'We know what you are. We know what you have become. You can't hide it. We'll find you.' "Stop! Leave me alone!" Danielle screamed sitting up. She looked around her dark room. The light in her room flicked on. Her mother, Cathleen, stood in the doorway, a worried expression on her face.
"Danielle, are you alright? This is the fifth night in a row." Danielle nodded her head and motioned for her mother to leave. Cathleen sighed and shut off the light, closing the door behind her. Danielle pushed a strand of her jet black hair behind her ear. The dreams, well nightmares, were nothing new to her. She'd been having them for a while. She shifted under the covers and stared at the red numbers flashing on her clock. 3:37.
"Why me?" she groaned.
'We know. We all know.' She searched the darkness. Nothing.
"Leave me alone," she whimpered. "I didn't do it." It was silent and she sighed. Danielle closed her eyes and hummed to herself. Her thoughts raced. So much had happened to her in the past month. For one, her best friend, Trent, was killed in a car accident. Her boyfriend's best friend raped her. Lastly, her dad divorced her mom for the slut secretary at his office. She rolled over and buried her face in the covers. They smelled like Lilacs. She breathed in the scent and cleared her mind so she could sleep.
Sunlight poured into Danielle's room. She squinted and got up. There was a note on her mirror.
I thought you might want to stay home today so I shut off your alarm. If you need me call me. There is plenty of food in the fridge and pantry. I'll be home late. I love you sweetie. Mom
She ripped the note off the mirror and tossed it in the garbage. She glanced at her reflection and grimaced. Her black hair was in tangles and her eyes had black circles underneath them. She was pale but that was only because she only went outside to go to school. The rest of the time she spent in her room or her basement. Danielle ran a brush through her hair and left her room. The house was quiet except for the soft sound of her feet on the carpet.
She hurried to the kitchen and pulled a water bottle out of the fridge. She gulped down half the bottle and set it on the counter. She gasped when a brown and white tabby cat jumped onto the counter.
"God damn it, Prince!" she scolded. The cat's ears pressed flat against his head. He sniffed her water and jumped to the floor. "Damn cat," she mumbled. The clock on the stove read 1:06. Danielle grabbed her drink and unlocked the basement door. The smell of incense flooded her nose. She didn't want her mom going into the basement so she kept a lock on the door that only she knew the combination to. Trent knew it too but it's not like that mattered now. She went down a step and then turned to lock the door behind her. The lights flickered as she moved down the stairs.
Danielle hopped over the last three steps because they squeaked at the slightest pressure. The basement was spotless. There was a leather couch in one corner, a furry rug in front of it, a small coffee table, and a few boxes scattered the floor. The boxes contained some of Danielle's things, such as her incense and a few lighters. The walls were black with some writing on them in various colors. Her and Trent used to buy spray paint and would graffiti her walls. She smiled at the writing in blue. It read 'Trent + Danielle = Kick Ass Best Friends'. Trent had written it and then spray painted her white shirt. She had been so mad at him and accidently lit his shirt on fire. She laughed out loud and the sound echoed off the walls.
Danielle went to one of the boxes and shuffled through it. She pulled out a box of incense. The box read 'Blood of the Dragon'. She smiled and put a stick on the burner and lit it. This specific incense was burned for love, exorcism, sexual potency, and protection. Danielle wanted protection from whatever it was that haunted her dreams. She breathed in the aroma and closed her eyes. She sat there for a while in silence. She liked being alone. She was interrupted when the house phone started ringing. She sprinted up the stairs and quickly unlocked the door. She pushed it open and grabbed the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey! Why weren't you at school today?" The clock read 3:16, school got out a little while ago.
"I wasn't feeling well," Danielle lied.
"Aww, I'm sorry. You want me to come and keep you company?" Danielle sighed and looked at the basement longingly.
"No Rosalie. I don't want you over here." It was silent for a moment.
"You know how much I hate that. Don't ever call me that. My name is Rose. Got it!" Rose hissed into the phone. Danielle smiled.
"Got it."
"You know I called to be nice," Rose mumbled.
"Not in the mood babe. Please, just leave me alone."
"Fine you little emo. I'll let you get back to your razors," Rose giggled.
