit down, but my mom won't," Darren said. "She says it's part of my memories, whatever the hell that means."

Danni turned to smile at him. "I've noticed something about you."

"Oh, yeah, what's that?"

"You swear a lot when you're mad about something."

"I do not," Darren insisted, following the words with a guilty grin.

"Yeah, you do, but that's okay. It's actually kind of cute," Danni said.

Darren laughed. "So, you want to sit down now?"

"Sure."

Danni started to follow Darren toward the family room when he stopped and turned to face her. "You want something to drink first?"

"That'd be great," she said.

"We've got water, soda, tea, milk, juice – just about everything, I guess."

"Water's fine."

"Cool, you can go ahead and sit in there if you want," he offered.

While Darren headed into the kitchen, Danni stepped into the family room where the plush, blue couches were soft and welcoming. The entertainment center held various video game consoles as well as music and movies. Moments later, Darren appeared. Somehow he had managed to hook two bottles of water into his hand. Despite how precarious his hold seemed, Danni resisted the urge to help him.

"You'll have to grab this," Darren said, dangling his hand in front of her.

Danni freed one of the bottles from his tenuous grasp. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said, taking a seat beside her.

She twisted the cap off and took a long drink. "Your house is nice."

Darren shrugged. "I never really thought about it but thanks."

"Have you always lived here?"

"As long as I can remember. I was a year old when we moved here."

"That's nice. We've had our house forever," Danni said. "My mom got it in the divorce, not that my dad cared since he didn't bother hanging around."

"Do you miss him?"

It was Danni's turn to shrug. "Not really. I don't know him at all so I guess I miss what we're missing out on if that makes sense."

"Yeah, it does."

"So, when do you think you'll come back to school?"

"I'm not sure," Darren replied. "It's going to be hard for me. I've missed almost a month. I feel like I'll never catch up."

"That's even more reason to hurry up and come back."

"I don't know how I'll be able to wear a backpack."

"A lot of people sling them over one shoulder."

"I can't even write my name, let alone take any notes."

"You could photocopy someone else's," Danni suggested.

"What about tests?"

"Have your parents talk to the school and see if you can take your tests some other way."

Darren blanched. "You have an answer for everything."

The trace of irritation in his voice put Danni on edge, but she didn't want to give up. Something told her that the longer Darren hid out in this house, the slimmer the chance he would ever leave it, and she wasn't going to let that happen.

"I just think you're focusing too much on the bad things," Danni said. "There are a lot of good things about going back to school."

"Like what?" Darren asked.

"I'll bet you can get handicapped parking now," Danni replied, and exhaled when he cracked a smile at her joke.

"I have to learn to drive again first."

"That shouldn't be too hard. A lot of people drive one handed."

"Yeah, but a lot of people don't get freaked out by the thought of being in a car let alone driving it," he explained.

"Oh, okay. Well, you also have the perfect excuse to get out of P.E."

"I liked P.E."

"That's because you're athletic." Danni grimaced at her own hatred of sports. "Not all of us are born with natural talent and a perfect body."

"I'm not so perfect now," Darren retorted with a bitter laugh. "Besides the fact that I only have one arm, I haven't been this out of shape in years."

"You look pretty good to me."

"Feel this if you think so," Darren said, and her eyes widened when he grabbed her hand. "What's wrong? Are you afraid to touch me?"

"Depends on what you want me to touch."

"You can trust me, Danni."

Danni relaxed her hand in his and allowed him to slide it under his shirt and rest it on his stomach. His hair bristled against the palm of her hand.

"I used to have a solid six pack," Darren explained. "Now I'm as soft as the Pillsbury dough boy."

"I think you feel good," Danni said as she ran her hand over his stomach.

Darren leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. "I think that feels good."

Danni glanced across the family room. From where she sat, she could see his parents watching television in the living room. "Should I stop?"

"No, I want you to touch me all over."

Danni swallowed. "What do you mean?"

Grabbing her hand, Darren slid it even lower. "Touch me here."

Her heart banged hard against her ribs. "I, I don't know what to do."

"Unzip my pants and touch me."

Danni tried to be quiet as she opened his zipper and slid her hand inside. Darren was already hard.

"You wear boxers," she said.

"Yeah, but it feels weird to be wearing underwear again after almost a month of going commando," Darren said, and she giggled.

Still not sure what to do, Danni ran her hand over his boner, which was obstructed by the thin cloth of his boxer shorts. As she did, he thrust his hips under her touch.

"Sorry," he said as his ears reddened. "It's instinct. It happens before I can think about it."

"Tell me what to do now, D.J.," she whispered in his ear.

"There's a button at the front of my boxers. Open it and put your hand inside."

Danni found the button and opened it, sliding her hand inside. While she marveled at his warmth, Darren sucked in his breath.

"Am I hurting you?" she asked.

"No, it feels good."

"I can't believe how hard it is. It really does feel like a bone."

"Now you know where the name comes from," Darren said with a slight grin as he bucked his hips against her hand once more.

Though her hand was a tight fit inside his boxers, Danni did her best to keep time with the rhythm of his hips. The intensity of the moment made her heart feel as if it were beating as hard between her legs as it was in her chest.

"Don't stop, Danni," Darren breathed. "I'm so close."

"Are you kids okay in there?" Ann suddenly called out, and Danni froze.

With her hand still wrapped around him, she felt the twitching of his release. Danni held her breath as her hand filled with its heat.

"We're fine, Mom," Darren called back, and Danni hoped his mother didn't notice how choked his words sounded.

"That was close," Danni murmured as she pulled her hand from inside his pants.

"Sorry about the mess."

"It's okay. I have some tissue in my purse. It must be worse for you."

"No way," Darren replied. "It's definitely worth it."

He waited until Danni retrieved the tissue from her purse and cleaned her hand before pulling her against him and wrapping his arm around her. As he held her, Danni made sure she zipped his jeans. The last thing she wanted was for his parents to walk in and catch her that close to their son with his fly down.

"You have no idea how good that felt," Darren said. "I haven't been able to get that right for a month."

Danni giggled. "That's because you were left handed."

"Man, if we ever break up I'm in big trouble. You have a lot of dirt on me."

"I think you're safe. You dated Whitney for a year and I never heard a word about anything like this."

"That's because I never told her what I just told you."

"Okay, but I never knew you two, you know."

"We only did it once, that night we broke up."

"What was it like?" Danni asked.

"It was weird, but I felt kind of shy about her seeing me naked," he said with a half shrug. "I was wondering if she thought I was, you know, big enough and stuff."

So guys worried how they looked too? That didn't surprise Danni as much as the fact that Darren Jacobs, the hottest guy in the whole school, was self-conscious about it.

"I still can't imagine you two together like that," Danni said.

"Then don't," Darren suggested. "Forget about me and Whitney, and think about me and you."

"I can't. You have all this experience I don't have."

"I don't have that much."

"Is she the only girl you've ever done anything with?" Danni asked.

He laughed. "You mean besides you?"

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, she's the only one. I've been on dates with other girls though."

"You're the only guy I've done anything with, and that includes dating," Danni admitted. "You know how to do all this stuff. I don't."

"Not really. Besides, without my arm it's probably totally different."

"Maybe we can teach each other then?"

"I'd like that." Darren kissed the top of her head. "By the way, you forgot one very important thing about being back at school."

"What's that?"

"Everyone will see me with the most beautiful girl in school."

"I thought you were dating me."

"You are the most beautiful girl in school, Danni," Darren insisted.

"Thanks." Danni smiled at him, but taking compliments about her looks still felt strange. "So, did you want me to pick you up tomorrow?"

He shook his head. "No, I'll have my mom take me. I think I need to see a school counselor or something. You can drive me home though."

"It's a date," Danni replied, tilting her head back to kiss Darren before snuggling her body against his.

# Chapter Twelve

"Why are you so happy today?" Marcy asked.

"Darren's coming back to school," Danni replied. "So please try not to act weird around him."

"Are you sure he'll even want to hang out with us?" Chelsea asked.

Danni frowned. "Why wouldn't he? You're my best friends."

"Yeah, but he's not dating us," Chelsea said. "We'll be like the third and fourth wheels."

"You don't think much of him, do you?" Danni asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Chelsea said, but Danni heard the lie in her voice.

"You still think he's some stuck-up jock who wouldn't give us the time of day," Danni said.

"Maybe," Chelsea admitted. "No offense, but he ignored us for almost four years."

"He's a great guy," Danni insisted.

"I'm sure he is," Marcy agreed.

"He is. I wouldn't be dating him if he wasn't," Danni said.

Chelsea nodded. "Okay, that makes sense."

When the first bell of the day rang, the girls headed toward their first period classes before Danni got the chance to tell them one other important thing about Darren; that losing his arm made him self-conscious and might make him act strangely around them. Since she missed her opportunity to tell them, Danni hoped her friends would figure it out on their own and not mistake his attitude for something else.

* * *

On her way out of first period, Danni's cell phone rang. As soon as she extracted it from her purse, she recognized Darren's number. "Where are you?"

"In the office," he answered. "This is harder than I thought it would be."

"I could meet you there if you want."

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

"I'll be right there."

As Danni approached the office, she could see Darren standing inside. He gave her a tentative smile but didn't come out to greet her.

"Hey," she said, stepping inside. "Are you ready to go?"

"No, but it's not like I have a choice," he replied, slinging his backpack over his right shoulder.

"Does that hurt?" Danni asked.

"Not bad."

The moment they stepped out of the office, the stares Darren received ranged from curious to blatant shock. Students passed, whispering things like 'That's him' and 'He did lose his arm'. At least no one said anything about him looking gross with only one arm, not yet anyway.

"What did your counselor say about your classes?" Danni asked.

Darren kept his eyes on the ground. "I can record the lectures on my phone if I want and get extra time in class for tests and stuff if I need it."

"What about making up the work you missed? How are you going to do that?"

"I have to do a paper on how the accident changed my life," Darren said and then snorted. "One paper and then all the teachers will give me extra credit."

"That's good."

"It isn't good. I can't even write my name yet let alone a whole paper."

"I could help," Danni offered.

"Yeah, maybe. The counselor also said I have enough credits that it won't keep me from graduating if I drop my last two classes and go to school for half days."

"Why would you do that?" she asked.

"My last two classes were art and P.E., things I can't do with one arm."

Danni didn't know what to say; she hadn't thought about that.

When they reached their English class, Danni started to walk through the open door, but before she made it inside, Darren reached for her hand and pulled her back. The look on his face reminded her of the one he had given her outside the restaurant the other day.

"We can't stay out here forever," she said.

"We can't?" Darren gave her a lopsided grin as the second bell rang. "Shit."

"What?"

"We're late. Everyone will be staring now."

"They were before."

Darren tightened his grip on her hand. "Promise you'll stay with me the whole time, Danni."

"The whole time, D.J."

"Okay." Darren took a deep breath. "Let's go."

Still holding hands, they entered the classroom where all of the students regarded them with wide eyes. Danni tried to ignore the whispers around them. Keeping her head high, she walked toward her seat with Darren still clutching her hand.

"Welcome back, Darren," Mrs. Greenleaf said.

Darren let go of Danni's hand and slumped down in his seat without responding.

"If there's anything I can do to make things easier for you in the classroom, just let me know," the teacher added.

"I'm fine, thanks," Darren said.

"We were just discussing John Steinbeck's book, _The Pearl_ , which is what we started reading this week," she explained.

While Mrs. Greenleaf may have been discussing _The Pearl_ , no one else in the class cared about it. From the way they were staring, everyone seemed more interested in Darren's return, and Danni realized the day would be harder for him than she first thought.

* * *

"That sucked," Darren said as he and Danni exited English class.

"I know," she replied.

"I'm glad you were here though," he said and stopped walking.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just want to kiss the most beautiful girl in school."

"Where is she?" Danni laughed. "I'll see if I can find her."

Taking her by the hand, Darren pulled her body into his. "She's right here."

"Is she kissing him?"

"That's so gross."

"I know. I don't think I could ever kiss a guy with one arm, even if that guy was Darren Jacobs."

Danni tried to pretend she couldn't hear the whispered conversation of the girls behind them. Any hope that Darren hadn't heard vanished when he let go of her and turned in the opposite direction.

"Wait," Danni called.

"You sure you want to do that?" Darren asked when she caught up with him and reached for his hand. "Everyone in school will know you're dating the one-armed man if you do."

"I don't care what people think," she said.

Darren spun to face her. "You don't care what people think?"

"I mean, I don't mind if people know we're dating."

"I don't mind if people know we're dating either, but why would I mind? You're not some kind of freak."

"Please don't do this," Danni pleaded, reaching for his hand again.

"You did it." Darren shook her off a second time. "You know what? If you're just interested in me because you feel sorry for me, don't bother."

"It's not like that."

"Then what is it like? You've been all over me since the accident, taking care of me and doing stuff for me."

As Danni stood facing him, she couldn't decide whether the tears misting her eyes were caused by anger and frustration or hurt and sadness. Either way, she just wanted to cry.

"We should go to class, or we'll be late," she said.

"That's fucking great," Darren muttered as the bell rang.

Danni knew Darren wasn't happy to enter another class late and face all eyes on him, but she couldn't do anything about it. Besides, Darren made it clear he didn't need her help.

* * *

Though Danni did her best to concentrate on the test she needed to take in her third period economics class, she couldn't stop thinking about her fight with Darren. As much as she wanted to be angry with him, part of her wondered whether he might be right about her reasons for going out with him. After all, she thought the same thing the first time she saw him in the hospital. While she was still thinking it over, her cell phone vibrated to let her know she'd just received a text message.

Danni tried to be inconspicuous when she pulled the phone from her purse and read the message Darren had sent her: _I need U._

Holding the phone under her desk, she typed her reply: _R U OK?_

Within seconds her phone responded with his answer: _No. Can U come outside?_

Slipping her cell phone back into her purse, Danni crept to the front of the classroom and asked the teacher for a pass to use the restroom. Ms. Kirkland handed it over, and Danni tried not to look too anxious as she hurried out the door. Darren was standing at the end of the hall.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean what I said about you dating me because you feel sorry for me."

"Is that why you called me out of class?" Danni demanded.

"That's part of it," Darren replied with downcast eyes.

"So what's the other part?"

"I, uh, need your help with something."

"I thought you didn't want me to help you anymore."

"Please don't be mad at me," Darren said. "I didn't mean it. This is just harder than I thought it would be, and it's kind of getting to me."

Danni's anger disappeared at once. "What do you need help with?"

"This is gonna sound kind of crazy. I just want you to keep in mind how embarrassing it is for me to have to even ask you."

"What is it?"

"I, um, need to use the bathroom," he said as his face turned beet red.

"Why do you need my help with that?" Danni asked.

"I don't need help with that part," he said with a slight grin. "I need you to button my jeans when I'm done."

Danni narrowed her eyes. "How'd you get them buttoned this morning?"

"My mom did it. I can unbutton and unzip just fine. It's getting them zipped and buttoned after that's still hard."

"Okay."

"You know this means you have to come in the bathroom with me, right?"

"What?" Danni gasped. "Why would I need to do that?"

"There's no way I'm walking out of the bathroom and standing in the middle of the school with my pants open while everyone watches you zip them up," Darren said.

"Okay," Danni relented, feeling less confident about her decision than she had a few minutes earlier.

"I promise it won't happen again," Darren said.

Danni smiled. "It's okay, but I'm not going in if any other guys are there."

As they walked to the nearest bathroom in silence, Danni could not believe she agreed to do this. She'd never been in a boys' bathroom in her entire life.

"Go make sure it's clear before I go in," she urged Darren.

"Wait here," he said before darting inside.

_Like I was going to do anything else_ , Danni thought.

"Okay, all clear." Darren grabbed her hand. "Let's make this quick. Just come in and wait for me outside the stall 'til I'm ready for you."

"Are you kidding? What if someone comes in? Besides, they have those urinals. Why not use one of those?"

"I can't do that in front of you."

"But you can do it in front of a bunch of guys you don't know?"

"That's different."

"How?"

"You do realize that while we're standing here arguing we're wasting time."

"You're right. Okay, I'll wait out here."

The minute Darren disappeared inside the stall, Danni's heart beat even harder and her palms began to sweat. If some guy came in, he would just question her presence. No one would even care about Darren being in the bathroom.

"Are you almost done?" she asked.

"I haven't started yet," Darren replied.

"Why not?"

"I can't go with you listening outside the door, and if you keep talking to me, I won't be able to go at all, and we'll never get out of here."

"Girls talk to each other all the time when they're using the bathroom."

"Well, guys don't."

"At least if I'm talking you don't have to worry about me listening to you," she argued.

"Do you think that instead of talking, you could just use the stall next to me?"

"I'm not going to use the boys' bathroom."

"You don't have to use it," he replied. "Just stand in there."

"All right." Danni stepped into the stall and closed the door. "I hope this proves how much I love you, Darren Jacobs."

"It does. I love you too. Now please stop talking, baby."

A small sigh escaped her when she heard the sound of success coming from the stall next to her. It also made Danni realize she needed to go too. For a brief moment she thought about it but changed her mind fast. Who knew what all those boys left on the toilet seat? Just the thought of it made her stomach churn.

"Okay, you can come in here now," Darren announced.

"You want me to come in there?" Danni asked.

"I'm not coming out there," Darren said. "What if someone comes in? We'll be much safer inside the stall than out in the open."

"Okay." Danni sighed.

The door of the stall opened and Darren grinned at her as she slipped inside. "Hey."

"Now all you need me to do is zip and button your jeans, right?" Danni asked.

"You want to do something else?" he asked, giving her another crazy grin.

"No." Danni's face warmed with his suggestion. "I was trying to make sure you got your boxers buttoned."

"These don't have a button, just an opening at the front."

"I didn't know there were different kinds."

"Why not? There's more than one kind of underwear for girls."

"Maybe we should talk about this later. I still have to finish an econ test."

Careful not to hurt him, Danni pulled up Darren's zipper and then reached for the button of his jeans. The whole time she worked, she kept her eyes on his.

"You know, I liked this better last night," Darren said.

She smiled. "Me too. Okay, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," he said, reaching out to stop her as she went to unlock the door. "Thanks, Danni. I owe you for this."

"You sure do. I can't think of another girl in the entire school that would come in the boys' bathroom to help you," she said. "Now can we please get out of here before we get caught?"

Darren moved closer, backing Danni up against the door and leaving her nowhere to go. "What if we just stay here and make out?"

Danni grimaced. "No way."

"Okay." Reaching behind her back, Darren unlocked the door, which made her stumble backward. "Shit."

"What's the matter?" Danni asked.

"I don't suppose one of you would care to explain this to me?"

Danni froze. The voice behind her belonged to Mr. Morgan, the vice-principal. For a second she just stood there, staring at Darren and hoping the man would go away.

"I don't," Darren said. He stepped forward, leaving Danni no choice but to step out of the stall. "What about you, Danni? Do you care to explain it?"

"Uh, no," she replied.

"I see." Mr. Morgan fixed a stern eye on both of them. "All right then, you can explain it to Mrs. Jensen."

"I have to finish my economics test," Danni said.

"You should've thought about that before you two came in here together."

"My things are still in my class."

"Then we'll pick them up on the way to the office," Mr. Morgan said. "What about you, Mr. Jacobs? Do we need to pick up your things too?"

"Sure," Darren replied.

Danni couldn't believe how calm Darren was being as the vice-principal marched them down the hall. They stopped outside Darren's class first. Danni waited in the hallway while he retrieved his backpack and Mr. Morgan said a few words to his teacher.

When they reached Danni's classroom, the students looked shocked to see her enter the room with Mr. Morgan on her heels. While he stayed at the front of the class to speak to Ms. Kirkland, Danni avoided looking at anyone as she scurried to her desk. When the teacher let out a gasp, everyone drilled their eyes even harder into Danni as she hurried from the room with her face on fire.

The vice-principal said nothing as he led the way to the office, and Danni knew better than to speak. She could only imagine what Mrs. Jensen would say. Whatever it was wouldn't be nearly as bad as what her mom would say when she heard.

"Wait here." Mr. Morgan nodded to the line of empty chairs outside the principal's office.

"Don't look so worried," Darren whispered. "I'll handle this. Trust me, Danni."

"Okay, D.J.," she said, although she didn't sound as confident as he looked.

The vice-principal stuck his head out the door long enough to call them inside.

"Thank you, Mr. Morgan," Mrs. Jensen said as Danni and Darren moved toward the chairs in her office. "If you wouldn't mind, could you please shut the door on your way out?"

The sound of the door closing behind them reminded Danni of all the prison movies she had seen. Now she understood the moment of panic felt by the convicted criminal when the bars slammed shut on his first night in the joint.

"Well, Darren, I have to say I'm a little surprised to see you've landed yourself in my office on your first day back," Mrs. Jensen said.

Darren shrugged. "What can I say?"

Mrs. Jensen turned her attention to Danni. "And I'm surprised to see you mixed up in this kind of thing, Danielle."

"We didn't do anything wrong," Darren said before Danni could respond.

"I suppose you think there's nothing wrong with engaging in lewd acts in the boys' bathroom during class time?" Mrs. Jensen asked, and Danni gasped.

"It wasn't like that," Darren replied.

"No?" Mrs. Jensen said. "Then maybe you could explain it to me so that I'll understand."

Darren's face turned crimson. "I needed her help."

"What kind of help did you need?"

"I've only got one arm now, in case you haven't noticed. I still can't do most of the things I did before."

Mrs. Jensen frowned so deeply that the lines between her eyes became a canyon. "What does that have to do with you two being in the restroom together?"

"I needed someone to help me zip my pants when I finished in the bathroom," Darren explained. "I wasn't about to go walking into class to ask for help so I asked my girlfriend."

"Why not ask a male student or teacher to help you?" Mrs. Jensen asked.

Darren snorted. "Yeah, right, that would be way less humiliating than asking my girlfriend."

"Maybe the next time you need assistance you should come to the office and get one of the staff here to assist you."

"No way. I'm disabled now, and that gives me the right to have accommodations for that disability."

"Then maybe we should reach some kind of compromise."

Darren narrowed his eyes. "What kind of compromise?"

"Perhaps, if you need assistance in the future, you and Danielle should come to the office and use the faculty bathroom instead of sneaking around the campus," Mrs. Jensen suggested.

"That would be okay," Darren agreed.

"Fine, that will be the arrangement from now on," Mrs. Jensen said as the bell rang to signal the end of third period. "However, before I'll allow that to happen, I'll be contacting both of your parents to ask their permission. You're dismissed to your fourth period classes."

They waited until they got out of the office and out of earshot of Mrs. Jensen before either of them spoke.

"That wasn't too bad," Darren said.

"What are you talking about?" Danni asked. "She's going to call our parents."

"Yeah, but my mom will understand. You think your mom will be mad?"

"She might."

Darren stopped walking and turned to face her. "You're not mad at me about this, are you?"

"No, but I can't believe you told Mrs. Jensen you have the right to that kind of help."

"I do have that right," Darren replied. "That's a law under the American's With Disabilities Act."

"How do you know all this?"

"They talked to me about it in the hospital."

"I guess I just don't think of you as disabled," Danni said.

"You don't, but the law does. Besides, I was just bluffing."

"And she's calling your bluff by calling our parents."

"It'll be fine. Stop worrying, and come here and kiss me like you mean it."

As she brought her lips to his, Danni forgot about being in the boys' bathroom and getting caught by the vice-principal and having to see the principal who planned on calling her mom. She forgot everything but Darren Jacobs and how much she liked kissing him.

* * *

"Where's Darren?" Chelsea asked.

As if in answer to the question, Danni's cell phone rang to announce his call.

"Where are you?" Darren asked when she answered.

"We just said the same thing about you," she said, laughing.

"Who's we?"

"Me and Chelsea and Marcy."

"Listen, Danni, J.J.'s coming to pick me up," he said.

"I'm supposed to take you home."

"I know, but we decided on that before I dropped my last two classes."

"You're not even going to have lunch with me?"

"Of course I am," Darren replied as Danni spotted him walking toward her.

"That's better," she said, still not hanging up the phone. "You owe me, D.J."

"You mean for this morning?" he guessed, and Danni could see he was grinning.

"Yes, for this morning," she agreed, ending the call as he came to stand in front of her.

"What were you two doing in the boys' bathroom anyway?" Chelsea asked.

"Seemed like the best place to make out," Danni replied.

"I guess we'll have to find a better place next time," Darren played along.

Danni glanced at Chelsea. "How'd you find out about that anyway?"

"It's all over school," Marcy answered.

"That figures," Darren said.

Just as the group reached the sidewalk in front of the school, Darren came to a sudden stop. Spencer Collins was standing a few feet in front of them, laughing it up with his friends. As soon as he saw Darren, he stopped laughing. Tension hung thick in the air as the two stared at one another.

Spencer switched his gaze to Danni. "Darren, just because you lost an arm doesn't mean you have to go out with her."

Danni's eyes widened as Darren broke free of her hand and flew toward Spencer.

"You're talking about my girlfriend," Darren said through clenched teeth.

"It's cool." Spencer laughed. "We all know you're only with her because you think you can't do any better now that you only have one arm."

"Who do you think you are?" Darren shouted. "You're the reason I lost my arm. You haven't said a word to me since that night, and now you're standing here talking shit about my girlfriend?"

"I'm just trying to look out for a friend."

"Like you looked out for me the night you got drunk and ran that stop sign?"

"Don't act like you're innocent," Spencer retorted. "You were the only sober one in the car and you let me drive."

"What?" Chelsea gasped.

"So, you're keeping that little piece of information to yourself and letting me take the fall on my own, huh, Darren?" Spencer laughed again, but it was a hollow sound.

Darren turned and walked back to take Danni's hand once again.

"You know I'm right," Spencer called after them. "You know you wouldn't be wasting your time on that ugly ass bitch if you hadn't lost your arm."

Darren stopped walking and Danni felt all of the muscles in his arm tense.

"Let it go, Darren," she urged. "We're in enough trouble today."

"He shouldn't be talking about you like that."

"Who cares what he thinks? Let's just go. J.J.'s here."

Justin hopped out of his car and joined them on the sidewalk. "What's wrong? Why does everybody look so mad?"

"Run in with Spencer Collins," Chelsea explained.

"What did he say?" Justin asked.

"Nothing," Darren said. "Let's just get out of here."

"I could lay him out if you want," Justin offered, glancing over to where Spencer still stood with his friends.

"He's not worth it," Darren said.

"That's an open ended offer."

"Thanks." Darren cracked a smile. "I might take you up on it one of these days if I don't do it first."

"You ready to go?" Justin asked.

"Give me a minute, okay," Darren said.

"No problem. I'll just hang out with these cute girls," Justin said, making Chelsea and Marcy blush.

Darren led Danni a small distance away before asking, "You know Spencer's full of shit, right?"

"About me being an ugly ass bitch or about you dating me because you don't think you could do any better?" Danni asked.

"All of it."

"But we didn't get together until after the accident."

"Who cares? All I care about is that we're together now. I love you, Danni. You've been there for me since the beginning."

"Does that mean you feel obligated to stay with me?"

"No, it means I love you, and something bad had to happen for me to see what I was missing," Darren explained. "That just makes me stupid."

"I'll understand if you're too ashamed to date me now," Danni said, tears blurring her eyes as she stared down at the ground.

Darren placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face up, forcing her to look into his eyes. "I'll understand if you're too ashamed to date _me_ now."

Danni smiled. "I love dating you. I love holding your hand and wearing your letter jacket and kissing you and talking to you on the phone. I've never been this happy. You're nothing like I expected but everything I always wanted."

"I don't think I could find a more perfect girl if I tried," Darren said, bringing his lips down on hers. "I love you, Danni."

"I love you too."

"Good, now walk me to the car or J.J. will start giving me shit soon."

"It's about time," Justin remarked when they rejoined their friends.

Darren smirked at Danni. "Almost made it."

"Almost," Danni said, giving him a kiss. "I'll call you tonight."

"Just come over," he said before he climbed into Justin's car.

"Okay," Danni answered. "See you later, J.J."

"Later, Danni," Justin said. "Goodbye, ladies. Thanks for the company."

"How is a hot guy like that still single?" Chelsea sighed and then looked at Danni. "By the way, I was wrong about Darren. That was cool the way he defended you to Spencer, instead of caving to the pressure of the popular kids."

"I thought Darren was going to punch him," Marcy said.

"I can't believe I ever had a crush on Spencer Collins," Chelsea said. "He's the world's biggest asshole."

"Too bad he didn't turn out to be a nice guy like Darren," Marcy said.

"Yeah, you're lucky, Danni," Chelsea told her.

Danni already knew it. She just hoped her luck held out and Darren would want to continue dating her. If Spencer was right, it was just a matter of time before Darren figured out he could do better.

# Chapter Thirteen

Danni couldn't remember the last time she came home to find her mother there first. Not even in elementary school. Today, her mom stood on the other side of the front door as if she'd been waiting all day to spring into action.

"What are you doing here?" Danni asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Charmain replied. "Maybe it has something to do with a rather interesting phone call I received from your principal. A call that came in the middle of an important meeting, I might add."

"Oh."

"Is that all you can say?"

"What did Mrs. Jensen tell you?" Danni asked.

"Well, let's see," Charmain began. "If I understand right, you went to help Darren button his pants in the boys' bathroom. Does that sound correct?"

Her mother adopted the lawyer's persona she used in court and was going to play judge and jury while Danni sat in the defendant's chair. The charge? Being a good girlfriend. _Tell the court, Miss Singer, did you enter a boys' restroom? Yes, your Honor, but I had a good reason._

"Is that correct, Danielle?" Charmain prompted.

"Sort of," Danni said. "I did go into the bathroom with him so I could help him zip his pants, but I waited outside until he finished."

"I see."

"I know it sounds bad, but he has one arm and he needed help. Wouldn't you help Nick if he was in the same situation?"

"That's different."

"What was I supposed to do?" Danni asked. "Tell him to find someone else?"

"That's a start," Charmain agreed.

"I couldn't do that," Danni said. "Can you imagine how things went for him today, Mom? He started the day by dropping his art and P.E. classes because he can't do either of them with one arm. Everywhere he went people called him the one-armed man. Every class he went into people stared at him. Then he needs to use the bathroom and he realizes he can't get his pants zipped again if he does. I couldn't tell him to call someone else. That would've been worse than everything he was already dealing with, so I helped him, and I'll do it again if he needs me to, and I can, according to the American's With Disabilities Act."

Danni's chest heaved up and down by the time she finished. It felt so good to get everything out that she didn't care about being in trouble anymore. She would take whatever punishment her mother dished out.

"Are you finished?" Charmain asked with an amused smile.

"Yes," Danni said.

"I think maybe you should consider going into law. With an argument like that, you'd make an excellent trial lawyer."

"Does this mean you're not going to punish me?" Danni asked.

"I'm not going to punish you," Charmain said. "And, just so you know, I anticipated you'd say something like that so I gave Mrs. Jensen permission for you to help him again if he needed it."

"Then why'd you put me through all that?" Danni tried not to sound as irritated as she felt since her mom let her off so easy.

"I thought something else might be going on."

"Nothing else happened."

"I was a teenager in love once too," Charmain said. "I know the kinds of things you're feeling."

"Do we have to talk about this?"

"I'll drop this as long as you promise me that you won't do anything stupid, like ending up a pregnant seventeen-year-old."

"I promise I won't end up a pregnant seventeen-year-old. Now can I please go to my room?"

"Of course," Charmain said. "Say hello to Darren when you call him."

"I'll tell him in person when I go over there tonight."

"As long as I'm home, I thought we'd go out to dinner tonight."

"Are you serious?" Danni asked.

"Of course. Nick already said he'll come."

"Is Natalie coming?"

"No. I thought we'd make it a family thing tonight."

"Okay." Danni sighed.

"I can't tell you how it warms my heart to hear your excitement," Charmain said as Danni disappeared into her room to call Darren and give him the bad news.

* * *

As much as Danni missed spending time with her boyfriend that night, she enjoyed being with her mother. Even Nick wasn't that bad.

Not long after the three of them arrived home, complaining about being too full, Danni took a shower and snuggled under her blankets. It seemed like she had just closed her eyes when the ring of her cellular phone beckoned her from sleep. Only one person would call her this late.

"Are you okay?" Danni asked.

"Yeah, I just missed you tonight," Darren replied.

"That's sweet. Are you sure you're not in pain?"

"I'm sure."

"Then what's wrong?"

"How do you know me that well?"

"Why else would you call me at one in the morning?"

"I'm not in pain, but I did have a dream about the accident."

"Did you remember some of it?"

"I'm not sure," Darren said. "I don't know if what I saw in my dream is real or if it's what I'm imagining because of what I've heard."

"Do you want to talk about it, or should we talk about something else?" Danni offered.

"Would you mind if we talk about something else?" he asked.

Danni didn't mind. She wasn't sure whether she wanted to hear more details about the accident. Already she knew more than she wanted. Even though she'd never seen it, she couldn't shake the image of a paramedic walking around with Darren's arm before he iced it. Ever since Darren told her, she wondered if they used regular ice. Did they have to stop at the nearest liquor store to buy a bunch of bags of ice, or did they have some in their ambulance? Of course, she would never ask Darren. If she did, he'd tell her.

"Did your mom get mad about what happened today?" Darren asked.

"She did at first," Danni replied. "I guess she thought we were in there having sex or something."

"Did you get in trouble?"

"No, and she even gave Mrs. Jensen permission for me to help you again if you need it."

"It won't happen again."

"Did your parents get mad?"

"No, but my mom and your mom must be sharing a brain."

"Did she really think we were in there having sex?"

