After

Dani

It was almost a week later. We were getting ready to move that weekend, and it was the last week of school. I was leaving school on monday and leaving home on friday. We were taking a week to make sure everything was ready. . The eighth grade dance was that friday. I was sad that I would miss it, but I was even sadder that I would leave all my friends on the last week of school. Okay, so I would leave my friend on the last week of school. Anyway, everyone was teary. I finally hugged Sam.

“Okay, you have my phone number, obviously I’ll text you our new email address. We both have our emails, ” We hugged one last time, and Dylan and I got off the bus. I walked into my living room, where my mom was sitting at the kitchen table, with her laptop.

“The . . . mortgage fell through.” My mom said, smiling. I wasn’t fooled. My mom would never be able to leave this house. But the result was the same.

    “So . . . we’re not moving?” I said incredulously.

    “Nope. We’re not going anywhere.” My first thought was to text Sam, so I headed into the living room, and pulled out my phone. To my surprise, there was already a text from him, that I had missed.

    Sam: Because it was your last day at school today, and you’re moving away this weekend, I thought now would be a good time to tell you:

    The first time I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful girl ever. I still think that. My heart races when I see you.

    To you, I’m just your best friend. To me . . . Well, you are a lot more than that to me, Dani. A lot more.

    I guess this is goodbye.

I stood there in my living room, mouth open, eyes wide. Sam. Sam liked me. Sam Miller, my best friend for as long as I could remember, liked me. And then a realization hit me like a sledgehammer, causing me to cling to the arm of my couch, nearly hyperventilating. I liked him. I had for a long time. Everybody had been right. My best friend liked me. I liked my best friend. Dylan walked in then, saw my phone, and the expression on my face, and grinned.

    “Go.” He said. And that was all it took.

When I walked into his driveway, Sam was sitting on his porch, bouncing a tennis ball, and looking glum. He looked up at me.

    “Dani?” He said, confused. I grinned.

    “We’re not moving!” I said.

    “Really. Honest to god. You’re not moving.” He said in disbelief. I nodded, still grinning.He grinned back at me for a moment, then he remembered.

    “You didn’t check your phone, did you?” I grinned, and sat next to him on his porch.

    “I did, as a matter of fact.”

    “Ok, well- I mean- If you don’t want- I’m perfectly fine with- I understand if-”

    “Sam?” I said.

    “Yeah?”

    “Shut up.” And then, acting on impulse, and pure happiness, I leaned in and kissed him.

We walked into my house, grinning, hand in hand. Everybody could immediately tell what happened. Cally fist bumped Ash, then handed her five bucks.

“I told you.’ Ash said smugly.

“What? I thought it would happen sooner.” Cally said. I rolled my eyes.

“Sam . . .” Dylan  said. “Who was right?”

“You.”

“And who was wrong?”

“Me.” Sam grinned. “And just now, I really don’t care.”

                Sam

    “Seth. Guess what?” I said.

    “What?”

    “I’m . . . dating Dani!”

    “Shhh!” Seth said. “I don’t want to owe Kana five bucks!”

    “Too late!” I heard Kana say in the background. Seth sighed.

    “Here.” I could hear someone else pass Kana money, then Myra said

    “Am I the only one who didn’t know about this bet?” They all said simultaneously,

    “Yep!”

    “I couldn’t take money from you,” Kana said. “ Not in a bet anyway. Just . . . from your purse occasionally.”

“What?” Myra cried.

“Nothing . . . here. Go buy yourself something nice.” Kana said, presumably handing Myra money.

“Thanks. Do you think this will be enough to buy a new girlfriend?” Myra asked. Kana laughed.

“Like you could get rid of me that easily.” I could hear footsteps as Myra left.

“I’m going to go.” I said. “Bye.” I could hear Seth laughing as I disconnected the call.

Want to hear more about Kana, Myra, and Seth? Read Life Gets Better, by Deserae Conley!

“What happened?” Dani asked me. I grinned.

“Kana won quite a bit of money.” She laughed.

“So did Ash.” I laced my fingers through hers as we walked outside. “You know,” She mused, “If I hadn’t been so blind, this could’ve happened a lot sooner.” I grinned.

“I should have just told you.” I said.

“When? Right after I lost my memory? Or maybe after my abusive father landed me in the hospital.”
    “True. I see your point.” I conceded. “Still, though . . .” She rolled her eyes at me.

“Well, you could have told me before the last day I was here.” She said.

“That’s what I’m saying.” I told her.

“Then again, I might have just denied it and left, and then cried in my bedroom.’ Dani added as an afterthought.

“You are the type to do that.” I laughed. She lightly punched me in the shoulder.

“Jerk.” She laughed.

“Why, thank you.” I said. She rolled her eyes.

“Alright, I gotta go. Text you later.” I said.

“Okay.” So I went back to my house. I couldn’t hold back the smile on my face. I knew once Paul heard, he would be super happy for me. I walked into my house.