"Love you too," Danielle grumbled before hanging up. Rose is a nice person when she wants to be but most of the time she likes being a pain in the ass. Danielle grabbed the phone, just in case, and stumbled back into the basement. Her incense had burned out and she tossed it into a trashcan. She set the phone on the floor and looked through her boxes. Her hands stopped on something soft and she pulled it out. Her hands trembled when she realized what it was. She pulled the black jacket all the way out of the box and held it in her lap. Trent's jacket. Fresh tears rolled down her pale cheeks as she held the jacket close to her face. It smelled like Abercrombie cologne. It was Cologne 41. Trent wore it every day. Danielle hugged the jacket and sniffled quietly.
"Danielle? Baby?" There was a soft knock on the door. Danielle wiped her eyes and tossed the jacket onto the couch. When she opened the door she found her boyfriend, Jacob, standing there.
"Hey Jake," Danielle murmured. She stepped forward and locked the basement door behind her. Jacob pulled her into him and kissed her softly.
"You weren't at school today so I thought I'd stop by to see if you were okay," he smiled.
"I just wasn't feeling well and my mom told me I could stay home," she replied. Jacob pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.
"Why is it that you spend all your time in that basement?" he asked softly. Danielle shrugged and pulled away. Jacob leaned casually against the counter, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his ripped jeans.
"It's just where I go to be alone." Jacob gave her a skeptical look.
"Will I ever be allowed to go down there?" She looked away and opened the fridge.
"You want a soda?"
"You have to let it go Danielle. It's not your fault." Danielle spun around in furry.
"What do you mean it's not my fault! It's completely my fault!" she spat. Jacob remained calm. "I was the one that suggested we go to that party! I was the one that decided to drive even though I knew I was drunk! I was the one that crashed the fucking car and-" she choked on her words and didn't finish the sentence.
"Aww, baby girl." Jacob took her wrist and pulled her towards him.
"It's all my fault Jake. I can't believe I did that to him. I killed Trent. I killed him." Danielle sobbed into his chest and gripped his shirt in her fists.
"No you didn't honey. It was his time. There was nothing you could do," Jacob soothed, rubbing her back.
"All my fault. It's all my fault," she sniffled over and over. Jacob just held her and whispered softly.
"It's okay. Shh-it's okay." Danielle finally calmed down and stopped crying.
"Hey, how did you get in here?" she asked. Jacob smiled.
"You don't do a very good job of hiding your spare key." Danielle crossed her arms.
"So you just come into my house uninvited?"
"I knocked ten times. I finally got tired of waiting, plus I figured you were in the basement." Danielle smiled and Jacob kissed her cheek. "I missed you today."
"I missed you too." Danielle went to the pantry and tried to find a snack. Jacob ran a hand through his shaggy blonde hair and jumped up onto the counter. Danielle pulled out a bag of Doritos and tossed it to Jacob. "Do you want something to drink?" Danielle asked opening the fridge.
"Did your mom buy more Monster?" Danielle giggled.
"Yeah, but should I really be giving that to you?" Jacob flashed her a grin.
"Yes, I think you should." She pulled one out and grabbed a Diet Coke for herself. Jacob opened his monster and chugged a fourth of it.
"You're going to give yourself a heart attack, Jake."
"At least I'll die happy." Danielle rolled her eyes. She opened her Diet Coke and took a small sip. She set the can on the counter and grabbed a handful of chips out of the bag in Jacob's lap. It was quiet for a little while, neither one of them knew what to say. Danielle reached up to her neck absentmindedly and played with her necklace. Jacob squinted at it.
"What?" she asked feeling a little nervous.
"Isn't that a guitar pick? I didn't know you played guitar." Danielle's face turned a deep red color.
"I don't. Trent did. This necklace was his and he gave it to me." She smiled at the memory. "He also started trying to teach me how to play. My mom and dad even bought me a guitar." Jacob's face was twisted in interest and jealously.
"Was he any good at the guitar?" Jacob asked hesitantly.
"Oh my god, yes! He was absolutely amazing! Oh, and he could sing. He had the best voice ever." Danielle was giggling and talking really fast. Jacob remained silent and hopped down from the counter.
"Sounds great," he muttered taking another swig of Monster. Danielle noticed his change in mood and walked over to him. He was leaning against the counter and his arms were crossed and pressed tightly to his chest. Danielle put her hands on his upper arms and rubbed up to his shoulders and back down again.
"Is someone jealous?" she teased. Jacob made a snorting sound.
"No, why would I be?" Danielle smiled.
"Oh, I don't know." She stared into his eyes. "You're cute when you're jealous," she giggled. A small smirk appeared on Jacob's lips.
"You're cute all the time." He uncrossed his arms and put his hands on her waist. He pulled her into him and kissed her. She kissed back enthusiastically and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers trailed up the back of his neck and tangled in his hair. They kissed for awhile and when they pulled away they both were smiling.