"No, but she thinks we might do it one of these days," Darren said. "She didn't say it to me though. I overheard her telling my dad."

"What makes her so sure?" Danni asked.

He laughed. "It's the next logical step. Today you're buttoning my pants, but tomorrow it'll be the reverse."

Danni giggled. As if she'd ever have sex in a public bathroom anyway! The idea was disgusting. "What did your dad say?"

"It's not a big deal since they did it in high school and nothing happened."

"Your parents dated in high school?"

"Yep, they met in senior year," he replied. "My mom was this popular cheerleader and my dad–"

"Let me guess. Your dad was the quarterback of the football team, the star center on the basketball team and the pitcher of the championship baseball team."

"My dad was president of the chess club and star of the school's championship debate team," Darren answered.

"You're kidding?" Danni said. "How did the popular cheerleader and geeky debater get together?"

"My mom's car broke down after cheerleading practice one day, and she and her friends didn't know what to do," Darren explained. "My dad was walking by on his way home from chess club and offered to help."

"And he fixed her car?"

"Yep."

"So, then she repaid the favor by going out with him and they fell in love?"

"It surprised her that a dork like my dad knew how to fix a car," he answered. "She said that's when she realized you can't judge people by the way they look, and she started flirting with him until he took the hint and asked her out. After that, they started dating, fell in love, got married and had kids, blah, blah, blah."

"That's a very romantic story," Danni said. "Are you sure it's true?"

"It's true," Darren said. "Trust me, if you stick around long enough, you'll hear it one of these days, maybe even more than once."

"Do your parents hate me now?"

"What? Why would they hate you?"

"Well, your mom was really mad when she thought you and Whitney had sex. Now she thinks you and I are going to do it."

"My mom was mad because she didn't like Whitney," Darren reminded her.

"Are we going to have sex?"

"I really want to, but the thought of letting you see me with my shirt off kind of freaks me out."

"You won't let me see you with your shirt off, but it's okay if I touch your..."

"Touch my what?" he asked.

"You know, your penis," she finished.

"My penis?" Darren repeated with a laugh.

"If you start making fun of me, I'll hang up on you," Danni warned.

Already, she could feel the heat in her face. She had never been one of those girls that could talk about sex the same way she'd talk about the weather or what she ate for dinner the night before.

"Don't hang up on me," Darren said. "Penis just sounds kind of impersonal."

"What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know."

"Fine, it's okay for me to touch your dick, but you don't want me to see you naked. How does that make any sense?" Danni asked.

"That's better," he replied. "Say it again."

"Oh, quit it." Danni gave in to a giggle. "It sounds like you're making an excuse not to have sex with me, you know."

"I'm not, but if I was that would be a pretty good excuse."

"I don't have to have sex with you to see you without your shirt."

"That's true, but if we decide to wait, does that mean no more making out?" Darren asked.

"No, it means more making out because we won't be able to keep our hands off each other."

"Keep talking to me like that and waiting won't be a question."

"Does that mean you're ready to go back to sleep now?" Danni asked.

"Yeah, thanks baby."

"Anytime, D.J. Love you."

"I love you too. See you tomorrow."

"Okay," Danni said and drifted back to sleep almost as soon as she hung up the phone.

* * *

When Danni arrived at school the next morning, she found Darren standing out front, talking with Chelsea and Marcy. Considering how uncomfortable Marcy felt around her boyfriend, Danni never expected them to be hanging out.

"Hey," Danni greeted them. "How come I didn't get an invitation to this party?"

"Oh, please." Chelsea rolled her eyes. "You get to go out with him. The least you can do is let us look at him without you hanging over us."

Darren dropped his gaze to the ground.

"Wow," Chelsea said. "I never expected that."

"What?" Danni asked.

"For Darren Jacobs to be embarrassed about being reminded of his status as the hottest guy in school," Chelsea answered.

"I'm not anymore," Darren said.

"You're kidding, right?" Chelsea scoffed. "You lost your arm, not your face. You've still got those great blue eyes and even better a—"

"Chelsea!" Danni and Marcy cried in unison while Darren turned a deep shade of red.

"What?" Chelsea gave them a sly smile. "I was going to say abs."

Danni laughed. "Sure you were."

"Is this what you guys do every day?" Darren asked.

"You mean stand around and talk about the popular guys who couldn't care less that we're alive?" Chelsea shrugged. "Yeah, pretty much. What do you guys do?"

"Nothing you're missing out on." Darren's eyes darkened as the first bell of the day rang. "Man, I hate that sound."

"I know you do," Danni said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

With a final sigh from Darren, the group headed toward the school gates. Danni hoped one day soon things would get easier for him.

* * *

The moment she stepped out of her sociology class, Danni reached for her cellular phone. Just as she plucked it from her purse, it rang in her hands.

"Where are you?" Darren asked her.

Danni laughed. "On the way to English class."

"I have something for you."

"What is it?"

"You'll see when you get to class."

When Danni rounded the corner, she spotted Darren walking ahead. "Chelsea's right, you know."

"About what?" he asked.

"You have a great ass."

"You should know."

"You're right, and it looks as good right now as it did that day."

Darren stopped walking and turned to face her. "You think so?"

"I think so," Danni said as she dropped her phone into her purse.

"So you only like me for my body?"

Danni wrapped her arms around his waist. "It is a pretty hot body and I should know. I've had my hands all over it."

"Quit it," Darren whispered in her ear.

"And I wouldn't mind having my hands all over it again."

"Danni!"

"I thought you liked it when I talked this way." Danni pressed closer to him and gave him a kiss before straightening up and brightening her voice. "So, are you ready for class?"

"Only if you walk in front of me," he replied and then laughed when Danni's face turned pink. "By the way, I have something for you."

"I'm sure you do," Danni retorted.

Darren grinned. "Besides that."

"What is it?" Danni asked.

Darren reached into his backpack and retrieved a large, wire bound notebook, which he handed to her. "Here."

"What's this?"

"You'll know when you open it. Just do it later when I'm not around."

"Is this something I shouldn't show Chelsea and Marcy?"

"That's up to you. Oh, I almost forgot, I can't hang out for lunch."

Danni frowned. "Why not?"

"I have to see my shrink."

"Oh, okay."

"Trust me," he said. "I'd rather hang out with you than him, especially since it's a waste of time."

"What is?"

"Seeing the shrink is a waste of time. I don't need him to help me feel normal when I've got you."

Danni giggled. "Yeah, okay."

Darren kept his expression serious. "I mean it. It's cool the way you act like you don't even see my missing arm."

"I see it, but it just doesn't bother me," she replied.

Darren leaned across the aisle. "That's why I love you," he whispered, and Danni smiled at him.

At the sound of the second bell, Danni shoved the notebook into her backpack and focused on Mrs. Greenleaf's endless lecture on _The Pearl_.

* * *

When her fourth period class let out, Danni made her way to the front of the campus to meet her friends for lunch. As usual, they'd managed to get there before she did.

"Where's Darren?" Chelsea asked.

Danni laughed. "Why? You want to stare at his ass some more?"

"Maybe I do," Chelsea replied with a sly smile.

"That figures," Danni said, rolling her eyes.

"And that doesn't bother you?" Marcy asked.

Danni shrugged. "Why should it? I know Chelsea would never make a move on my boyfriend."

Chelsea nodded. "She's right."

"What's for lunch?" Marcy asked.

"Wait, where's Darren?" Chelsea asked again.

"He has a doctor's appointment, which reminds me." Danni dug into her backpack for the notebook Darren had given her during English class.

"What's that?" Marcy asked.

"I don't know," Danni answered. "Darren gave it to me."

"Well, let's see it," Chelsea said.

The moment she flipped it open, Danni drew in a sharp breath. It was one of Darren's sketchbooks and the intricate drawings inside grabbed her full attention. There was everything from sketches of the school to detailed portraits of people. She smiled when she came across a series of drawings of Humphrey Bogart. Her smile faded a few pages later when she came face to face with a picture of a human heart, veins and all, broken in half. Dripping beneath it were tears of blood in which there were letters spelling out Whitney's name.

The details Darren captured were amazing. When Justin said he drew, she never imagined anything this good.

"I didn't know Darren could draw," Marcy said.

_There's a lot you don't know about him_ , Danni thought.

"Those are good," Chelsea said. "I'll bet he could make more money at that than baseball."

"Not anymore he can't," Danni replied. "Darren was left handed."

"I didn't know that," Chelsea said.

"Maybe once he learns to use his right hand, he'll get that talent back," Marcy suggested. "The drummer for that band Def Leopard lost his arm and then learned to play with just the other one."

Danni hoped Darren could one day reclaim the artistic ability that meant so much to him. It didn't seem fair that one night and one bad choice cost him something so important.

* * *

Danni couldn't wait to get to school and tell Darren how much his sketchbook meant to her. Last night, when she should have been doing her homework, she had become lost in his drawings. The way Darren captured the detail of his subjects' expressions amazed her. After looking at the pictures, she understood the loss he must feel now.

When she pulled her sedan into its usual parking spot, she spotted Chelsea and Marcy out front. This time her boyfriend wasn't with them.

"Where's Darren?" Chelsea asked as she approached.

"I don't know," Danni replied.

"You know you want to call him," Chelsea teased.

Danni didn't want to be one of those girls who couldn't be apart from their boyfriends, but she really did want to talk to Darren. "Oh, all right, I'll call him if you want me to," she relented.

"We've got to get boyfriends," Chelsea told Marcy as Danni pulled her cell phone from her purse.

"Yeah?" Darren answered.

Danni frowned at his abrupt greeting. "Where are you?"

"I'm on the way home to change."

"Why do you need to change?"

"I don't need this shit right now," Darren said and hung up.

For a moment, Danni just stared at the phone.

"What's going on?" Marcy asked.

Danni shrugged. "No clue, but I'm getting sick of his attitude. He's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sometimes, and I can't tell which one I'm going to get."

"I can believe that," Chelsea said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Danni asked.

"He's a stuck-up jock. You said it yourself," Chelsea reminded her.

"Besides you're mad at Darren, not us," Marcy pointed out.

"Let's just go to class," Danni said.

None of the girls spoke as they passed through the front gates. School hadn't even started and Danni already dreaded facing the day.

* * *

In sociology class, Danni listened with half an ear to Ms. Keene's lecture on the proper way to balance a checkbook. It would have been nice if they could learn something useful that would help them now, like how to deal with jealous friends or a boyfriend who always picked fights with her. That would have been a lot more helpful than being reminded to record all her transactions in her non-existent check register so she didn't end up overdrawing her non-existent account.

The door of the classroom swung open, bringing with it a welcome break to the dull lecture. One of the student office assistants walked in and handed a piece of paper to Ms. Keene.

"Danni Singer, you're to report to the office," Ms. Keene said.

"Why?" Danni asked.

"I don't know," Mrs. Keene replied.

Ending up in the office twice in the same week. Her mother would love this. Danni tried not to snatch the note from her teacher's fingers as she took it and walked out of class. Why was she being called to the office anyway? She hadn't done anything wrong. At least she didn't think so.

"I got this note," Danni told one of the secretaries when she entered the office.

The woman rose from her chair and peered over the note. "Right this way."

Danni's confusion deepened as she followed the secretary to the back of the office. "What's going on?"

"You're Danielle Singer, correct?"

"Yes."

"According to a note in your file, you have permission to assist Darren Jacobs with his, uh, personal needs."

Danni could not believe Darren. Less than half an hour ago he hung up her, and now he wanted her to help him in the bathroom again? For a second she thought about telling the secretary there had been some kind of mistake. Even though he deserved it, she couldn't do that to Darren. She followed the secretary to the teachers' bathroom and stood back while she rapped on the door.

"Yeah?" Darren called.

"Your help is here," the secretary told him.

"Okay, I'm ready."

Danni tried not to blush as she slipped inside.

"Hey," Darren said.

"I thought you said this wasn't going to happen again," Danni reminded him.

"I don't need your help," Darren admitted, keeping his voice low. "I needed to talk to you about this morning and I wanted us to be alone."

"What if I don't want to talk to you?" Danni asked.

"You know you do."

"And how do I know that?"

"Because you love me," Darren answered. "You love me, and you know when I'm embarrassed about things I sometimes act like a dick and you understand."

"We can't talk in here," Danni said. "I'll bet that secretary is monitoring how much time we spend in here."

"Then talk to me outside," Darren said. "Please, Danni."

She sighed. "Fine."

When Danni opened the door and almost ran over the secretary, she turned to shoot Darren an 'I-told-you-so' look. In return, he gave her a 'You-were-right' grin. Neither of them spoke as they filed past the secretary and out the back door of the office.

"I'm sorry," Darren said.

"You should be," Danni agreed. "You can be kind of mean for a guy who says he loves me."

Darren stopped walking and moved to stand in front of her. "I do love you. You know I do. I just felt stupid about what happened this morning and I took it out on you."

"What happened?"

His face reddened as he dropped his eyes to the ground. "My dad let me try to drive this morning."

"That sounds like a good thing."

"I thought so too until I got on the road," Darren said. "I saw it stretched out in front of me, and then all of a sudden I could see the car flipping across it, and I freaked out."

"What happened?" Danni asked.

Darren cast a quick glance around. "I lost it. I couldn't move. I just sat there shaking and sweating, and all these people in their cars behind us started honking their horns and yelling and flipping us off."

"But why'd you have to change?"

"My dad reached across me and pulled my foot off the brake so he could steer the car to the side of the road. He forgot he had a cup of coffee in his hand and it spilled all over me."

"That's better than what I thought you were going to say," Danni said. "The coffee didn't burn you, did it?"

"No, I'm okay," Darren replied. "Anyway, I just felt kind of stupid because it happened like two minutes before you called."

"I understand, but if you keep taking everything out on me, I might not understand one of these days," Danni warned.

"My dad kind of said the same thing when I hung up on you. He said I needed to be more careful and appreciate the way you've been there for me, or there might come a time when you stopped."

"Your dad's a pretty smart guy."

Darren grinned. "Yeah, he thinks so too. Are we okay now?"

"We're okay, but we better get back to what's left of our first period classes before we get in trouble again," Danni answered.

"Not until you kiss me first," he said, leaning his head down to hers.

"You're impossible," Danni said, though she gave in to the kiss.

* * *

Danni felt so much better to have worked things out with Darren that she didn't mind when Mrs. Greenleaf sprung a pop quiz on them in second period. Just as she neared the end of it, Darren stood up beside her. He stalked to the front of the class with his wadded up paper in hand before coming back to drop into his chair.

"Darren, may I see you please?" Mrs. Greenleaf said, and Darren returned to the front. "Your quiz is blank."

Even though the teacher kept her voice low, the quiet in the room made it impossible for her not to be overheard.

"I don't know the answers," Darren replied.

"Are you sure that's it? I know this is your third day back, but we just started on this book this week. You should know a few of the answers."

"Well, I don't."

"Darren, are you sure there's not another reason why you won't complete the quiz?"

"You want me to say it?" Darren snapped, and the entire class looked up. "I was left handed. I can't even write my own name. There's no way I can get this quiz done in twenty minutes."

"I could give you more time," Mrs. Greenleaf offered.

"I don't need more time. I need everyone to leave me alone and quit reminding me that I'm the one-armed man now," Darren said before storming out of the room.

When Danni turned in her quiz, a blush still pinked the teacher's face. "Danni, since you're finished first, would you mind finding Darren Jacobs and asking him to return to class?"

"Um, okay."

Danni took the hall pass and headed out the door. As soon as she got outside, she pulled her phone from her purse and called Darren. He answered on the first ring.

"Mrs. Greenleaf wants me to find you and bring you back to class," Danni said.

Darren laughed. "So, you're my designated babysitter?"

"No, I finished the quiz first," she replied and then wished she hadn't. "Where are you?"

"Baseball diamond."

Of all the places he could have gone, she didn't understand why he would go there. Danni crossed the black top of the basketball courts where some of the P.E. classes played scrimmage games.

"What are you doing here?" she asked when she caught up to Darren.

"Thinking about when my life was normal." He squatted in the dirt, assuming the catcher's position she had seen him do before. "I loved playing ball almost as much as I loved to draw."

"You just loved all the girls knowing your name."

"Yeah, that was kind of cool too."

"You're supposed to lie about that."

"Right." Darren laughed. "I hated having girls all over me. I couldn't stand it when they'd tell me how good I was and beg me for my phone number or ask if they could wear my letter jacket while I played."

Danni wrinkled her nose. "Do you want me to punch you?"

Darren reached for her hand and pulled her down. "Maybe later."

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"You'd make a terrible catcher," Darren joked when she almost fell flat on her butt. "Come here, and I'll show you how to do it right."

When he squatted behind her, Danni sagged into him and knocked them off balance. "I told you I'm no good at sports."

Darren grinned down at her. "I guess you weren't kidding."

"We should get back to class."

He sighed as he stood up and looked over the field one last time.

"You know, I heard about this drummer for a rock band who lost his arm and taught himself to drum with the other arm," Danni said.

"Playing ball with one arm is impossible," Darren pointed out. "I wore my glove on one hand and used the other to throw."

"What if you put the glove in your teeth? Then you could catch the balls in your mouth and still be able to throw them with your right hand."

"You'd like the idea of me having balls in my face, wouldn't you?"

"Or maybe you'd like the idea of your balls in my face," Danni said, and they cracked up.

All eyes were on them as they reentered the classroom, but this time Danni didn't care. She was just glad to see Darren smiling again.

* * *

As soon as the bell rang to end English class, Mrs. Greenleaf asked Darren to stay. While he joined the teacher at the front of the class, Danni gathered her things. Just as she started to follow everyone out, he grabbed her hand.

"Stay," Darren pleaded, and she looked at the teacher.

"You can stay, Danni," Mrs. Greenleaf said. She waited until the room emptied before speaking again. "I owe you an apology, Darren. I didn't think about the difficulty a quiz like this would pose for you."

"It's fine," he mumbled.

"Darren, do you know some of the answers?" Mrs. Greenleaf asked and he nodded. "Then you need to complete the quiz. I'd like it if you'd meet me here at the start of the lunch period, and I can give you the exam orally."

"Okay," Darren said, and Danni nudged him. Taking the hint, he added, "Thanks."

Mrs. Greenleaf smiled. "I'll see you at lunch."

"That was nice," Danni said when they left the classroom.

"Yeah," Darren agreed. "Listen, can you do me a favor and meet J.J. out front at lunch time and tell him I'll be a few minutes late?"

Danni frowned. "You don't think you'll be done before he gets here?"

"He has to go to work early for inventory or something so he's picking me up early."

"You know, I could always drive you home on days he can't."

"Does that mean you can meet J.J. out front?" Darren repeated.

"On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You have to kiss me like you mean it."

"You sure you want me to do that in front of all these people?" he asked.

"Oh, well, if you don't want to, that's okay," Danni answered, turning in the direction of her next class.

"Danni." Darren grabbed her and pulled her backward into him.

"Yes, Darren?" she asked.

"I love you so much," he said as he snaked his arm around her waist and brought his lips down on hers.

"I love you too, D.J.," Danni answered, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.

* * *

At lunch time, Danni was the last of her friends to arrive at the front of the school.

"Where's Darren?" Chelsea asked.

"Do you realize that's always the first thing you say to me?" Danni pointed out. "It would be nice if you said hello first and pretended you cared about me."

"Hi, how are you? Having a good day?" Chelsea said, making her friends burst into laughter. "Oh, by the way, not that I care that much, but where's Darren?"

"He's making up a quiz in English class," Danni explained. "I'm supposed to tell J.J. he'll be late."

"I don't see him yet," Marcy said.

"Thank God." Chelsea dropped her backpack and began rifling through her purse. "Now I have time to comb my hair and put on some lip gloss."

Danni smiled. "You do realize Justin is twenty-five and you're seventeen?"

"I won't be seventeen forever," Chelsea said. "I'm just trying to make sure Justin Jacobs knows that."

Danni laughed as she spotted Justin's Camaro coming down the street. He pulled his car into the stall in front of them. As he opened the door and stepped out, Whitney Wheeler, Nicole Ingram and a few of their cheerleader friends walked by.

Whitney stopped the moment she spotted him. "Hey, Justin," she said in a sticky sweet voice as she tossed her shiny blond hair over her shoulder.

"Hey," he echoed.

Nicole sighed. "You know him?"

"This is Darren's much older, much hotter brother," Whitney said, giggling as Justin's eyes narrowed.

"She's so dumb," Chelsea said.

"J.J.," Danni called, breaking free from where she stood with her friends.

Justin turned toward her, and his frown morphed to a wide smile. "Hey, Danni, where's D.J.?"

"You know him?" Nicole asked again, this time to Danni.

Justin smirked as he slid his eyes toward Whitney. "This is Darren's much nicer, much cuter girlfriend."

"You're an asshole, Justin," Whitney retorted. With her friends crowded around her, she moved on.

"I can't believe you just said that to her," Chelsea told Justin.

"I know it's not cool to say this, but I hate that girl," he said. "So, where's D.J.?"

"He's taking a make up quiz in English class," Danni replied. "He said to tell you he'll be a few minutes late."

"That's cool." Justin shook his head as he swept his eyes around the front of the school. "I swear this place hasn't changed since I left."

"You went to Taft?" Marcy asked.

"Sure," he answered. "I think I still have my letter jacket somewhere."

"What sports did you play?" Chelsea asked.

"Just baseball."

"Did you and D.J. get in any bench clearing brawls?" Danni asked.

"Maybe a few," Justin said, and they both laughed.

"What's so funny?" Darren asked as he approached the group.

"Nothing really," Danni said. "Did you pass the quiz?"

"Yeah, I got a hundred percent," Darren replied.

Danni resisted the urge to lay an 'I-told-you-so' on Darren. Instead, she hoped this would give his confidence the boost it needed, and he'd see she was right about coming back to school.

# Chapter Fourteen

On Friday morning, every girl in Danni's first period class, and probably every other one in the whole school, was listening to the morning announcements. Any minute now, the student body elite would reveal the nominees for homecoming king and queen and their court. Not that Danni cared one way or the other since she had no intention of voting for any of the candidates. Considering the most popular people won every year, Danni and her friends were convinced the whole thing was rigged.

"Now for the moment you've all been waiting for."

At the words of the student body president, Amber Hicks, every girl in class leaned forward. Amber went through the nominees for the underclassman court first, but that didn't stop them from hanging on the edge of their seats.

"The nominees for homecoming queen are Mariah Connors, Kennedy Crane, Amber Hicks..."

Danni rolled her eyes when Amber paused to let out a little squeal after reading her own name. As if she really thought she wouldn't be there.

"...Taylor Walsh and Whitney Wheeler," Amber finished.

Danni cringed while the rest of the room buzzed with excitement. It was a good thing it wasn't a personality contest, or Whitney would have come in last.

"And the nominees for homecoming king are Lee Carter, Spencer Collins, Matt Sweeney, Garrett Tyson and Darren Jacobs."

Danni's eyes widened. _Did I just hear that right?_

"Congratulations to all the nominees," Amber said. "Voting will open at lunch time today and close next Thursday with the winners to be announced at the game on Friday night. Be sure you stop by the leadership office in room B-19 to vote for your favorite candidate."

Danni couldn't believe it. Every guy in the accident with Darren was nominated for homecoming king. As if that wasn't bad enough, Garrett Tyson was as well. Not only was Darren competing against the boy he had already been runner-up to once, but he'd have to stand alongside Whitney Wheeler if they both won. Either Fate hated her and Darren, or this was someone's idea of a sick joke.

* * *

Before first period even ended, Danni had her cell phone in her hand. With as big a bombshell as this homecoming thing was, it wouldn't have surprised her if her friends called her before Darren did. As soon as the first bell rang, she shot out the classroom door. While everyone rushed past, Danni scrolled through the contacts list on her phone and chose Darren's number. She hit call and pressed the phone to her ear. After four rings, his voice mail picked up. Danni was just about to call him again when she spotted him walking toward her.

Danni forced herself to smile. "Hey, what are you doing here? You don't usually come this way."

"Can you believe this shit?" Darren demanded.

"I'm guessing you're not happy about the homecoming thing."

"No, I'm not happy. Don't you see what's going on?"

Danni frowned. "The most popular guys in school got nominated for homecoming king?"

"Wrong! Four of the most popular guys and the school freak got nominated!"

"Maybe you won't win."

Even as she said the words, Danni didn't believe them. Darren had won everything since freshman year, so why should this be any different? Just because he didn't want that life anymore didn't mean the rest of the student body was ready to let him go.

"Or maybe all these assholes will vote for me just so they can see me on display for the whole school," Darren said.

"We could always stuff the ballot box so you don't win," Danni suggested. "Or we could make posters for the other candidates and plaster them all over the school so people forget you were even nominated."

Darren's eyes narrowed as he mashed his lips together.

Undeterred by his silence, Danni snapped her fingers. "I know! We should steal the ballot box. They can't vote if they don't have a box. I guess we should steal the ballots too. Wait, I have a way better idea. We could make signs telling everyone the voting got moved to the library. Since like ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the students here probably don't know where the library is, no one will be voting. If that doesn't work we'll just have to steal the keys for the leadership room so no one can get in there to vote. What do you think? Any of those ideas work for you?"

Staring at his expressionless face, Danni waited for Darren to unleash his anger. For a few seconds he didn't say a word. When he suddenly burst into laughter, she exhaled.

"Do you know how much I love you?" he asked.

Danni pretended to look thoughtful. "You know, I don't think I do."

Darren wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Danni wound her arms around his neck. Instead of giving her the usual soft and sweet kiss, his lips crashed against hers.

"I love you that much," he said, resting his forehead against hers.

"I love you too."

"This thing scares me, Danni."

"What thing, D.J.?"

"Even if I don't win, I'm going to be on display for the whole frigging school to see," Darren explained. "What if that's what they want and that's why they nominated me? They want to see the one-armed man and laugh in his face."

Danni tightened her hold on Darren. She wanted to tell him no one could be that cruel, and that even if it did happen they would face it together and everything would be okay. She wanted to say it, but she couldn't. Danni had never lied to him before and she wasn't about to start now.

* * *

Chelsea and Marcy were already waiting on the front lawn when Danni met them for lunch. Both girls wore solemn expressions.

"How's Darren?" Chelsea asked. "Is he pissed about the homecoming thing?"

Danni smiled. It was the first time her friend hadn't asked where he was.

"Never mind." Chelsea nodded her head over Danni's shoulder. "He looks pretty pissed."

"Not really," Marcy said.

Danni turned and frowned. Chelsea was right. Darren was wearing the same grim mask she'd seen after first period. No doubt he had worn it all day.

"Yeah, he does," Chelsea insisted.

"No offense, Danni, but that's his normal look," Marcy said.

Danni couldn't argue. 'I hate school' was written all over Darren's face from the moment he set foot on campus every morning until the minute he climbed into J.J.'s car at lunch time. For the first time, she wondered if it had been a mistake to talk him into coming back.

As soon as he came to stand with the group of girls, Darren placed a kiss on Danni's cheek. "Hey."

"You okay?" Danni asked, and he shrugged.

"Do you want to win?" Chelsea asked.

Darren blanched. "Homecoming king? You can't be serious."

"I guess we're going with plan B then," Chelsea said.

Danni frowned at her. "Plan B?"

"Yeah, plan B – make sure Darren loses," Chelsea said. "Plan A would've been to do everything we could to make sure he won. Since he doesn't want that, we're going with Plan B."

"How do we make sure he loses?" Marcy asked. "Darren's the most popular guy in the whole school."

"Since we might get in trouble for cheating, we'll have to sink a little lower," Chelsea answered.

Marcy drew her eyebrows together. "What's lower than cheating?"

"We launch a smear campaign against Darren, and I'm talking low down and dirty. We'll pull all the worst skeletons out of his closet," Chelsea explained.

Marcy rolled her eyes. "Darren Jacobs doesn't have any skeletons in his closet," she said, and then glanced at him. "Do you?"

"Nope," he replied.

Chelsea arched her eyebrows. "Come on, there has to be something. You used to beat up kids and steal their lunch money? You pirate music and movies? Wait, scratch that, nobody will care about that one. You once hit a girl? You sleep with girls and never call them back? You sleep with guys and never call them back?"

Darren grimaced. "Sorry, I never beat up kids for their lunch money, never hit a girl, never slept with a girl and not called her back, and I've _never_ slept with a guy."

Chelsea shrugged. "Then I guess we don't have any choice. We'll have to get serious."

"More serious than beating people up or breaking hearts?" Danni asked.

"I've already got the slogan," Chelsea said. "Do you really want a one-armed homecoming king?"

Marcy stared at her with wide eyes while Danni sucked in her breath.

Chelsea glanced at each of her friends. "What do you think?"

Darren grinned. "You think they would've nominated me if they gave a shit about that?"

"Good point," Chelsea said, and Danni exhaled. "We don't want it to backfire and have you flooded with sympathy votes. I hate to say it, but you might be screwed."

Darren snorted. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Okay, you're probably going to win, but not because people love a tragedy, which they do," Chelsea said. "You'll win because they've probably had your name on the trophy since freshman year."

Though Darren chuckled at her joke, Danni knew better than to buy his laughter. Chelsea was right. Darren was going to win and that terrified him.

* * *

After school, Danni and her friends piled into her car. As usual, they had to wait for the traffic to clear before they could leave.

"So what's the plan?" Chelsea asked.

"I vote for Danni's house," Marcy said.

Chelsea laughed. "You mean you vote for the chance to see Nick?"

"We can go to my house, but even if Nick's home, Natalie might be there too," Danni replied.

Marcy groaned. "Are they seriously still together?"

"Sure they are," Chelsea said. "They're probably going to get married and live in a perfect house and make a bunch of perfect babies, and that bitch probably won't even get fat."

The ringing of Danni's cell phone through the speakers drowned out their laughter.

"Incoming call."

"No shit, car!" Chelsea laughed.

Danni tapped the Bluetooth button on her steering wheel. "Hello?"

Darren's voice filled the car. "Hey, baby."

Chelsea and Marcy traded sly smiles. "Hey, Darren," they chorused.

"Speaker phone?" Darren guessed.

"Speaker phone," Danni echoed.

"You want Danni to get you off?" Chelsea asked, giggling. "Speaker phone, I mean."

"Ignore her," Danni said. "What's up?"

"You're invited for dinner tonight," Darren answered. "My mom wants to celebrate the homecoming thing. It's nothing major, just pizza and sodas and maybe a movie. Chelsea and Marcy can come too if they want."

Danni frowned. "They can?"

"Yeah, J.J. doesn't have to work tonight so he's coming, and I know Chelsea won't want to miss that," Darren said, and Chelsea sank lower in her seat.

"Please tell me you didn't tell your brother about my tiny little crush on him," Chelsea pleaded as her cheeks flushed.

"Nope, but I did tell him about your huge and scary, stalker-like obsession with him," Darren joked.

This time it was Danni who laughed with Marcy. "So, what time should we be there?" she asked.

"Come now if you want," Darren offered.

Chelsea shook her head so hard Danni thought it might fly off her neck. "Um, we'll be there in like an hour or so if that's okay," she replied, and Chelsea nodded her agreement.

"Cool," Darren said.

"You need us to bring anything?" Danni asked.

"Nah, my mom's got it covered."

"All right we'll see you later."

"Love you," Darren said.

"Love you too," Danni repeated. As soon as she ended the call, she turned to Chelsea. "So, why can't we go over there now?"

"If Justin's going to be there, I need to go home and get sexy," Chelsea replied.

Danni groaned. "Please tell me you're not serious."

"I'm as serious as a heart attack."

Danni heaved a sigh. Why couldn't her best friends find guys their own age instead of falling for the ones who were never going to give them a second look?

* * *

Getting sexy involved Chelsea changing into a cleavage revealing T-shirt and her tightest jeans and then straightening her hair and putting on make-up. Danni had to admit her friend looked good, but Justin wasn't going to care. Even if Chelsea was his type, Justin didn't seem like the kind of guy who would go for an underage girl.

"Looks like you got sexy for nothing," Danni observed as she drove her car along the curb in front of Darren's house. "I don't see Justin's car."

"You don't think Darren was kidding about him coming, do you?" Chelsea asked. "He better be here after all this trouble I went to."

The girls emerged from the car and headed up the walkway. When Danni rang the bell it was Darren who pulled the door open a few seconds later.

_Now that's sexy_ , Danni thought as she smiled up at him.

Darren was wearing the same clothes he'd worn to school: jeans, a long-sleeve T-shirt and tennis shoes. It wasn't the clothes that looked good; it was him. It was that perfect smile and the way his hair fell across the scar on his forehead and the way he smelled. Everything about him was so irresistible.

"Hey, baby." Darren leaned down to give her a kiss.

"Where's your brother?" Chelsea asked.

A frown flickered across Darren's face as he straightened up. "He'll be here in a little while."

"You should probably let us in before your mom starts yelling about all the heat you're letting out," Danni said and Darren grinned at her.

He led the way into the house and the girls followed. His parents already sat in front of the television in the family room.

Ann beamed as she rose from the couch. "Danni, we're so glad you and your friends are here," she said, looking from one girl to the next. "Now, don't tell me, I remember. You're Chelsea and you're Marcy."

"You've got a great memory," Chelsea said.

Ann's smile widened. "Do you girls want anything to drink?"

"I'll take anything diet," Chelsea replied.

Danni frowned at her. Since when was she on a diet? "Water's fine for me."

Ann glanced at Marcy. "What about you, dear?"

"Oh, um, water's okay for me too."

"Darren, Gerald, do either of you want anything?" Ann asked.

"Dr. Pepper for me," Darren said while Gerald declined the offer.

