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Dana sat in front of her closet the next day, wondering what to wear
for her date. The day had come and gone very quickly, and now it was
3:30...two hours until she had to be ready. Something inside her told her
that it was going to be a special date, and it made her want to wear something
fancy. Then again, she was meeting his parents, so she didn't want to
overdress. She couldn't decide.
"Missy!" she called. In a few moments, her sister poked her head in
the door. "You rang?"
"I don't know what to wear for my date!" she said, whining. Melissa
stepped into the room and sat down on the bed next to Dana.
"Well, you're going to have to fill me in, here. Where are are you
guys gonna go?"
"I'm going to meet his parents, and then he said we might go to some
mini-golf place."
"Oooh, the best dating sport there is!" she said, grinning. Dana
looked up at her and smiled a nervous smile back at her.
"I'd go with something casual. Definitely. No skirts or dresses."
All of a sudden, Missy got up and walked to Dana's closet. She
reached in and pulled out a pair of stone-washed bellbottom flares.
"I'd wear these with a cute tope. Maybe..." Melissa paused,
searching deeper into the closet, "...this one." she said, drawing out a brown
V-neck sweater with a lime-green stripe in the middle.
"I guess that'd be okay." Dana said, taking the clothes out of her
sister's hands. "Thanks, Missy." she added, smiling at her.
"Anytime, sis." she said, walking towards the door. "Have a good
time!" she said, closing the door behind her.
thought Dana, changing into the clothes she was going to wear for
her first date.
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DING DONG!
Dana's stomach lurched. She didn't need her mom to yell up the
stairs who it was; she knew.
"Coming, ma!" she yelled, putting the finishing touches on her make-
up. She studied her face in the mirror. She had to admit; she looked very
nice. She just hoped Fox would think so, too. Closing her eyes and holding
her breath, she walked out of her bedroom. She silently let it out at the top
of the stairs. Smiling, she descended down the stairs.
"Hi!" she said to Fox.
"Hey, you!" he said, admiring her from head to toe. "You looknice!"
She felt an all-too-familiar blush creep up her cheeks.
"Thank you." she said, wondering when she could just leave.
"Well...all set?" he asked her. "All set!"
"Now Dana. Make sure you're back no later than 11." Mr. Scully said
sternly.
"And Fox," he said, turning his attention to the lanky boy in front
of him, "you take good care of her, okay? Drive safely!"
Fox smiled at Dana's father. "I will, Mr. Scully." he stuck out his
hand and gave Mr. Scully a firm handshake to show he'd stay true to his word.
Mr. Scully smiled back at him.
"Well, then. Have fun!" he said, winking at his daughter.
"We will!" Fox and Dana said in unison. They looked at each other
and laughed. "Goodbye!" said Mrs. Scully.
Fox and Dana walked from the door out into the driveway, Fox,
keeping his hand on the small of her back. They didn't know it, but both of
Dana's parents were watching them.
"Look how cute they are together!" said Margaret, gazing happily at
the couple. Mr. Scully just smiled. "I think Fox seems like a good kid. I'm
glad she's dating him." Mrs. Scully sighed. "Me too,"
"Me three!" Melissa chimed in. Both Mr. and Mrs. Scully turned
around to see Melissa standing there, grinning. She had been there the whole
time. She had told Dana she couldn't pass up the opportunity to see her new
boyfriend. Then, they all turned back to the window. When the truck was out
of sight, they closed the door behind them and returned to what they had been
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"So. How are you Dana?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
She turned to look at him. "I'm doing good."
"That's good to hear." "How've you been?" she asked him.
"Well...besides being really anxious for our date to start," he
said, grinning at her, "I've been pretty good." She smiled at him.
He smiled back. "You know, I've gotta admit...you have a wonderful
smile." "You really think so?" she asked, still grinning.
"Definitely."
After that, there were a few more minutes of silence. However, the
silence was sort of comforting. Finally, Fox broke it.
"I talked it over with Mom. She says after dinner I can take you
out. Sound okay?" "Sounds good."
Just then, Fox pulled into a driveway. Dana noted his address.
<5621 Wexford Ave.>
"Well, we're here!" he said, bringing the truck to a halt. He got
out on one side, and she, the other.
"Oh, just to let you know, my dad might be a little late for
dinner...he's at work." "Oh," she nodded.
"Mom, I'm back!" he called through the screen door. Then, a pretty
woman with black hair answered the door.