"I love you Jakey," Danielle giggled.
"I love you too baby girl," Jacob replied kissing her nose. Danielle smiled and stepped back to the other counter and picked up her Diet Coke. "So what would you like to do today?" he asked. Danielle shrugged.
"I just wanted to stay home today. Like I said, I don't feel too good."
"Alright, well do you want to watch a movie or something?" She shook her head.
"No thanks. You actually need to go, sorry. My mom is going to be home soon and she would be really upset if I had someone in the house." Jacob looked disappointed. "I'm sorry" she repeated.
"It's ok," he replied coming over and giving her a kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow at school," Jacob said as he grabbed his Monster. Danielle nodded as she led him to the door.
"Bye baby," she smiled as the door closed behind him. Danielle breathed a sigh of relief as she slipped back into the basement. She forgot about the bottom steps and they grave out a low groan. She jumped at the sound.
"Hey." Danielle looked up and almost screamed. "Calm down." Sitting on the couch was Trent.
"This can't be happening! Oh my god!" Danielle screamed. Trent stood up and walked over to her.
"Jesus calm down. Dannie will you take a chill pill," Trent smiled his crooked smile that Danielle had always loved.
"You're dead," she whispered. Trent laughed.
"Yeah, I know." Danielle reached her hand out and touched him. He was solid. He looked the same he always had.
"How is this possible?" Danielle rubbed her head. Trent smiled again and Danielle felt a twang of pain shoot through her body.
"Well you know that accident we were in?" Trent asked. Danielle flinched. The accident she had caused. Of course she remembered it. "You walked away with something pretty special."
"My life?" Danielle guessed.
"Well that and you have the power to talk to and see dead people. Only the ones you know of course and it has to be in a place that was special to that person or you and that person." He gestured around the basement. "This," he smiled, "is our place. Our special place." He looked like he was remembering something. He looked back at Danielle's face. "As long as you keep it that way I can always come back to you. Here." Danielle blinked as tears formed in her eyes. Trent leaned over and gave her a hug. "I can be as human as anyone else. Just for you," he whispered in her ear. Danielle pulled away and looked into his big brown eyes.
"How do I keep this our special place?" she asked.
"Don't let anyone else down here. That's pretty much it." Danielle thought a moment.
"What if I moved down here? What if I made this my bedroom?" She wanted to be by him as much as she could.
"That's fine. As long as no one comes in here. Including your mom." Danielle smiled a huge smile.
"I'll be back!" She shot up the stairs and found a suit case. She pilled all of her clothes and shoes into it. After about four trips they were all down stairs. She moved onto her bathroom and got all of her things out of there. Danielle went through her room and got all her personal belongings: iPod, laptop, pictures, etc. After about an hour and a half the only thing in her room was furniture. She decided her nightstand would be the best thing to start with. She dragged it down stairs. As soon as she was on the first step in the basement Trent was there to help her. After the nightstand she brought down the rest of her furniture accordingly: bedding/pillows, mattress, bed frame, dresser, and finally her dressing table. The dresser and dressing table were the hardest to move but she managed to move them down the first floor very slowly. The whole process took about four, almost five hours.
It was close to eight when she finished. Luckily there was a bathroom in the basement so she could put all of her things in there. Trent helped her push all her furniture into the spots she liked. She tried to leave the area with the couch, rug, and boxes alone. That was where she and Trent spent the most time together. Her "bedroom" was on the other half of the basement by the bathroom door.
"All done finally," Trent sighed as he collapsed onto the couch. Danielle laughed.
"Want something to drink?" Trent nodded. She ran up the stairs and grabbed a couple of Monsters.
"Thank you very nicely," Trent smiled taking the drink. Danielle was ecstatic. She had Trent back. "Why do you keep looking at me?" Trent asked as he swallowed.
"Because you're dead and you're sitting right next to me! You have no idea how much I've missed you."
"Well I'm here." She hugged him and grabbed his hand feeling as though he might disappear at any moment.
"I should have brought down some other stuff," Danielle said to herself. She hurried back upstairs and came back down with a table.
"What's that for?" Trent asked watching her.
"You'll see." She ran back upstairs and came back down with a television. "Perfect," she smiled pushing it into place. She ran up four more times. One time to get the VCR/DVD player and the other three to bring down the DVDs, cassette videos, and the stand for the movies.
"At least I won't get bored." Trent laughed smiling at her.