"Do you need some help, Mrs. Jacobs?" Danni asked.

"Oh no, sweetie, you all just sit down and make yourselves comfy," Ann replied. "I've got everything under control."

While Danni and Darren settled on the love seat, Chelsea and Marcy sat on the couch. The way they were clustered together at one end, they might as well have been sitting in each other's laps.

Gerald smiled at the newcomers. "There's no helping Ann, even during the holidays. She loves to play the role of hostess. Not that we mind, huh, son?"

"Doesn't bother me at all," Darren replied with a grin.

"Justin should be here with the pizzas in about an hour," Gerald said. "You know what that means, don't you?"

Darren's expression sobered. "I'm scared to ask."

"Danni, did Darren ever tell you how I met his mother?" Gerald asked.

Danni giggled. "No, I don't think he did."

"I'm shocked," Gerald said. "After all, it's such an amazing story."

"Amazing?" Chelsea repeated.

"I saved her from a vicious dog attack," Gerald replied, keeping his face straight.

"Dad," Darren groaned. "Tell the truth."

Gerald's smile became even bigger. "All right, I didn't save her from a dog attack. It was actually a large grizzly bear, but I didn't want to toot my horn so I downplayed."

"Downplayed what?" Ann asked as she returned with her arms full of drinks.

"Your rescue on the day we met," Gerald said.

Ann laughed. "What was it this time, a rabid dog or a man eating tiger?"

Gerald snapped his fingers. "Damn, I didn't even think of the man eating tiger. I'll have to keep that one in mind for next time."

"So, how'd you really meet?" Chelsea asked.

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you," Gerald said with a wink, and Darren rolled his eyes.

As Ann settled into the big chair beside her husband, Danni smiled at the cute couple they still made. They reminded her of Darren and herself in reverse, with one major difference; she couldn't imagine being with Darren in thirty years. It wasn't that Danni didn't like the idea, but she couldn't imagine herself at thirty years old, let alone in thirty years' time with a husband and kids. If it did end up happening, she wouldn't mind having Darren as her husband.

* * *

An hour later, Justin blew in the front door without even bothering to ring the doorbell. The smell coming from the pizza boxes he carried in his arms made Danni's mouth water. Chelsea gave him a longing look, but Danni couldn't be sure if she was hungry for him or the food.

"Where do you want these, Mom?" Justin asked.

Ann took a box from the top of the pile. "Right here in the family room is just fine with me."

They laid four pizza boxes on the coffee table. Danni smiled to see two of them were her favorite, pepperoni.

"Justin, why don't you get drinks for everyone, and I'll get the plates and napkins?" Ann suggested.

"Man, how do you like that?" Justin said to no one in particular. "Bring pizza for everyone and she puts me to work."

Chelsea jumped up. "I can help you guys get drinks and stuff."

"Cool," Justin replied.

From the way Gerald smiled after them, Danni was pretty sure he suspected Chelsea had a crush on Justin. Of course, anyone would have to be blind to miss it. Chelsea was practically drooling as she trailed after the guy. Moments later the two of them returned with sodas and waters as Ann passed around some plates and napkins.

While everyone else dove for the pizza boxes, Chelsea hung back. Danni was all set to threaten her life if she didn't eat when she realized what her friend was doing. As soon as Justin seated himself on one end of the couch, Chelsea piled two pieces of pizza on her plate and sat down next to him.

"Isn't this just so exciting?" Ann asked.

"It's just pizza," Justin said and laughed.

"I meant Darren being nominated for homecoming king," Ann said. "Just think, the family tradition continues."

"Were you homecoming king, Mr. Jacobs?" Marcy asked.

Gerald laughed. "Me? Heaven's no."

Chelsea turned to Justin. "You were homecoming king?"

Justin nodded. "Yeah, a long time ago."

"I'll bet you were prom king too, weren't you?" Chelsea's question sounded more like an accusation.

"Yeah, but it's not a big deal," Justin replied. "Believe me when I say it doesn't make any difference when you're trying to get into college or get a job after you graduate."

"Or find a wife," Ann added.

Justin laughed. "Oh, shit, here she goes again."

"What's wrong with wanting my son to settle down with a nice girl and maybe give me some grandkids?" Ann asked.

"Maybe D.J. and Danni can give you some," Justin said, grinning at his brother.

Ann smiled at them. "That would be just fine, after they graduate college of course."

"Damn, D.J., I don't think I've ever seen you turn that red," Justin teased.

"Why aren't you married? Still haven't found the right guy?" Darren retorted, and Chelsea's eyes widened.

"Not yet, but when I do I'll let you know," Justin replied.

"Finally coming out, huh?" Darren asked.

Justin shrugged. "Nah, I think I better stay in the closet a little while longer, at least until Mom gets over your accident."

"Justin Michael Jacobs!" Ann cried.

"Shit, middle name, that means big trouble," Justin said while Darren smirked. "Mom, I'm kidding. I'm not gay, and judging from that reaction, it's a good thing."

"Being gay is fine, but that's a horrible way to tell your family," Ann informed him.

Justin laughed. "I'll keep that in mind for next time."

"See that you do," Gerald said. "Now, what'll it be after dinner, a board game or a movie?"

"Depends on the movie," Justin answered.

"I think it should be Darren's choice since it's his celebration," Ann decided, and Justin groaned.

"What's wrong?" Danni asked. "You don't like board games?"

"Board games are fine, but we both know D.J.'s gonna make us watch some boring Bogart movie again," Justin complained.

Gerald laughed. "How can you not like Bogart?"

Chelsea furrowed her brow. "Who?"

"Thank you," Justin said.

"Humphrey Bogart was in like a thousand cool movies," Danni said, smiling at Darren. "I can't believe you've never seen _Casablanca_ or _The African Queen_ or _The Caine Mutiny_ or _The Maltese Falcon_."

Justin groaned again. "Oh, no, he got to you too."

"I've never heard of any of those movies," Chelsea admitted.

"That's because you're not a big dork like D.J.," Justin said.

"D.J.'s not a dork," Danni argued.

"D.J. is a dork in sheep's clothing," Justin insisted. "If it wasn't for the fact that he got my pretty face, he'd be the biggest dork in this room."

"Hey, I thought I was," Gerald protested.

"Actually, I think I'm the biggest dork in this room," Marcy spoke up.

Gerald frowned at her. "What are you talking about? You're much too cute to be a dork."

Marcy snorted. "Tell that to all the guys at my school who never ask me out."

"You underestimate yourself," Gerald said. "I'll bet you right now there's a boy at your school who'd love to ask you out, but he's much too shy."

Danni wished it was that easy, but the girls all knew better. The guys they were interested in weren't into girls like them. If Darren hadn't lost his arm, Danni wouldn't have been sitting beside him now. Instead, she would be just like Chelsea and Marcy with their hopeless crushes. Danni forced the thought aside. She might not be able to change the past, but she was not about to ruin their future.

* * *

Danni groaned. _Why now?_

Most of the time the twilight phone calls didn't bother her. As if her body knew Darren needed her, it allowed her to wake right up.

Danni dragged the cell phone from the night stand and tapped the answer call button without opening her eyes.

"Hey, baby," Darren said, and Danni smiled despite her sleepiness. "Sorry I woke you."

She forced her eyes open. "Is it bad?"

"Yeah, it's the worst it's ever been."

"Are you sure you can't take anything for it?"

"I wish I could."

"Me too."

Darren laughed. "Only so I don't wake you up."

"I'm okay with that part. I just wish you weren't in pain."

"Me too. Too bad wishing isn't enough."

"Can I ask you a serious question?" Danni asked.

"Serious, at two thirty in the morning, when I'm in severe pain?" Darren said and laughed again. "Talk about kicking a guy when he's down."

"I know your mom's excited, but how do you feel about the homecoming king thing? Do you want to win?"

"Honestly? Yeah, I do, but not because I give a shit about it," he explained. "It's just that I'd rather win for the wrong reasons than lose for them."

"Then I guess we'll have to go with plan A," Danni said.

"Plan A?"

"Yeah, Chelsea's plan, remember?"

"We don't have to do that. I don't want to force people to vote for me."

"Campaigning isn't forcing people," Danni said. "It's letting them know you're there."

"They know."

"Okay, then we'll go with plan C."

"What's plan C?"

"Wait and _see_ what happens at the game next Friday," Danni replied, giggling.

"I think you should go back to sleep. That joke was one of your worst."

"I'll go back to sleep when you're feeling better."

"I'm okay, baby."

"Are you sure, D.J.?"

"I'm always okay when I talk to you," he answered.

"All right then, I'll talk to you later."

"Love you, baby."

"Love you too," Danni said and set her phone aside.

_Please, please let him win_ , she thought as she drifted back to sleep.

# Chapter Fifteen

Don't be LEFT behind! Vote for Garrett and Whitney! The RIGHT choice for homecoming king and queen!

Danni grimaced at the giant poster board as she pulled her car into the school's front parking lot. A picture of Whitney and Garrett with their million dollar smiles sat smack dab in the middle of the bright pink, glitter trimmed sign. It was the kind of thing Danni expected from Whitney, offensive slogan and all. No doubt they put the words left and right in capital letters to remind everyone Darren only had one arm now.

_What a bitch_! Danni thought as she emerged from her car and slammed the door behind her.

Chelsea and Marcy abandoned their place on the sidewalk and rushed toward her.

"Can you believe Whitney and Garrett?" Chelsea asked her.

"Actually, I can," Danni replied.

"Yeah, me too, but it still pisses me off," Chelsea said. "Like she doesn't win enough shit as it is."

"Maybe she won't win," Marcy offered.

Chelsea wrinkled her nose. "She'll win."

As much as Danni hated to admit it, Chelsea was right. Whitney would win. Danni tried not to picture her and Darren standing side by side on the podium at the homecoming game.

"We should make posters for Darren," Marcy suggested.

"I offered, but Darren doesn't want to influence people's votes," Danni replied.

"That's because Darren is a decent person," Chelsea said. "Speaking of which, where is he?"

Danni shrugged. "No clue."

"You think he'll be pissed about Whitney and Garrett's stupid posters?" Chelsea asked.

"Maybe," Danni answered.

The first bell rang with no sign of Darren, and Danni debated what to do. She didn't want to be one of those girlfriends who needed to know where her boyfriend was every single minute of the day, but she didn't want him to think she didn't care. Then again, she also didn't want him thinking she was babying him.

Just as Danni made up her mind to give in and call, her cell phone rang. When she fished it from her purse, she saw it was Darren. "Hey, I was just starting to wonder about you."

Marcy and Chelsea waved their goodbyes without saying anything. Danni waved back at them before starting in the direction of her first class.

"Sorry," Darren said. "I'm not coming."

"Are you okay?" Danni asked. "You sound terrible."

"Yeah, I'm okay, but my mom's freaking out and dragging me to urgent care."

"How come?"

"I've got a fever and the last time that happened I got that infection."

"Oh, then call me when you get home."

"I'll call you at lunch," Darren said and followed the words with a coughing fit.

"Maybe you should just text me," Danni suggested. "I don't want your voice to get any worse."

"It's cool. I can call you."

"Okay, get some rest and drink a lot of water."

Darren chuckled. "Yes, dear."

"Listen smart ass, I'm just trying to make sure you get better fast."

"I know, and I love you for it."

"Love you too, but I gotta go," Danni said. Cell phone still pressed to her ear, she entered her first period classroom. "Second bell's about to ring."

"Later, baby," Darren said, and Danni echoed his goodbye before ending the call.

Danni dropped the phone back into her purse and slid into her seat just as the second bell rang. The student body elite launched into their morning announcements, including a reminder to vote for the homecoming king and queen in room B-19 during the lunch hour. For the first time in her life, Danni was going to do just that.

"And speaking of the homecoming king and queen, there will be a mandatory meeting for all candidates in room B-19 at the start of the lunch period," Amber said.

Of all the days for Darren to be sick, he picked the one day they decided to hold a mandatory meeting! As much as she dreaded the thought, Danni knew what she would have to do.

* * *

Before going to the leadership room, Danni paused to send a quick text message to her friends. While telling them she would be late meeting them, she didn't say why. With her hands and knees shaking, she trudged into the room. A few of the candidates were already there, including Whitney.

"I think you have the wrong room," Whitney said. "The triple D club doesn't meet in here."

Amber furrowed her brow. "What's the triple D club?"

Spencer laughed. "Please tell me that's what I think it is."

"You know, dorks dating the disabled," Whitney explained, and Danni sucked in her breath.

Spencer's smirk vanished. "That's not cool."

Danni frowned. Since when did Spencer care if people made fun of Darren? Just last week, he was calling her an ugly ass bitch and telling Darren he could do better.

"Please," Whitney scoffed.

"Spencer's right, that's mean," Taylor said. "Besides, you used to date Darren."

Whitney wrinkled her nose. "That was before he became a freak."

Danni wanted to tell Whitney to shut her stupid, slutty mouth, but her voice was stuck in her throat. At that moment Garrett sauntered into the room and moved toward Whitney. Without even saying hello to her, he smothered her in a sloppy kiss that made Danni's stomach turn. Amber glanced her way and rolled her eyes.

"What's this meeting for anyway?" Lee asked.

"It's so Mr. Hughes can tell us what we need to know for the game on Friday," Amber explained.

"I thought we just have to show up," Spencer said.

"I'm afraid there's a bit more to it than that," Mr. Hughes announced as he entered the room. "Sorry I'm late. My fourth period class is on the other side of the campus. Now then, is everyone here?"

"Darren Jacobs isn't here, but he sent his fan club," Whitney said.

"Darren's sick," Danni explained. "I, um, came to get the stuff he needs."

Mr. Hughes smiled at her. "That'll be just fine. Let's get started. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't want to spend my whole lunch here."

"You got that right," Spencer agreed.

It turned out there was a lot more to the whole homecoming thing than just showing up to get the crown. If anyone wanted to campaign, it was fine, but they needed to keep it clean and respectful. There was to be no smearing of fellow candidates. Danni had to bite her tongue to keep from telling Mr. Hughes it was too late for that.

Kickoff for the football game was Friday at seven thirty. Halftime was at eight thirty, but all of the candidates needed to be at the east end of the track in front of the football field fifteen minutes earlier. At eight thirty, all of the nominees had to walk on and be introduced to the crowd. The girls would be accompanied by their fathers while the guys would walk in single file.

For the introductions, all candidates needed to write a brief, third-person speech about themselves, which could include information about their time at school and future plans. Like their campaign tactics, everyone had to keep their speeches clean. They also needed to be typed and turned in to Mr. Hughes no later than three o'clock on Thursday afternoon so he could proofread and edit them before the game on the following night.

The girls and the boys would need to dress up. Boys didn't have to wear tuxedos unless they wanted. Nice suits were fine, but jeans and T-shirts were not. The girls' dresses had to be dress code appropriate and neither too short nor too low in the front.

"That blows," Spencer said, and everyone but Danni laughed.

After the winners were announced, they would be expected to give a brief acceptance speech for the crowd and pose for the yearbook photo.

"This is a lot of work," Spencer complained.

"Maybe you should just drop out," Garrett suggested. "It's not like you're gonna win anyway."

Spencer grinned at him. "I hope you don't think you're actually gonna beat me."

"I don't think I am," Garrett said. "I know I am."

"That's so lame," Taylor said.

"So, are we done here or what?" Lee asked.

"We're done," Mr. Hughes replied. "I'll see all of you at the game on Friday and good luck."

Everyone shuffled from the room. Danni frowned as she watched Whitney and Garrett walk hand in hand toward the parking lot. She still could not understand how Darren spent almost a year of his life dating that girl.

Amber came to stand beside her. "Tell Darren I hope he feels better."

"I will," Danni replied with a weak smile.

"And tell him I'm voting for him too."

"Um, okay."

Amber flashed her a smile. "Anyway, I'll see you guys at the game."

Danni made up her mind then and there that she was voting for Amber Hicks, and she was going to ask her friends to do the same. If Darren won, she would much rather see him standing beside a nice person like Amber than that bitch Whitney.

On her way to meet her friends, Danni's cell phone rang. When she freed it from the bottom of her purse, she was relieved to see it was Darren.

"What'd your doctor say?" Danni asked.

"I've got strep throat," he replied.

"You're kidding me. How'd you get that?"

"That's what my mom wanted to know since I'm still on the antibiotics from the surgery," Darren said. "The doctor said he thinks I built up a tolerance or something so he gave me something stronger."

"That's good."

"Yes and no. The side effects are a bitch."

"Do I want to know?" Danni asked.

"Probably not."

"I guess I won't be able to come over tonight."

"I know, and it totally sucks," Darren said.

"How long do you have to miss school?"

"I have to be fever free for at least twenty-four hours so I might be back on Wednesday. It'll depend on how I feel."

"You think you'll make homecoming?"

"Yeah, probably."

"Okay, so you want me to text you all the stuff you need to know?"

"What stuff?" Darren asked.

"There was a mandatory meeting for the candidates today so I went for you," she replied.

Darren drew in a sharp breath. "They were all there?"

"Yes."

"Did any of them give you any shit?"

Danni hesitated. She didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to tell him what Whitney said about the triple D club either.

"Danni?" Darren prompted.

"It was nothing," she said. "You know how Whitney is. Amber said to tell you she hopes you feel better and that she's voting for you."

"And what did Whitney say?"

"Um, well, she said she thought I had the wrong room."

"Why? Come on, Danni, be straight with me."

Danni sighed. "She said the triple D club didn't meet there, and when someone asked what that was she said it was the dorks dating the disabled club."

"Fucking bitch," Darren snarled and then broke into a coughing fit.

"Darren Andrew Jacobs!" Ann shrilled. "You need to get off that phone and get some rest."

Danni giggled. "I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, all right. Listen, thanks for dealing with that for me."

"No problem," she replied. "I'll text you all the stuff you need to know for homecoming."

"Cool, love you, baby."

"I love you too, D.J."

While Danni didn't want Darren to be sick, she was kind of glad he didn't have to face Whitney. The thought of him standing next to her on the podium on Friday made Danni's skin crawl. It wouldn't be so bad if it was Amber who won.

_That's it!_ Danni thought and hurried to meet her friends for what was left of her lunch period.

* * *

After school, Danni and her friends headed to her house. Along the way they stopped at the store where they loaded up on poster boards, glitter, magic markers and glue sticks. Just because Darren didn't want any posters didn't mean the girls couldn't make them for someone else.

They spread their supplies across Danni's living room floor and stared at the blank poster boards.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Chelsea said.

"We can't let Whitney win," Danni insisted.

"I know," Chelsea agreed. "I just never thought I'd be spending my own time and money helping some popular girl win an award she doesn't deserve."

Marcy smiled. "Amber's way nicer than Whitney."

Chelsea wrinkled her nose. "That's not saying much. A grizzly bear in heat is way nicer than Whitney."

Danni laughed. "That's just wrong."

"You're right. I shouldn't be that mean to the grizzly bears of the world," Chelsea said, and the other two cracked up. "What are we supposed to write on these things anyway?"

Danni shrugged. "I don't know. Mr. Hughes just said they had to be clean and we couldn't put the other candidates down."

"I guess that means 'Vote for Amber instead of that bitch Whitney' is out of the question?" Chelsea asked.

Danni giggled. "I'd say so."

"We could just write Vote for Amber," Marcy suggested.

"That's too boring," Danni said. "We need to come up with something people will remember when they're going to vote."

Marcy frowned. "Like what?"

"How about 'Vote for Amber or you'll be sorry'?" Chelsea suggested.

"I don't know about that one," Danni replied, smiling at her.

"I think we're making this too complicated," Chelsea said. "Let's just write 'Vote for Amber for homecoming queen.'"

"Maybe you're right," Danni agreed.

"Great, then let's get started or we'll be at this all night," Chelsea pointed out.

Danni didn't care if they had to spend all night working on those posters. She would do whatever it took to keep Whitney from winning.

* * *

On Tuesday morning, Danni loaded all the posters and a roll of packing tape into the trunk of her car. Despite working for several hours, the girls had only been able to make twelve posters. If they hadn't worked so hard on them, Danni wouldn't have bothered showing up to school so early to hang them up. The only good thing was that she got her pick of the parking spots. Danni chose one on the end, instead of having to park in the thick of things. That way she would be able to get out of her stall without having to wait forever when it was time to go home.

Just as Danni leaned into her trunk to retrieve the signs, Marcy's mom pulled up alongside.

"Bye, Mom. Thanks," Marcy called as she and Chelsea hopped out of the car.

"Hey." Chelsea gave Danni a huge smile. "I had the best idea last night."

Danni drew her eyebrows together. "For what?"

Chelsea pulled open her backpack and reached inside. Danni's frown deepened when she withdrew a thick stack of bright pink papers and held them up. Realizing they were a huge stack of flyers, and cute too, Danni's frown morphed to a smile. The words 'Vote for Amber Hicks, A Gem of a Homecoming Queen' bordered a crown centered on the paper.

"I love it," Danni gushed.

"My mom came up with the saying," Chelsea said. "These were way easier to do than the poster boards."

"We better get to work if we're going to get all of this done in half an hour," Marcy said.

"I say we split up," Chelsea suggested. "We'll cover more ground that way."

"We can't," Danni replied. "I only brought one roll of tape."

Chelsea heaved an exaggerated sigh as she reached into her backpack again, this time to retrieve two rolls of packing tape. "Do I have to think of everything?"

With their supplies in hand, the girls split up to blanket the school with their posters and flyers. While Chelsea and Marcy ventured beyond the gates, Danni began at the front of the school and worked her way inside. Every time she saw one of Whitney's stupid posters, she had to fight the urge to tape one of her own over the top.

Once she hung all the posters, Danni started on her share of the flyers. By then the school was filling with students, and everyone was buzzing as they watched her work. She swallowed her self-conscious urge to puke and pressed on. When she finally ran out of things to stick up, Danni stood back and surveyed her handiwork. She had to admit the flyers were eye catching.

If this plan didn't work, she didn't know what else would.

* * *

At lunch time, the girls gathered on the grassy area in front of the school. Homecoming was the main topic of their conversation, like it probably was for most everyone else.

"I think the flyers just might do the trick," Chelsea said. "Some of the girls in my econ class said they're way better than Whitney's stupid posters."

Danni smiled. "I think so too."

"Let's just hope it's enough to make everyone vote for Amber," Marcy added.

Chelsea nodded. "They better after all the time and money we spent."

"It wasn't that much money," Danni said.

Chelsea laughed. "Easy for you to say. You're rich."

Danni shrugged. She wasn't wealthy. The way her mom put it, they were well off. Whatever that meant, they were doing better than Marcy's family and way better than Chelsea's. Not that it mattered to Danni since she didn't pick her friends based on how much money their parents made.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but it's kind of nice not having Darren around," Chelsea said.

Danni frowned. "Is there a right way to take that?"

"I just mean you're spending so much time with Darren that we hardly see you anymore," Chelsea explained.

"That's not true," Danni argued.

"It kind of is," Marcy agreed. "Before you and Darren started dating, we used to hang out at your house after school almost every day and go to the mall a lot and have sleepovers. I can't even remember the last time we had a sleepover."

Danni swallowed against the lump of guilt forming in her throat. They were right. Ever since meeting Darren, she had seen less of her friends and any time she did spend with them always seemed to have something to do with him. Yesterday, they spent the afternoon making posters to make sure Darren's ex-girlfriend didn't win the homecoming queen title. Friday night they'd gone to his house to spend time with his family to celebrate his nomination.

"We could have a sleepover this weekend," Danni suggested.

"Homecoming's this weekend," Chelsea reminded her.

"That's even more perfect," Danni said. "We could go to the game and then have a sleepover after."

When Danni's cell phone rang, she knew it was Darren. The only other people who ever called her were sitting right in front of her. As much as she wanted to answer the call, she didn't want her friends to think they weren't as important as Darren.

"You can answer that, you know," Chelsea said. "It's not like we don't ever want you talking to Darren."

Danni pulled her phone from her purse and hit the answer button just in time to keep the call from going to voice mail. "Hey, D.J. How are you feeling?"

"That depends," he answered. "Am I on speaker phone?"

"No, I'm not in the car so you're good."

"In that case, you have no idea how horny I am right now."

Danni giggled. "Is that a side effect of your medication?"

"It's a side effect from not being able to kiss you," he replied.

"I miss that too, but I don't want to get strep throat."

"You should be good. I've been on antibiotics for twenty-four hours."

"Is your fever gone?" Danni asked.

"Yeah, but I still feel shitty," Darren said. "This sucks. It never took me this long to get over being sick before."

"Does that mean you're not coming back to school tomorrow?" Danni asked.

"Not if I feel like this."

"You want me to get your homework?"

Darren laughed. "No way! This is one time I'm going to milk the missing arm excuse for all it's worth."

Danni chuckled. She liked it much better when he wasn't feeling sorry for himself.

"I guess you're probably hanging with Chelsea and Marcy right now so we should talk later," he suggested. "Call me tonight."

"So you can tell me more about how horny you are?" Danni asked.

Though she clapped her hand over her mouth, it was too late. The words were out before she could stop them. Danni's face flamed while Chelsea and Marcy burst into a fit of giggles.

Darren groaned. "Tell me you didn't just say that in front of them."

"Um, okay, I won't tell you," Danni said.

"You haven't told them everything have you?"

"What's everything?"

"You know, like you jerking me off."

"That depends. Did you tell J.J.?"

When Darren didn't answer right away, Danni's heart dropped into her stomach. Oh, God, he did tell his brother! Talk about embarrassing! Every time she saw J.J. now she would wonder if he was thinking about it. Even if he wasn't, the fact that he knew was enough to make her wish she never had to see him again.

"Okay, look, don't get mad," Darren said. "It's not the same thing."

"Excuse me. How is it not?" Danni asked.

"I guess it is, but it feels like it's not."

"I have to go."

"Just listen for a second," Darren urged. "Ever since I lost my arm, I've been freaking out because I was left handed, and it wasn't just about not being able to play ball or draw anymore. I was freaked because I couldn't even get myself off, and not because I'm some pervert who does it every day but because I didn't think I'd find a girl who'd want to be with me so I'd be stuck doing it myself only I couldn't because I was left handed. At first it didn't matter because I was in too much pain to worry about it, but then we met and I started feeling... Christ, I sound so stupid right now."

Danni gave in to a smile, though she didn't laugh out loud.

"Anyway, I started feeling, you know, horny again, especially after that day you let me touch you," Darren said softly, and Danni's cheeks heated up. "I just didn't know how to do anything about it because it was seriously not working with my right hand and so I was asking for J.J.'s advice, and he said I should have you do it."

Danni let out another gasp. If he was trying to make her feel better, it wasn't working. All she felt was humiliated at the thought of them talking about her like that.

"I know it sounds bad when I say it like that," Darren realized. "The thing is we weren't talking just to talk. I know you probably think I'm a perv, but being able to..."

"To what?"

Darren took a deep breath. "Being able to jerk off matters and not being able to do that along with everything else I can't do sucks because I have all these feelings inside and no way to release them. So when you did it, I meant it when I said it felt so good. I just don't think you know how or why, and I didn't tell J.J. just to tell him. I'm not that kind of guy, and I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, and I swear I won't tell him anything else we do. I mean, if you still want to be with me, you know, like that."

"You know I do," Danni said.

If her friends hadn't been sitting across from her, hanging on her every word, Danni would have told him how much she wanted to be with him like that, and how she hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since that night.

Darren exhaled. "You have no idea how much I love you."

"I love you too, but I really do have to go now," Danni answered. "Chelsea and Marcy are waiting for me."

"I know, but I can't wait to see you again."

"Me too. I'll call you tonight."

Danni tapped the end call button and dropped her phone back into her purse. Already, her face was on fire in anticipation of the questions her friends would ask.

"You might as well just tell us since you know we're going to ask," Chelsea said.

"Tell you what?" Danni stalled.

"Tell us when you gave Darren your V card," Chelsea said, and Marcy blushed along with Danni.

Before Danni could answer, the bell rang to announce the end of the lunch period. The girls rose from their places on the grass and began gathering their things.

"Don't think just because lunch is over this conversation is over," Chelsea warned with a sly smile.

It was over as far as Danni was concerned. If she expected Darren not to say anything to J.J. then she wasn't going to tell her best friends. Not that she wanted to. Even though she knew she could trust Chelsea and Marcy not to spread any rumors, this was a part of her and Darren she wanted to keep between the two of them.

# Chapter Sixteen

"Are you sure Darren's okay?" Chelsea asked. "He's been sick all week."

"He sounded a lot better last night," Danni replied. "Hopefully, he'll come tomorrow."

"Does he know about tomorrow's lunch rally for the homecoming game?" Marcy asked.

"I don't know," Danni said.

The honk of a car horn behind them made her jump. When she turned around to see who it was, Darren was already out of the car and walking toward them. His mom was waving from the driver's seat. Danni and her friends smiled and waved back as Ann pulled away from the curb.

"Sorry about her," Darren told the girls.

Danni smiled at him. "It's all right."

"Yeah, your mom's really nice," Marcy said. "Actually, so is your dad."

"Thanks," Darren replied.

"I'm glad you're back," Danni told him.

"No offense, but I'm not. I hate this place," Darren said.

"Yeah, about that, we need to talk." Danni turned to her friends. "We'll see you guys at lunch."

Danni seized Darren's hand and began to pull him in the opposite direction.

"Fine, have your secrets!" Chelsea called after them.

"What's up?" Darren asked.

"There's a rally at lunchtime tomorrow and all of the candidates have to be there," Danni said.

Darren shook his head. "No way! I'm not putting myself on display for the whole fucking school."

"Even if you don't go to the rally, you'll still have to stand up in front of everyone at the game tomorrow night," Danni reminded him.

Darren heaved a sigh. "Fine, I'll go to the stupid rally if you stand up there with me."

"I don't know if that's allowed."

"I don't give a shit. I'm not doing it unless I have you by my side."

"It's not that I don't want to help you, but maybe you should do it on your own; you know, like practice for the game."

Darren snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Please, Danni, I can't do this without you."

When he put it like that, there was no way she could say no.

* * *

When the four of them met up for lunch, Darren didn't say much. No doubt his mind was on the fact that they would all be at the rally by this time tomorrow. Even though Danni wanted to help him, she was just as afraid of being on display. With the exception of her friends, everyone was going to wonder what Darren saw in her and why he insisted on dragging her everywhere he went.

"So, Darren, how are you feeling?" Chelsea asked.

Darren shrugged. "I'm all right."

"You sure you're not horny?" Chelsea cracked up.

Darren's face flushed. "I'm cool, but if you're horny, I could always ask my brother to help you out."

Chelsea's expression changed to horror. "You wouldn't dare."

"I might if you bring that shit up again," Darren answered.

"What's the plan for the game tomorrow?" Marcy interjected. "Like are we all gonna ride over together or what?"

"I can drive us," Danni offered.

"Actually, my mom said she would," Darren said.

"Would she drive us home too?" Danni asked. "We're having a sleepover at my house."

Darren grinned at her. "We are?"

Danni giggled. "Not you and I, the girls and I. Anyway, would your mom drive us back to my house?"

"Probably," Darren said.

"Will we all fit?" Marcy asked. "If your parents and your brother are there, and we're all there, that's seven people in one car."

"We'd fit in my dad's crossover," Darren said.

"And you're sure your mom won't mind?" Danni asked.

"Nah, she loves that kind of stuff," he said.

The familiar engine roar of Justin's Camaro sounded behind them. Darren got to his feet and held his hand out for Danni. She smiled up at him as she slid her fingers in his and allowed him to pull her up.

"I'll be right back," Danni told her friends.

"Okay," Marcy replied.

Justin was already out of the car, and Danni smiled. Chelsea couldn't be mad about the way his form fitting T-shirt outlined every muscle of his stomach, and those jeans didn't look too bad on him either. If there was anything that would improve a girl's mood, it was hotter-than-hot Justin Jacobs and his red Camaro.

"Hey, lovebirds," Justin said, grinning.

"Shut up, J.J.," Darren ordered.

Justin's smile vanished. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, just lay off that kind of stuff, okay?"

Justin glanced over at Danni. "Sorry about that."

Danni wanted to sink through the sidewalk. "It's okay," she said, and then looked at Darren. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow."

Darren raised his eyebrows. "You don't want to come over tonight?"

"Only if you want me to," she replied.

"You know I do."

Danni smiled. "Is six okay?"

"It's cool." Darren leaned down to give her a kiss. "Love you, baby."

"Love you too," Danni echoed.

"Later, Danni," Justin said before waving at Marcy and Chelsea. "Later, girls."

Danni waited until Darren was in the car before she turned her back on him. As she trudged toward her friends, she steeled herself for what was coming next.

"I forgot how much of a prick he is sometimes," Chelsea said.

"It's not really his fault," Marcy said before Danni could come to his defense. "You probably embarrassed him."

Chelsea glared at them. "And that makes it okay for him to act like a dick?"

"No, but how would you feel if he said something like that about you in front of his friends?" Danni asked. "And I don't mean us. I mean his old friends like Spencer and Lee."

All of the fight left Chelsea's face. "Okay, you're right. I'm the dick."

Danni exhaled. That was easier than she expected. She just hoped Darren would get over it as fast.

* * *

After doing her homework and eating dinner alone, Danni drove over to Darren's house. Although it was a few minutes before six, she didn't think he'd mind if she was early. Ringing the doorbell, she waited for him to answer. Instead, it was Gerald who pulled the door open.

"Danni, it's good to see you." Gerald stepped aside. "Come on in."

"Hi, Mr. Jacobs," she replied.