"Hello! You must be Dana. Pleased to meet you!" she said, sticking
her hand out the door. Dana shook it.
"Come in, come in!" said Mrs. Mulder.
Dana observed the place. The living room was painted white and had
a few glass coffee tables. The windows were big, and had venetian blinds.
she thought.
"Fox, why don't you show Dana around the house while I fix dinner?"
"Sure, Mom." he said.
"Okay. Here's our living room," he said, pointing all around him.
"Nice," she said in response.
"Yeah, I like it, too." he said. And they both laughed.
"I'll take you upstairs to see my room."
Dana followed him up the stairs and followed him into a dark room.
He switched the light on to reveal a poster-cluttered room. The posters
ranged from Led Zeppelin to Pink Floyd, to Jimi Hendrix. There were sports
magazines strewn across his bed. He quickly tossed them onto the floor,
leaving him a spot to lay on the bed. He plopped onto the water bed,
stretching out his right arm. "Come here." he said in a gentle voice.
She did as she was told and sat down beside him.
"Come here!" he repeated.
She moved in as close to him as she could. "Lay down."
So, she did. Right on top of his arm.
"See that?" he asked, looking above his head.
"Oh, wow!" Dana commented.
"It's a ceiling window. I get to sleep under the stars every night;
so to speak. It's kinda peaceful."
"Yeah, I can understand." she said. She nestled her head into his
shoulder.
"It's going to be a while before dinner starts. Wanna watch someTV?"
"Sure."
"He got up and pressed the on-button on the TV. Then, he lied back
again, against Dana. They only watched TV for a few minutes, until Mrs.
Mulder called that dinner was ready from the bottom of the stairs.
"Well, he said, patting her affectionately on the head, "we better
go eat. I'm gonna need a lot of energy if I expect to beat you."
She laughed. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I
totally suck at mini-golf."
"Well, we'll see about that." he said, a glimmer in his eyes.
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"So, how old are you, Dana?" asked Mrs. Mulder. "I'm 15."
"Oh." Mrs. Mulder said in amusement. "How do you like your first
year at Kennedy?" "It's an okay school, I guess. Pretty decent."
But Fox remembered what she had said the other night about the
school. He grinned at Dana, imperceptible to his mother.
Suddenly, they heard a key being pushed through the keyhole on the
door. Seconds later, a tall man in a business suit emerged from the door.
Dana thought.
"Hi, honey!" Mrs. Mulder said. She got up from her seat to give her
husband a kiss. "Hi," he said back, warmly.
Looking over at Dana, Mrs. Mulder turned back to her husband. "And
this is Fox's girlfriend, Dana Scully.
Dana smiled politely at the man. "Nice to meet you, sir."
He mustered a tiny smile and said, "Nice to meet you, too."
In an instant, Dana felt sympathetic towards this man. She could
tell that he probably almost never smiled. And his eyes were so, so sad.
Maybe she could talk about it later with Fox.
Just then, Fox glanced up at the clock. 7:00 p.m. They had better
get going before the mini-golf place closed!
"Mom, Dad? We better go now before the place closes." said Fox,
slowly standing up. "Okay, son." said his father.
"Have fun!" called his mother.
Then, Fox and Dana walked out the door and climbed back into the
cozy confines of the truck. "You ready to go?" he asked.
"Sure." she replied.
He smiled at her. "Okay, then." He turned the engine, and then,
they left.XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"That'll be three dollars." said the chubby window clerk at the golf
range. Fox dug in his pocket and handed the lady the exact change.
"Thanks for golfing at Brookpark Golfing Ranges. Don't swing your
golf clubs higher than knee level. Have fun." said the clerk in a sing-songy
voice. Fox picked up his ball and club, and so did Dana.
"So...which course? Beginning or advanced?"
"Beginning...definitely!"
He laughed. "Okay. Beginning it is, then."
Dana sighted the first hole and set her ball down. It was a fairly
easy one; a straight shot ahead. she thought. She pulled
her club back slightly and swung it straight at the ball. But at the last
minte, before the club actually touched the ball, the club went sideways,
sending the ball diagonal of the hole. It was almost as if she didn't have
any control; as if it were someone else playing for her. But suddenly, Fox
came up to her.
"Your stance is wrong. Want me to show you the right way?"
"Okay." she said.
He came up from behind her and straddled his legs slightly.
"Spread your feet apart just a little bit more," he instructed.
Once she did that, he rested his chin on her right shoulder and put his warm
hands on top of hers. Dana felt her heart flutter in her chest.
