Page 12 of Killer Summer
A flutter of warmth filled her chest. Maybe her heart wasn’t so dead after all.
“Thanks. I’m really enjoying it here.”
“Cool,” he said. “Coming back next week?”
“Yeah,” she smiled. “Definitely.”
“Hey.” Jake cleared his throat and propped his hands on his hips. She took a moment to really size up her martial arts classmate. He was around her age, a nice guy. Someone she might have considered dating once upon a time. Before she was tainted. Before she was unsafe to be around.
“So, um, I was wondering, I know you said you like scary movies, and there’s this horror movie about suburban stories or something out at the theater. I was wondering if, you know … if you weren’t busy …”
“You meanUrban Legends?” Dani surprised herself and let out a laugh. “The previews for that look good.”
“Yeah, I thought so too.” Jake’s expression relaxed, and he let out a long sigh. “So, whaddaya think?”
Dani slung her gym bag over her shoulder and glanced up at the ceiling. She didn’t know what to think. There was stilla gaping Tommy-shaped hole in her chest, and dating wasn’t something she was interested in at all. But her friends had all gone off to college and stopped calling. The truth was, being a survivor was lonely. And at that moment, Dani could surely use a friend.
“I’d love to go to the movies with you,” she said, meeting his expectant gaze. “So long as we go as friends.”
“Oh, right.” Jake scratched the back of his neck and paused. “Yeah, of course.”
“I just wanted to be clear. I do want to hang out with you, but I’m not in a good place for dating right now.”
“Totally cool.” Jake nodded.
She pursed her lips and waited. This was the part where she was sure he would say “nevermind” and she would lose yet another friend.
“I was thinking of going to the 7:30 p.m. showing tomorrow at the Galaxy 8. Wanna meet me there?”
Dani let out a relieved sigh. “Yeah. That would be great.”
“Cool. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Hold on, let me give you my pager number.” Dani pulled an ink pen from her purse. “Got a piece of paper or anything?”
“No,” he scratched the back of his neck. “Here, you can just write it on my hand.”
Dani hesitated for a moment, then took his hand in hers. The flutters in her chest intensified as she wrote down her seven digit pager number. She remembered this feeling. It was nice. It was familiar. It made her feel awful and guilty.
“Thanks,” he said, examining the palm of his hand. “I’ll page you with my phone number tomorrow.”
“Okay,” she said, her cheeks warming.
“Bye, Dani.”
“Bye, Jake.”
Dani turned and walked toward the glass front doors of the martial arts studio, her head detached from her body. She was exhausted but thrilled at the prospect of a night out with a friend. With Jake. It was too soon, but life had to go on. She needed to heal and learn how to be a person again, how to protect herself, how to live. It was easy to beat herself up, and much harder to forgive.
She placed her hand on the entrance door of the gym and paused for a moment. The headlights of her father’s car shone in the parking lot like a beacon. He was waiting for her to get out of class. Just like Tommy. Every time he picked her up, Dani forced the image of her boyfriend's lifeless, bloody body behind the wheel away from her thoughts. Her heart skipped a beat as she surveyed the darkened space and a wall of deja vu sunk its claws into her gut.
Dani pushed the martial arts studio doors open and fast-walked to her father’s car. She scanned the perimeter of the parking lot as she walked with one hand on a can of mace and the other on a switch blade at her side. When she reached the car, Dani slid into the passenger seat and slammed the door hard.
“Hey, Dad.”
“How was class?” He asked, pulling out of the parking spot.
“Fine,” Dani said, her gaze never leaving the parking lot.