"As much as I appreciate your manners, you don't have to call me Mr. Jacobs and make me feel older than I already do."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Jacobs," Danni said and Gerald laughed. "It's just that I don't know what to call you."

"You can always call me Dad," he replied with a wink. "Ann took Darren to the store to get some dress clothes for tomorrow so I'm afraid you're stuck waiting with me."

"Oh, um, okay."

"Did you want something to drink?"

"No, thanks, I just had dinner."

"In that case, what do you say we hang out in the family room?" Gerald suggested.

Danni followed him into the family room. She smiled when she glanced at the TV and recognized a scene from _Casablanca_ frozen on the screen. Gerald picked up the remote and turned off the set. Danni dropped down on the couch while he sat in his favorite chair.

"How's school?" Gerald asked.

"It's okay," Danni replied. "My grades are good, but it's not my favorite place to be."

Gerald sighed. "Something you and Darren share in common of late."

"I think it's getting better for him."

Gerald smiled at her. "You are a terrible liar, young lady, but I appreciate what you're trying to do. Ironically, I didn't enjoy high school that much until my senior year while Darren was doing great until his."

"Is that because you met Mrs. Jacobs in senior year?" Danni guessed.

Gerald chuckled. "Darren told you that story, huh?"

"Yeah, before you told me about the vicious dog attack."

"Ah, shoot, and here I thought I had you fooled."

"Don't worry. I won't tell Chelsea and Marcy the truth."

"Oh, good, I wouldn't want to sully my reputation as a hero," Gerald said. "You know, you and Darren remind me a lot of Ann and me at your age."

Danni's face warmed.

"I was head over heels for Ann from the first time I saw her," Gerald continued. "I'm sure you know our first meeting wasn't the first time I saw her. I used to go to school sporting events just to watch her cheer."

_Like I used to do when Darren played baseball_ , Danni thought.

The front door opened and Danni glanced over her shoulder. Ann walked in first, followed by Darren. Although he smiled at her, there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"We're home," Ann said as they entered the family room. "Hello, Danni. Sorry we're late, sweetie. The stores were more crowded than I expected."

"It's okay. I was early," Danni said, keeping her eyes on Darren.

"Did you find what you needed?" Gerald asked.

"He's all set." Ann turned her brilliant smile on Darren. "He's going to look so handsome up there tomorrow."

Danni would have smiled too if it weren't for the look in Darren's eyes. It took all of her self-control not to run up and put her arms around him.

"I'm gonna grab a soda," Darren said. "You want one, Danni?"

"No, thanks," she replied.

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Gerald frowned after his son. "Everything all right?"

Ann's smile faded and she mashed her lips together. Before she could answer, Darren returned with a Dr. Pepper in hand. Though he came to join them in the family room, he didn't take a seat. Instead he stuffed the soda can into his jacket pocket and held his hand out to Danni.

"Let's go hang out in my room," Darren said, pulling her up.

"I don't think—"

That was as far as Ann got before Gerald spoke up. "No problem, son," he said, giving her a pointed look.

With her face turning red, Danni trailed behind Darren as he led her from the room.

"Leave the door open," Ann called after them, and Danni thought she'd burst into flames from the heat of her embarrassment.

For all the times Danni had been to Darren's house, this was the first time she ventured up the stairs. At the top they turned right. Two steps later, they were in Darren's bedroom. Danni marveled at how clean it was. The only other guy's room she had been in was her brother's, and it looked bad and smelled worse. She never understood how Nick got so many girls to go in there with him.

It wasn't just that Darren's room was clean. There weren't any photos of girls anywhere either. Nick's room was wall to wall girly pictures; half-naked girls on motorcycles and cars and the like. In contrast, the posters here were a mixture of baseball players and pieces of abstract art.

Danni was still adjusting to the realization that she was in Darren's bedroom when the door closed behind her. She was about to remind him that his mom wanted the door open when he slid his arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"You have no idea how glad I am that you're here right now," Darren whispered.

Danni started to turn toward him, but he held her in place.

"Don't, not yet. I don't want you to see me like this."

Danni's heart swelled. Though she ached to face him, she kept her back turned. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Shopping just sucked," Darren said. "Everyone was staring at me, and some girls said something about how hot I'd be if I wasn't crippled."

Danni frowned. "They said that to you?"

"No, they didn't know I was behind them in line."

"I don't guess there's any chance they were talking about someone else."

"Not likely when one of them said she saw this blond guy who'd be so hot if he had both arms, and her friend said it wasn't fair that all the hot guys were either gay or taken or crippled."

Danni drew in a sharp breath. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, I just pretended not to hear."

"What about your mom?"

"She started to say something, but when I shook my head she let it go."

Danni couldn't take it anymore; she had to see his face. With his arm still around her, she spun around. The tears glistening in his eyes broke her heart.

"I'm sorry those girls were so dumb, but they're wrong," she said, placing a hand on his cheek. "I think you're totally hot."

Darren bit down on his lower lip. "Why, Danni?"

"Your eyes are so beautiful and bottomless, like the ocean," Danni said and then smiled. "Wow, that was corny, huh?"

He didn't smile back at her.

"And you have a perfect smile," she continued. "I mean, you have dimples. That is just too adorable, and don't even get me started on your amazing body. Every time you get near me, I get all tingly inside and I feel like I can't breathe and my heart jumps to my throat. Even now, I feel like that with you."

"Thank you," Darren whispered.

Danni would have given anything to take all of his insecurity, pain and sadness and make it go away. Since she couldn't, she just held tighter to him, hoping her love would be enough.

# Chapter Seventeen

Danni barely made it out of fourth period on Friday when her cell phone rang. When she freed it from her purse, she wasn't surprised to see Darren's name.

"Where do you want me to meet you?" she asked.

"I'll wait for you by the old locker bank," Darren replied.

"Okay, be right there."

The old locker bank was near the middle of the school. It was a set of old metal lockers that were no longer used and had been locked behind a rusty cage. According to school officials, lockers were dangerous and too easy for kids to hide drugs or weapons inside, which Danni did not understand at all. Those things could fit in a backpack or purse just as easily. With all the books she had to carry every day, it would have been nice to have lockers.

It took only a minute for Danni to catch up to Darren. As she approached, she flashed what she hoped was a confident smile. Though he returned a smile, it dripped with uncertainty.

"Hey," Danni greeted him. "You ready?"

"I don't think I can do this," Darren said. "Can we just skip it?"

"You can't skip tonight so you might as well start getting used to this."

"Okay, but you're not gonna bail on me and make me do this alone, are you?"

She laced her fingers through his. "You know I'm not."

Darren exhaled. Hand in hand they walked toward the quad where the other students were already gathering for the rally.

"Listen, Danni, about tonight, I'm not gonna ride over with you guys," Darren said.

She frowned. "What?"

"J.J.'s gonna take me, and you and your friends can go with my parents."

"Why are you making us ride with your parents without you there?"

"I still get sort of freaked out in cars," Darren said with downcast eyes. "I don't want Chelsea and Marcy to see me like that, especially since the chance of me having a panic attack is pretty high."

Danni felt embarrassed for him. She hadn't even considered that. Now she understood why he never wanted her to drive him anywhere.

When they reached the middle of the school, Darren tightened his grip on her hand. The quad was full of people who stood shoulder to shoulder watching the cheerleaders do a crappy dance to an overplayed pop song. Danni's gaze drifted to Whitney whom she grudgingly conceded looked cute in her uniform. When the cheerleaders finished, everyone around them burst into applause, along with a few whistles from the guys.

"Okay, we need the king and queen candidates up here," Amber called over the scratchy microphone.

Instead of moving forward, Darren took a step back.

"Watch it dumb ass."

Danni spun on the guys behind them. "Why don't you watch your mouth?"

One of them smirked at her. "Got your bitch fighting your battles, huh?"

Darren whipped around. "What'd you fucking say?"

The boy's gaze drifted to Darren's empty sleeve, and recognition flickered in his eyes. "Sorry, I didn't know it was you, Darren."

"King and queen candidates up here with me please!" Amber said again.

Danni tugged on Darren's hand. "Come on. They're not worth it."

All of the other candidates were already standing with Amber. Murmurs of shock rippled through the crowd as Danni dragged Darren toward the front of the festivities.

"What is she doing here?" Whitney glared at Danni. "She's not a homecoming queen candidate."

Darren narrowed his eyes.

"Let it go, Whitney," Spencer said, and Darren furrowed his brow.

"Why should I?" Whitney said. "She doesn't belong up here."

"Yeah, she does. She belongs with me." Darren turned to Amber. "Do you have a problem with this? Because if you do, I'm out of here."

Amber smiled at them. "It's totally fine."

"Whatever," Whitney huffed, moving closer to Garrett.

"Okay, so this is how this is gonna work," Amber began. "Everett's gonna call out all of our names and then we'll just step forward and wave to the crowd. That's it, and then we're done."

Danni thought that didn't sound too bad. She gave Darren another encouraging smile, but he didn't smile back at her.

Amber held the microphone to her mouth once again. "Attention everyone, I'm going to pass this over to your vice-president, Everett Stone, who will be introducing the candidates for homecoming king and queen."

Cheers erupted as soon as Everett grabbed the microphone. If they hadn't been standing so close to him, Danni wouldn't have been able to hear the names he called out. She could feel Darren's hand shaking already.

Darren turned and pressed his mouth to her ear. "I think I'm gonna pass out."

Before Danni had time to react, Everett yelled out Darren's name. The cheers that followed were nothing short of deafening, but Darren didn't move to acknowledge them as the other candidates had. Instead, he froze, but it didn't stop the cheers. If anything, they got louder. Over the random shouts there were rhythmic chants of his name. Still holding onto his hand, Danni stepped forward and pulled him with her.

"I wanna have your baby, Darren!"

The proclamation came from a voice that sounded suspiciously familiar to Danni. While the crowd roared, Darren's face turned bright red, which only made some people laugh even harder. With the crowd still going wild for him, Darren stepped back. Danni could barely hear Garrett's name called out. The cheers for Garrett were nowhere near the same level.

After all of the candidates had been introduced, Amber reclaimed the microphone. "Okay, everyone, thanks for coming out. We'll see all of you at the game tonight," she said and then turned off the mic. "Wait, you guys. Don't leave yet. I can't believe I almost forgot these."

"Forgot what?" Whitney asked.

"All of the candidates get a pair of tickets for the dance tonight," Amber said, and Danni frowned.

"What's wrong?" Darren asked.

"Nothing, I just didn't think about the dance," Danni said. "Are we going?"

"Do you want to?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I kind of don't," Danni replied. "It's not because I don't want to go with you. I just hate school dances, and I already told Marcy and Chelsea we could have a sleepover after the game, but if you really want to go, I'll go with you."

Darren grinned. "You're doing the fast talking thing again."

"Here are your tickets," Amber said as she held the envelope out toward them.

Darren traded glances with Danni. "You know what? Just keep 'em. We're skipping the dance."

"Are you sure?" the two girls asked in unison.

Darren kept his gaze on Danni. "I'm sure."

"Okay, but if you win it'll be hard to have the king and queen dance without you," Amber said.

Darren shrugged. "You guys will figure something out."

"Are you sure?" Danni repeated when Amber moved on.

"Yeah, I'm sure," he said. "I didn't want to go anyway. I'm not into dances, especially now."

Neither was Danni. The only dance she and her friends ever attended was the first one in freshman year and it was horrible. They sat in the corner of the stuffy gym all night, watching everyone else have a much better time.

"By the way, thanks for being here for this," Darren said. "I probably would've lost it if you weren't."

Although she smiled at him, the words weighed heavy on her. She hoped with all her heart Darren wouldn't break down in front of the homecoming crowd, which was sure to be twice the size of the one he'd just faced.

* * *

"I still can't believe I'm going to a football game with Justin Jacobs," Chelsea said, following her words with a sigh.

"It's not exactly like that," Danni pointed out.

"I know," Chelsea said. "Just let me have my moment."

Any minute now, Darren's mom was going to pick them up for the football game. Even though the game wouldn't start until seven thirty, Ann and Gerald wanted to be there no later than seven since they were afraid they wouldn't find good seats. Having never gone to a school football game before, Danni took their word for it.

"Don't you think it's a little weird we're riding over with Darren's parents and he's not?" Marcy asked.

"I told you, he and Justin are riding over together because the candidates have to be early," Danni explained.

It was the first time she had lied to her best friends. For as long as they had known each other, Danni had always been honest with them, even if it sometimes meant hurting their feelings. She was never mean, but she always told them the truth, like reminding Chelsea she was going to be at a football game with Justin, but not as his date. This lie was different though. Danni wasn't about to embarrass Darren by telling her friends about his fear of being in cars since his accident.

"I get that part, but if he's not coming with us, why are we going with his parents?" Marcy asked. "Why don't you just drive us? Then his mom won't even have to worry about driving us all over the place."

Danni hadn't thought of that. For some reason, it made sense to ride with Darren's parents. Not that it mattered now. Ann and Gerald were already on their way over.

"Okay, how do I look?" Chelsea asked.

Danni and Marcy looked her up and down. Though she wore jeans and a T-shirt, she had fixed her hair and put on make-up.

"Like you want to get laid," Danni teased.

"I just hope Justin agrees with you," Chelsea said.

Danni swallowed a sigh. "You know that probably won't happen, right?"

"Even if he does like you, it would be totally illegal for him to hook up with you," Marcy agreed.

Chelsea gave them both a sly smile. "Only until January!"

Danni rolled her eyes. Convincing Chelsea that Justin was never going to be interested in her was like waiting for snow in July. It was a lost cause.

When the doorbell rang, the girls threaded their student ID-card lanyards around their necks and trotted down the stairs. Knowing it would get cold later, Danni draped Darren's letter jacket over her arms. When she pulled the door open, Ann was standing on the other side beaming at her.

"Hello, girls," Ann said. "Danni, your home is just lovely."

"Thanks, I'll tell my mom you said so," Danni replied.

"Is she home?"

"No, she's working through dinner."

"That's too bad," Ann said. "I was hoping she'd want to come with us."

"They've got a huge case going to court in a few weeks so they're working round the clock," Danni explained.

"Maybe next time. Are you girls ready?"

Danni locked the front door before following Ann to the car. Darren was right; they did all fit in his dad's car. It was so huge that all three girls could sit on the middle seat without being squished together.

"Everybody have their seatbelt on?" Gerald asked.

"Yes," the girls chorused.

"In that case, we're off," he said, laughing as he pulled away from the curb.

"Thanks for driving us," Danni said.

"It's no problem at all," Ann replied. "By the way, I don't know if Darren told you, but we're having dinner at Tahoe's after the game."

Chelsea slid her eyes toward Danni. There was no way Chelsea could afford Tahoe's. The five dollars it cost to get into the football game was probably a stretch in a family of so many kids to so little money.

"Thanks, but I can't," Danni said. "I didn't bring enough money for that."

Ann turned to face them. "Oh, sweetie, none of you need to worry about money. It's our treat."

"You don't have to do that," Danni protested.

"It's no problem," Gerald said. "We know the manager."

Danni laughed while her friends frowned at her. "Justin's the night manager."

For the rest of the short ride to the stadium, the girls were silent while Ann and Gerald talked. Though ordinary, the conversation fascinated Danni. They needed to remember to pay the gardener and pick up some more Advil when they were at the grocery store tomorrow. It reminded her of what she was missing out on by not having both of her parents around.

Despite getting to the stadium a half-hour before the game was supposed to start, the parking lot was already packed. Gerald ended up parking his car at the opposite end of the entrance so everyone had to trudge across the lot. Making it to the entrance was only half the battle. They still had to wait ten minutes to get through the line to buy their tickets.

Gerald stepped up to the box office window first. "Two adults and three students."

"You don't have to pay for our tickets," Danni said.

Ann smiled at them. "Honey, it's fine really. This is a special night."

"Um, Mrs. Jacobs, no offense, but what if Darren doesn't win?" Chelsea asked the question Danni wasn't brave enough to ask.

"That would be unfortunate, but not the end of the world," Ann said. "Darren may not realize it, but being here to be nominated is an amazing thing."

Danni's heart swelled at the sight of the tears glistening in Ann's eyes. She hadn't thought about what the accident must have put his family through. How awful it must have been for them to get that call in the middle of the night that their son was injured in a car accident. Their joy at him being alive likely turned to horror at knowing he had lost his arm. This was as much their night as it was his.

Gerald passed out their tickets, and they all moved to the line that would permit them entry to the stadium. Before being allowed to pass through the gates, they had to submit to having a police officer run a metal detector wand over their bodies and check inside their purses.

"Anyone want anything from the snack bar?" Gerald asked.

All three girls declined. Darren's parents had already done too much for them, and after the game they would be treating them to dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in town. Even if Justin was able to get them some kind of discount it was still sure to cost them a lot of money.

"You girls don't have to sit with us if you don't want to," Ann said. "You can sit in the student section if you want, and we'll just meet you at the car when the game is over."

Danni glanced at the herd of noisy students around them. The thought of being stuck in the middle of them for the next two hours scared her. Besides, it didn't seem right to ditch Ann and Gerald when they were footing the bill for the entire night.

"I'd rather sit with you guys," Danni said.

"Me too," Chelsea added while Marcy just nodded.

"All right then," Gerald said. "Let's get moving so we can find some good seats."

"I want to sit in the front row if we can," Ann said. "I'd like to make sure I can get some pictures."

Gerald offered his arm to her. "My lady, your wish is my command."

Danni and her friends giggled. Darren's parents were just too cute.

With Ann and Gerald leading the way, the girls followed them to the end of the stadium. Along the way several students stopped to tell Danni they hoped Darren won tonight and that they voted for him. Danni didn't know what to say other than thanks. For the last four years she blended into the background. Now she was being shoved into the middle of the canvas just because she was Darren Jacobs' girlfriend.

The parent and alumni section of the stadium was next to the marching band. While it wasn't anywhere near as crowded as the zoo of a student section, it was full enough for Danni to worry they might not be able to get the seats Ann wanted. Undaunted, Gerald tromped down the cement steps to the first row. The family seated on the end didn't bother to hide their annoyed looks when Gerald started to slide past them.

"Thanks so much." Gerald flashed them the same winning smile Danni had often seen from Justin. "My son's nominated for homecoming king and the wife wants pictures. You know how that is."

The woman's eyes became friendlier. "Oh, which one is your son?" she asked as she held up a program.

While the rest of their group filed down the aisle to take their seats, Gerald plucked the glossy book from the woman's hands. "Huh, didn't know they had programs," he said as he perused it. "Wonder if it's too late to buy one."

"You can have that one," the woman offered.

"That's very nice, but we couldn't do that."

"I only bought it to support the football team. My son's on the team and I've got a million of those things at home."

"What's your son's name?" Gerald asked.

The woman grinned. "I asked you first."

He laughed. "So you did," he replied, flipping through the book. "That's him."

Danni sucked in her breath as she snuck a look at the page devoted to Darren. There was a head shot of him in the center, bordered by various pictures. In every one of them he had both of his arms. Somehow she suspected he wouldn't want to be reminded of his former self.

"Handsome boy," the woman remarked and then took her turn at thumbing through the book. "My son is in this picture. His name is Evan Andrews."

Danni didn't recognize the name.

"Mind if I show this to my wife?" Gerald asked, holding up the program.

"Not at all, it's yours now," she said.

"That's very generous. Thank you." Gerald slipped down the aisle to take a seat on the other side of Ann.

Marcy got stuck sitting next to Evan Andrews' mother while Danni sat between Ann and Chelsea.

"We need to make sure we save enough room for Justin," Ann reminded them.

"What time is he supposed to be here?" Chelsea asked.

Ann glanced at her watch. "It should be anytime now."

Whatever time that was, it wasn't by the start of the game. The football team did the coin toss, and the marching band came onto the field to play _The National Anthem_ and Justin still hadn't shown up. Even after the band left the field and the other team kicked the ball to Taft, there was no sign of him.

"Where's Justin?" Chelsea asked.

"No clue," Danni answered.

"I thought he drove Darren here early," Chelsea said as Danni's cell phone vibrated in her pocket.

Though she didn't recognize the number, Danni knew who the text message was from as soon as she read it. _Danni, it's J.J. Where are you guys sitting?_

With Chelsea looking over her shoulder, Danni typed her reply. _First row of the parent/alumni section. Are you here?_

J.J.: _Not yet, will be soon. Save me a seat_.

Danni: _I'll try, but it's packed_.

J.J.: _That's cool. You can sit on my lap_.

Chelsea frowned while Danni typed: _LOL!_

J.J.: _Wait, 86 that idea. D.J. is threatening to kick my ass_.

"Tell him I'll be happy to sit on his lap," Chelsea whispered.

J.J.: _Should be there soon. Tell Mom and Dad I got a flat tire_.

Danni's face warmed at the last line. While Gerald was telling her to call him Dad, Justin was treating her like a little sister. Even Ann said she wouldn't mind Danni and Darren making her a grandmother as long as they waited until after they graduated college. Darren was the only one who hadn't said anything about what he wanted for the future. Just because everyone else thought of her and Darren as the next Ann and Gerald didn't mean he did.

"Justin just texted me," Danni said as she turned to Ann. "He says he got a flat tire and he'll be here in a little bit."

"Sure hope he makes it in time for halftime," Gerald replied.

Danni hoped so too. She didn't say anything to anyone, but she wondered if Justin really did have a flat tire or if there was something else going on. Darren's warning from earlier in the day was lodged in her head: _The chance of me having a panic attack is pretty high._

Danni brushed that thought aside and tried to focus on the game. Chelsea wasn't having any trouble concentrating on it. Despite never having watched a football game in her life, at least none that Danni knew of, Chelsea was turning into a rabid fan. She cheered and whistled when Taft did something right and yelled when the team missed a play. The players weren't the only ones she was shouting at.

"Come on, ref, are you blind?" Chelsea screamed as she jumped to her feet again. "That was a late hit!"

Danni and Marcy giggled as they traded glances.

Ann smiled at Danni. "I had no idea Chelsea was such a football fan."

"Me neither," Danni agreed.

Just as Chelsea resumed her place beside Danni, Justin appeared at the edge of the aisle. "Hey, I made it," he said, scooting towards them without even looking at the Andrews family.

"Talk about cutting it close," Chelsea joked.

Justin shrugged. "Couldn't be helped, but it looks like I might seriously have to sit in your lap, Danni."

Danni smiled at him. "I thought I was supposed to sit in your lap."

"We can make room." Chelsea shoved her hip into Marcy's side, almost knocking her into Mrs. Andrews.

"Cool," Justin replied, squeezing in between Danni and Chelsea.

As close as they were packed together, it was unavoidable that Justin's legs would touch theirs. There was also no escaping his strong male scent; a combination of soap and cologne and something that belonged only to him. Danni glanced over at Chelsea and almost laughed at the look of satisfaction on her friend's face.

Ann leaned forward to look at her son. "Did you get your tire changed all right?"

"Yeah, Mom, it's cool," Justin said.

Chelsea jumped to her feet. "Go, go, go! Run! Come on! Get him!"

Justin burst into laughter. "I didn't know Chelsea was into football. That's kind of hot."

Danni swallowed a groan. The last thing they needed was Chelsea hearing that and thinking she had a chance with Justin.

"Sorry about that," Chelsea said as she resumed her seat.

Justin grinned at her. "It's cool."

Chelsea gave herself about two seconds to soak up the attention before she was on her feet again and yelling at Taft, and she wasn't the only one. With less than two minutes until the half ended, Taft had just intercepted the ball and was running it back. If the team could make another touchdown, they might go into halftime in the lead. Unfortunately, a player on the other team managed to keep that from happening right away. It took three more plays before Taft scored the touchdown and then kicked the extra point to put them in the lead. The home side of the field erupted in total chaos.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the best halftime show in town?"

The crowd roared in response to the announcer's question. Even though she was nervous, Danni couldn't help getting caught up in the excitement. The class floats appeared first, followed by the presentation of the homecoming court. After that the cheerleaders and then the pep squad did a performance.

Then it was time for the announcement of the king and queen candidates. All of the girls looked so beautiful in their formal dresses as they beamed at the men who walked them in. Even Whitney looked breathtaking, making Danni wonder yet again how Darren could go from a girl like that to her.

As the girls entered, the announcer read the speeches they had prepared. Each one sounded a lot like the next. Taylor had a three-point-six G.P.A., which she balanced while playing on the volleyball and soccer teams. Amber was the student body president and active in several clubs and wanted to go to college with an undecided major.

Danni snorted when she heard the part of Whitney's speech that said she planned to attend college and major in nursing because she loved helping people. The girl who said she would never date a guy with one arm and made that bitchy comment about Danni being a dork that dated the disabled wanted to help people?

Justin grimaced. "I hope to God I never end up in the hospital where she works."

"No shit," Danni said, and they traded grins.

"Now, ladies and gentleman, introducing your homecoming king candidates."

Without thinking about what she was doing, Danni grabbed Justin's arm. He covered his hand with hers, but it did nothing to calm her nerves. She spotted Darren right away, looking good in his form fitting black pants. The navy blue dress shirt he had paired with them was a good choice. She couldn't wait to be close to him and see how the shirt brought out the blue of his eyes. While all of the other candidates were smiling and waving and laughing with one another, Darren hung back by himself.

The guys' speeches were no better than the girls'. Spencer was a member of the baseball team, currently playing varsity and hoping to play professionally. Lee was an outstanding student, as well as an athlete, playing both baseball and soccer, who wanted to attend Long Beach State to major in sports medicine.

"Darren Jacobs," the announcer finally said, and Danni leaned forward while squeezing Justin's arm harder. "Senior, Darren Jacobs, enjoyed playing baseball. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Justin, he was awarded a spot on the varsity team when he was just a sophomore, where he spent the following seasons playing catcher. Darren credits his family with standing by him over the past few months and thanks them for their understanding. However, it's the support of his girlfriend and best friend, Danielle, that's given him the courage to stand up here today."

"That's so sweet," Marcy said while Danni just stared at Darren.

Danni had been so worried about him standing up there by himself that she hadn't considered what he might say in his biography.

"And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for. Students, staff, parents, alumni, friends and family, your homecoming king is... drum roll please."

The members of the marching band obliged, and the sound was as fast as Danni's heartbeat. She held her breath as she waited for the announcement. _Please, please, please let him win._

# Chapter Eighteen

"Darren Jacobs!"

The stadium burst into cheers. For the first time that night, and perhaps in their entire friendship, Danni yelled louder than Chelsea. There was a stunned look in Darren's eyes as the principal placed the crown on his head and pointed him toward the microphone. He stepped forward but didn't speak right away. Instead, he stared at the crowd with wide, frightened eyes. As the seconds stretched on, the cheers of the crowd were replaced with murmurs of shock, mingled with concern.

_Please say something, D.J_. Danni thought. _Anything_.

"Come on, D.J.," Justin urged.

Ann popped to her feet. "Let me out."

Gerald reached out to stop her. "Ann, stay put."

She turned on him. "Let me go. My son needs me."

"You have to let him work through this," Gerald told her.

"Dad's right," Justin said. "Don't go out there, Mom. You'll make it worse for him."

For once, Danni was right there with Ann. Ever since Darren lost his arm, she had resisted the urge to do things for him. This time she wanted to run up there and pull him out of the spotlight and save him from this disaster.

Amber stepped forward. Jealousy shot through Danni as the girl put her hand on Darren's shoulder and stood on her tiptoes to whisper something in his ear. When he shook his head, Amber stepped back. Darren's eyes drifted toward their section, and Danni breathed a sigh of relief when he locked his gaze on her.

Darren cleared his throat. "Um, thanks," he said, and everyone around them clapped. "I, uh, really don't, you know, deserve this, so thanks."

Danni clapped and screamed louder than anyone else. It wasn't the best or the prettiest speech, but he had done it. Darren took a deep breath and mouthed the words 'I love you' in her direction before stepping back.

"All right, students, staff, parents, alumni, friends and family, it all comes down to this. Your homecoming queen is... drum roll please..."

_Please not Whitney_ , Danni thought as the marching band gave the announcer what he wanted.

"...Amber Hicks!"

Danni and her friends jumped up and down. The frozen smile of shock on Whitney's face felt almost as good as the realization that their plan worked.

Last year's homecoming queen placed the glittering crown on the head of Amber, who moved toward the microphone. "Thank you all so much. This is so amazing. I didn't think I'd win, but I'm so happy. Being at Taft has been an awesome experience, and the best is yet to come. Thanks, guys!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, once again, your homecoming king and queen, Darren Jacobs and Amber Hicks!"

The pair posed for pictures while the other candidates filed off the stage. Danni couldn't resist a smirk of satisfaction as Whitney did the walk of shame past them.

Marcy suddenly let out a gasp. "Danni, look!"

Danni turned her attention away from Whitney and frowned to see Darren heading toward where she was sitting. A huge bouquet of red roses was cradled in his hand, and she wondered why they had given him flowers and not Amber. When he reached the front of her section, he stopped and held the bunch out to her.

Danni's frown deepened. "You want me to hold your flowers for you?"

Darren looked up and grinned. "I bought these for you," he explained as her friends sighed beside her.

Her frown gave way to a smile as she accepted the offering. No one had ever given her flowers before. Their heady scent was overwhelming.

"Come here, baby," Darren said. "I wanna tell you something."

Keeping the bouquet in a tight hold, she leaned forward.

Darren put his hand on her neck and pulled her ear close to his lips. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said.

Kissing her on the cheek, Darren winked at Danni before leaning back to look at his parents. "Are you guys ready to go, or do you wanna stay for the whole game?"

"It's your night, son," Gerald said. "What do you want to do?"

"I'd rather not hang out here if everyone's cool with it," Darren answered.

"Come around and we'll meet you at the bottom of the stairs," Justin suggested, and Darren nodded.

As the group ascended the steps, several people congratulated them on Darren's behalf. He was already waiting at the bottom of the stairs when they made their way through the halftime crowd. The shy grin he gave Danni melted her heart.

Danni threw her arms around Darren, almost whacking him in the face with the flowers. "I'm so proud of you, D.J."

"I almost lost it," he whispered.

"I know, but you didn't," Danni said.

"All right you two, break it up before I lose my appetite," Justin joked.

"Bite me," Darren said as he let go of Danni's waist in favor of taking her hand in his.

"Where'd you park?" Gerald asked Justin.

"I had to park outside, across the damn street," Justin replied, frowning.

"That's what you get for being late," Chelsea said.

"I wouldn't have been late if D.J. told me _before_ we left that he wanted to get flowers for Danni," Justin said.

Danni turned wide eyes in Darren's direction. "So that's why you were late?"

"Yeah," Darren admitted, lowering his eyes for a moment.

Danni wanted to hug him again. Actually, she wanted to do so much more than that, none of which she could do with all these people watching.

"All right then, I guess we'll meet you boys at the restaurant," Gerald said.

Chelsea frowned at Darren. "You're not riding with us now?"

"You'd make me ride over alone?" Justin asked.

"You're a big boy. You can handle it," Chelsea replied.

"Okay, look, I didn't wanna have to admit this, but D.J. has to ride with me because I'm scared of the dark," Justin said. "I need him to protect me."

"I don't think I'd be much good at protecting you with only one arm," Darren pointed out.

Justin's expression hardened. "Don't you ever say anything like that again, you hear me?"

A hush fell over their group. Ann and Gerald traded glances but stayed silent. Danni had never heard Justin sound so menacing. If she didn't know him, she would have been afraid of his harsh tone and the dangerous look in his eyes. Darren bit down on his lower lip and nodded.

The anger left Justin's eyes, and he wrapped a hand around the back of his brother's neck. "Come on, kiddo, let's go celebrate."

"I second that," Gerald said.

As the group began to move toward the gates, everyone they passed had something to say to Darren, especially the girls. A couple of the cheerleaders smiled at him and chorused, "Congratulations, Darren."

"Thanks," he answered.

"Hey, Darren," another girl said. "Glad you won homecoming king."

"Thanks."

"I'm so happy you won, Darren," a third one said.

"I love you, baby," Darren told Danni when another girl waved at him.

"Why?" Danni asked. "You could have any of those girls."

"Even if that was true, that's not what I want," he said. "I don't know of any other girl that would love me like you do."

"I'm sure one of those girls would be happy to try."

"I don't care. You're the only girl I want."

When they passed through the gates, Darren paused to give Danni a kiss. With everyone watching, he kept it short.

"See you guys over there," Justin said.

While he and Darren headed out the gates of the parking lot, Danni and her friends followed his parents to the opposite end. Trailing behind, Danni couldn't get Darren's words out of her head. _You're the only girl I want._

Did he really want her because he loved her that much, or was it something else? Was it fear of not finding anyone else that would look past his disability that made him hang on to her? As she stared down at the flowers in her hands, Danni couldn't be sure.

* * *

Justin and Darren were already at the restaurant by the time their parents arrived. Leaving the bouquet of roses on the seat, Danni ambled out of the car with her friends following. Darren smiled as he reached for her hand. She took a long look at him and realized she was right about the color of his dress shirt. It did wonders for his eyes. Darren Jacobs was still the hottest guy she'd ever been close to. Danni wished she could've had a more private celebration with him because she was desperate to suck on his lips and run her hands over his bare chest and tight stomach.

Gerald reached the door first. Though he held it open, Justin and Darren stood beside him and waited for all the women to enter before walking in behind them.

The hostess lit up when she spotted Justin. "Hey, Boss!"

"Kennedy, you don't have to call me that," Justin said. "Tonight I'm just a customer."

"A special customer." Kennedy winked at him before her eyes landed on Darren. "Oh my, God, that has to be your little brother. You guys have the exact same gorgeous face."