"Okay. Now bring the club back..." he said, moving the club back
with her. "...and for this hole, you don't wanna strike too hard. I'll let
you be the judge on how hard you think you have to hit it.
She hesitated a moment. Golf was *definitely* not her game.
"Go on," he encouraged.
Finally, she swung back the club and struck the ball, Fox's hands
following hers in the motion. They stood like that until the ball rolled into
the hole with an audible 'plop.'
"Hey, you're doing great!" he said, breaking contact with her but
still gazing at her affectionately.
"The only reason I did good was because you helped me!" she said,
smiling.
"Nah, I doubt it. Hey," he said as he lowered his voice seductively
and lowered his head so it was level with hers, "do you think you'll need any
help on the next few holes? I just *love* teaching you."
"Well then, teacher. Let class begin." she said, just as seductive
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Dana wasn't sure that at the end of the 18 holes, she really needed
help for any of them. But despite that, Fox had helped her with every hole.
And even though Fox was very good, she still had won! Dana had 45 and Fox had
49. Suddenly, Fox came from behind her and placed a hand on her
shoulder.
"Well, you won this time, but there's always next time!" he said, a
glint in his eye.
"We'll just see about that..." she said, taking a step toward him.
"So...do you want to celebrate your victory with ice cream?"
"OUR victory," she corrected, "couldn't have done it without you!"
"Okay. Want to celebrate OUR victory?" "Sure."
"What flavor do you want?" "Peanut Butter Cup."
He mockingly gasped and put his hand over his chest. "We must be
soul mates...that's my favorite ice cream!" he joked.
"Yeah, mine too! I'm gonna go up to the pavilion to wait for you."
He nodded, and she climbed up the wooden steps to the rattan pavilion.
Pulling out a chair, she sat down on it and stared off into the sunset. It
was beautiful. The sun itself as a deep orange and painted the sky in pinks,
yellows, and purples. There wasn't a single chill in the air yet, and the
warm, cheery atmosphere seemed to affect everyone and everything.
Ruffling her hair, Fox broke her out of her reverie.
"I'm back!" he said, sitting down in a chair across from her.
"Thank goodness. I'm starved!"
"Well, dig in!" he said, waving the cone towards her.
She picked up the cone and began eating. It was very good. She
munched and crunched away contentedly, only having one regret...it was melting
all over her.
She grabbed the napkin holder and withdrew a few napkins, wiping at
her fingers. The only thing she didn't know was that there was a little ice
cream smudged on her cheek.
Fox lifted his napkin to her face and gently wiped it, gazing into
her eyes the whole time. Dropping the napkin, his intentions to wipe her face
turned into the desire to caress it. So he did. Then, he felt Dana lean into
his palm slightly. She smiled at him and he smiled back and then they both
went back to eating their ice cream until the moon shone high above them.
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"Ready to go back home?" he asked as she threw away their trash left
over from their ice cream. "I guess so."
Linking her arm in his, they walked slowly back to the truck.
"So did you have fun?" he asked her as the approached the car.
"I had a great time." she said, smiling up at him. She then
unlinked her arm from his so she could get in from the opposite side of the
truck. He waited until they were both in the car.
"You know what?" he asked, grinning, "Me too!" Suddenly, something
blurted from his mouth. "Wanna go over my house this Friday? My parents
won't be home..."
She gave him 'the look.' Realizing what his words had sounded like,
he hurried on.
"No, no, I didn't mean it like that!" he insisted. "I just thought
it'd be a good time to ask you over. We could..." he paused, grasping
desperately for the right words, "...hang out."
"Okay. I'd just have to check with my parents first. They always
wanna know where I am. I guess they're a bit overprotective."
Fox nodded his understanding. "That's good, though. It means they
care and want to keep you out of trouble. But I don't think they should have
to worry much. You're a good girl!" he said, squeezing her shoulder.
"Thanks." she said, turning to face him.
"So...if your parents say it's okay, will you come?" he asked.
"It's a date!" Dana said, smiling at him. Fox patted her shoulder,
where his hand still was. Then, the engine roared to life and they sped away.
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Thursday had come and gone in the blink of an eye. On Friday, in
almost all of her classes, Dana found herself writing "I love Fox" all over
her notebooks. She wasn't paying any attention at all, but she didn't care.
She had more important things on her mind.