"Want to watch a movie?" Danielle asked skimming the titles.
"Let's watch Titanic!" Trent teased. The night Danielle had them watch Titanic was the first time Trent slept over. It was already ten o'clock and the movie wasn't going to end until two so Danielle's mom had let Trent sleep over. Trent had laughed at Danielle for crying at the end. After the movie they went up into Danielle's room. Trent slept on the right side of the bed and Danielle had curled into his chest. She woke up being hugged in his arms. After that night they had a sleep over almost every weekend. Jacob had not been happy to hear about it, but he never said anything.
"It won't be over until after midnight," Danielle laughed. Trent shrugged.
"So what? I have nowhere to be tomorrow."
"Yeah, but I have to go to school."
"It's Friday tomorrow. Just have your mom let you stay home one more day. You know she will." This was true. Cathleen let Danielle stay home whenever she wants.
"Fine," she replied walking towards the stairs. "Put the movie in. I'm going to go make some popcorn." She started up the stairs as Trent looked for the movie. I can't believe it. It's him, in my house, in my basement. Alive. I have to make this last as long as I can. I need him. Danielle thought to herself as the popcorn popped in the background. Trent was her world. She had her mom and Jake, but Trent was the one she told everything to. She poured the popcorn into a bowl and went to the basement door. As she was about to close it behind her the phone rang. She locked the door and practically tripped down the stairs. Trent took the popcorn and handed her the phone. She answered out of breath.
"Hello?"
"Hey honey. Everything okay?" It was Cathleen.
"Yeah, I'm fine mom."
"Is anyone in the house?" She thought Jake was there.
"No mom. Jake was here earlier, but only for about ten minutes because I told him you wouldn't want him here with no one home."
"Thank you dear. I just left the office so I should be home in about an hour."
"Okay sounds good. And I need to tell you something," Danielle replied.
"What is it?" Her mom sounded worried.
"I moved into the basement. I took all of my stuff down here."
"All by yourself?" Her mom was a little hysterical. "You could hurt yourself!"
"I'm fine mom. I just wanted you to know. And I took the television and DVD player out of the guest room for down here." Her mother sighed.
"Alright that's fine. Do you want me to pick you up something for dinner?"
"No thanks I'm fine."
"See you when I get home. Love you Danielle."
"Love you too mom. Bye." She hung up the phone and sighed. "Thank god she didn't freak out." Trent laughed. "Alright time for the movie." Danielle slumped down onto the couch and Trent flicked the lights off. He made his way to the couch and took a seat next to her. The popcorn was half gone. "Hungry much?" Danielle giggled grabbing a handful.
"Just a little bit," Trent smiled putting an arm around her. They settled in for the movie and became silent. An hour later Cathleen came home. She shouted downstairs through the door and Trent paused the movie.
"I'm home!"
"Alright mom! I'm watching a movie. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Are you feeling any better?"
"I don't think so! Can I stay home tomorrow?" It was silent for a moment before she replied.
"That's fine, but you have to go on Monday!"
"Okay! Night!"
"Good night." Her mom said softly. Trent started up the movie again and soon Danielle found it hard to keep her eyes open.
"Come on, you need to go to sleep." Trent said standing up. In doing so, Danielle fell over onto the couch. Trent lifted her up and brought her to the bed. He turned on the light on her nightstand. He put the movie away and turned the TV off.
"I need to change." Danielle said getting out of the bed. She went to her dresser and got out an over sized t-shirt. She quickly stripped and pulled it on over her head. Trent tossed his shirt onto the couch and then took a flying leap into the bed. "Careful!" Danielle laughed hopping into bed. They had been friends since they were seven and they had no problem changing in front of one another. Danielle reached over and turned off her light. She crawled close to Trent and he put his arm around her.
"Good night Trent. I love you."
"Night Dannie. I love you too." Danielle closed her eyes and sighed. This was how things should be. She would never let anyone take Trent from her. Ever.
The next month went by. Danielle spent as much time as she could with Trent. Whenever Jacob or Rose came over Danielle would spend most of the time thinking about the basement and her best friend waiting for her. Jacob had noticed the change in her over the past month and he thought Danielle was cheating on him. He paid very close attention to her and frequently asked Rose where she was. The only answer he ever got was 'in her basement'. One day Trent heard Danielle struggling and grunting to get down the stairs. He went to help her and found her carrying a mini-fridge. He laughed and took it from her so she could lock the door. "Set it in the family room." They named each part of the basement. It was almost like a mini-apartment for the two of them.