Justin grinned at her as he reached out to ruffle Darren's hair. "Yep, and he just won homecoming king."

"Oh, that's so cool," Kennedy said. "The banquet room's all ready. Do you want to head back there or wait for Sadie to show you to your seats?"

"We'll wait. I'm just a customer tonight, remember," Justin said.

"In that case, if you wouldn't mind stepping to the side, Sadie will be here shortly to show you to your table," Kennedy told them.

They didn't have time to step aside before Sadie appeared to lead them to their table. Like Kennedy, she dialed up the charm, but Danni wasn't sure if it was for Justin's benefit because he was the boss or because he was gorgeous. As they made their way through the restaurant, it was impossible to miss how many women checked him out.

Their party of seven was the smallest in the banquet room; the other two numbered more than ten people. With three chairs on either side of the table and one at the head, Danni wondered who would sit where. If she and Darren sat together, that left only one spot by them for either Chelsea or Marcy. Of course, she didn't think Chelsea would mind sitting on the opposite side as long as she ended up next to Justin.

"You sit at the head of the table, Darren," Ann said. "This is your party."

Darren shot a look at his brother that Danni couldn't read.

"I'll sit there, Mom," Justin offered. "Then D.J. can sit by Danni."

Danni smiled when Gerald moved to the opposite side of the table and pulled out Ann's chair.

"Where do we sit?" Marcy asked.

"I'm afraid one of you girls is going to have to sit over here on the old folks' side of the table," Gerald said.

"I'll do it if you promise to tell me the story of how you and Mrs. Jacobs met," Chelsea said and then added, "The real story."

Gerald smiled at her. "It's a deal, young lady."

Darren sat down opposite Chelsea at the end of the table. Danni sat between him and Marcy, who ended up on Justin's right, which probably made Chelsea regret agreeing to sit next to Gerald.

The waitress who came to take their drink orders broke into a wide smile at the sight of Justin. "Hey, Boss, aren't you sick of this place?"

"I'm not your boss tonight, Camille," he replied.

"Okay, Boss," she laughed. "Can I get everyone something to drink while you look over the menu?"

Camille started with Justin and worked her way around the table. When she came to Darren, her eyes widened. Justin frowned as she took in his brother's empty sleeve.

"Can I, um, have a Dr. Pepper?" Darren asked.

"Sure thing, sweetness," Camille answered before moving on to take Danni and Marcy's requests.

"I hate it when stuff like that happens," Darren said.

"I know," Danni said.

"Maybe I should've sat on the other side of you."

"Why?"

"I can't hold your hand on this side."

"Sure you can," Danni said, holding out her left hand.

Darren smiled as he stretched his hand toward hers. As she grinned back, Danni still couldn't believe she was sitting beside the hottest guy in school. No matter how many times she looked into them, she was always amazed by his eyes. It wasn't just that they were the bluest she had ever seen, but they had a depth she'd never noticed until she had the chance to get up close to him. Once again, she found herself wishing they were alone so she could pepper his perfect face with kisses. That wasn't all she wanted to do to him, but it was all she dared to think about.

"What are you thinking about?" Darren asked.

Ignoring the heat in her face, Danni let her hand drop to his lap. Without taking her eyes off of his, she slid her hand up the inside of his thigh. Darren drew in a shaky breath as he shifted in his seat.

"You know, I never noticed how huge your thighs are," Danni said softly, and Darren smirked as he raised his eyebrows. "I don't mean fat. I mean muscular."

"It's from all the time I spent catching. You have to have strong quads and hammies if you're gonna hang for nine innings," Darren explained.

Danni furrowed her brow. "What's a hammie?"

He laughed. "Sorry, it's short for hamstring."

"Didn't your legs ever get sore from having to play for that long?"

Darren shrugged. "When I was little and I was first learning to play, but after I got the hang of it, I was fine. Besides, if you've ever noticed, catchers come out of the crouch any chance they can."

"There's something I always wondered."

"What's that?"

"A couple of times when I saw you play, you'd get up and run over to talk to the pitcher," Danni said. "I always wondered what you guys were talking about."

Darren grinned at her. "Depends on what was going on. Most of the time it was about the game, like making sure we had the signs straight or talking about a disagreement over the pitch he should throw."

"You totally lost me with most of that."

"Catchers use hand signals to tell the pitcher what pitch to throw," he explained. "Those are signs."

"How come the pitcher can't just throw what he wants?"

"If he does that the catcher won't know what's coming at him, and trust me when I say you don't want a ninety mile an hour fast ball coming at your nuts if you're not ready for it, cup or no cup."

Danni hadn't realized baseball was such a complicated game. Maybe she wasn't giving the jocks enough credit. They would have to be somewhat smart to be able to keep the rules and signs straight. She wondered if that was why the jocks she knew all sucked at school; their heads were too full of sports rules to make room for anything else.

While Danni was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of jocks being smart, Camille came to give them their drinks. Instead of taking their orders afterward, she disappeared. Seconds later, she was back with baskets of dinner rolls; one for each end of the table.

"Okay, did you want some appetizers to start, or are you ready to order?" Camille asked.

Justin looked down the table at Darren. "It's your party, D.J. What do you want?"

"We can just order dinner," Darren answered.

"You heard the man," Justin said.

As with their drink orders, Camille started at Justin's end of the table and worked her way around. Danni pulled two rolls from the basket in front of her.

Darren's eyebrows shot up. "Hungry?"

"I'm not going to eat both of them. One's for you."

"You don't have—"

"Please just stop," Danni said. "I know you don't like people doing things for you, but you're just going to have to deal with the fact that you can't do everything."

"Isn't that what I was doing when I had you jerk me off?" Darren whispered in her ear.

Danni's face warmed again, and Darren grinned as she concentrated on buttering the rolls in front of her.

Camille appeared behind them. "What can I get you?"

"I'll just take the steak and chicken combo with the baked potato," Darren said.

Danni smiled. "Hungry?"

"How do you want the steak?" Camille asked.

"Medium well is fine," he said.

"Soup or salad?"

"Salad with ranch dressing."

Camille's eyes drifted toward Darren's missing arm. "Did you, um, need us to cut the steak and chicken into pieces for you?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Danni burst out while Darren's face flushed.

Everyone at the table stopped talking and turned to stare at her.

Danni glared up at Camille. "Look, just bring him the food like you would for anyone else. Oh, and I'll have the exact same thing he's having."

The waitress refused to meet Danni's eyes as she walked down the table to take Marcy's order before scurrying away. In the silence she left behind, Danni finally had time to realize she'd just dropped an F-bomb in front of Darren's whole family.

"So, um, who do you think won the game?" Marcy asked.

Danni would have smiled at her friend's feeble attempt to break the tension if she hadn't been so worried about facing Darren's parents.

"Probably not Taft," Justin said. "They fucking suck."

Danni's eyes widened, but Gerald smiled. "They're not that fucking bad," he said. "They played some pretty good D tonight."

Justin laughed. "Hey, D.J., you hear this? Dad says they played pretty good D."

"Hey now, I know a thing or two about football," Gerald protested.

Just like that, the conversation returned to normal. When Danni flashed a grateful smile in Justin's direction, he winked back.

"Danni," Darren said, and she turned to face him.

"I'm really sorry about that," Danni said. "I didn't mean to say the F-word in front of your parents."

Darren leaned forward until his face was inches from hers. "Thanks, baby. Thanks a fucking lot," he said and then brought his lips down on hers.

* * *

"I can't believe how much I ate," Chelsea groaned as she gripped her stomach.

Despite the little hiccup at the beginning of the meal, they all had a good time at dinner, even with the waitress going out of her way to make sure she didn't stare at Darren or his missing arm. There was a lot Danni wanted to say to her, but she didn't want to make things worse with Darren's parents who had already overlooked her foul mouthed slip.

"I guess that means you don't want dessert," Gerald said.

"I don't think I could eat anything else if I tried," Chelsea replied.

"Me either," Marcy agreed.

When Camille came back to deliver the check, she placed it in front of Gerald. "Will there be anything else?"

Gerald gave her a kind smile. "No, thank you, dear. We're just fine. Thanks for the wonderful service."

The waitress beamed at him while Danni frowned. Treating Darren as if he had some contagious disease didn't qualify as 'wonderful service' in her book.

"I'll take care of that, Dad," Justin offered.

"You don't have to do that," Gerald said.

"It's cool. Besides, I can't use my discount if you pay."

Camille plucked the check from the table and gave it to Justin. Though he smiled at her, Danni sensed a coldness lurking behind it. When he pulled the money from his wallet, she fought the urge to ask him not to leave a tip.

"All right then," Ann said. "Are you girls ready to go?"

"I can drive them home, Mom," Justin said, and Chelsea's eyes lit up.

"Oh, honey, you don't have to go to that trouble."

Justin laughed. "I have to go home anyway."

"That's right," Ann said, turning to Danni. "You don't mind, do you?"

"It's fine with me," Danni replied.

Everyone rose to their feet and moved toward the exit. As they walked, it was hard to miss the number of people who stared at Darren. Some of them even had the nerve to whisper something, and they weren't bothering to hide it. Danni pressed her lips together to keep from screaming more obscenities as they filed out of the restaurant.

"Damn, it got cold out here," Justin said when they stepped out into the night air.

Ann and Gerald said their goodbyes at the front door, and then Darren walked the rest of the group to Justin's car. While Danni paused to give him a kiss, her friends crawled into the back seat of the Camaro.

"Call you tomorrow," Darren told her. "Love you, baby."

"Love you too, sweetheart," Justin answered before he slid behind the wheel.

Danni shook her head. "I love you too."

Darren waited until she was inside the car before closing the door behind her.

"Thanks for driving us home, Justin," Chelsea said.

"It's no problem," he replied. "Of course, it might help if I knew where I was going."

"Oh, sorry," Danni said, giggling. "Take this street to First and make a right, then take that up to Friant Road and follow the curve until you get to Copper Ridge, and it's the third house on the left."

Justin whistled. "Those are nice houses. Your mom must be a pretty good lawyer to afford a place over there."

"Actually, my parents bought it right after they got married and she got it in the divorce," Danni said.

"Thanks for dinner," Chelsea interjected. "It was really good."

"Yeah, no problem," Justin said. "Listen, Danni, thanks for what you did for D.J. at dinner. Stuff like that is the hardest part of this for him."

"Thanks for covering for me when I dropped an F-bomb in front of your parents," Danni replied.

"That was funny as hell." Justin laughed again. "Don't take this the wrong way, but it shattered my image of you. I thought you were this sweet, innocent little girl, and then you go and drop an F-bomb on my poor, unsuspecting parents. I don't know how they'll get over it."

Danni's heartbeat quickened. "How mad do you think they are?"

"I don't think they're mad at all," Justin assured her. "Tonight was good. I think it might help D.J. feel a little better about himself and really start to move on."

"I hope so," Danni agreed.

When Justin stopped in front of her house, Danni got out of the car first and pulled the seat forward for her friends to climb out. "Thanks for the ride," she said. "Later, J.J."

"Later, Danni," Justin echoed.

As the girls got closer to the front door of the house, the motion sensor activated the porch light. Danni fished her keys from her purse and let them all inside. It wasn't until she closed the door behind them that she heard the roar of Justin's Camaro engine fading away, and Danni smiled. She hadn't realized he was waiting to make sure they were inside before speeding off.

Once the girls were in Danni's room, they searched for their pajamas and took turns in the bathroom where they changed and brushed their teeth. Danni went first so that she could gather some blankets and pillows from the linen closet and arrange them on the floor. After they'd all changed and washed up, they settled on the floor.

"That was the best meal I've had in forever, and Darren's dad is freaking hilarious," Chelsea said.

"It was good," Marcy agreed.

"I'm just glad we had something to celebrate," Danni said. "It would've sucked if Darren lost."

"Yeah, it would have, especially if that asshole Spencer had won," Chelsea said. "No offense, but I thought Darren was gonna lose it there for a second."

"He did look a little freaked out," Marcy said.

"A little freaked out?" Chelsea repeated. "The guy just stood there staring into space for like two minutes. I thought I might have to scream 'I wanna have your baby' again."

Danni laughed. "I thought that was you this afternoon!"

Chelsea shrugged. "I wasn't serious. I was just trying to make him feel better with a little joke."

Danni smiled. "That was really sweet in your warped way."

"It was really sweet what Darren said about you in his speech and how he gave you those roses," Marcy said.

"Oh no!" Danni cried. "I left the flowers in his dad's car."

"Relax, his mom will probably take care of them for you," Chelsea said.

"I'm not worried about that. I don't want Darren to think I don't care that much about them," Danni explained.

Chelsea snorted. "Please! You did hear his speech, right? The guy is totally in love with you. You can do no wrong in the eyes of Darren Jacobs."

Maybe, but she still felt terrible. Not because she worried that he'd think she didn't care about the flowers but because she was afraid of him reading too much into the slip.

# Chapter Nineteen

None of the girls were in a hurry to get up on Saturday morning. By the time they rolled out of bed, it was after ten in the morning.

"I'm starving," Chelsea announced.

Danni stood up. "What are we waiting for then?"

"I'm not going anywhere until I've prepared," Marcy said.

Chelsea frowned at her. "Prepared for what?"

"For the possibility of running into Nick," Marcy explained.

"What time is it?" Danni asked, and answered the question herself with a glance at the clock on her night stand. "I doubt he's even here. He's probably at the gym or something."

"You can stay here and prepare if you want, but I'm going to find something to eat," Chelsea insisted.

"Fine, I'm coming," Marcy said, following the words with a sigh.

The girls padded down the stairs, and Danni stopped short when they entered the kitchen. Not only was Nick home, but he was bent over the open refrigerator wearing nothing but a pair of loose fitting boxers.

"Do you have to walk around here like that?" Danni demanded.

Nick grinned as he turned to face them. Rather than being ashamed to find three girls standing behind him, he widened his stupid looking grin. Danni grimaced. The view from the front was even more revealing than it had been from the back.

"I thought you died up there," Nick joked.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Danni retorted.

"I'm not that bad," Nick said. "Besides, if you did die, Mom would blame me."

"She'd have to come home for that," Danni said.

Nick laughed. "True. Anyway, I'll catch you later."

"Later," Danni echoed as Nick slid past them.

Marcy shot an accusing look in Chelsea's direction. "Remind me never to listen to you again."

"Relax," Chelsea said. "He didn't even notice you."

"I know, just like you know Justin Jacobs never notices you," Marcy shot back.

"Anybody want orange juice?" Danni changed the subject.

Though neither girl answered, Danni filled three glasses with juice and took them to the table. Chelsea wrinkled her nose when Danni pulled a packet of cream cheese from the refrigerator before retrieving a bag of bagels from the bread box.

"What's wrong?" Danni said. "I thought you liked bagels and cream cheese."

"Don't you have anything less fattening?" Chelsea asked.

"Why? It's not like you have to watch what you eat for Justin Jacobs," Marcy said.

"At least Justin knows my name," Chelsea said. "Nick doesn't even know you're alive."

Danni heaved an exasperated sigh. "Would you two please stop? It's not like either of you have a chance with these guys."

"Why not?" Marcy asked. "You never thought you had a chance with Darren, and now you're like the world's most perfect couple."

"Yeah, because he lost his arm and got desperate," Chelsea said.

Danni drew in a sharp breath while Marcy's jaw hit her chest. A blush lit up Chelsea's cheeks. The dead silence in the room only amplified the ticking of the clock on the wall.

"I'm so sorry," Chelsea said. "That was a shitty thing to say, and I'm the most horrible friend in the world. Go ahead and slap me. I deserve it."

"I don't want to slap you," Danni said.

"Okay, look, the truth is I've been taking bitch lessons from Whitney," Chelsea continued. "Anyway, I think I'm gonna have to cancel the lessons 'cause I'm getting way too good."

Danni finally cracked a smile. Chelsea always had the funniest way of putting things. Besides, it was impossible to stay mad at her best friends.

After breakfast, which Chelsea ate without further complaint, the girls walked up the stairs to Danni's room. Even though they hadn't seen Nick for the last hour, Marcy wasn't taking any chances on running into him again until she dressed and fixed her hair. When Danni pushed open the door of her bedroom, they were greeted by the ringing of her cell phone.

Chelsea smirked at Marcy. "I'll bet you a hundred bucks that's Darren calling."

"That's kind of a dumb bet to make since no one else ever calls her," Marcy said.

"Hey!" Danni said as she snagged the phone from the night stand.

"Nobody calls you besides us I mean," Marcy corrected herself.

"Hey, baby," Darren said when Danni put the phone to her ear.

"Hey yourself," she replied. "What's up?"

"Are you busy today?" Darren asked.

Danni looked over at her friends. "Why?"

"I could use some help with that paper I have to do about the accident. I thought maybe you could write it if I tell you what to say."

"Give me like five minutes and I'll call you back."

"Cool, love you."

"Love you too," Danni echoed and then set her phone aside.

Chelsea and Marcy traded knowing glances.

"Why do I get the feeling we're about to be ditched for Darren?" Chelsea asked.

"It's for a good reason," Danni said. "He needs help with some homework that's due Monday."

Chelsea raised her eyebrows. "And his parents can't help him with that?"

Danni shrugged. "I don't know."

"We see how it is," Chelsea said, smiling at her. "Darren's more important than us."

"That's not true," Danni replied, but the words sounded like a lie, even to her own ears.

"Yeah, okay." Chelsea looked at Marcy. "So, you think we should make this easy for her, or should we lay on the guilt?"

Marcy smiled. "Lay on the guilt all the way."

Chelsea laughed. "How can you do this to us, Danni? We're supposed to be your best friends and you're bailing on us to hang out with your boyfriend again. Whatever happened to sisters before misters?"

Danni giggled. "What if I promise to make it up to you?"

"How?" Marcy asked.

"I'll buy us pizza tonight," Danni offered.

"I like pizza," Chelsea said. "What do you think, Marcy?"

"Yeah, I'm good with free pizza," Marcy agreed. "You can just drop us off at my house on the way to Darren's, and I'll get my mom to drive us back at six."

Chelsea gave her friend a sly smile. "That'll give you plenty of time to help Darren get his _homework_ done."

Danni stuck out her tongue at them as she plucked her phone from the night stand once again to call Darren. "Okay, I'm good to go," she said when he answered. "I just need to shower and change and then drop off Marcy and Chelsea so it'll be like an hour before I get there. Is that cool?"

Darren groaned. "You have no idea what you're doing right now, do you?"

Danni furrowed her brow. "I don't even know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about you giving me that image of you in the shower."

"Oh, I, uh, didn't mean to."

"Are you blushing, Danni?"

"I'm sure you know the answer to that. I'll see you soon."

"Okay, baby, I love you."

"Love you too," Danni said.

The thought of him picturing her in the shower made Danni's stomach tingle. It reminded her of how she felt the first time she touched him. Ignoring the sly smiles of her friends, Danni hopped from her bed and darted into the safety of the bathroom.

* * *

Just after twelve, Danni made it to Darren's house.

He gave her a big smile when he opened the front door. "Hey, did you have lunch?"

"No, but I had a late breakfast," she replied. "We can eat later if we get hungry."

"Okay," Darren said and stepped aside to let her in.

"Where are your parents?"

"They went to do some shopping and then visit my grandparents."

"You mean your mom left us alone in the house?"

"Yeah, because my dad made her."

"Where do we want to do this?" Danni asked and then turned red as she realized how that sounded.

"Family room is fine," Darren said, grinning.

After they settled on the couch, Danni reached into her backpack for a notebook and pen. The way Darren fixed his penetrating, blue eyes on her it felt like he was trying to use them to pull her toward him. Leaning across the couch, she kissed him. Danni's notebook and pen slid to the floor as she crawled into Darren's lap and began kissing him while her hands explored his body. He groaned when she took his hand and slid it under her shirt.

Breaking away, Danni rested her forehead against his. "I don't think we'll get any work done this way."

"We could get even more done," Darren replied with a grin.

She laughed. "I don't think your parents would buy that."

"My dad might."

"That still leaves your mom." Danni climbed off Darren's lap and retrieved her notebook and pen from the floor. "Anyway, I thought I'd write this now and take it home to type it."

Darren's eyebrows shot up. "You wouldn't mind doing that?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I did," she said. "Okay, so how did the accident change your life?"

"Let's see," he replied, and Danni heard the sarcasm lurking in his tone. "I lost my arm and one of my best friends. I can't draw or play baseball or tie my shoes or zip my pants. Oh yeah, and everyone calls me the one-armed man behind my back."

"I don't think that's what they're looking for."

"I know. It's just not an easy question to answer," he admitted. "It means I have to face some things I've kind of been avoiding."

"Like what?" Danni asked.

"Okay, I'll start slow. The accident changed my relationship with my brother. We've always been close, but after that I understood it even more."

"What do you mean?"

"J.J. is the one who told me I lost my arm," Darren said.

Danni's eyes widened. "I didn't know that."

"I was in I.C.U. for over a week," Darren began. "When I came out of there, I got moved down to the fifth floor. I'd been in and out but never awake. When I woke up for real, I got scared because I didn't remember what happened, and I wasn't sure where I was. That's when Justin told me about the car accident and all these images rushed back to me, and I remembered my arm being gone. I started to look, but J.J. wouldn't let me until he told me the doctors hadn't been able to save it.

"When I looked down and saw this stump covered in bloody bandages, I just started puking. One of the nurses came in and offered to help, but Justin asked her to leave. He grabbed the plastic tub and held it under me while I puked. Afterward, he cleaned me up and helped me change. Then he looked me right in the eye and promised he'd take care of me and I'd be okay. That's when it hit me just how much he loved me."

Danni forgot she was supposed to be writing down what Darren said. She could only stare at him as she tried to imagine him and Justin going through all of that. It must have been awful for Justin to tell his brother he'd lost his arm and then have to watch his reaction. Though she didn't always get along with Nick, she would never want to see him suffer that way.

"You okay?" Darren asked.

"Sorry," she said and scratched out a few notes. "What else?"

"It also made me closer to my parents," Darren said. "I think we all realized how much we mean to each other. We laugh a lot more now, and even my dad tells me he loves me."

"Anything else?"

"I met you," Darren said. "I remember when J.J. told me you came to the hospital. It freaked me out that you'd seen me like that. It took me a couple of days to get the guts to ask him if you said anything about my arm, and he said you told him it scared you at first but not enough to keep you away. Anyway, when you kept visiting, I hoped you liked me, but I didn't think a girl as pretty as you would want to date me."

"How could you like me?" Danni asked. "I hadn't even been around that long."

"I know, but that was just it," Darren answered. "You sat beside me and held my hand and made me feel like I might be able to have a normal life again. I knew that first day you kissed me that I'd never kiss another girl again. I knew I loved you and could trust you. And when all this embarrassing and bad stuff started happening, you kept telling me you loved me and I could do it. You didn't do it for me, but you made me think I could. You're the reason I went back to school even though it scared me to death and I was still hurting from the surgery. I knew I could do it because you'd be there for me."

"You always say the sweetest things." Danni sighed. "Sometimes I feel like I'm dreaming. I can't believe Darren Jacobs loves me."

"Believe it," he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

"That seems like the good things," Danni said as she scanned her notes. "What about the bad stuff?"

"I lost all my old friends," Darren replied. "I kept waiting for Spence to apologize, but he never said anything, and it hurt a lot. It made me understand just how much I had lost."

"What did you lose?"

"Everything that made me who I am," he said. "I used to be this hotshot baseball player and this sensitive artist and the guy all the girls wanted. When I lost my arm I lost all that, and I learned how cruel people can be. Before the accident, everyone wanted to know me and be my friend, and on my first day back at school everyone kept sidestepping me like I scared them or something."

Danni nodded. "That might get easier to handle."

"Maybe," Darren replied. "It's not just that though. I lost my dignity. Do you have any idea what it's like to be a seventeen-year-old guy whose mom has to button his pants and tie his shoes? It sucks, and it sucks to have to ask my girlfriend to sneak into the bathroom and help me button my pants. It sucks to have teachers offering to help me and make it easier for me and remind everyone what I am. I hate dreaming of playing ball and holding you in my arms just to wake up and find I'm still a freak."

"You're not a freak."

"Yes, I am. I'm the one-armed man and I hate it," Darren said. "I'd give anything to go back to that night and change everything."

"What if you could trade our relationship for the chance to go back and get your arm back, would you do it?" Danni asked.

"Yes," Darren whispered.

"I would too because I love you that much." She stood up and grabbed her backpack. "I'll have your paper finished by Monday."

"Danni, please wait," Darren said.

He tried to catch her hand, but she stepped beyond his reach. Danni hurried toward the front door. Just as she threw it open, she ran straight into Darren's parents. With a mumbled apology, she tried to push past them.

"Danni, are you all right?" Ann asked.

"I'm fine," Danni lied without looking at her. "I just have to go."

"Danni," Darren called from behind her.

He placed his hand on her shoulder, but Danni shook him off. "See you Monday," she said, breaking free.

With tears blurring her vision, Danni struggled to see out her windshield as she made the drive home. Instinct guided her in the right direction. For the first time in her life she wanted to talk to her mom, but she couldn't. Even on Saturdays her mom couldn't make time to be around.

At home, in the solitude of her bedroom, Danni flung herself onto her bed. As soon as she did, her phone rang. Retrieving it from her purse, she saw Darren's number on the screen. Instead of answering it, she let her voice mail take his call before turning off the phone. Danni didn't want to hear his excuses and fake apologies, not now and maybe not ever. She crawled under the covers and pulled them over her head. Sometimes she hated Darren Jacobs' brutal honesty.

* * *

"How do you like that, Marcy?" Chelsea asked.

"Maybe we should just go," Marcy said.

"She knew we'd be coming. I think we should wake her up by pouring a bucket of water on her," Chelsea suggested.

Danni heard their voices as if from a great distance and it took a few minutes for her to remember they made plans for pizza night. "What time is it?" she asked as she cracked her eyes open.

"Almost six," Marcy answered.

"How'd you get in?" Danni tried to stretch the sleep from her body.

"Nick let us in," Chelsea said. "Good thing we caught him on the way out, or we would've been out there all night."

"Sorry. I guess I fell asleep," Danni said.

Marcy laughed. "No kidding."

"I guess you and Darren had a tiring afternoon," Chelsea joked.

"Did you guys eat yet?" Danni changed the subject. "I'm starving."

Chelsea smirked. "Worked up an appetite, huh?" she asked and Marcy giggled.

"No, all I've eaten today is a bagel," Danni told them. "Let's order pizza."

"Pizza sounds great," Chelsea agreed. "And while we're waiting for it to get here you can tell us about the fight you had with Darren."

Danni shrugged. "Who says we had a fight?"

She grabbed her cell phone and frowned when she turned it on. In the past few hours, Darren had blown up her phone with voice mail and text messages. Without bothering to check any of them, she called in the pizza order.

Chelsea waited until Danni turned off her phone before she spoke again. "If you and Darren didn't have a fight then why are you sleeping in the middle of the day?"

"We didn't have a fight. I asked a question and he gave me an answer I didn't want to hear," Danni admitted.

Marcy frowned. "What did you ask him?"

"If he'd trade our relationship for the chance to get his arm back," Danni replied.

"And he said yes?" Marcy gasped.

"Of course he said yes," Chelsea said. "You can't blame him. His life was a whole lot easier before the accident."

"I don't blame him," Danni said, fighting fresh tears. "The thing is I would too. If I could, I'd give him up to give him back his arm."

"Why would you even ask him that?" Chelsea asked.

"To make up the month of school he missed, he has to do a paper about the accident and I was helping him with it," Danni explained. "Anyway, we started with the good and went to the bad. He said he'd give anything to go back to that night and make everything that happened since then go away. That's when I asked him if he'd trade us for that chance and he said yes."

"That sucks, but it wasn't fair," Chelsea said. "He couldn't be honest. If he said no, you wouldn't have believed him. If he said yes, you'd end up depressed in a dark room."

"I know," Danni conceded. "I don't even know why I asked. I don't know why I can't be happy with what we have now and stop second guessing it."

"No offense, but I've kind of wondered how you can handle dating him," Marcy said.

"What are you talking about?" Danni said. "Darren is a great boyfriend."

"How so?" Marcy asked. "Everyone makes fun of him behind his back, which means they're making fun of you."

"Well _everyone_ should mind their own business," Danni retorted.

"Come on, Danni, be honest," Chelsea said. "Darren isn't the same guy you fell in love with all those years ago. He's always picking fights with you and expecting you to do things for him. He can't play ball or draw or drive. He can't even write his own name."

"Darren _is_ the same guy I fell in love with," Danni insisted. "Four years ago I didn't know anything but his name and his position on the baseball team. That was a crush, and this is love."

A heavy silence settled between them. Danni regretted telling them the truth. She'd never be able to change their minds about Darren. Every time something went wrong in the relationship, her friends would always be there to remind her of what a stuck-up jock he used to be. It wouldn't matter how nice he'd been all the times since then. They'd always be hung up on that one thing.

Chelsea frowned when the doorbell rang. "Since when is Domino's that fast? It hasn't even been half an hour."

"Maybe it's not the pizza guy," Marcy said. "Maybe it's a murderer."

Danni gave in to a smile. "Do murderers ring the doorbell first?"

"Some do," Marcy said.

"Then come with me if you're so worried," Danni suggested.

With her friends on her heels, Danni trotted down the stairs to answer the door. Instead of finding the pizza delivery man on the other side, she found herself face to face with the roses she'd left in Ann and Gerald's car the night before.

"Darren?" Danni asked.

Darren lowered the bouquet. Like the flowers, his face was a soft shade of red. "I, uh, thought you'd be alone. I tried to call, but you didn't answer."

"How did you get here?"

"I drove."

"You drove? Why would you do that?"

"I'd do anything to prove how much I love you," Darren said. "This thing with you and me is real, more real than anything my parents had when they were our age."

"I guess he is a great boyfriend," Marcy spoke up.

"Yeah, he's not bad," Danni said. "I think I might keep him."

Darren smiled as he held the flowers toward her. "Then would you mind taking these? They're kind of heavy for a guy with one arm."

Danni rescued the flowers from his grasp. "I'm sorry. Did you want to come in and have some pizza with us? It should be here soon."

"No, it's okay. Just walk me to my car."

"I'll be right back," Danni told her friends.

Instead of going back into the house, Chelsea and Marcy remained standing on the threshold. Danni ignored their knowing looks as she followed Darren to his car.

"I can't believe you drove over here for me," Danni said.

"It was hard." Darren leaned against the car and snaked his arm around Danni's waist. "I needed to see you. I thought I'd lost you."

"You didn't. I shouldn't have asked you that question."

"I wouldn't trade us for the chance to have my arm back."

"You don't have to say that."

"It's the truth," Darren insisted. "My dad and I talked about it after you left, and he made me realize I gave you the easy answer instead of the truthful one."

"I don't understand what that means."

"When I lost my arm, I thought I lost who I was, but I didn't. I found the real me and my life with you."

"Are you sure?" Danni asked.

"I'm sure. Someday you'll be sure too."

"I'm sure now, D.J."

"You know, if you and I get married we'll have the same initials, and I can call you D.J. too."

Danni laughed as she tilted her head back to look up at him. "Yeah, like you really want to marry me."

"Why not?"

"What about college?"

"You can go to college. I'll wait."

"Don't you want to go to college?"

"I don't know," Darren replied. "I always thought I'd hitch a ride with baseball and study art."

"So, study art without playing baseball," Danni suggested.

"Why? It's not like I can draw anymore."

Danni laughed again. "Okay, then you can stay home and watch the kids, and I'll be a successful lawyer or doctor or something."

Darren glanced down at his missing arm. "I don't know if I can handle kids by myself."

"You should stop underestimating yourself. Just because you can't do things now doesn't mean you won't ever do them," Danni said. "Maybe they're not the things you thought you wanted to do, but you never know, they might be better."

Darren smiled. "Okay, I'll stop underestimating myself on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You have to promise to stay with me forever."

"It's a promise," Danni answered as she stood on tiptoes to kiss him.

# Chapter Twenty

On Monday morning Danni met up with Darren and the rest of their friends in front of the school. "Here's your paper," she said, handing him a folder. "There's four copies in there; one for each of your teachers."

Darren gave her a kiss as he reached for her hand. "Thanks, baby."

"Gee, Danni, I have some papers I could use typed up," Chelsea joked. "Would you mind doing them for me?"

"Maybe if you only had one arm," Danni answered, and Darren grinned at her while Marcy's eyes widened.

"That doesn't bother you?" Marcy asked him.

"No, what bothers me is people acting like they're afraid of me or that they don't see me," he replied.

"That makes sense," Chelsea said. "By the way, did I hear you use the M word on Saturday night?"

Darren frowned. "The M word?"

"Yeah, as in marriage."

"No clue what you're talking about."

Chelsea laughed. "Yeah, right."

"Saved by the bell," Danni said as the first one of the day rang.

"I'll call you later," Darren said, giving her a quick kiss before they all split up.

* * *

When she walked out of sociology class, Danni already had her phone in her hand in anticipation of Darren's usual call. As she rounded the corner, she skidded to a stop. Darren stood outside their English class surrounded by a group of smiling girls.

"It's so cool that you won homecoming king, Darren," Annabel told him.

"Thanks," he replied.

"How come you didn't go to the dance?" Jade asked, and Darren shrugged. "You should have. It was totally fun."

"Yeah, it was, and I wanted to dance with you."

That came from Tara Roth. Like Annabel and Jade, she was a long time admirer of Darren's.

"Thanks, but I have a girlfriend," Darren said.

"That's sweet," Tara said.