Walking happily down the hallway, she suddenly heard a voice. Fox's
voice. It was coming from an empty classroom with its lights off. She wasn't
the type of person to eavesdrop, but she found herself doing it anyway. Then,
she heard a second voice. Carrie Sylvan's.
"You were supposed to *pretend* you liked her! You were supposed to
dump her! But here I find you two walking hand-in-hand down the hallway!"
"Carrie, I--"
Dana didn't hear anymore. Her mind drifted back a few days ago.
Carrie's ugly visage came back to her.
"...I know the perfect person for you..." Then, Fox's face replaced
Carrie's. She saw her and Fox holding hands, dancing...kissing. No wonder
he'd been all lovey-dovey with her! He had been faking the whole time. She
began to cry.
Dana ran down the hallway; her heart shattering into a million tiny
pieces with each step.
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She walked to his house that Friday night. She wasn't going to come
at first, but she knew she needed to talk with him eventually. There was no
need for a ride; her house was only two blocks away from his.
Then, she came upon his house. Stepping onto the front porch, she
lifted her hand out of her coat pocket and rang the doorbell. He came to the
door in about 15 seconds.
"Hi Dan--" he cut himself off, caught off-guard by the steely look
she gave him. "What's wrong?!" he asked immediately.
She stood there for a moment, never breaking eye contact with him.
"Aren't you going to let me in?" she asked testily.
"Yeah. Sure," he said, meekly, holding the door open for her.
She stepped into his house gruffly.
she thought over and
over in her head. She was so worried she'd take all her anger out on Fox.
But yet she needed to get it out somehow. She sighed in exasperation.
She sat herself down on the couch. Fox was still by the door but
was now looking at her. She stared him down and said at last, "We need to
talk." For a brief moment, he looked puzzled. Immediately, his bemusement
faded. He didn't know what it was about, but he knew not to mess around when
Dana was mad. "Um...okay." "Sit down," she instructed.
He sat down, and he almost laughed. How is it that a girl that's
four years younger and at least a foot and a half shorter than him can boss
him around in his own house?! There was just *something* about her. Even
though he didn't know her too well, he knew one thing for sure...she was a
tough cookie. She was self-sufficient. And very strong. And heaven help
anyone who get in her way.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. The ticking from the
kitchen clock was a dull throb in Dana's ears.
"So...what's wrong?" Fox asked, staring at his hands that were
neatly folded in his lap.
Dana had to try real hard to hold back the tears that were just
beginning to sting her eyes.
"Fox..." she began. He nodded his head, urging her to continue.
"I-- I heard you...talking today. With--" she choked back the
tears, "--Carrie." Fox's face suddenly lost all its color.
"Dana--"
"No, don't!!" she snapped. "I need you to hear me out." she said a
little more calmly. She continued.
"And from that conversation I learned a lot. A *whole* lot. This
whole..." she groped for a word, "gentleman act was phony! You just thought
you'd have loads of fun toying around with my heart, didn't you? DIDN'T
YOU?!?!" Now the tears poured down her face. "Well, I didn't have any fun at
all!!"
"Dana, I'm so sorry." he said, reaching out to wipe away her tears.
She slapped his hand away and drew back, tightly hugging her knees to herchest.
"I thought you loved me! I really did! And you know what? I loved
you too! But I might as well forget about it all because now I know the
truth." she shouted.
There was a moment of silence between them. Finally, he spoke.
"Do you want to know something?"
She looked up at him and said nothing. Finally, she caved in.
"What?" she sighed.
"That night at the dance...Carrie told me that I was going to play a
trick on a girl. I was to make her think that I loved her. I wanted to go
along with it. I have no idea why...just...it was stupid. But when I saw
you...I couldn't do it. I was immediately attracted to you. You were right.
I *did* love you. I still do."
She looked up at him, her chin quivering as if she were about to cry
again. He continued.
"Dana...I've never felt this way before. I've never had anyone to
love. But then you came. You filled a void no other human soul ever could.
I..." he paused, "...I don't want to lose you. I can't." Then, his own
tears spilled.
She couldn't hold it in any longer. She reached out and pulled him
to her. A sigh escaped Fox's lips. He pulled Dana backwards with him and
they landed together on the couch cushions. She wrapped her arms tightly
around him and buried her head in his chest. He kissed the top of her head
and stroked her back.
"Don't you ever leave me." he whispered in her ear.
"I'm not going anywhere." she said, squeezing him.
"Oh, God, I love you so much." he said, kissing the top of her head
again. "I love you, too."