"Now all we need is a kitchen and this is a frickin' house." Trent chuckled. Danielle smiled and turned to go back up stairs.
"One more thing." She ran upstairs and brought down a mini-pantry. They decided to move the fridge and pantry into their only little area. Trent suggested bringing down and table and chairs and the next day Danielle had gone out and bought some when she went to go buy food for the fridge and pantry. It wasn't a real kitchen, but it worked for them. Danielle looked over at Trent sitting on the couch.
"Trent," she asked breaking the silence, "will you ever get old?" eHe He looked at her thinking about the answer carefully.
"I don't think so. I died at the age of 17 so that's how I will be remembered. So it's how I have to stay."
"So when I get old you'll be the same young teen?" He nodded. Danielle frowned. "You won't want to hang out with me when I'm fifty." Trent laughed.
"You plan on living in this basement until you're fifty?" Danielle nodded.
"I want to be with you forever Trent." They both just stared at each other for a moment. Then Trent cleared his throat.
"You'll get bored of me. I can't go anywhere. You won't want to be trapped down here forever." Danielle went and sat down next to him.
"Sure I will. I like being with you." Trent looked at her and smiled. Danielle smiled back and her face turned red. Before she knew what was happening Trent leaned over and kissed her. She was surprised but didn't pull away. In fact, she kissed him back, putting her arms around his neck. When they pulled away Trent was beaming.
"I've always wanted to do that."
"Even when you were-" Danielle didn't finish her sentence but she didn't need to. Trent nodded.
"I've always loved you Dannie. I just never had the guts to tell you. I now, I've waited too long to tell you." Danielle thought she saw tears in his eyes but when she looked again they were gone.
"I always loved you too Trent. I just never thought you would ever feel that way." They smiled at each other and kissed again. "Oh! I got you something!" Danielle ran over to some bags she had brought down stairs with her. She pulled out a can of spray paint and handed it to Trent. He laughed and went over to the wall over Danielle's bed. He painted a heart on the wall and in it he wrote 'Trent + Danielle = True Love forever'. Danielle smiled as he turned to face her. "I love you Trent."
"I love you too Dannie."
"What has been up with you girl?" Rose asked leaning against the locker next to Danielle's.
"What do you mean?" Danielle asked avoiding eye contact.
"I mean what the hell is up with you? You never go out anymore. I never see you outside of school, your boyfriend hasn't been on a date with you in over a month, and you spend all your time locked away in your basement. You're like the total nonsocial silent girl. You got like a secret clan down there or something?" Danielle tried to laugh, but it was a failed attempted. Rose gave her an incredulous look.
"I just like being alone is all," Danielle replied.
"That's what is so weird! No normal teenager sits in a basement alone! You're crazy!" Rose shouted.
"Stop it! People are staring," Danielle hissed under her breath.
"At least that's still normal. You never liked being stared at. I just want to make sure you're okay," Rose said in a normal level voice.
"I'm fine. I'll see you later." Danielle hurried to the front of the school and found her car in the parking lot. She saw Trent in the passenger seat and ran to the car. "Hi!" She smiled getting into the driver's seat. Sometimes Trent could be in her car because on that day of the year sometime in the past she and Trent had had some type of special memory and their connection was strong.
"Hey baby." He leaned over to kiss her. The best part was that no one else could see Trent. The bad part was that Danielle looked like she was talking to herself when she was really talking to Trent and she had gotten some looks. She started her car when someone tapped on the passenger window. It was Jake. "I'll get in the back." Trent grumbled. Recently Jake had been asking to come over every day after school. Trent scrambled into the back seat and Danielle unlocked the door for Jake. He got in and leaned over to kiss her. Danielle was very hesitant about her kisses with Jake especially when Trent was around. They were normally quick and more like a peck on the lips. Jake had notice this and it led him towards the idea of Danielle cheating on him even more.
"So are you sure you don't mind me coming over again?" Jacob asked. Danielle shook her head.
"It's no problem. I just need you out before my mom gets home. She won't be home until late tonight." Danielle mentally kicked herself for saying that.
"Nice going," Trent grumbled in the backseat. "You know what. I'll just wait in the basement."
"No!" Danielle screamed. Jake looked at her in shock.
"Are you okay?" he asked concerned. She composed herself and glanced at Trent in the backseat who was laughing at her.