"And it's so cool you won homecoming king, even if you do only have one arm now," Jade added.

Danni sucked in her breath. When Darren's face began to redden all three girls backed off.

"I, um, didn't mean that the way it sounded," Jade said.

Danni pushed her way into the middle of the group of admirers. Without even saying hello, she stood on tiptoes to press her lips against Darren's. He slid his arm around her waist while she wound her arms around his neck. As he pulled her tighter against him, his tongue swept into her mouth. Danni forgot all about the other girls as she returned his kiss. When they finally broke apart, Darren kept a tight grip on her. Though he smiled as he rested his forehead against hers, Danni could read the hurt in his eyes.

"You okay?" she asked.

"I am now that you're here," Darren said. "It just sucks, you know. It's like no matter what happens, I'll never be good enough ever again."

Danni moved her hand to his cheek. "You'll always be good enough for me, no matter what."

"That's why I love you," he said, bringing his lips to meet hers once more.

The tardy bell rang, but neither of them made a move to go inside. Danni didn't care if she was late to class or not. All she cared about was being with Darren.

* * *

A difficult test kept Danni from getting out of her fourth period class on time. If she didn't hurry, she was going to be late meeting her friends for lunch.

_Better call Darren_ , she thought as she dipped her head inside her purse in search of her cell phone.

Like almost everything else when she wanted to find it, the phone lay at the bottom. When she came up with it, she came face to face with Spencer Collins. Danni tried to sidestep him, but he moved with her to keep her from getting by.

"What do you want?" Danni dropped her phone back into her purse.

"To talk to you," Spencer replied.

"What makes you think I want to talk to you? Besides, are you sure you want to be seen with an ugly ass bitch like me?"

"I didn't mean that."

"If that's an apology, it's a pretty bad one."

"I'm sorry I said those things," Spencer said. "The truth is it freaked me out to see Darren."

"You're not making any sense."

"The thing is me and Darren have been best friends since seventh grade."

"Oh, so that's why you ditched him after the accident?" Danni asked.

"I didn't want to face him yet," Spencer said, dropping his gaze. "It's my fault he lost his arm and I couldn't take hearing him say that."

"Why are you telling me this anyway?"

"I wanted to know if you thought he'd be my friend again. I miss him, Danielle," Spencer admitted.

"It's Danni," she said, and Spencer frowned at her. "My name is Danni, not Danielle."

"Oh, uh, sorry about that. So, do you think there's a chance?"

"I think you should ask him," Danni said, stepping around him.

As she headed to the front of the school to meet her friends, Danni could not believe Spencer Collins. Besides the horrible things he said about her, the guy dumped his best friend when he needed him most and now he wanted to act like none of it ever happened.

Danni grimaced when the tinkling of Whitney's fake laugh floated toward her. Just a few steps ahead, Whitney stood arm in arm with Garrett. As usual, the two of them were surrounded by the rest of the cheerleader and football drones.

"Hey!" Whitney called as Danni tried to slide past them without being seen. "Hey, Darren's girlfriend!"

Danni took a deep breath as she turned to face the group. The giggling of their friends didn't worry her as much as the calculated way Whitney appraised her. It was as if she was the lion plotting her attack on Danni, the baby gazelle.

"Tell Darren I said congratulations on winning homecoming king," Whitney said.

Danni's eyes widened. "Um, okay, sure."

"Of course, we all know the only reason he beat Garrett is because the whole school feels sorry for him because he's a crippled freak now," Whitney added.

Something snapped inside of Danni. Maybe it was because she was still seething about her encounter with Spencer, but her body reacted before her mind could intervene. In one quick motion she gave in to every fantasy she'd ever had and slapped Whitney Wheeler across her face.

"You bitch!" Whitney cried as she lunged for Danni.

Both girls grabbed for a clump of the other's hair with one hand while trying to punch each other with the other. A tight circle of amped up students chanting the word 'fight' formed around them. Months and maybe even years of frustration left Danni as she jerked on Whitney's hair while trying to turn her face into road kill.

Every insult Whitney ever said danced in her mind. _Doesn't it feel weird when he's hugging you with only one arm?_ Slap! _This is Darren's much older, much hotter brother_. Wham! _I think you've got the wrong room. The triple D club doesn't meet here. You know, dorks dating the disabled_. Take that, bitch!

A rough hand suddenly seized her by the shoulder. "That's enough!"

Though they stopped fighting, neither girl was willing to let go of the other.

"Let go of each other this instant," Mr. Morgan ordered.

Danni resisted the urge to give Whitney's hair one final tug before letting go. Even after she disentangled her fingers, several strawberry scented strands were still wound around them.

"Get your things," Mr. Morgan said. "You're coming with me."

The vice-principal's tight hold on Danni's upper arm made it difficult for her to retrieve her things, but he didn't seem interested in making things easier. If anything, his punishing grasp told the tale of things to come. As he led them toward the office, murmurs of excitement rippled through the crowd that was slow to disperse. Other than her and Whitney's names, Danni couldn't make out what they were saying.

No longer in the thick of battle, Danni's face began to throb and she wondered how bad she looked. The vice-principal's bulky body wedged between them made it impossible for her to see if she had managed to do any damage to Whitney. When they reached the office, Mr. Morgan had no choice but to let go of the girls so he could open the door. The minute they were inside, he ushered them toward the line of chairs outside Mrs. Jensen's office.

"You sit there," Mr. Morgan told Danni. Then he turned to Whitney and pointed to an empty space two chairs away. "And you sit there."

The girls glared at each other as they slumped into their chairs. While Mr. Morgan unhooked the walkie-talkie from his belt, Danni took a good look at her opponent. It was almost impossible to hide her smirk at the sight of Whitney's hair sticking up in all directions. Even better were the fat, bloody lip and bright red finger marks crisscrossed on both of her cheeks.

Mr. Morgan returned his radio to his hip and didn't speak as he stood between the girls, keeping a close watch on them. Either he thought they were going to make a run for it or else finish what they started.

While they waited for Mrs. Jensen, Danni's cell phone rang. Though she had it set to vibrate, the buzzing sound echoed in the cluttered depths of her purse. She itched to answer it but knew better.

"Don't even think about taking that call," Mr. Morgan said, and Danni bit her tongue to keep her sarcastic comeback in check.

The doors of the office opened. A grim look was set on the principal's face as she strode forward. Mrs. Jensen paused when her eyes fixed on Danni. She was pretty sure she knew what Mrs. Jensen was thinking. Danni ending up in the office after being caught in the bathroom with Darren was probably the last time Mrs. Jensen expected to see her in any trouble.

Danni thought the same thing, but she wasn't sorry to be there. Even though she knew she was going to be in big trouble, both with the school and her mom, it was worth it to pound Whitney into the pavement.

Mrs. Jensen heaved a sigh. "All right, girls, into my office now."

Danni and Whitney followed the principal, as did Mr. Morgan. Just as he'd done moments ago, the vice-principal pointed out two chairs for the girls to sit on. Once again, he made sure to leave some space between them.

Mrs. Jensen looked up at Mr. Morgan. "I can take it from here, Greg. Thanks."

In all the years Danni had been at Taft, she'd never known Mr. Morgan's first name was Greg. It was a nice name. Greg Morgan; it flowed. Danni frowned with the thought. Here she was, about to get in trouble for kicking the crap out of Whitney, and she was thinking about the flow of the vice-principal's name. She wondered if she'd taken one too many hits to the head to think straight.

"Who'd like to tell me what happened?" Mrs. Jensen asked.

Neither Danni nor Whitney spoke. Instead, they sneered at each other.

"Okay, let's try this," Mrs. Jensen suggested. "Whitney, why don't you tell me what you think happened?"

"She started it," Whitney answered. "All I did was tell her to tell Darren I said congratulations for winning homecoming king, and she hit me, probably because she's jealous because Darren and I dated last year. What was I supposed to do when she hit me? Just stand there and take it?"

Mrs. Jensen turned to look at Danni. "And what do you think happened, Danielle?"

"That's what happened," Danni said as a smug smile spread over Whitney's face. "I did hit her first, but that was after she said the only reason Darren won is because everyone feels sorry for him because he's a crippled freak now."

"I see," Mrs. Jensen replied. "I'm not sure if either of you considered this, but being that you're both seniors, getting into a fight at school is something that could prevent you from participating in graduation ceremonies this spring."

"That's not fair," Whitney wailed. "She hit me first. I was just defending myself."

Danni's heart hammered in her chest. In the heat of the moment, she hadn't thought about the consequences. Her sole focus had been making Whitney miserable.

"That being said, it is a judgment call," Mrs. Jensen continued. "Given that both of you are excellent students who've never been in trouble before, I'm not sure that's an appropriate punishment."

Danni almost snorted. _Whitney was an excellent student? Since when?_

"I shouldn't be punished at all. She started it," Whitney said again.

Mrs. Jensen furrowed her brow. "Miss Wheeler, I suggest you stop talking right now before I reconsider my generosity and bar you from participating in graduation ceremonies in June."

Whitney fell silent, and Danni resisted the urge to laugh. Watching her not get her way was almost worth being in the principal's office.

"Now then," Mrs. Jensen said. "As to your punishment, I'm suspending both of you for the remainder of the day. Beginning tomorrow, you'll have after school detention for the rest of the week."

Danni swallowed a groan. Being suspended for the rest of the week would have been better than having to spend an hour a day looking at Whitney's stupid face.

"Both of you return to your seats outside my office while I call your parents to come get you," Mrs. Jensen told them. "And do not speak to one another. Whatever's going on between you two ends today. Any more problems between you and I'll be forced to consider expulsion."

The girls glared at each other again as they stood. Danni rolled her eyes when Whitney pushed her way out the door first. Even when she was in trouble, Whitney wasn't going to let Danni forget who the most popular girl in school was.

As she dropped into her chair, Danni glanced down at her watch. It wasn't quite one yet. That meant her mom would still be at lunch, which was good. There was less chance of her mom being bitchy if she wasn't pulled out of a meeting to take another call from the principal.

_Thank God she's not in court today_ , Danni thought.

The huge case her mom had been working on wasn't set to go to court for another week. If she had waited until the following week to pick a fight with Whitney, her mom probably would have grounded her for the rest of the school year. As it was, there was no way she could avoid that type of punishment. A few months ago, it wouldn't have mattered. Now that she had a life, her mom was going to love keeping her from it.

It was Whitney's mom that arrived at the school first. Even before the buxom blonde was escorted into Mrs. Jensen's office, Danni knew it was Mrs. Wheeler. The woman looked like she belonged on one of those _Real Housewives_ reality shows. No wonder Whitney was so into appearances.

When Mrs. Wheeler emerged from the principal's office after a few minutes, she fixed a harsh gaze on her daughter. "Let's go."

Whitney's eyes widened as she rose from her chair to trail after her mother. As they were leaving, Danni's mom entered the office, and she didn't look any happier than Mrs. Wheeler. Charmain spent a few minutes talking to Mrs. Jensen and hearing all about what a delinquent her daughter was becoming.

As soon as her mom came out of the office, Danni tried to read her face and figure out just how much trouble she was in. No luck. Sometimes she hated that her mom was a lawyer. Because her mom had mastered the perfect poker face, Danni never knew what was coming. She could be totally pissed or over the top with happiness, and her expression would look the same.

Charmain didn't speak until they were out of the office. "Where are you parked?"

"In front of the school," Danni replied.

"I'm in the visitor's lot. I'll meet you at home."

"You're not going back to work?"

"Not until you and I discuss this incident," Charmain said.

Danni's shoulders sagged. That was not a good sign. Her mom hated to miss work, especially when she was so close to going to court.

On the short drive home, Danni tried to imagine what her mom was going to say, but she couldn't come up with anything. The last time she'd been in the principal's office for helping Darren in the bathroom, her mom surprised her by being all right with it. Something told her that she wasn't going to get off so easy this time.

Danni pulled into the driveway first, but her mom was just seconds behind her. While Danni left her car in the driveway, Charmain whipped her Mercedes into the garage. Instead of going in the front door, Danni entered the house through the garage.

"Take your things to your room and then you can meet me in the kitchen," Charmain said.

Danni knew what she was doing. Rather than get it over with and put her out of her misery, her mom was going to make her suffer a little longer. She trotted up the stairs and tossed her stuff into her room without looking before darting back down the stairs. When Danni entered the kitchen, her mom gestured to the seat opposite her. Danni sighed. This was her mom's favorite interrogation tactic; make the witness sit across from her in an uncomfortable wooden chair so she would say anything just to get away. Seconds stretched to minutes as the two stared at one another.

"I'm waiting, Danielle," Charmain prompted.

Danni frowned at her. "For what?"

"You know damn well for what. I'm waiting for you to tell me what happened."

"I got in a fight with Whitney Wheeler because she said the only reason Darren won homecoming king is that everyone feels sorry for him because he's a crippled freak," Danni said.

It was her mom's turn to frown. "Homecoming already passed?"

"Yeah, it was last Friday and Darren won homecoming king."

"I'm happy for him, but you can't let yourself be so influenced by the feelings of one person," Charmain said.

"That's not the first time she's said something mean," Danni said. "When she found out I was dating Darren, she asked me if he looked all freaky and if it was weird to hug him with one arm. She also said I'm a dork and Darren's disabled."

"Darren is disabled," her mom pointed out.

"I know, but she said it like she was putting him down."

"I know you want to protect Darren, but you can't spend the rest of your life getting into fights with everyone who says or does something hurtful," Charmain said. "If you do that, you'll always be fighting because, like it or not, there's always going to be someone who is ignorant or afraid or uncomfortable and will have something to say."

"That's not fair though."

"Life isn't fair. If it was your father wouldn't have left us."

Danni drew in a sharp breath. She couldn't remember the last time her mom talked about her father. There wasn't much reason to talk about him. He was gone and never coming back, end of story.

"If life was fair, Darren wouldn't have lost his arm and people wouldn't be making him feel like a lesser person for it," Charmain continued. "Life isn't fair, but that doesn't mean it can't be good. You have to make the choice to make it good."

"By letting people like Whitney say mean things about Darren?"

"You can't stop people saying cruel things, but you can be the better person and rise above it. At the end of the day, that will matter more to Darren."

Danni opened her mouth to argue but soon realized her mom was right. How many times and in how many different ways had Darren told her the same thing over the last few months?

"I guess you're right," Danni conceded.

Charmain burst into laughter. "Well, this is one for the record books. My child said I was right."

Danni couldn't fight the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"As much as I hate to say this, I really do need to get back to the office," Charmain said, rising to her feet. "I need to get started on the new case I got today."

"Aren't you going to court on Monday?"

"Yes, but that's for a different case."

"Oh, okay."

"I'll see you later." Charmain planted a kiss on top of Danni's head. "I'm not sure what time I'll be home."

Danni frowned. "I'm not in trouble?"

"I don't see the point of any punishment beyond what the school's given you."

As her mom breezed out of the kitchen, Danni stared after her with wide eyes. Since when did her mom get so cool? The sound of the garage door closing snapped her out of her daze and it occurred to her that she needed to call Darren. It was still too early to call Chelsea and Marcy, but he should be home by now.

In her room, Danni fished her phone from her purse and smiled. It was full of text messages from Darren and her friends. There was also a couple of voice mails she was pretty sure were from Darren. Instead of listening to them, she called him.

He picked up before the first ring ended. "Are you okay? You're not hurt too bad, are you?"

"You heard?" Danni guessed.

"The whole school heard," Darren replied. "Are you hurt?"

Danni glanced at herself in the mirror. "Actually, there's not a mark on me, but she did get a couple of good slaps in."

"Yeah, I saw."

"What do you mean? Were you there?"

"Nope, it's all over YouTube."

"You're kidding?"

Darren laughed. "Do you think I'm kidding? Everyone at school has a cell phone and everyone there was recording it. It's already got over a thousand hits."

"That's kind of sick."

"Yeah, but it's kind of funny too. You should see some of the comments. Seems like a lot of people think Whitney finally got the beat down she deserved."

"She did for saying..."

"I know what she said, Danni," Darren said softly. "Spencer told me."

Danni frowned. "You talked to Spencer?"

"Yeah, he called me and said I should get my ass to the quad because you were about to beat the shit out of Whitney," Darren said. "It was over by the time I got there, but he was still there and said he wanted to talk."

"What'd he say?" Danni asked.

"The same thing he told you. That he was sorry and he acted like a prick because he felt like it was his fault," he said.

"And you told him it wasn't all his fault, right?"

"Yeah, I told him we all acted stupid and I didn't ask for his keys because I thought I'd look like a punk if I tried to be the designated driver."

"He apologized for those things he said about me."

"Yeah, and I let him know if I ever heard that kind of thing again I'd kill him, one arm or not."

"My hero." Danni giggled. "I'm glad you two are best friends again though."

"Spencer isn't my best friend. You are."

"What about J.J.? People can have more than one best friend."

"Okay, so you and J.J. make two," Darren said. "I can forgive Spencer, but it's gonna take me some time to trust him. Maybe if he'd been there for me from the beginning it'd be different, but not now."

"Darren, are you gonna get in any trouble with the law for drinking and driving?"

"No, the blood tests they did on me at the hospital on the night of the accident proved I hadn't been drinking so they didn't charge me."

"What about Spencer?" she asked.

"Suspended license and probation for five years, along with five hundred hours of community service and alcohol counseling," Darren replied. "Plus his parents have to pay damages to the guy driving the truck."

"Wow, that's harsh."

"Drunk driving is serious. We're just lucky we didn't kill anyone."

Danni was glad it wasn't Darren who was killed. Losing his arm beat the hell out of losing his life.

# Chapter Twenty-one

"I still can't believe you beat the shit out of Whitney," Chelsea said.

Danni wasn't surprised her fight with Whitney was still a major topic of conversation. No doubt it would take a few days for people to get over it. Still, it was weird to hear her name in whispered conversations around school that morning.

"I can't believe your mom was so cool about it," Marcy added.

"Me too," Danni agreed. "I thought she was gonna ground me for life."

"My mom probably would've," Marcy said.

"Where's Darren anyway?" Chelsea asked. "I'm starving and this boy's holding up my lunch."

"You know that's not why you care where Darren is. You just want to check out his ass," Marcy joked.

"There's that too," Chelsea said, and they all broke into a fit of giggles.

"What's so funny?"

Recognizing Darren's voice, the girls turned, but their laughter came to an immediate stop. No one spoke as they stared at Spencer who stood beside Darren.

Darren smiled at Danni as he reached for her hand. "Hey, baby."

"Um, hey," she replied, frowning at Spencer.

"Hey," Darren echoed. "So?"

Danni's frown deepened. "So what?"

"What's so funny?" Spencer asked.

"Chelsea was just admiring Darren's _ass_ ets," Danni replied, being the first to welcome him.

"Yeah, he gets that a lot," Spencer said.

"I can't help it if I'm better looking than you, even with my arm missing," Darren retorted, and the boys exchanged grins.

Chelsea glanced at Spencer. "Did I miss something? What exactly are you doing here?"

"He's gonna hang out with us," Darren said, and Marcy's eyes widened.

"Unless you don't want me to," Spencer added.

"I guess it's okay, as long as you don't make any fat jokes," Chelsea said.

"No fat jokes," Spencer promised.

Danni knew they made a strange looking group; two of the most popular guys in school hanging out with three of the biggest nobodies, but she didn't care what anyone else thought. It made her happy to see Spencer and Darren on their way to being friends again and even happier to have friends like Chelsea and Marcy. Just like that, they accepted Spencer and forgot about the past.

* * *

Detention sucked. The only good thing about it was that Danni finished all of her homework, but that wasn't saying much. For some reason, time stood still in detention, making it feel as if it was one year long instead of one hour. It didn't help that her mind was on the doctor's appointment Darren had earlier in the day. Danni was anxious to hear what the doctor had to say about how well he was healing since his surgery.

Even without being anxious to talk to Darren, the thought of wasting three more afternoons stuffed in the library with the rest of the school delinquents made her wish Mrs. Jensen had suspended her for the week instead. She did get some satisfaction from seeing Whitney and her fat lip sitting there, looking as miserable as Danni felt.

As soon as the teacher released them, Danni bolted for the door. Outside, she took a deep breath of the fresh October air. When she reached the front parking lot, she found another advantage to wasting a perfectly good afternoon. Being that it was close to four, the traffic in front of the school was almost non-existent, which meant no endless waiting to get out of her parking spot.

Danni opened the door of her sedan and tossed her backpack and purse on the passenger seat before climbing behind the wheel. She had just turned the key in the ignition when her cell phone rang, followed by her car's typical announcement of the incoming call.

"How was detention?" Darren asked.

Danni grimaced. "It sucked. How was your doctor's appointment?"

Darren laughed. "So, are you busy right now?"

"Not really, but how was your doctor's appointment?"

"Come over and I'll tell you."

"Okay, but why can't you tell me now?"

"I've got news," he said.

"What kind of news?"

"I'll tell you when you get here."

"Okay, see you in a few."

Danni couldn't imagine what Darren had to tell her, but she figured it must be something good. If it was bad, he wouldn't have sounded so breathless.

* * *

The grin Darren wore when he opened the front door confirmed Danni's suspicions. Whatever he had to tell her had to be good.

"What's the news?" Danni asked.

Darren widened his grin. "You're not even going to say hi first?"

"Hi," Danni said, leaning in to give him a kiss. "So, what is it?"

"What if I told you it was that we're all alone in the house?"

"That's nice, but we can be alone at my house anytime you know."

"That's true," Darren said. "You want anything to drink?"

Danni sighed. "I'd rather hear your news."

"You will. I've been dying to tell you all day."

Taking her by the hand, he led her into the family room where they dropped down on the couch.

Danni fixed him with an expectant stare. "So, what's the news?"

"I found out today that I might be able to get a prosthetic arm, and I don't mean some Captain Hook looking thing," Darren said. "I'm talking about a fully functioning, prosthetic arm with a working hand."

"You mean like one of those mind-controlled robotic things?" Danni asked.

"My doctor said there's one that can fit over my shoulder. I'd have to learn to use my shoulder muscles to control the movement of it."

"You could do that?"

"My doctor says I could, and once I learn to use it and control my hand, there's no reason I can't play baseball again," he said.

"That's good, but baseball season's already over."

Darren laughed. "No, it's not. Baseball's a spring sport, but I wasn't talking about playing for Taft anyway."

"Then who would you play for?" Danni asked.

"I was thinking I'd spend the year practicing and if I got good enough, I'd see if I could get on the community college team as a walk on," Darren explained. "If I prove myself there, I might be able to get a university to take a chance on me."

"You want to play baseball in college?" Danni asked.

"Yeah, I miss being an athlete and being part of a team, and I miss playing baseball. If I do this, I could get that back," Darren replied. "So, what do you think?"

"What do I think? I think it's the greatest thing ever. I can't wait to see you play again, and this time you'll even know I'm there."

Darren laughed again. "I have to get good enough first and then I'll have to try out."

"You'll get good enough. I just know it. So, when do you get the arm?"

"I don't yet. My doctor had to put in a request to the insurance company and then we wait to hear from them."

"How long will that take?" Danni asked.

"The doctor said it usually takes about ten days to get a letter, but if we call in a few days they might be able to tell us if it's been approved."

"You mean they might not let you have it?"

"My doctor said it's a slim possibility."

Danni bit down on the inside of her lip to keep from saying what she was thinking. Was this the same slim possibility as losing his arm in a car accident or him getting an infection while in the hospital? Or the same kind of slim possibility as him losing the rest of his arm during the second surgery?

"Anyway, I figure I can spend a couple of years at community college and get my general eds out of the way and then transfer to whatever university you're at," Darren continued.

"Or I could take all of my general eds at community college with you and then we could pick a university together," Danni suggested.

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but it makes sense. We could save a ton of money if we do two years at community college, especially if we take some of our general eds together."

"That's cool, but you don't have to skip out on college for me."

"I'm not skipping out on college," Danni said. "It'll be the same degree, whether I spend four years at a university or do half at community college and half at a university."

"You think your mom will be pissed if you do that?" Darren asked.

"Who cares? It's not like she can do anything about it."

"What if she doesn't pay for college or kicks you out?"

"My college tuition is already saved," Danni said. "My mom put all the child support my dad sent into accounts for me and Nick, and she matched the amount every month."

"That's cool that she did that for you."

"And I seriously don't think she'll kick me out. It's not like I'd be saying I don't want to go to college. If anything, she should be happy about the money I'd be saving her," Danni said, and then frowned at Darren. "Are you trying to talk me out of this because you don't want to go to college with me?"

"I'm not trying to talk you out of anything. I just don't want you to give up anything for me."

"I'm not giving up anything. I want to do this."

"Are you sure?" Darren asked.

"I'm sure. Are you sure you're okay with it?"

"Are you kidding? I think it's great. We can go to city for two years and then transfer to state and get married right after we graduate."

Danni giggled. "You've been thinking about this?"

Darren's expression stayed serious. "You know I have, and you know what else I've been thinking?"

"What else have you been thinking?"

"If I get this arm I'll be able to wear my wedding ring on the left hand, like I'm supposed to."

"I love you," Danni said, and Darren laughed as she leaped into his lap to throw her arms around his neck.

It wasn't that long ago she had to beg him to go back to high school. Now he was talking about going to college. For the first time since Darren's accident, Danni felt there was a real hope of him finding true happiness.

* * *

"So, Danni, how's detention?" Chelsea asked, giving her a sly grin.

Danni rolled her eyes. "It sucks out loud. I can't wait for it to be over."

Chelsea laughed. "That's what you get for fighting in school."

"Screw you," Danni replied, making her friend laugh even harder.

"I think you're a bad influence on her," Marcy said, looking at Darren.

"That's true," Chelsea agreed. "Danni wasn't this bitchy until she met you."

Darren smiled. "I like her this way," he said, leaning over to give Danni a kiss.

"I think I'm gonna lose the lunch I'm still eating," Chelsea moaned.

A cold wind whipped through the air to remind them it was nearing the end of October. Danni shivered and scooted closer to Darren.

"Speaking of lunch, how come Spencer's not hanging out with us today?" Chelsea asked.

Darren shrugged.

"He probably realized what a bunch of losers we are," Marcy said. Her cheeks pinked as she slid her eyes toward Darren. "I meant what a loser I am, not you guys."

"Please," Chelsea snorted. "We're all losers. You're the nerdy bookworm, I'm the fat girl, Darren's the one-armed man, and Danni's the girl with the freaky one-arm fetish."

Darren laughed. "Hey, I thought I was the homecoming king."

"Didn't you hear? You only won because the whole school feels sorry for you," Chelsea joked.

"Excuse me, but I just kicked Whitney's ass for saying that," Danni said. "Don't think I won't do the same to you."

Chelsea grinned. "You think you could take me? I've got like fifty pounds on you."

"You're not as big as you think you are," Darren said.

"Tell that to your brother," Chelsea said.

"Hate to tell you, but my brother's gay," Darren informed her.

Chelsea's smile fell away. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious," Darren replied. "Why do you think you've never seen him with a girl and he's not married?"

Danni frowned. It seemed strange that Darren never told her that before. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't picture Justin kissing a guy. Not that it disgusted her or anything, but he always struck her as straight.

"It's just not fair," Chelsea groaned. "All the good ones really are gay or taken."

"Or crippled," Darren muttered.

"It doesn't have to be a total loss." Marcy offered Chelsea a sympathetic smile. "You guys can still be friends and hang out and stuff."

Chelsea grimaced. "No, thanks."

"At least you found out now before you tried to get with him," Marcy added.

The familiar purr of a Camaro engine filled the air. Danni and Darren jumped to their feet and started toward the car. Justin emerged and gave the group his typical wave, complete with perfect smile. Instead of responding with her usual sigh and over the top wave, Chelsea gave a half-hearted flick of her hand.

"Hey," Justin said, frowning as he spoke. "What's with her?"

Darren grinned. "I told her you're gay."

"That's not exactly what I meant when I said I needed to come up with a way to let her down gently," Justin said.

Danni furrowed her brow. "Wait, you're not gay?"

"Nah, he's straight as a pole," Darren said. "No offense, but I just get sick of hearing Chelsea constantly talk about how she wants to do my brother."

"Is that because you're jealous?" Justin asked.

"Why would I be jealous when I've got the perfect girl?" Darren said as he draped his arm around Danni's shoulders.

"Good point," Justin agreed. "By the way, I probably shouldn't say this here, but I have to thank you, Danni."

"For what?"

"For putting a certain fake bitch in her place," he said, laughing. "Anyway, we gotta get going, D.J. I need to be at work by three."

"Why so early?" Darren asked.

Justin heaved a sigh. "The life of a restaurant manager. Both of you take my advice and never work in the food service industry. Stay in college and get your degrees so you can get good jobs."

"I thought you had a bachelor's degree," Danni said.

"I do, and hopefully I'll be able to put it to good use and open my own business one of these days," Justin answered.

"What kind of business?" she asked.

"I'm still working on that one. Anyway, I'll catch you later."

"Later," Danni echoed.

As soon as the guys were gone, Danni rejoined her friends on the grass. The sad look on Chelsea's face almost made Danni tell her the truth, but she decided against it. Maybe this was what her friend needed to get over Justin Jacobs once and for all.

* * *

Until she came out of detention on Friday afternoon, Danni hadn't realized how long a school week could feel. As she trudged toward her car, she made a vow, and not for the first time, never to end up in detention ever again. Danni couldn't wait to put some distance between her and the school. There was no way she was going to look at the library the same way again.

Danni revved her engine and then backed out of her parking spot. When she put the car into drive and started down the street, she turned on the satellite radio. It took a search of several channels to find a song worth listening to, but the effect was instant. Her spirits lifted as she hummed along, and things were only going to get better. In a few minutes she would be with the hottest guy in school.

Though they hadn't planned on doing anything other than ordering pizza and probably watching a Humphrey Bogart movie, it was just what Danni needed after her week. She even had to admit she was starting to understand Darren's love of Bogart movies. So far, she had watched _Casablanca_ , _The Caine Mutiny_ and _The African Queen_ , and thought all three were amazing.

Darren was right when he said Bogart was a good actor. Although Danni liked the love story of _Casablanca_ better, she couldn't believe his performance in _The Caine Mutiny_. The slow way his character went insane was phenomenal.

As Danni pulled her car up to the curb and parked in front of Darren's house, she wondered what movie Darren had in mind tonight. Even though they never went out, she didn't mind this kind of date night. Darren was always more fun and relaxed when they hung out at his house. The few times they had gone out, he'd been quiet and withdrawn as he endured the stares and whispers.

Danni rang the bell and waited for Darren to open the door like he always did when he knew she was coming. Instead, it was Ann who opened it. A frown pinched her face as she held a cordless phone against her ear.

Covering the receiver with her hand, she told Danni, "Darren's in his room, sweetie, so go on up." Uncovering the receiver again, she said, "Yes, yes, I'm here. Go ahead."

Whoever Ann was talking to must have been important because she didn't remind Danni to make sure they kept the door open. Danni smiled as she trotted up the stairs to Darren's room and knocked on the closed door.

"Go away, Mom," Darren called. "I don't want to talk."

Danni's smile morphed to a frown. "It's me."

Within seconds the door opened. Right away, Danni recognized the sad look in his eyes. Her nerves were already on edge as he reached for her hand and drew her inside the room. When Darren dropped down on the bed, she didn't hesitate to sit beside him.

"What's wrong?" Danni asked.

"The insurance company said no to the arm," Darren answered.

"What? How can they do that?"

"They said it's considered cosmetic and since I don't need it to function, they're not going to pay for it."

Danni frowned at him. "How do they figure you don't need an arm?"

"It's not that I don't need an arm. They'll cover a prosthetic, but not the kind I want," Darren said. "They want to give me a piece of shit, passive prosthesis."

"I don't get it," Danni said. "What's the difference?"

"A passive prosthesis doesn't do anything. It's just for looks," Darren explained. "The one I want is myoelectric, but it's the best there is and not just 'cause it looks the most real, but because it's the most functional."

"Myoelectric? What does that mean?"

"A myoelectric prosthesis uses natural electrical charges to move the arm," Darren said. "Every time a muscle moves it creates an electrical charge. This prosthesis would use the charges created by my shoulder muscles to make the arm move."

"Really? How?"

"The way my doctor explained it they put electrodes on the surface of the muscles and they pick up on the electrical output, which lets me move it."

"That's amazing. I didn't even know anything like that existed."

"Me neither until my doctor told me about it, but it doesn't matter since I'm not getting it."

"And why won't they give it to you?" Danni asked.

"The insurance doesn't cover it," Darren said. "They're telling my mom there's a fifteen-thousand dollar limit."

"Fifteen thousand dollars isn't enough?"

"Not for this kind. I don't get all of it, but it has something to do with all the electrical parts making it cost way more than a regular prosthetic arm."

"How much more?" she asked. "Maybe we can raise the money."

Darren shook his head. "Not likely. They said it was eighty-thousand dollars."

"Eighty-thousand?" Danni almost choked on the words.

"Yeah, so I either get the piece of shit that doesn't do anything and looks fake or I don't get anything at all," Darren said.

Danni didn't know what to say. How was it fair that someone who didn't even know Darren got to decide whether or not he got the arm he wanted? How could they sit in some office and say a seventeen-year-old didn't need a working arm? Whoever they were, they probably had both of their arms.

"Danni, I need to know you're okay with this," Darren said.

"Of course I'm not okay with it," Danni replied. "It shouldn't matter how much it costs. It's not fair."

"I mean that you're still okay being with me now that I'm officially going to be the one-armed man for the rest of my life," Darren clarified.

"You know that doesn't matter."