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All done, bye bye!
Dana sat in front of her closet the next day, wondering what to wear
for her date. The day had come and gone very quickly, and now it was
3:30...two hours until she had to be ready. Something inside her told her
that it was going to be a special date, and it made her want to wear something
fancy. Then again, she was meeting his parents, so she didn't want to
overdress. She couldn't decide.
"Missy!" she called. In a few moments, her sister poked her head in
the door. "You rang?"
"I don't know what to wear for my date!" she said, whining. Melissa
stepped into the room and sat down on the bed next to Dana.
"Well, you're going to have to fill me in, here. Where are are you
guys gonna go?"
"I'm going to meet his parents, and then he said we might go to some
mini-golf place."
"Oooh, the best dating sport there is!" she said, grinning. Dana
looked up at her and smiled a nervous smile back at her.
"I'd go with something casual. Definitely. No skirts or dresses."
All of a sudden, Missy got up and walked to Dana's closet. She
reached in and pulled out a pair of stone-washed bellbottom flares.
"I'd wear these with a cute tope. Maybe..." Melissa paused,
searching deeper into the closet, "...this one." she said, drawing out a brown
V-neck sweater with a lime-green stripe in the middle.
"I guess that'd be okay." Dana said, taking the clothes out of her
sister's hands. "Thanks, Missy." she added, smiling at her.
"Anytime, sis." she said, walking towards the door. "Have a good
time!" she said, closing the door behind her.
thought Dana, changing into the clothes she was going to wear for
her first date.
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DING DONG!
Dana's stomach lurched. She didn't need her mom to yell up the
stairs who it was; she knew.
"Coming, ma!" she yelled, putting the finishing touches on her make-
up. She studied her face in the mirror. She had to admit; she looked very
nice. She just hoped Fox would think so, too. Closing her eyes and holding
her breath, she walked out of her bedroom. She silently let it out at the top
of the stairs. Smiling, she descended down the stairs.
"Hi!" she said to Fox.
"Hey, you!" he said, admiring her from head to toe. "You looknice!"
She felt an all-too-familiar blush creep up her cheeks.
"Thank you." she said, wondering when she could just leave.
"Well...all set?" he asked her. "All set!"
"Now Dana. Make sure you're back no later than 11." Mr. Scully said
sternly.
"And Fox," he said, turning his attention to the lanky boy in front
of him, "you take good care of her, okay? Drive safely!"
Fox smiled at Dana's father. "I will, Mr. Scully." he stuck out his
hand and gave Mr. Scully a firm handshake to show he'd stay true to his word.
Mr. Scully smiled back at him.
"Well, then. Have fun!" he said, winking at his daughter.
"We will!" Fox and Dana said in unison. They looked at each other
and laughed. "Goodbye!" said Mrs. Scully.
Fox and Dana walked from the door out into the driveway, Fox,
keeping his hand on the small of her back. They didn't know it, but both of
Dana's parents were watching them.
"Look how cute they are together!" said Margaret, gazing happily at
the couple. Mr. Scully just smiled. "I think Fox seems like a good kid. I'm
glad she's dating him." Mrs. Scully sighed. "Me too,"
"Me three!" Melissa chimed in. Both Mr. and Mrs. Scully turned
around to see Melissa standing there, grinning. She had been there the whole
time. She had told Dana she couldn't pass up the opportunity to see her new
boyfriend. Then, they all turned back to the window. When the truck was out
of sight, they closed the door behind them and returned to what they had been
doing.XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"So. How are you Dana?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
She turned to look at him. "I'm doing good."
"That's good to hear." "How've you been?" she asked him.
"Well...besides being really anxious for our date to start," he
said, grinning at her, "I've been pretty good." She smiled at him.
He smiled back. "You know, I've gotta admit...you have a wonderful
smile." "You really think so?" she asked, still grinning.
"Definitely."
After that, there were a few more minutes of silence. However, the
silence was sort of comforting. Finally, Fox broke it.
"I talked it over with Mom. She says after dinner I can take you
out. Sound okay?" "Sounds good."
Just then, Fox pulled into a driveway. Dana noted his address.
<5621 Wexford Ave.>
"Well, we're here!" he said, bringing the truck to a halt. He got
out on one side, and she, the other.
"Oh, just to let you know, my dad might be a little late for
dinner...he's at work." "Oh," she nodded.
"Mom, I'm back!" he called through the screen door. Then, a pretty
woman with black hair answered the door.