"Yeah. I just remembered she's not going to be home late tonight. Normally she is on Thursdays but she told me this morning she won't be." Trent smiled approvingly in the back seat. He had a problem with Jake. Not only because Jake was dating Danielle, he hated him before Danielle had started dating him. Jake was the popular jock, which gave him sort of a cocky attitude. Trent despised people like that. He told Danielle that the day she started dating Jake.
"Okay. Well, I can be gone at a decent time." Jacob replied hesitantly. He wasn't sure if he believed her, but then his mood changed. He put his hand on Danielle's leg and his fingertips trailed up her thigh and played with the edge of her shorts. "We still could have plenty of time to," he smiled a little, "play."
"Oh god!" Trent gagged. "Dannie just push him out of the car!" Danielle grabbed Jake's hand.
"Please stop it." Her voice was wavering.
"Don't be scared of him Danielle. He won't do anything. You're in the middle of a school parking lot." Trent touched her shoulder. Jacob retreated and got out of the car.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he growled slamming the door. Trent clambered back into the front.
"Good riddance!" he shouted as Jacob stomped away from the car. Danielle laughed. "Alright lets go home." Danielle drove off towards home, Trent smiling next to her. His hand was intertwined in hers as they pulled up the driveway.
"Meet you inside," she said kissing Trent. She ran into the house and when she opened the basement door Trent was waiting for her at the top step. She locked the door and followed him down.
"That guy is such scum!" Danielle tossed her stuff onto the couch and jumped onto her bed. "He thinks he can just do whatever the fuck he wants!" Danielle patted the spot next to her on the bed and Trent sat. "I mean who does he think he is!" Danielle smiled and kissed him.
"You need to calm down." Trent looked at her.
"Were you not paying attention!" He put his hand on her leg where Jacob's hand had been. Then he looked into her eyes. "'We could still have plenty of time to…play,'" Trent repeated Jacob's words. Danielle smiled at him and then glanced at his hand. It was slowing moving to her waist. She looked back into Trent's eyes. He leaned closer and kissed her. They fell backwards onto the bed kissing and pulling at each other's clothes. Trent looked down at Danielle as he hovered above her. His fingers danced along her body, following every curve, every feature. He grabbed her waist with both hands and thrust into her. She groaned in delight and pain. Each time he went faster, harder. They were both breathing heavily. Danielle dug her nails into his back and his body crunched towards her chest. They kissed each other until Danielle's lips broke away as she let out a moan. Trent worked his way inside her going any way he could wanting to pleasure her. Suddenly he stopped. Danielle looked at his face. It was twisted in pure pleasure. She maneuvered around so she was on top and she grinded him as he moved around inside her. She moaned and screamed as he moved further into her. She couldn't continue, but he grabbed at her waist and moved her on top of him. Danielle bit his neck and clawed at his sides. She froze, her whole body rigid, and screamed. She was moaning softly as Trent rested her on his chest.
His fingers trailed her back as she breathed in gasps. Her hands were wrenched into fists, but slowly opened as she relaxed. Trent was breathing calmly and playing absentmindedly with the end of her hair. Danielle propped herself up and looked at his beautiful brown eyes. He smiled at her and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you too."
"Alright guys. Have a great summer. Stay out of trouble and I can't wait to see you until next year!" Mrs. Neubomer spoke over the intercom. Danielle tapped her foot anxiously. She was so excited for summer. She could spend every day with Trent. The bell rang and she ran to her car. Today was a day that Trent was there. They kissed and she started to pull out when Jacob ran to her car and got in, sitting right on top of Trent. Trent climbed into the back and crossed his arms.
"Hey babe," Jacob smiled kissing her. Danielle sighed and put the car into park. "I thought we could hang out today and celebrate school ending." Danielle turned to Jacob as he spoke. She took a deep breath.
"Jake, I don't think this is working out." Jacob looked at her a little confused. She rephrased. "I don't think we are working out. I'm really sorry." Jacob's face turned bright red and then he exploded.
"Who is he!" Jake screamed. Danielle was a little taken back.
"Who is who?" she asked. Jacob slammed his fist on the dashboard.
"Who is the guy you're cheating on me with!" His veins were popping out of his neck. Trent seemed to be enjoying himself in the back seat.
"No one Jake. I'm not cheating on you with anyone." Jacob growled and slammed his fist down again.
"You're lying!" he yelled. Danielle grew very angry.
"You know what! Fine! I'll tell you! I'm cheating on you with Trent!" she spat the words right in his face and Jacob was stunned.
"You're dead friend?" he asked confused.
"Yes! I'm dating Trent!" Danielle screamed although she didn't need to. Jacob stared at her and then he started laughing.
