“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 friend
s 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.