"Hello! You must be Dana. Pleased to meet you!" she said, sticking
her hand out the door. Dana shook it.
"Come in, come in!" said Mrs. Mulder.
Dana observed the place. The living room was painted white and had
a few glass coffee tables. The windows were big, and had venetian blinds.
"Fox, why don't you show Dana around the house while I fix dinner?"
"Sure, Mom." he said.
"Okay. Here's our living room," he said, pointing all around him.
"Nice," she said in response.
"Yeah, I like it, too." he said. And they both laughed.
"I'll take you upstairs to see my room."
Dana followed him up the stairs and followed him into a dark room.
He switched the light on to reveal a poster-cluttered room. The posters
ranged from Led Zeppelin to Pink Floyd, to Jimi Hendrix. There were sports
magazines strewn across his bed. He quickly tossed them onto the floor,
leaving him a spot to lay on the bed. He plopped onto the water bed,
stretching out his right arm. "Come here." he said in a gentle voice.
She did as she was told and sat down beside him.
"Come here!" he repeated.
She moved in as close to him as she could. "Lay down."
So, she did. Right on top of his arm.
"See that?" he asked, looking above his head.
"Oh, wow!" Dana commented.
"It's a ceiling window. I get to sleep under the stars every night;
so to speak. It's kinda peaceful."
"Yeah, I can understand." she said. She nestled her head into his
shoulder.
"It's going to be a while before dinner starts. Wanna watch someTV?"
"Sure."
"He got up and pressed the on-button on the TV. Then, he lied back
again, against Dana. They only watched TV for a few minutes, until Mrs.
Mulder called that dinner was ready from the bottom of the stairs.
"Well, he said, patting her affectionately on the head, "we better
go eat. I'm gonna need a lot of energy if I expect to beat you."
She laughed. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I
totally suck at mini-golf."
"Well, we'll see about that." he said, a glimmer in his eyes.
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"So, how old are you, Dana?" asked Mrs. Mulder. "I'm 15."
"Oh." Mrs. Mulder said in amusement. "How do you like your first
year at Kennedy?" "It's an okay school, I guess. Pretty decent."
But Fox remembered what she had said the other night about the
school. He grinned at Dana, imperceptible to his mother.
Suddenly, they heard a key being pushed through the keyhole on the
door. Seconds later, a tall man in a business suit emerged from the door.
"Hi, honey!" Mrs. Mulder said. She got up from her seat to give her
husband a kiss. "Hi," he said back, warmly.
Looking over at Dana, Mrs. Mulder turned back to her husband. "And
this is Fox's girlfriend, Dana Scully.
Dana smiled politely at the man. "Nice to meet you, sir."
He mustered a tiny smile and said, "Nice to meet you, too."
In an instant, Dana felt sympathetic towards this man. She could
tell that he probably almost never smiled. And his eyes were so, so sad.
Maybe she could talk about it later with Fox.
Just then, Fox glanced up at the clock. 7:00 p.m. They had better
get going before the mini-golf place closed!
"Mom, Dad? We better go now before the place closes." said Fox,
slowly standing up. "Okay, son." said his father.
"Have fun!" called his mother.
Then, Fox and Dana walked out the door and climbed back into the
cozy confines of the truck. "You ready to go?" he asked.
"Sure." she replied.
He smiled at her. "Okay, then." He turned the engine, and then,
they left.XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
"That'll be three dollars." said the chubby window clerk at the golf
range. Fox dug in his pocket and handed the lady the exact change.
"Thanks for golfing at Brookpark Golfing Ranges. Don't swing your
golf clubs higher than knee level. Have fun." said the clerk in a sing-songy
voice. Fox picked up his ball and club, and so did Dana.
"So...which course? Beginning or advanced?"
"Beginning...definitely!"
He laughed. "Okay. Beginning it is, then."
Dana sighted the first hole and set her ball down. It was a fairly
easy one; a straight shot ahead.
her club back slightly and swung it straight at the ball. But at the last
minte, before the club actually touched the ball, the club went sideways,
sending the ball diagonal of the hole. It was almost as if she didn't have
any control; as if it were someone else playing for her. But suddenly, Fox
came up to her.
"Your stance is wrong. Want me to show you the right way?"
"Okay." she said.
He came up from behind her and straddled his legs slightly.
"Spread your feet apart just a little bit more," he instructed.
Once she did that, he rested his chin on her right shoulder and put his warm
hands on top of hers. Dana felt her heart flutter in her chest.