"You're fucking mental! You need to be put in the wacky house or something. Jeez." He scampered out of the car, but before closing the door he said, "See ya crazy bitch." Trent climbed into the front seat.
"Wow, you sure told him." Danielle laughed and kissed him. The next month went by and to Danielle it felt like heaven. Her and Trent's relationship was building. He had started teaching her guitar again and Cathleen could hear her daughter playing once in awhile. She figured Danielle was happy so why ruin it for her. Rose had almost stopped talking to Danielle except for the occasional phone call to hang out when Rose couldn't find anyone else. The get together was always awkward and Danielle only thought about returning to Trent.
One night Danielle was sitting on the couch with Trent watching a movie. Danielle's mom had gone on a short business trip so she and Trent had been alone for a couple of days. Suddenly the door bell rang and Danielle kissed Trent before going upstairs. She locked the basement door and went to answer the front door. A mob of people flooded her house. Jacob was at the end of the line.
"Hey! I figured you wouldn't mind having a few people over," Jacob smirked.
"Jake what the fuck!" Danielle screamed. He grabbed her and kissed her.
"You know you still love me Danielle. Just give it a chance." People were talking, dancing, and drinking. Danielle sulked in a corner. Trent was waiting for her and she wanted to get back to him. A little bit later Jake came tumbling towards her. He obviously had a few drinks in him.
"Get away from me."
"Aww, come on now." His breath reeked of alcohol and he leaned in to kiss her. She pushed him away. "What's wrong with you? You're single and the hottest guy in school is offering to be with you and you say no."
"I told you on the last day of school Jake. I'm with Trent. I love him and I always have."
"Fine. Crazy bitch," Jacob mumbled and trotted away to a group of his friends. They talked and laughed as they kept glancing back a Danielle. Suddenly the whole group walked into the kitchen. Danielle growled and glared at all the people in her house. Finally she got annoyed. She turned off the music and stood on the living room table.
"Everyone the party is over! Get out now or I'm calling the cops!" she screamed. The crowd started to leave and Danielle locked the door behind them. She went to the basement door and found it wide open, the lock broken and laying on the floor. She heard yelling and banging coming from the basement. "No!" she screamed running down the stairs. Jacob and his friends were tipping things over, throwing things, and breaking everything in sight. Jake had spray paint and was crossing out and going over everything Danielle and Trent had written on the walls. Then he burned every picture he found of Danielle and Trent. "No! Stop it! Don't!" Danielle screamed and tried to stop them. They pushed her away and onto the floor. She started bawling and looking around the room. Trent was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs. He couldn't do anything but watch. Danielle hurried over to him.
"I'm so sorry Trent. Don't leave me!" She reached out and her hand went right through him. "Trent! No! Please! Don't go!" He looked at her a sad expression on his face.
"This was our place," he said and continued watching Jacob. Danielle continued sobbing. Trent grew more and more transparent.
"Stop it! All of you! You're killing him!" Danielle screamed. Jacob turned and looked at her. He snapped at his friends. They all dropped what they were doing. The boys jogged up the stairs right past Danielle. Jacob looked down at her. The last thing he ever said to her.
"He's already dead." He followed his friends out the door.
"Good-bye Dannie. I love you." Danielle watched in agony as Trent faded into nothing.
"I love you too," she sobbed falling to the floor. "And now you're gone forever."
The rest of the summer was depression for Danielle. She stayed in the guest room, with the door locked. She didn't eat much. Her mom brought her food all the time and came back later to get the dishes and the food was still there, only picked at. Cathleen was very confused because Danielle had seemed fine until the destruction of her room. She figured the basement was all she had of Trent and now it was gone and that was why Danielle was sad. She tried getting Danielle to go outside or go to the mall, but Danielle always refused. She never left the room. There was a bathroom connected to the room and her mom brought her food and clean clothes. She had no reason to leave. The first time she left the room was the first day of school. Her senior year. She concentrated on learning and that was pretty much it. She didn't talk to anyone, not even Rose. She sat alone at a lunch table and never really ate anything. When she got home she locked herself in the guest room again. Cathleen finally decided to take Danielle to get help. She called Danielle out of school one day and took her to a physiatrist. Danielle refused to talk to him. He would ask her something and she would ignore him. Her mother was furious and scolded her the whole car ride home.
"You cannot treat people this way! I understand that you're upset about Trent!" Danielle flinched at his name. Her mother hadn't said it since he died. "But you can't keep yourself locked away from the world. I won't have it! Your eighteenth birthday is coming up and you're on your senior year of high school! You need to live while you still can!" They pulled into the driveway.