"Are you sure you'll still think that when you see me with my shirt off?"

"Take your shirt off and we'll find out," she suggested.

Darren furrowed his brow. "Are you serious?"

"Why not? If we're gonna get married, I'll have to see it sometime."

Darren drew in a shaky breath. "Um, okay."

Danni's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Darren to agree, let alone so quickly. Even though he did, the hint of regret in his eyes almost made her tell him to forget it. When he rose from the bed, she thought he was going to take off his shirt, but he moved to close the door instead. For a long moment, Darren stood with his back to Danni. Finally, he turned to face her. Taking another deep breath, he crossed the room and dropped down on the bed across from her.

"Can you help me?" Darren asked.

"Help you how? You mean like with your shirt?"

"Yeah, I'm still learning how to do all this."

Danni tried to be careful as she pulled Darren's sweatshirt over his head and set it aside. He was wearing a white T-shirt underneath. When she reached for it, uncertainty flickered in his eyes, but Danni didn't say anything. It wasn't the right time to reassure him. First, she needed to see him and see the change. Then she would be able to give him an honest opinion.

As she removed the T-shirt, Danni didn't look at Darren yet. For reasons that didn't make sense to her, she didn't want to see it in stages. After throwing the T-shirt on top of the sweatshirt, she leaned back and allowed her eyes to take in Darren's bare torso.

With his eyes fixed on his lap, Darren mashed his lips together while Danni surveyed the difference in his body. She thought back to that day in the hospital when she told him that even with one arm she still liked him. Even though she meant it at the time, she realized now she hadn't understood it. Now she did, and it really didn't make a difference.

Looking Darren up and down, it wasn't his missing arm her gaze was drawn to. It was those amazing abs. For a guy who said he was out of shape, he sure had one sexy six pack. There was a light covering of blond hair on his stomach, which trailed downward and dipped below his waistband.

"What are you thinking?" Darren asked, not looking at her.

"I can't get over how hot you are," Danni replied.

Darren raised his eyes to meet hers. "It doesn't gross you out?"

"Nope, it's just how I pictured it."

"Is that good or bad?"

"It's good. I'm not shocked because it's what I expected, and now I'm not scared anymore. What are you thinking?"

"I think I'd feel a lot better if you'd come here and let me hold you for a minute," Darren admitted.

Danni scooted closer and he wrapped his arm around her, drawing her backward in the bed with him. Nestling her body against Darren's, she rested her head against his chest. In that moment, Danni made up her mind. They weren't going to give up on his new arm without fighting for it. It wasn't like she was a stranger to fighting these days.

# Chapter Twenty-two

Saturday morning, Danni woke early. She stretched the last of the sleep from her body before climbing out of bed to retrieve her laptop from her desk. When she crawled back into bed, she propped one of her pillows against her headboard for back support. The other pillow was laid across her lap so her legs didn't get too hot from the computer.

Once she was settled, Danni launched the internet and did a search for the local community college. As soon as she found the information she wanted, she opened up Microsoft word. Toggling between the web and her document, she got to work on the first phase of her plan to get Darren's arm.

Since his parents' insurance company didn't want to cough up the money, they would have to find another way to get it. Just because Darren didn't think they could come up with eighty-thousand dollars didn't mean he was right. It was a lot of money, but she had a plan.

Of course, Danni wouldn't be able to pull this off on her own. She needed her mom's help, which was where the meticulous research came in. Being that Charmain was a lawyer, Danni needed some cold, hard facts to make her case.

By the time she finished typing, Danni had what she hoped was a rather convincing proposal. She saved the file and leaned back with a satisfied sigh.

There was no way her mom could say no to such a strong argument, but Danni knew she would have to talk to Darren first. Even though she expected him to resist the idea, Danni was sure she could get him to see how good it was. She was so certain that she emailed the document to her mom before shutting down her computer.

When Danni grabbed her cell phone to call Darren, she was floored to see it was almost one o'clock. She had been so caught up in what she was doing she hadn't realized how much time had passed. With her phone pressed to her ear, she trotted down the stairs to find something to silence her rumbling stomach. Just as she entered the kitchen, Darren's smooth voice filled her ear.

"Hey, baby. What's up?"

"Actually, I was calling to ask you the same thing," Danni replied.

"You want to hang out?"

"Unless you're sick of me."

"You know that's not possible."

Danni smiled as she reached into the refrigerator and extracted a package of her favorite deli turkey. "That's good. I've got something really important I need to talk to you about."

"Are you okay?" Darren asked.

"It's nothing bad."

"Oh, okay, so what time do you want to come over?"

"Is an hour too early?"

"Nope, it's perfect."

"Great, I'll see you in an hour."

"Love you, baby," he said.

"Love you too."

Danni shoved the phone into her pocket and grabbed the rest of the ingredients for her sandwich. As she stood over the granite topped island, she could not stop smiling. She couldn't wait to share her plan with Darren.

* * *

An hour later, Danni bounced up and down on her toes as she stood on Darren's doorstep waiting for someone to answer the door. It wasn't the cold that had her so fidgety. She was bursting with excitement about sharing her new plan.

When Darren appeared, Danni's plan was forgotten for the moment as she drank him in. The long sleeved T-shirt he wore accentuated the taut muscles of his stomach and abdomen, and she wasn't mad at those jeans either. They were tight enough to show off his slim hips and muscular thighs, but loose enough to keep from looking offensive. She couldn't wait for him to turn around so she could see how he looked from behind.

Darren grinned at her. "You want to come in?"

"I don't know. I thought I'd stand out here all day," Danni replied.

He laughed as he stepped aside to let her in. "We'll have to hang out in the living room since my parents are watching a movie in the family room. You want anything to drink?"

"No, I'm good. I just ate lunch a little bit ago."

It was the first time the two of them ever sat in the living room. The furniture wasn't as soft as that in the family room, which might explain why it was in better shape. Danni shed Darren's letterman jacket and dropped her purse on top of it before settling on the couch alongside him.

"So, what's the important thing you wanted to talk to me about?" Darren asked.

"I need to ask you something," Danni said.

"You know you can ask me anything."

"How bad do you want this prosthetic arm? Would you do anything to get it?"

"There's not much I can do. The insurance company said no, even after my mom spent all day Friday being transferred from one person to the next. They all said no."

"There might be other ways besides the insurance company," Danni suggested.

"Not for us. My parents already drained their savings paying my medical bills that the insurance wouldn't cover."

Danni frowned. "What bills?"

"There's a limit on the amount of money they'll pay for hospitalization and surgery and stuff, and I hit it a long time ago," Darren explained.

"That's just wrong. What's the point of having any health insurance if it's not going to help you?"

Darren shrugged. "You got me."

"What if I gave you the money?"

"For what?"

"For your arm," Danni answered.

"That's really sweet, but you don't have eighty-thousand dollars."

"You're right, but I do have some of it, and I have a plan for coming up with the rest."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I can use the money in my savings account, which I was going to use for college," Danni said. "Before you say anything, I'm not going to skip college, but since I'm planning to go to community college for a couple of years, I can take the money I'll be saving from that and give it to you."

"Give it me?" Darren repeated.

"Yeah, I figured I'll give you thirty-five thousand and ask my mom if she'll loan us the difference," Danni said. "I know forty-five thousand dollars is a lot of money, but I really think she'll help, especially if we follow the payment plan I made for her."

"You made a payment plan?"

"Yeah, and if we give her a thousand dollars a month, we can have it paid off in four years, which is nothing compared to the rest of our lives."

"It sounds cool, but—"

"I thought of it last night, and I spent all morning working on it and don't worry about my mom. I can "

"Danni, stop," Darren said, and Danni blinked at the harsh tone of his voice.

"I can't let you do this."

"But I want to."

"Okay, fine, you want to. What about what I want?" Darren asked.

"I thought you wanted this electric arm."

"Not like this."

"Like what? You're not making sense."

"I can't take your money," he said.

"Why not?" Danni asked. "I thought you said you wanted to marry me when we graduated college."

"You know I do."

"Right, so when we get married my money will be your money. Why not start early?"

"I'm not taking your money," Darren insisted. "I'm supposed to be the one making money and taking care of you, not the other way around."

Danni rolled her eyes. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"Then I'm stupid, but I'm still not taking your pity money."

"If you think that's what this is about you really are stupid, Darren Jacobs!"

"And you're stupid if you think I'm taking money from my future wife!"

Danni glared at him as she shot to her feet. "You know what? I'm out of here."

Darren's blue eyes burned with anger as he stared back at her. "Fine, leave then," he said when she turned her back. "Everyone else bailed on me, so why not you too?"

Danni knew what he was doing, but she couldn't fight the urge to take the bait. "Why _not_ me?" she asked, whipping around to face him. "I'm the only person in the whole school who never gave up on you or changed the way I looked at you, but you're right. I should bail on you because I'm the one you'd give up just to get your stupid arm back. Well, you know what? Good luck with that, D.J."

Danni's chest heaved up and down as she snapped up her purse. Leaving Darren's jacket behind, she spun on her heel and made a break for the door. There were tears in her eyes, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing them fall. As she exited the front door, Danni couldn't stop herself from slamming it before running for the safety of her car.

* * *

Alone in her room Danni lay in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. Despite having exhausted all of her tears, her head still ached and her eyes burned. Wads of used tissue were strewn around her. She couldn't remember the last time she cried so hard or so much. It might have been when her mom told her and Nick that their dad moved out, but she couldn't be sure. A sudden knock on her bedroom door made her jump.

"Danni, it's me," Charmain said. "I know you're home and I'd like to talk to you."

Danni took a deep breath. "Okay."

The door opened and her mom stepped in. Without warning, she snapped on the light, flooding the room with unforgiving brightness.

"That's better," Charmain said, but Danni just groaned. "Can I come in?"

"You're already in," Danni said.

"I meant that I'd like to sit down and talk with you about the proposal you sent me."

"You can come in if you want, but we don't have to talk about it," Danni replied. "Darren's not interested in my help."

"Am I to assume that's why it looks as though a box of Kleenex exploded in here?" Charmain asked, but Danni didn't crack a smile at her joke.

When her mother moved toward where she lay on the bed, Danni scooped up the used tissue and tossed it to the other side.

Charmain smiled as she took a seat on the edge of the unmade bed. "I have to be honest," she began. "I have mixed feelings about the proposal you sent me. On the one hand, it's well thought out and equally well written. On the other, the content frightens me a bit."

Danni knitted her eyebrows together. "How come?"

"I knew you were head over heels for Darren, but I didn't know you were thinking about marriage," Charmain said, and Danni's cheeks pinked. "Don't get me wrong, Darren is a nice boy and I'm sure he'll make a fine man, but it worries me to think you could be making the same mistake I made."

"You mean marrying Dad?"

"Not just marrying him, but marrying the first man I ever loved and was ever intimate with."

Danni's eyes grew wide. "I didn't know Dad was your first love."

Charmain gave her a fond smile. "Oh, he was. There wasn't a guy in the world like your father. He had so much charm and charisma it was impossible not to be drawn to him. He could've had his pick of any girl he wanted in college, and I couldn't believe it when he chose me."

"He would've been crazy not to," Danni countered. "You're beautiful and smart, and you're a really great lawyer."

Charmain laughed. "I wasn't always. When we met, I was just a dorky little girl who fell for the big man on campus."

Danni knew her mom was just trying to make her feel better. There was no way Charmain Singer was ever a dorky little girl.

"I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't marry Darren," Charmain continued. "I'd just like to see you give yourself a chance to really experience life before you settle down."

"It's not like we were thinking about getting married tomorrow," Danni assured her. "We want to go to college first."

"About that, since when did you decide on community college?"

"Darren and I figured it would be a good place for him to have a shot at getting on the baseball team if he got his new arm."

"That's good for Darren, but what about you? Why did _you_ decide on community college?"

"It's cheaper. I can live at home and save a lot of money."

"Money you'd give to Darren for his arm?" Charmain asked.

Danni snorted. "I already told you he doesn't want my money. He said since he's the man, he should be the one making money and taking care of me. Can you believe that?"

Charmain smiled. "Actually, I can, just as I can believe he turned down your offer."

"What do you mean?"

"Darren's refusal to take your money was your first lesson on the psyche of men. Most men, even those who aren't chauvinists, are full of pride," Charmain explained. "They don't like women taking care of them, and they especially don't like it when their girlfriends or wives have more money than they do."

Until a few hours ago, Danni would have denied that Darren was one of those men. Now she knew better.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Danni asked. "I don't want him to give up. He wants this so bad, Mom, and I just want him to have it."

"All you can do is the same thing you've done all along. Just be there for him," Charmain said. "And instead of picking him up when he falls, stand back and let him learn how to pick himself up."

With all of her heart, Danni wanted to be there for Darren. The problem was that she wasn't so sure it was what he wanted anymore.

* * *

When the distant ringing of her cell phone infiltrated her dreams, Danni groaned. Even though it had been a long time since Darren had woken her with a late night call, habit made her keep the phone next to her bed.

Danni dragged the phone from the night stand and tapped the answer call button without even opening her eyes. "What?"

"Hey, baby," Darren said. "Can we talk?"

"Are you in pain?" Danni asked.

"Yeah, but not because of my arm."

"What's wrong?"

"You're right. I am stupid." Danni started to protest, but Darren kept talking. "I'm stupid for always taking everything out on you when you're the only person in school who never gave up on me. I'm stupid for being ashamed of not being whole and for being ashamed of always needing your help and feeling like I'm forcing you to take care of me when I should be taking care of you."

"Is that why you got mad when I said I'd give you the money?" she asked.

"I don't want you to have to keep taking care of me because I'm scared it'll change the way you look at me."

"What do you mean?"

"When you look at me, or kiss me or touch me, I can tell you mean it when you say you love me and you want me."

"I do."

"I know, but what happens when you get tired of taking care of me?" Darren asked. "I don't think I could take it if you stopped loving me the same way you do now."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you _are_ stupid if you think that could happen," Danni replied. "I'm not in love with you because I don't have to take care of you, and we both know your missing arm doesn't change how much I want you."

"You're right," Darren agreed. "I'm sorry for being so stupid and picking a fight with you for trying to help me. I can't promise it won't happen again, but I can promise to try hard to make sure it doesn't."

"Yeah, that should almost do it."

"Almost?"

"You forgot to tell me how much you love me and how you can't live without me."

"I love you so much, Danielle," Darren said. "I don't know what I'd do without you, and the thought of it scares me so much I can't even stand to think about it."

"That's better," Danni said.

"You forgive me?" he asked.

"Yeah, I forgive you."

"You still love me?"

"With all my heart, D.J."

"I love you too, baby," Darren said. "By the way, thanks."

Danni couldn't help yawning. "For what?"

"For everything. Now get some sleep."

"You too," Danni said before returning the phone to the night stand.

As she curled up under the covers, it occurred to Danni they still hadn't settled the money issue. Even though he apologized, Darren never said he'd take the money. He might not realize it, but Danni wasn't giving up yet. One way or another, he was going to get that arm, and she was going to make sure of it.

# Chapter Twenty-three

Chelsea was the only one waiting out front when Danni got to school on Monday morning.

"Hey," Danni greeted her. "Where's Marcy?"

"She's sick," Chelsea replied. "She called me last night and said she felt like crap, but she thought it was just from eating too much junk food at the movies. Guess it wasn't, but she looked fine on Saturday."

"You guys went to the movies together?" Danni asked.

"Yeah, we would've asked you to come, but we figured you'd be busy with Darren. What'd you do this weekend anyway?"

Danni shrugged. "Nothing much. Just worked on some stuff for college."

"You mean like filling out applications?"

"Not really."

Chelsea nodded her head in front of her. "Darren's here."

Danni turned to see him emerge from his mom's car. As usual, Darren looked good enough to eat in his dark jeans and hooded sweatshirt. He sauntered toward them with his letter jacket draped over his arm.

"Hey, baby." Darren handed the jacket to Danni. "You left this at my house the other day."

Chelsea narrowed her eyes. "I thought you said you spent the weekend working on stuff for college."

"I did," Danni said.

"What kind of stuff?" Chelsea bounced a frown between Danni and Darren. "Oh, God, you guys are going to apply to the same colleges, aren't you?"

Danni stiffened. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," Chelsea replied. "You know I love you like a sister, Danni, which is why I know you'll understand when I say this, but you two make me kind of sick."

"Sick or jealous?" Darren asked with a smile.

Chelsea shrugged. "Sick, jealous, sick with jealousy, it's all the same thing, but seriously, you guys have been together like three months and you're already planning on ending up like your parents?"

Darren's smile vanished. "What's wrong with ending up like my parents?"

Chelsea rolled her eyes. "Come on, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just saying you two should stop making the rest of us feel bad about your perfect relationship."

Danni snorted. The relationship wasn't anywhere near perfect. Their fight about her money the other night was proof of that.

Chelsea raised her eyebrows. "Just so you know, not being able to decide which one of you loves the other more doesn't mean your relationship isn't perfect."

"What about one of us calling the other one stupid for trying to help him?" Danni asked.

Darren's face reddened. "I said I was sorry about that."

"You called Danni stupid?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah, but I said I was sorry," Darren said again.

"That's still messed up," Chelsea told him. "Why'd you call her stupid?"

"I didn't want her to give up her college fund to pay for my prosthetic arm," Darren explained. "I just went too far, and I said I was sorry."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you, and I'm sorry, Danni, but I'm changing sides on this one," Chelsea said. "Darren's right. Giving him your college money is totally stupid."

"Why?" Danni asked. "It's not like I'll need all of it since I'm going to community college for a couple of years."

"What the hell are you going to community college for when you have the brains and money to get into any university you want?" Chelsea demanded.

Danni glanced over at Darren.

Chelsea heaved an exasperated sigh. "You're going to community college to be with Darren? Now that's stupid."

"Stop calling me stupid," Danni said.

"Then stop making stupid choices."

"What are you, my mom?"

"No, I'm your best friend, and I'm telling you the truth, which is what friends do, even if you don't like it," Chelsea said.

"Fine, but you don't have to be so bitchy when you do it," Danni replied.

The first bell of the morning rang to warn students to get to class in sixty seconds or they'd be tardy. Danni and Chelsea stood glaring at each other for a moment before they turned and started in opposite directions without bothering to say goodbye to one another.

Darren caught up with Danni. "You okay?"

"Can you believe her?" Danni asked.

"I think she was just trying to help you."

Danni narrowed her eyes. "Why are you taking her side? You're my boyfriend."

"I'm not taking her side. It's just that I know what it's like to lose all of your friends, and I don't want that to happen to you."

Danni's anger receded. Chelsea was just trying to help in her own unique way. Even though her friend sometimes took her tell it like it is act a bit too far, Danni would have been lost without it.

* * *

"Danni, wait up a second!"

She paused, but the familiar grin of Spencer Collins made her frown. Other than passing glimpses, she hadn't seen him since the day he'd eaten lunch with them.

"You okay?" he asked, and Danni's frown deepened. "I called you like three times before you turned around."

"Sorry, guess I was lost in thought," she replied.

"So, what's up?" Spencer asked.

Danni raised her eyebrows. "Not much, I guess. Um, what about you?"

"Just thought I'd see if you and Darren wanted to go to lunch with us."

"Go? You mean like leave?"

"Well, yeah, we're seniors. It's not like we have to hang out here for lunch."

Danni pressed her lips together. Of course she knew that being seniors meant they could leave campus for lunch. Even though she wouldn't have minded leaving every day, Chelsea couldn't afford to eat fast food every day, nor was she going to accept having someone else pay her way. Once in a while she let Danni or Marcy treat her, but the rest of the time she clung to her pride.

"So, you want to go?" Spencer asked.

Danni hesitated. It wasn't that long ago she would have died for the chance to be invited anywhere by one of the most popular guys in school. Now she wasn't so sure it was a good idea. Besides the fact that Chelsea probably didn't have the money to go out, which Danni could have taken care of, there was Darren's fear of being in cars to consider. If he had a panic attack in front of everyone, it'd probably be all over the school before they even made it back.

"What about Chelsea?" Danni asked.

Spencer furrowed his brow. "Who?"

"My friend, Chelsea. You met her the other day."

"The one with the glasses?"

"No, the other one."

"What about her?"

"I usually have lunch with her and Marcy, but Marcy's sick today so I can't just ditch Chelsea."

"Okay, maybe some other time then."

"Why some other time?" Danni asked.

"Look, I know what I said about you, but I was just being a dick. You're not an ugly ass bitch. You're actually pretty cute in that hot Wendy's girl kind of way," Spencer said, and Danni's cheeks reddened against her will. "The thing is Chelsea's not really someone I want to hang out with. People might think I'm into her or something."

Danni narrowed her eyes when he made a shivering action. "That's the meanest thing I've ever heard."

"Come on, this isn't some Disney show where the freaks and geeks are allowed to be part of the in crowd," Spencer said. "That shit doesn't happen in real life, and you know it, just like you know the only reason Darren even looked your way is because he crossed sides when he lost his arm."

Danni sucked in her breath.

"Okay, that came out worse than I meant," Spencer said.

"I think it came out exactly like you meant it," she retorted and spun away from him.

Danni was somewhat surprised when Spencer didn't follow her and try to offer another apology, but she should have known better. All that stuff he said about missing Darren and wanting to be his friend had been nothing but lies. Guys like Spencer didn't change.

When her cell phone rang, Danni fished it from her purse. It was Darren calling, no doubt wanting to know where she was, and she wondered what to say. She didn't want to lie, but she also didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him what an asshole Spencer really was. Then there was Chelsea; her best friend had enough insecurities without having them confirmed.

Danni put off facing the issue by sliding her phone back inside her purse and continuing toward the front of the school. By the time she made it there, Chelsea and Darren were gathered in their usual spot. Chelsea's head was bent over one of her notebooks, which was spread across her folded legs.

"Hey!" Danni hunkered down beside Darren.

Darren planted a kiss on her cool cheek. "There you are. I called, but you didn't answer."

"Yeah, sorry about that," she replied. As Darren furrowed his brow, Danni shifted her attention to Chelsea. "Did you forget to do some of your homework?"

Her friend raised her head. "I'm sure you know the answer to that."

"Then what are you working on?" Danni asked.

"I was just writing down some fundraising ideas," Chelsea said.

"Fundraising ideas?" Danni repeated.

Darren grinned and shook his head. "Chelsea thinks having a bake sale and a car wash will raise enough money for my prosthetic arm."

"You do know the arm he wants costs eighty-thousand dollars, don't you?" Danni said.

"I know," Chelsea answered. "And, just so you both know, I don't think car washes and bake sales will raise all the money. I just don't think we should count anything out."

Danni's heart swelled with affection. This caring side of her best friend's personality was another of the things Danni loved about her. While people like Spencer were obsessed over their appearance and avoiding people who didn't fit their image of perfection, people like Chelsea were trying to help others. Danni wouldn't trade her for all the popularity in the world.

* * *

As soon as she got home from school, Danni tossed her backpack and purse on the couch and headed into the kitchen. After retrieving a handful of cookies and a bottle of brewed tea, she returned to the living room, knowing her mom would kill her if she caught her eating there. What she didn't know couldn't hurt her. Danni rummaged in her purse for her cell phone. When she found it, she opened her list of favorite people and tapped Marcy's name.

"Hello?" her friend croaked.

"I hope you feel better than you sound," Danni said.

"Not much."

"You want me to let you go so you can get some rest or something?"

"No, please," Marcy said with a groan. "I've been resting all day and I'm going out of my mind, especially since there's nothing good on TV."

"Does that mean you're coming back to school tomorrow?"

"I don't know yet. It depends on whether I can get through the rest of the day without barfing."

Danni grimaced. "That's too much information, Marce."

"Sorry, so what'd I miss today?"

"Not much really."

"That's funny," Marcy replied, and the giggle that followed sounded more like a cackle.

"Why is that funny?"

"It isn't. It's funny that Chelsea's calling on my other line. You two should've just called me on the three-way since you're probably gonna tell me the same things anyway."

"You want me to dial her in?" Danni asked.

"Yeah, give me a minute to let her know."

Danni waited while Marcy clicked over. When she clicked back and gave the go-ahead, Danni called Chelsea.

"Hey," Chelsea said.

"Hey," Danni echoed.

"You still there, Marcy?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah," Marcy replied.

"Are you feeling any better?"

"A little bit."

"Good, then you can help me and Danni with fundraising ideas."

"Why do you need those?" Marcy asked.

"Danni didn't tell you?" Chelsea said.

"I was about to when you called," Danni interjected.

"Someone can tell me now," Marcy suggested.

"Darren needs eighty-thousand dollars for a prosthetic arm," Chelsea said.

Marcy drew in a sharp breath. "That's a lot of money for a fake arm."

"That's because it's robotic or something," Chelsea explained.

"Pretty much," Danni agreed. "And the medical insurance Darren's parents have won't cover it because the company said it's not medically necessary."

"How do they figure that?" Marcy asked.

"I don't really know, but it has something to do with the fact that he could function with a less expensive model," Danni answered.

"Then why not go with that one?" Marcy asked.

"You know, I was wondering the same thing," Chelsea admitted.

"I guess because the expensive one is his best shot at being able to play baseball again, and he really wants to play college ball," Danni said.

"Tell me what you have so far," Marcy said. "Maybe I can come up with some more ideas. Between the three of us, I'll bet we can do it."

"Hell, yeah, we can," Chelsea said. "We kept that bitch Whitney from winning homecoming queen, didn't we?"

Danni giggled. "Yeah, we did."

"Then we can do this for sure," Marcy said, sounding optimistic despite the rough quality of her voice.

Danni smiled at her best friends' enthusiasm. With the three of them working together, the task of raising eighty-thousand dollars didn't seem so daunting.

* * *

At lunchtime the next day, Darren listened with wide eyes as Chelsea went over all of the fundraising ideas the girls thought up the night before. Only Marcy was missing from their customary circle. Danni couldn't help feeling a little bad since they probably made her feel worse with all the talking she did yesterday afternoon, but the truth was that Marcy was the best of them at coming up with ideas. Not only that, but she was the most practical, reminding them that fundraising costs money so they needed to make sure they didn't spend more than they got.

"You guys thought of all this yesterday?" Darren asked.

Chelsea smiled. "Yeah, and to be fair, Marcy came up with most of the really good ideas, like asking local businesses to make donations."

"How would that work?" he asked.

"Marcy said a lot companies donate to charities and get some kind of tax break for doing it," Danni explained. "All we have to do is set up a bank account in your name. Then we give them the bank name and account number, and they can call and make the tax-free donation."

Darren shook his head. "I don't know. Who's going to donate eighty-thousand dollars to some high-school kid just so he can have a fake arm?"

Danni furrowed her brow. It wasn't just Darren's choice of words that had her frowning, but the way he spoke them. There was more than doubt on his face, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

"You're thinking too big," Chelsea said. "It's not one business that's going to donate the whole amount. It will be a bunch of them. If eighty of them gave just a thousand dollars, you'd be set."

"Plus we can target more than just businesses," Danni added. "We could contact all the TV stations and the newspaper and see if any of them wants to do a story about how you're trying to get your arm but can't because of how much it costs. Then we could ask people to donate."

"It doesn't seem right to ask people for money," Darren said.

Danni shrugged. "It was just an idea."

"I wouldn't even know how to do all of this," he admitted.

"My mom might be able to help us since she's a lawyer," Danni said.

"That's cool, but it seems like a lot of work for everyone."

"It probably will be, but I'll bet we can do it with our parents' help."

"I know you guys worked hard on this, but I just don't think it's a good idea," Darren said.

"Why not?" Danni asked.

Darren's jaw line hardened. "I just don't, all right."

"Well, I do, and I don't care what you think."

"This is my arm and my life. And I'm saying no."

Danni heaved an exasperated sigh. Refusing to take her college money was one thing, but this was different. This was money Darren wouldn't have to worry about paying back; money that could help him realize his dreams and regain his confidence. His sudden stubbornness didn't make sense.

"What are you saying no to?"

The voice of Justin made Danni and Chelsea jump, but Darren didn't register any reaction other than to get to his feet. He turned his back on the girls and stalked toward his brother's car. For a moment, Danni just stared after him with her mouth agape before something snapped inside of her.

"Who do you think you are, Darren Jacobs?" Danni demanded as she shot to her feet and stomped after him. "How dare you talk to my best friend like that after she spent so much time trying to help you?"

Darren stopped and turned to face her. "I thought I was your best friend."

"If you were really my best friend, you'd tell me the truth."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'd tell me why you don't want the prosthetic arm."

"Of course I want it, but the insurance company said no."

"That doesn't mean you can't have an arm," Danni insisted. "You could get one that's not as fancy that still works, but you don't want to do that. You want this space age thing that nobody can afford, and you think I don't know why, but I do."

"I told you why. It's so I can play ball again," he reminded her.

"Maybe you do want to play, maybe you don't." Danni shrugged her shoulders. "If you really wanted to, you'd be jumping at the chances being thrown your way, but you're running away from every single one of them just so you'll have an excuse for not getting it."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

Danni snorted. "That figures; typical Darren, putting everyone down when he doesn't like what he hears. You know what? I could do that too."

"Go ahead," Darren said.

"Don't think I won't," Danni warned.

"Then do it. What? Are you scared?" Darren taunted.

"I think maybe you're the one who's scared," Danni said.

The defiance left Darren's eyes. "Yeah, maybe."

Danni stepped closer to him. "Why?"

"What if I fail?" he asked. "Everyone's expecting me to get this arm and transform into this bad ass baseball player, but what if I can't do it? I wouldn't want to let everyone down if they gave me all that money."

"Or maybe you don't want to let yourself down."

"Maybe that too."

"The only way you'll let anyone down is if you give up without even trying."

Darren cracked a small smile. "You think you're pretty smart, don't you?"

Danni smirked back at him. "I don't think I am. I know I am and so do you."

"Yeah, I do." Darren slid his arm around Danni's waist and pulled her closer. When he dipped his head toward hers, she pulled back. "You don't want to kiss me?"

"Not until you promise you'll think about it," Danni said.

"Think about kissing you?"

Danni sighed. "I'm serious, D.J."

His expression sobered. "I'll think about it."

"About what? I want to hear you say it."

Darren grinned at her. "I'll think about trying some of these fundraisers, I promise."

The second time he brought his head toward hers, Danni didn't avoid his kiss.

# Chapter Twenty-four

As they waited for not only the first bell of the day to ring but Darren to show up, Danni and her friends stood in their favorite morning meeting spot.

"I can't believe Darren didn't like our ideas," Marcy said.

"It wasn't that he didn't like them," Danni said. "I think we just kind of overwhelmed him. Besides, he said he'd think about it."

"Even if he doesn't, I wouldn't worry too much about it," Chelsea said.

Marcy frowned. "Why not?"

Chelsea shrugged. "No reason."

"What are you up to?" Danni asked.

Chelsea gave her a sly smile. "What makes you think I'm up to anything?"

"Oh, I don't know," Danni said. "Maybe it's that shit eating grin."

Marcy wrinkled her nose. "That's gross."

"And totally untrue," Chelsea added. "Darren's here."

For the moment, Danni was distracted by her boyfriend's approach. The way he moved belied just how appealing he was. Before his accident, Darren strode with confidence, always keeping his head up and his back straight. Back then there was no doubt he knew girls were looking at him and liking what they saw while guys were just wishing they could be him. Now he walked with a slouch that seemed to suggest he was trying to curl up inside himself.

His choice of clothes had also changed. Darren used to wear shirts that showed off the taut muscles in his arms and stomach. Now he hid beneath bulky sweatshirts as if hoping to draw attention away from his body.

Even Darren's hair was different. It had always spilled over his forehead, but since the accident he had let it grow even longer in the front. No doubt he was trying to hide the jagged scar that was the result of the stitches he once had across his forehead. Despite all these changes, Darren couldn't alter the thing that still made him the hottest guy she had ever seen. There was no changing those blue eyes.

"Earth to Danni," Marcy said.

"Oh no, I think we lost her," Chelsea joked.

Danni's cheeks pinked. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she'd forgotten where she was; so lost she hadn't even realized when Darren not only joined them but slid his arm around her shoulders.

He peered at her with a look of concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, just spaced out for a minute," Danni said and then smiled.

Chelsea laughed. "No kidding! What were you thinking about anyway?"

Though she drew in a breath to speak, Danni had no idea what she was going to say. Relief washed over her when the bell rang to save her from having to answer. Besides, from the way Darren was grinning at her, she was pretty sure he knew just what she was thinking.

* * *

Even though it was almost ten at night, Danni was nowhere near finishing her French homework. She knew it was her own fault, both for waiting so long to do it and for taking the class. Danni cursed the day she decided to take French instead of Spanish like her mom wanted her to. After almost four years of it, she still hated doing translation exercises.

The clanging of her cell's text message alert was a welcome distraction. Danni shoved her homework aside and pounced on the phone. A frown creased her brow. Why was Justin texting her?

J.J.: _Okay, all set for Friday. Six okay with you guys?_

Danni: _Okay for what?_

J.J.: _Sorry, Danni. Sent this to the wrong girl_.

Danni: _Good thing Chelsea thinks you're gay or she'd be heartbroken_.

J.J.: _LOL! Do me a favor and don't mention this to D.J._

Danni's frown deepened as she typed her reply: _Why not?_

J.J.: _Not sure if you noticed but my brother gets a little jealous when it comes to you._

Danni's face warmed, and she was glad he wasn't there to see it. She texted: _Fine, whatever. Have fun on your date._

J.J.: _What date?_

Danni: _The one you're planning for six on Friday_.

J.J.: _Oh, right. Talk to you later_.