"Okay. Now bring the club back..." he said, moving the club back
with her. "...and for this hole, you don't wanna strike too hard. I'll let
you be the judge on how hard you think you have to hit it.
She hesitated a moment. Golf was *definitely* not her game.
"Go on," he encouraged.
Finally, she swung back the club and struck the ball, Fox's hands
following hers in the motion. They stood like that until the ball rolled into
the hole with an audible 'plop.'
"Hey, you're doing great!" he said, breaking contact with her but
still gazing at her affectionately.
"The only reason I did good was because you helped me!" she said,
smiling.
"Nah, I doubt it. Hey," he said as he lowered his voice seductively
and lowered his head so it was level with hers, "do you think you'll need any
help on the next few holes? I just *love* teaching you."
"Well then, teacher. Let class begin." she said, just as seductive
as he.XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Dana wasn't sure that at the end of the 18 holes, she really needed
help for any of them. But despite that, Fox had helped her with every hole.
And even though Fox was very good, she still had won! Dana had 45 and Fox had
49. Suddenly, Fox came from behind her and placed a hand on her
shoulder.
"Well, you won this time, but there's always next time!" he said, a
glint in his eye.
"We'll just see about that..." she said, taking a step toward him.
"So...do you want to celebrate your victory with ice cream?"
"OUR victory," she corrected, "couldn't have done it without you!"
"Okay. Want to celebrate OUR victory?" "Sure."
"What flavor do you want?" "Peanut Butter Cup."
He mockingly gasped and put his hand over his chest. "We must be
soul mates...that's my favorite ice cream!" he joked.
"Yeah, mine too! I'm gonna go up to the pavilion to wait for you."
He nodded, and she climbed up the wooden steps to the rattan pavilion.
Pulling out a chair, she sat down on it and stared off into the sunset. It
was beautiful. The sun itself as a deep orange and painted the sky in pinks,
yellows, and purples. There wasn't a single chill in the air yet, and the
warm, cheery atmosphere seemed to affect everyone and everything.
Ruffling her hair, Fox broke her out of her reverie.
"I'm back!" he said, sitting down in a chair across from her.
"Thank goodness. I'm starved!"
"Well, dig in!" he said, waving the cone towards her.
She picked up the cone and began eating. It was very good. She
munched and crunched away contentedly, only having one regret...it was melting
all over her.
She grabbed the napkin holder and withdrew a few napkins, wiping at
her fingers. The only thing she didn't know was that there was a little ice
cream smudged on her cheek.
Fox lifted his napkin to her face and gently wiped it, gazing into
her eyes the whole time. Dropping the napkin, his intentions to wipe her face
turned into the desire to caress it. So he did. Then, he felt Dana lean into
his palm slightly. She smiled at him and he smiled back and then they both
went back to eating their ice cream until the moon shone high above them.
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"Ready to go back home?" he asked as she threw away their trash left
over from their ice cream. "I guess so."
Linking her arm in his, they walked slowly back to the truck.
"So did you have fun?" he asked her as the approached the car.
"I had a great time." she said, smiling up at him. She then
unlinked her arm from his so she could get in from the opposite side of the
truck. He waited until they were both in the car.
"You know what?" he asked, grinning, "Me too!" Suddenly, something
blurted from his mouth. "Wanna go over my house this Friday? My parents
won't be home..."
She gave him 'the look.' Realizing what his words had sounded like,
he hurried on.
"No, no, I didn't mean it like that!" he insisted. "I just thought
it'd be a good time to ask you over. We could..." he paused, grasping
desperately for the right words, "...hang out."
"Okay. I'd just have to check with my parents first. They always
wanna know where I am. I guess they're a bit overprotective."
Fox nodded his understanding. "That's good, though. It means they
care and want to keep you out of trouble. But I don't think they should have
to worry much. You're a good girl!" he said, squeezing her shoulder.
"Thanks." she said, turning to face him.
"So...if your parents say it's okay, will you come?" he asked.
"It's a date!" Dana said, smiling at him. Fox patted her shoulder,
where his hand still was. Then, the engine roared to life and they sped away.
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Thursday had come and gone in the blink of an eye. On Friday, in
almost all of her classes, Dana found herself writing "I love Fox" all over
her notebooks. She wasn't paying any attention at all, but she didn't care.
She had more important things on her mind.