Danni typed the word later back to Justin and set her phone aside. Heaving a sigh, she picked up her homework once more. She made it halfway through the second of the five paragraphs she had to translate before being interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door.

"Yeah?" Danni called without looking up from her book.

The door cracked open. "Does that mean it's safe to enter?" Charmain asked, following her words with a laugh.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just doing some homework."

Charmain frowned. "Isn't it a little late for you to be doing that?"

"Isn't it a little late for you to just be coming home?" Danni smiled to make sure her mom knew she was only kidding.

Her mom laughed again. "Touché! So what are you working on? Maybe I can help."

"French, and before you say anything, I know I should've taken Spanish. Believe me, I wish I had."

"I wish you had too. Bilingual Spanish speakers are in demand in a lot of fields."

Danni fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I thought I told you not to say anything."

"Sorry, force of habit. Listen, don't make any plans for Friday."

"Why not?" Danni asked.

"I thought we could go out to dinner."

"Oh, okay. Is Nick coming?"

Charmain smiled at her. "I don't think we'll need him there."

"Um, okay." Danni frowned at her mom's strange choice of words.

"Great, I'll let you get back to your French homework, which could've been Spanish if you'd listened to me."

"Mom!" Danni said, and her mother giggled.

If she didn't think it would have made her mom mad, she would have thrown a pillow at her. Instead, she returned her attention to the dreaded French, hating the fact that her mom was right. She should have taken Spanish!

* * *

"Am I blind, or is Adam Westfield looking right at us?" Chelsea asked.

Both Danni and Marcy turned in the direction Chelsea indicated. Adam stood a few feet away with a couple of friends, but he didn't seem interested in them. He was watching the trio of girls who stood in front of the school waiting for Darren to arrive. When his eyes met Danni's, he glanced back at his friends.

Though she had known Adam since elementary school, Danni didn't think of him as a friend or even an acquaintance. Beyond an occasional exchange of hello, their brief conversations had been confined to school related topics. If Danni ever missed a class she shared with Adam, she could count on him to know the homework assignment.

Like Danni and her friends, Adam was one of those academic types who didn't fit in with Spencer and his crowd. He wasn't bad looking, but he wasn't memorable either. Tall and thin with messy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes hiding behind a pair of square framed glasses, it was safe to say Adam was ordinary looking.

"He's doing it again," Chelsea said.

Danni looked over at Adam in time to see him glance away.

"Why do you think he keeps looking over here?" Marcy asked.

"I don't know," Chelsea said, grinning. "Maybe he can see your thong over the top of your jeans."

Marcy's cheeks turned crimson. "You know I'd never wear a thong!"

"Right, forgot who I was talking to," Chelsea said. "Maybe you've got toilet paper stuck to your shoe."

"I do not," Marcy said, although she glanced at her feet to confirm her denial. "Why does he have to be looking at me anyway? Maybe he's looking at you."

Chelsea rolled her eyes. "Not likely, considering I'm pretty much invisible to the opposite sex. He's probably looking at Danni."

"Who's looking at Danni?" Darren asked as he approached their group.

There was no mistaking the rough edge to his voice, and Danni almost laughed out loud at his obvious jealousy. Of the two of them, she was the one who had more to be worried about. One arm or not, Darren was still one of the best looking guys in school, a fact proven by how many girls were all over him at the homecoming game.

"Adam Westfield keeps looking over here," Chelsea explained.

Darren looked around. "Who's that?"

"That tall guy over there – the one with the glasses."

Darren's gaze travelled in Adam's direction. When Adam looked their way once more, Darren draped a possessive arm around Danni's shoulders. He held her so tightly she wouldn't have been surprised if his fingers left a mark on her skin. As soon as he was confronted with Darren's glare, Adam looked away.

Chelsea burst into laughter. "Geez, Darren, why don't you just go over there and kick his ass for looking at your woman?"

Danni was glad to hear the first bell ring. It not only gave her a chance to get free of Darren's confining grasp, but also to save poor Adam from a possible ass kicking. Though she didn't think her boyfriend was into senseless violence, she wouldn't have been surprised to see him confront Adam. If it weren't for the fact that she shared similar feelings about him and other girls, Danni might have been worried.

When they passed through the gates, Darren's parting kiss was longer than usual. Danni gave him a knowing smile before turning in the direction of her first period class. This jealousy thing had its perks.

"Hey, um, Danni, can I talk to you?"

Danni stopped and stared up at a red faced Adam Westfield. "Sure, what's up?"

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay."

"You're pretty good friends with Marcy Larsen right?"

"She's one of my best friends. Why?" Danni asked, and then broke into a wide smile when Adam's face turned a darker shade of red. "You like her, don't you? That's why you kept staring at us this morning."

"Yeah, maybe," he said. "You think she'd go out with me if I asked?"

"I don't know," she replied.

The way Adam's shoulders slumped made Danni feel sorry for him, but she wasn't sure whether Marcy would go out with him. After all, she'd spent so many years hoping Nick would ask her out. Danni didn't think Adam was her type, although he should have been. The guy was nice and smart and would probably treat Marcy way better than Nick would. Even though Nick was her brother, Danni knew he wasn't the romantic type Marcy was hoping for.

"I could ask her what she thinks of you and let you know," Danni offered.

Adam's eyes lit up. "You'd do that?"

"Yeah, but you should know she might not be interested. Would you be okay with that?"

"It would suck, but it would be better than not knowing."

"Okay, then give me your number and I'll text you after I talk to her," Danni said.

Adam pulled his cell phone from his pocket and traded numbers with Danni. As she hurried to beat the second bell, she could not stop smiling. Marcy was going to be surprised.

* * *

Walking out of her sociology class, Danni retrieved her phone from her purse so she could call Darren.

"I'm surprised you're calling," he answered.

Danni furrowed her brow. "What?"

"I figured you'd be busy talking to your new best buddy Adam."

"What are you talking about?" Danni asked.

"I saw you guys together," Darren said. "Right after you kissed me, you were flirting with him."

Danni mashed her lips together as she tightened her grip on the phone that was pressed to her ear.

"Look, if you like the guy then you can have him," Darren said. "I don't need another girl cheating on me."

Danni's first instinct was to tear up, but she fought against it. As she rounded the corner, she spotted Darren walking a few steps ahead of her. She tapped the end call button and shoved her phone into the front pocket of her jeans.

"You stop right there, Darren Jacobs!" Danni ordered.

Darren paused and spun to face her. The sneer on his perfect face only fueled the fire of her anger.

"I'm sick and tired of this." Danni advanced on him. "From the day we met you've been acting like a total asshole, and I've been letting you, but I'm not going to do it anymore."

"No need now that you've got Adam Westfield, huh?"

"For your information, Adam wanted to know if I thought Marcy would go out with him."

Darren's shoulders sagged and relief flooded his face. "Danni, I "

"Oh, no, you don't! You're not going to say sorry and expect me to forgive you. I'm done with that."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said," Danni said. "I'm done with letting you treat me like I'm the enemy."

"Are you saying you don't want to be with me anymore?"

The second bell rang, but neither of them made a move to go inside. They stood staring at one other, both breathing hard.

After a few moments, their teacher appeared in the doorway. "Is there a problem here?"

"Not anymore," Danni said.

"Great, then you both need to come inside so we can get started. The bell rang almost thirty seconds ago," Mrs. Greenleaf said.

Danni stalked past Darren without meeting his pleading gaze. All eyes were on her as she stormed down the aisle and dropped into her seat. For once she didn't care and she didn't even glance at Darren as he sat down beside her.

Having gotten the two of them into the room, Mrs. Greenleaf took the roll and then launched into her lecture. Despite the way she was staring at the teacher, Danni wasn't listening to a word she said.

"Darren, please tell me you're not sending text messages after being tardy," Mrs. Greenleaf said, and Danni snickered.

"I'm taking notes," Darren said. "I used to be left handed. Since I can't write, this is the only way for me to take them."

"Really, then why haven't I seen you do it before?"

"Guess I never needed to," Darren replied. "You can check if you want."

Mrs. Greenleaf looked at the phone Darren held in her direction. "No, that's all right. I'm sorry about that. Go ahead."

As unreasonable as it was, Danni wanted to scream at the teacher for apologizing. When her phone vibrated in her pocket five minutes later, Danni knew without looking she'd just received a text message from Darren. The childish part of her wanted to bring it to the teacher's attention, but she kept quiet and continued staring at Mrs. Greenleaf who was engrossed in her explanation of the different types of participles.

"Please read it," Darren whispered. "Please, Danielle."

Danni's resistance began to crumble. She didn't know if it was due to his use of her full name or the undisguised desperation in his words. Not taking her eyes off Mrs. Greenleaf, she worked the phone from her pocket. As soon as the teacher turned her back to write something on the whiteboard, Danni typed in her password and opened the message.

Darren: _Please don't break up with me. Let me explain_.

Danni glanced up at Mrs. Greenleaf. Finding the teacher still writing on the whiteboard, she sent her reply: _Fine, explain._

It took several minutes for Darren to type his one-handed reply and several more before Danni got a chance to read it.

Darren: _I don't want to lose you, but I'm scared. Everyone's always staring at us and I know they're wondering why you want a freak like me. I know because I wonder the same thing._

The sadness in his words softened Danni's heart. Rather than sending him a text, she slipped her phone back into her pocket in favor of retrieving a piece of paper from her binder. While the teacher probably thought she was taking notes, Danni wrote a note to Darren.

I want you because: 1) You're my very best friend; 2) I can be myself with you; 3) You're loyal, not like a dog, but you did date a cheating bitch for a year and always believed her lies; 4) We have a lot of fun together; 5) You didn't ditch me when you came back to school, even though every girl wants you and you won homecoming king; 6) You're a nice guy, but lately you've been kind of schizo and should really get that under control; 7) You're a great kisser; 8) You always want to take care of me; 9) You have amazing blue eyes; and, 10) You have a super sexy body. Since I already know how hot you look with your shirt off, I'm 1000% sure you look even better totally naked.

When Mrs. Greenleaf dropped her eyes to the lesson book, Danni folded the note in half and passed it to Darren. By the time he finished reading, his blush began at his neck and stretched up to his face. Embarrassing him hadn't been Danni's goal. Instead, she needed him to know her feelings for him weren't based on his appearance. There was one other thing she needed him to know, but she wasn't about to write that on a piece of paper.

* * *

At the end of class, Danni gathered her things and shuffled toward the door, reaching the front of the room at the same time as Darren. They hadn't even made it out the door before he threaded his fingers through hers. Danni smiled at him, but she didn't speak until they were outside. There, she pulled him aside while the other students streamed past.

"Please don't," Darren said.

Danni knitted her eyebrows together. "Don't what?"

"Break up with me."

"Even after all those nice things I said about you, you think I'm going to break up with you?" Danni asked.

"Are you?"

"No, but I meant it when I said I'm not putting up with your attitude anymore."

"So, if we get in another fight it's over?"

Danni laughed. "I don't think it's possible for us not to fight."

"Then I don't get what you want."

"I want you to stop being such a dick." Danni smiled as she said it. "It's okay for us to fight about money or where we want to live or what color to paint our bedroom, but I'm not going to let you pick fights with me because you're worried I'm suddenly going to realize you've only got one arm and bail on you."

Darren slid his arm around her waist. "Maybe you should break up with me then."

"No way, I'm not letting you off that easy," Danni replied. "You're just going to have to learn to deal with your insecurity."

"That's not why," he said.

Danni frowned up at him. "Then why should I break up with you?"

"I'm just not sure I can be with a girl who's going to fight with me about crazy things like the color of our bedroom," Darren said with a grin.

"You should talk!"

Darren pulled her closer. "I love you, Danni."

"I love you too, D.J."

"Does that mean we can paint our bedroom orange?"

"Please tell me you're kidding."

"I'm kidding," Darren assured her.

"Good, because I have my heart set on soft pink."

"I don't care what color it is as long as we're in it together."

Danni smiled as she slid her arms around his neck. Darren was right. As long as they were in it together, the rest didn't matter.

* * *

"Would you mind telling me what's so important?" Marcy asked. "I have tons of homework."

"You can do it at Danni's house," Chelsea said.

At Danni's insistence, the three of them were on their way to her house where she planned on letting Marcy in on Adam's crush. Not wanting to embarrass her friend in front of Darren, she had suggested an afternoon at her house where she promised huge news that would have a big effect on Marcy.

When she pulled in front of her house, Danni breathed a sigh of relief at the absence of Nick's truck. If her brother was home, there was no way Marcy would even consider going out with Adam. The girls grabbed their backpacks and purses and climbed out of the car. Once inside the house, Danni made sure to lock the door before Marcy could remind her. Her friend was worse than her mother when it came to stuff like that.

The girls deposited their purses on the living room couch before proceeding into the kitchen with their backpacks. Even though Danni wasn't interested in doing her homework yet, and thank God it wasn't French, she knew better than to suggest skipping it. Marcy would have a coronary if she did.

While her friends spread their books and papers out on the kitchen table, Danni grabbed some sodas and chips for them. Then she joined them, although she didn't retrieve her homework from her backpack.

"So, what's the big news?" Chelsea asked.

"You're never going to believe what Adam Westfield told me today," Danni said.

"He has a huge crush on you and wants to go out with you?" Chelsea guessed.

Danni shook her head. "Not me, but someone at this table."

Chelsea groaned. "Please tell me it's not me. The guy's nice and all but so not my type."

"No, not you either," Danni said, smiling at their other friend.

Marcy looked up with wide eyes. "Me?"

"Yes, you," Danni answered.

Chelsea blew out a breath. "Thank God. You had me worried there for a second."

Danni furrowed her brow. "Why, what's wrong with Adam?"

"Nothing at all," Chelsea replied. "He's totally nice and sort of cute in that _Star Wars,_ computer geek kind of way, but he's not my type."

"What about you?" Danni asked Marcy. "Is he your type?"

Just as Marcy opened her mouth to answer, Danni's phone rang.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Chelsea asked when she didn't move for it.

Danni shrugged. "It can wait. So, Marcy, are you interested in Adam or not?"

"I don't know."

Chelsea rolled her eyes. "Please tell me this isn't about Nick."

Before Marcy could answer, Danni's cell phone rang again.

"Maybe you should get that," Marcy suggested.

"Be right back." Danni popped up from the table and extracted the phone from her purse just in time to keep the call from going to her voice mail. "Hey, D.J., what's up?"

"Something weird is going on around here," Darren answered.

"Around where?"

"My house."

"Okay, so what's going on?"

"I don't know, but it's definitely weird."

Danni laughed. "Could you maybe give me a little more info here?"

"Right, sorry about that," Darren said. "I tried to talk to my mom about the fundraising ideas for my arm, but she wasn't interested."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said, she's not interested," Darren repeated. "She didn't even want to look at the list."

"That is weird," Danni agreed.

It didn't sound like Darren's mom at all. After the way Ann pressed the insurance company, Danni figured she would have been all over the idea of fundraising.

"I know, and when I asked her why, she told me to drop it," Darren said.

"What does your dad say?"

"I don't know. He's not here right now."

"Maybe you should talk to him when he gets there."

"I would, but he'll just take my mom's side. They always do that united front against the kids thing." Darren heaved a sigh. "This just sucks, you know. I finally get the guts to start pushing this and my mom's not behind me."

"I'll talk to mine," Danni said. "I'm having dinner with her tomorrow. I'll talk to her and see if she'll talk to your mom. Maybe your mom's just worried about the legal stuff, and since my mom's a lawyer, she can help."

"You think your mom will want to?" Darren asked.

Danni laughed again. "Are you kidding? She thought my last plan was well thought out so she'll love this one since it means I won't have to give up my college money."

"Cool, let me know tomorrow after you talk to her."

"You know I will."

"So, what'd Marcy say about Adam?" Darren asked.

"I was just about to find out when you called."

"Guess I'll talk to you later then. Love you, baby."

"Love you too," Danni replied. Instead of dropping her phone back into her purse, she shoved it into her pocket before retuning to the kitchen. "Now, where were we?"

"What's up with Darren?" Chelsea asked.

Danni frowned. "He tried to talk to his mom about our ideas, but she wasn't interested. Don't worry though. It's not over yet. I'm going to talk to my mom tomorrow."

"But tomorrow's when we..."

"When we what?" Danni asked when Marcy's words trailed off.

"Nothing," Marcy said, which made Danni raise her eyebrows.

"Tomorrow's when we were going to see if you wanted to go to the movies with us," Chelsea said. "You know, since you missed out last weekend and all."

"Maybe we could go Saturday," Danni suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," Chelsea said, turning to Marcy. "So, Marce, what's the deal? Are you interested in Adam? And before you say you're waiting for Nick, you should know by now that's not going to happen."

Marcy glared at her. "You're just saying that because you're mad about Justin Jacobs being gay."

"I'm saying it because it's true," Chelsea replied with a smile. "I'm saying it in such a bitchy way because I'm mad about Justin too-sexy-for-his-shirt Jacobs being gay."

Marcy's glare gave way to a giggle, which Danni caught.

"So, are you going to give the _Star Wars_ geek a chance or not?" Chelsea asked.

"You really shouldn't talk about my future boyfriend like that," Marcy warned.

Danni's eyes lit up. "Are you serious? You're really going to go out with him if he asks?"

Marcy shrugged. "Why not?"

Danni couldn't have been happier for her friend. It was about time she found somebody nice. All they had to do now was find a guy for Chelsea and everything would be perfect. Well, almost perfect. There was still the matter of convincing Darren's mom to give the fundraiser ideas a try so he could get his prosthetic arm, but Danni planned to take care of that tomorrow.

# Chapter Twenty-five

"Hey, Mom!" Danni bounded down the hall toward her mother's room. "Mom, is this okay?"

Charmain frowned as she opened her bedroom door. "What are you shouting about?"

"Is this outfit okay for dinner, or do I need to get dressed up?"

"Oh, no, what you're wearing is fine."

"Where are we going anyway?" Danni asked.

Her mom's frown was replaced by a smile. "You'll see when we get there."

"As long as it's not sushi," Danni said. "You know how much I hate that stuff."

"Don't worry. There won't be any sushi, just some hamburgers and maybe some potato salad."

Danni's stomach rumbled in response to the naming of a few of her favorite foods.

"Let me just get my purse and we can go," Charmain said.

"Me too," Danni agreed, and her mom laughed as she shot down the hall toward her own bedroom.

As she descended the stairs with her mom, Danni tried to come up with a strategy for enlisting her help to talk to Darren's mom about the fundraising plans. She still couldn't believe Ann didn't want to listen to Darren. Danni hoped her own mom wasn't going to shut her down in the same way.

"So, where are we going?" Danni asked again as they climbed into her mom's Mercedes.

"Nice try, but it's still a surprise," Charmain replied.

"Can't blame me for trying," Danni said, and her mom laughed.

Danni paid careful attention during the drive. When her mom turned onto Blackstone Drive, she figured they were going to one of the many restaurants that lined either side of the busy thoroughfare. Her mom surprised her by turning off the street a few blocks later.

Danni frowned as they drove deeper into the surrounding residential area. "Uh, you're not lost are you, Mom?"

"I hope not," Charmain said.

"If you tell me where we're going, I might be able to help you find it."

"No need. I'm going in the right direction."

"And what direction is that?" Danni asked.

"I told you, it's the right direction."

If she didn't know better, Danni would have thought they were on the way to Darren's house. This wasn't the usual route she took there, but she knew the neighborhood well. Her hunch was confirmed when her mom pulled onto Darren's street.

"Why are we going to the Jacobs' house?" Danni asked.

"Who said we were?"

"This is their street."

"Is it?" Charmain asked as she pulled her car alongside the curb and turned off the engine.

"Okay, what are we doing here?"

Charmain smiled. "Why don't we just go inside and you can find out?"

Danni climbed out of the car and followed her mom up the walkway. Even though she had no clue what they were doing there, she realized just how perfect it was. Both cars being in the driveway told her that Darren's parents were home, which meant they could both hear what her mom had to say about the fundraising idea. Of course, Danni would have to spring it on them, but she wasn't going to turn her back on such a good opportunity.

Charmain rang the doorbell and they waited. After a few moments, a beaming Ann opened the door.

"Charmain, Danni! You're just in time," Ann said.

Danni frowned. "In time for what?"

"You'll see." Ann stepped aside. "Come on in. Everyone's in the dining room."

Danni's frown deepened as she and her mom entered the house behind Ann.

"Justin should be here with Darren any minute now," Ann said over her shoulder.

If Danni hadn't known Darren's birthday wasn't for another few months, she would have suspected a surprise party. When the three of them entered the dining room, her eyes widened at the sight of Marcy and Chelsea laughing with Darren's dad.

"What the heck is going on here?" Danni asked.

"Hello to you too," Chelsea said.

"You'd think I didn't teach her any manners," Charmain joked.

"I have manners," Danni replied. "I'd just appreciate it if someone would let me in on whatever secret you're all keeping."

"Well, you see..."

Ann's explanation was cut off by Justin's shout. "Mom, we're home!"

"We're in the dining room!" Ann called back while Gerald winked at Danni.

Darren stopped short when he and Justin entered the room. The expression he wore was similar to the one on Danni's face. "Um, what's up?"

"It's a family meeting," Ann said.

"Let's all take a seat and everything will be explained," Gerald said.

While Ann and her husband moved to opposite ends of the long dining table, Charmain and Danni sat down on one side. Darren sat beside Danni, leaving Marcy and Chelsea to take their seats alongside Justin.

"Here ye, here ye, this session of the Jacobs' family meeting is now called to order," Gerald announced.

The two brothers traded eye rolls while the girls giggled. Even Charmain chuckled.

"Now then, our first and only order of business concerns you, Darren," Gerald said.

Darren furrowed his brow. "Me?"

"Yes, specifically the myoelectric prosthesis that our insurance company is refusing to foot the bill for," his father continued.

"What about it?"

"Since the insurance company denied our claim, your mom and I were looking at other options, including me cashing out my retirement."

"No way, Dad, you already lost your savings because of this," Darren said.

"I said we _were_ looking at other ideas," Gerald said. "That was until your brother brought us a rather interesting list of suggestions for securing the money."

"They weren't my ideas," Justin said. "Chelsea gave me the list."

"And they weren't mine either; not the good ones anyway," Chelsea added. "Marcy came up with most of them."

"Regardless of whose suggestions they were, there were some very good ones," Gerald said. "And one in particular. Of all the stuff you girls came up with, Ann and I thought opening a bank account for public donations might be the most viable so I placed some calls to find out how we could get it done."

"Including a call to me, and I provided some guidance on how to go about getting the account established," Charmain said.

_Now everything makes sense_ , Danni thought.

"But that's not all you did," Ann said.

Danni frowned at her mom. "What else did you do?"

"Your mom convinced her company to donate five thousand dollars to the Darren Jacobs' Prosthetic Fund," Ann explained. "That's what we've named the account."

"Five thousand dollars?" Danni gasped while Darren's eyes grew wide.

"My company's making a donation too, and several of my coworkers are also making individual ones," Gerald said.

"I talked to the owner of the restaurant yesterday and he agreed to make a donation too," Justin added.

Danni couldn't believe what she was hearing. A few days ago this was just an idea on a piece of paper. Now it was a reality. At this rate, Darren would have the money in plenty of time to try out for the college baseball team.

"What do you think, Darren?" Gerald asked.

Darren bit down on his lower lip. "I, um, don't know what to say."

"You could start by thanking me and Marcy for being such geniuses," Chelsea suggested and everyone laughed.

"Hey, a few of those ideas were mine too," Danni said.

Chelsea grinned. "True, but the idea that's going to make this happen is actually Marcy's."

Marcy shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a genius."

Laughter broke out once more.

"How come you didn't tell me what you were doing?" Darren asked.

"Well, we wanted to make sure we could make this happen before we got your hopes up," Gerald replied. "When it did happen, we wanted to surprise you and your friends."

"But they were in on the surprise," Justin said.

"I wasn't," Danni said.

"That's because we didn't want you to ruin the surprise by telling Darren," Chelsea explained.

"I wouldn't have done that," Danni insisted.

"Please!" Chelsea rolled her eyes. "You two tell each other everything."

"All right, children, no fighting," Justin interjected, and Chelsea stuck her tongue out at him.

"I move to adjourn this meeting in favor of having a dinner of barbecued hamburgers," Gerald suggested.

"I second that motion," Ann said.

"All in favor?" Gerald asked, and he was met with a round of ayes. "Then I guess I don't need to ask if anyone's opposed."

Everyone began to scoot their chairs from the table.

"Justin, go fire up the grill while I get the burgers seasoned," Gerald said.

His son gave a crisp salute. "Yes, sir!"

"Marcy and I will help you," Chelsea said and Justin grinned.

"What can I do to help, Ann?" Charmain asked.

"I could use a hand slicing the tomatoes and onions," she replied.

While everyone shuffled off in different directions, Danni and Darren remained seated at the dining room table.

Danni turned to face him. "What are you thinking about?"

"I can't believe this is really going to happen," he replied.

"Are you happy?"

"Yeah, but I'm kind of scared too. What if I get the thing and I hate it?"

"It might take you a little while to learn how to use it, but you can do it," Danni assured him.

"What makes you so sure?"

"You can do anything."

" _We_ can do anything," Darren said, leaning in close to her.

As he brought his lips to hers, Danni thought about everything they had been through and all the things that stretched ahead of them. It all seemed somewhat unbelievable. Then again, it wasn't that long ago that the idea of getting Darren Jacobs to notice her seemed impossible.

Darren was right. As long as they were in it together, anything was possible.

# Epilogue

"Oh my God, who is that? Please tell me he's single."

Danni laughed, not only at the lusty way Paige spoke but also because the object of her lust was Danni's future brother-in-law. At just twenty-seven years old, Justin Jacobs was a blond, blue eyed, well muscled god on earth who was still turning female heads.

Catching sight of them watching his approach, Justin raised his hand and waved.

Paige let out a noise that was a cross between a squeal and a sigh. "I think he just waved at me, at least I hope it was me. It wouldn't be fair if it was you since you've already got a honey of a boyfriend."

Danni laughed even harder. Paige's way with words reminded Danni of her best friend Chelsea. It was too bad Chelsea hadn't been able to make it to Darren's debut, but she had a good reason for missing the game. She and Marcy both did. While they'd gone off to colleges in different states, Danni stayed behind to go to community college with Darren. By this time next year, they'd be at state college, both having already applied and been accepted.

Even though her friends thought she was crazy, Danni never regretted passing on an out of state college to stay with Darren. It wasn't just her friends who tried to encourage her to attend a four year university, her mom did too. They all said the same thing. If her relationship with Darren was meant to be, it would stand the separation. Danni didn't doubt that it would, not after all they'd been through. That wasn't the point. Just because they could survive the separation didn't mean she wanted to, especially not when it might have meant missing this. After spending the last year seeing only relief time, Darren was going to make his first start as catcher, a small miracle considering the coach didn't even want to give him a place on the team when he tried out last year.

The only reason he even made the team last year was because he begged and pleaded and promised he wouldn't sue the school or the coach if he got injured during a game. Despite making the team, and despite his natural ability still being intact even with one arm, it still hadn't been enough to earn him a starting spot. Darren had to prove himself last season.

"I think he's coming this way," Paige hissed.

Paige reached out to grab Danni's arm. The closer Justin drew, the harder Paige clutched. When he came to a stop in front of them, Danni winced at the way Paige's nails dug into her skin.

"Hey, babe." Justin leaned down to give Danni a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey," Danni echoed, smiling up at him.

Paige's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Does Darren know about him?"

Justin laughed. "Yeah, he knows."

"Darren was the one who introduced us," Danni played along.

Paige grimaced. "That's awful."

Danni finally giggled. "Paige, it's okay. This is Darren's brother, Justin."

A blush crept into Paige's cheeks. "Oh, wow, I feel totally stupid."

"No need," Justin assured her and extended his hand. "And you are?"

When Paige let go of Danni's arm to shake Justin's hand, Danni rubbed at the angry red fingernail marks her friend left on her arm.

Paige's blush deepened. "Oh, I'm, um Paige."

"Nice to meet you, um Paige," Justin said, winking at her.

"Did you come with Mom and Dad?" Danni interjected.

"Nope, brought my own car," Justin answered. "Your mom's picking up my parents, and my mom's all excited about riding in your mom's Mercedes."

"Which I don't get at all considering how many shopping trips they've made in that thing."

Though she rolled her eyes when she spoke, Danni was grateful for how well their mothers got along. More than once, her mother told her how glad she was her mom hadn't lived long enough to meet her mother-in-law since the two would've probably killed each other.

"There they are," Danni said when she spotted the trio walking toward them.

Danni couldn't keep from smiling at the way her mom and Darren's mom walked with their arms linked. It was the way she and Paige sometimes walked across the vast city college campus.

"Looks like the gang's all here," Ann said as they joined the already waiting group.

After introducing Paige to their families, Danni led the way to the ticket window.

"Wait, Danni, I'm going to pay," Gerald announced.

"You don't have to do that," Danni protested, though she knew it was useless.

"Yes, he does," Ann insisted. "We want to make sure we all get seats together, seats in the front row."

Gerald smiled at her. "I'm on it, dear."

Danni and Justin traded grins as Gerald moved in front of Danni to purchase all of their tickets. Tickets in hand, their group passed through the gates and paused to submit to having a police officer pass the metal detecting wand over them.

With Ann and Charmain at the head of the pack, they tromped down the aisle and headed straight for the front row. Their group took the first six seats in their row, and Danni didn't miss the way Paige took advantage of the opportunity to seat Justin between the two of them.

_Yep, she's just like Chelsea_ , Danni thought and smirked at Justin.

"I don't see Darren," Ann said.

"We're a little bit early, Mom," Justin pointed out. "The players will probably be out for warm ups in a few minutes."

"In that case, maybe we should get our snacks and sodas now," Ann suggested.

Gerald laughed. "Don't you mean _I_ should get our snacks and sodas?"

Ann gave him a sweet smile. "What a lovely suggestion!"

Everyone laughed as Gerald got to his feet.

"All right, who wants what?" Gerald asked and was bombarded with requests.

"Maybe I better go with you, Dad," Justin said.

"Yeah, maybe you better," Gerald agreed. "I could use some helping paying for, I mean carrying, all of this."

Danni stood up to let Gerald and Justin out. In Justin's absence, Paige moved to the empty seat next to Danni.

"Oh my God," Paige cried. "Why didn't you tell me Darren had a hot brother? Christ, he's not gay is he?"

Danni giggled. "No, he's not gay, and yes, he's single, and no, I have no idea why, and yes, I'm sure Darren won't mind if you throw yourself at his brother."

Paige's eyes twinkled. "Good, then tell me everything you know about him before he gets back."

Ann suddenly let out an excited squeal that drowned out Danni's plan to reply. Pride welled up in Danni's chest as the team took the field. Her eyes found Darren's at the same time he found hers, and he offered her a grin and a wave before he shoved the catcher's mask over his face.

Danni's pride became awe as she watched Darren warming up the pitcher. Even though it'd been two years since he'd gotten his prosthetic arm, she still marveled at how adept he was at using it. From a distance, she couldn't even tell a difference between the two arms.

As proud as she was of him, she was also a bit nervous. Darren was going to be under a microscope today. One mistake was all it would take for the coach to have an excuse to bench him.

Justin and Gerald returned with their arms loaded down with everything from sodas and peanuts to popcorn and hot dogs. While the team took its turn warming up, their group dove into the hot dogs and sodas but left the peanuts and popcorn for later.

By the time they'd polished off the first of their ball game treats, the stadium was starting to fill up. Either Danni was imagining things or today there seemed to be a bit more people than usual. Unlike regular college games, the community college games didn't net too many spectators. Most were confined to the players' friends and girlfriends and family members.

Their section was almost full when the announcer called for them to remove their caps and rise for _The National Anthem_. Instead of looking at the flag, Danni kept her eyes on Darren as he stood holding his catcher's mask over his heart. At the conclusion of the song, the fans took their seats while the players ran for their positions. Being that it was a home game the other team was up first, which meant Darren was going to be behind the plate for the first half of the inning.

Danni held her breath as he flashed the first sign to the pitcher. The pitcher reared back and threw the ball into Darren's waiting glove. It wasn't until Darren caught it and sailed it back with ease that Danni exhaled.

They struck out the first batter, but the second batter managed to get on first base. When the pitcher released the first pitch to the third batter, the runner on first base suddenly took off. The roar of the crowd was deafening as Darren shot to his feet and zinged the ball to the second baseman. It didn't do any good for the runner to slide into the base. Darren's throw had him beat well before the second baseman applied the tag.

"Did you see that play? That catcher's got an amazing arm!"

The jubilant observation from someone seated behind them brought tears to Danni's eyes. It wasn't 'That one-armed catcher is amazing'.

A stupid mistake at the age of seventeen almost cost Darren this chance. Now, as she watched Darren do the one thing no one ever thought he'd do again, she was reminded of something he said to her the night his parents told him they'd found a way to give him the prosthetic arm that would give him this chance.

'We can do anything.'

When he'd spoken those words, she could remember thinking maybe they could do anything. Now she knew better. There was no maybe about it. They really could do anything.

# About the Author

Trish Edmisten is the author of several novels, including _Extraordinary Will_ , a Reader Views Literary Award Winner. Her work has appeared in _Writer's Journal, Creative With Words_ and _A Long Story Short_. Besides being an author, she holds a degree in criminology. Trish lives in Fresno, California with her husband and their two daughters. To learn more about Trish, visit her website www.trishedmisten.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, @trishthewriter and be sure you follow her blog trishthewriter@blogspot.com.