Walking happily down the hallway, she suddenly heard a voice. Fox's
voice. It was coming from an empty classroom with its lights off. She wasn't
the type of person to eavesdrop, but she found herself doing it anyway. Then,
she heard a second voice. Carrie Sylvan's.
"You were supposed to *pretend* you liked her! You were supposed to
dump her! But here I find you two walking hand-in-hand down the hallway!"
"Carrie, I--"
Dana didn't hear anymore. Her mind drifted back a few days ago.
Carrie's ugly visage came back to her.
"...I know the perfect person for you..." Then, Fox's face replaced
Carrie's. She saw her and Fox holding hands, dancing...kissing. No wonder
he'd been all lovey-dovey with her! He had been faking the whole time. She
began to cry.
Dana ran down the hallway; her heart shattering into a million tiny
pieces with each step.
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She walked to his house that Friday night. She wasn't going to come
at first, but she knew she needed to talk with him eventually. There was no
need for a ride; her house was only two blocks away from his.
Then, she came upon his house. Stepping onto the front porch, she
lifted her hand out of her coat pocket and rang the doorbell. He came to the
door in about 15 seconds.
"Hi Dan--" he cut himself off, caught off-guard by the steely look
she gave him. "What's wrong?!" he asked immediately.
She stood there for a moment, never breaking eye contact with him.
"Aren't you going to let me in?" she asked testily.
"Yeah. Sure," he said, meekly, holding the door open for her.
She stepped into his house gruffly.
over in her head. She was so worried she'd take all her anger out on Fox.
But yet she needed to get it out somehow. She sighed in exasperation.
She sat herself down on the couch. Fox was still by the door but
was now looking at her. She stared him down and said at last, "We need to
talk." For a brief moment, he looked puzzled. Immediately, his bemusement
faded. He didn't know what it was about, but he knew not to mess around when
Dana was mad. "Um...okay." "Sit down," she instructed.
He sat down, and he almost laughed. How is it that a girl that's
four years younger and at least a foot and a half shorter than him can boss
him around in his own house?! There was just *something* about her. Even
though he didn't know her too well, he knew one thing for sure...she was a
tough cookie. She was self-sufficient. And very strong. And heaven help
anyone who get in her way.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. The ticking from the
kitchen clock was a dull throb in Dana's ears.
"So...what's wrong?" Fox asked, staring at his hands that were
neatly folded in his lap.
Dana had to try real hard to hold back the tears that were just
beginning to sting her eyes.
"Fox..." she began. He nodded his head, urging her to continue.
"I-- I heard you...talking today. With--" she choked back the
tears, "--Carrie." Fox's face suddenly lost all its color.
"Dana--"
"No, don't!!" she snapped. "I need you to hear me out." she said a
little more calmly. She continued.
"And from that conversation I learned a lot. A *whole* lot. This
whole..." she groped for a word, "gentleman act was phony! You just thought
you'd have loads of fun toying around with my heart, didn't you? DIDN'T
YOU?!?!" Now the tears poured down her face. "Well, I didn't have any fun at
all!!"
"Dana, I'm so sorry." he said, reaching out to wipe away her tears.
She slapped his hand away and drew back, tightly hugging her knees to herchest.
"I thought you loved me! I really did! And you know what? I loved
you too! But I might as well forget about it all because now I know the
truth." she shouted.
There was a moment of silence between them. Finally, he spoke.
"Do you want to know something?"
She looked up at him and said nothing. Finally, she caved in.
"What?" she sighed.
"That night at the dance...Carrie told me that I was going to play a
trick on a girl. I was to make her think that I loved her. I wanted to go
along with it. I have no idea why...just...it was stupid. But when I saw
you...I couldn't do it. I was immediately attracted to you. You were right.
I *did* love you. I still do."
She looked up at him, her chin quivering as if she were about to cry
again. He continued.
"Dana...I've never felt this way before. I've never had anyone to
love. But then you came. You filled a void no other human soul ever could.
I..." he paused, "...I don't want to lose you. I can't." Then, his own
tears spilled.
She couldn't hold it in any longer. She reached out and pulled him
to her. A sigh escaped Fox's lips. He pulled Dana backwards with him and
they landed together on the couch cushions. She wrapped her arms tightly
around him and buried her head in his chest. He kissed the top of her head
and stroked her back.
"Don't you ever leave me." he whispered in her ear.
"I'm not going anywhere." she said, squeezing him.
"Oh, God, I love you so much." he said, kissing the top of her head
again. "I love you, too."
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All done, bye bye!