"Trent didn't get to live. Why should I?" Danielle mumbled. Her mother hadn't heard her speak in months and was happy for some sort of sign of life.
"Because you were chosen. He could of lived and you could of died or you both could of lived or you both could of died. But you lived and he died. That's the way it is. You need to move on. He would have wanted you to." Cathleen got out of the car and went into the house. Danielle looked up and saw Trent sitting on the front porch. He smiled at her and nodded. Then, he disappeared. Danielle saw him sometimes but only for a moment and they never spoke. She knew he was there. Watching over her. She got out of the car and went inside. Her mother was in the kitchen. Danielle hugged her tightly and said, "I know that's what he wants." Cathleen smiled and hugged her back.
The next day at school Danielle went to Rose's table at lunch. Rose glanced up at her in surprise. She stood up and walked into the lunch line with Danielle waiting for her to say something. "I'm sorry I haven't been around Rose. I didn't realize how much I missed Trent. I've been trying to let go for awhile and I finally figured out I could." Danielle peaked at Rose's face and she was waiting for her to continue. "He was my best friend, but he would have wanted me to move on. So I am." Rose paid for her lunch and she walked back to her table with Danielle.
"Hey guys this is Danielle," she introduced. "Danielle this is Jenny, Megan, Tyler, Mike, and Sarah."
"Hello," Danielle smiled warmly. They all nodded and smiled back. Danielle sat down between Rose and Sarah. Sarah was a short blonde girl who had a skinny almost stick like body. She was very energetic and by the end of the period Danielle knew a ton about her. The others spoke to her as well mentioning that they had seen her around and some of them were in some classes with her. Tyler who hadn't stopped staring at her had next period with her. The bell rang and everyone got up to toss their garbage. Tyler matched pace with Danielle and walked next to her.
"Would you like to walk to class together?" he asked smiling. Danielle looked at him and smiled, his brown eyes glowed as she nodded.
"Sounds great," Danielle laughed. Tyler sat next to Danielle and they passed notes all period. By the end of the period they had decided to meet in the parking lot and hang out at Danielle's after school. She couldn't believe how fast she was moving out of her depression. She realized she just needed Trent to tell her to move on. She thought he wanted her to stay his. The truth was he wanted her to be happy. After school Tyler drove behind Danielle to her house. They both went inside and headed to the kitchen to find a snack. They ate and chatted about classes and homework. Tyler was looking around when he noticed the basement door. Danielle had bought a new lock.
"Why's that door locked?" he asked stepping towards it. Danielle held her breath a second. He glanced back at her. "You don't have to tell me." Danielle smiled and began her story about her best friend. When she finally finished Tyler was smiling. "You guys were close, huh?"
"Yes very," Danielle replied.
"I can't believe your ex just destroyed it. Did you ever fix it?"
"Nope. Hasn't been touched since." Tyler thought a moment. Then his face lit up.
"Why don't we fix it up!" Danielle hesitated. She looked around. Her eyes landed on the swing set in her backyard. Trent was sitting on his favorite swing. He nodded his head just like he had when he was sitting on the front porch.
"Let's do it," she said turning back to Tyler. She unlocked the door and they went down. The room was a mess. Danielle stood there and just stared at it for a moment. All those memories. Tyler started to flip things back into their normal position. Danielle ran upstairs and came back down with garbage bags. She picked up everything that was completely destroyed and couldn't be fixed. All the furniture was still in good condition and Danielle had Tyler put it back like she had it before. They vacuumed and dusted everything off.
"It's almost perfect. I'll be back in like fifteen minutes," Tyler said as he raced up the stairs. Danielle tossed out all the old food and then brought the garbage bags to the bin outside. When she came back down Trent was sitting on the couch. She stopped cold and stared at him.
"Hello my dear," he laughed. "You did a good job with the basement." Danielle didn't move. "Ha ha don't worry. I'm not staying." Danielle smiled a little.
"I've missed you."
"I've missed you too honey." Trent came over and kissed her but she couldn't feel it. She reached out and her hand went right through him. "I told you. I'm not staying."
"Then why are you hear?" Danielle asked. He smiled and looked around the room.
"I wanted to say good-bye. You don't need me anymore. You've moved on and you've made new friends. You even cleaned up the basement. I was here to help you. And I did. So now I get to move on." Danielle wiped a tear from her eye.
"I won't forget you Trent."
"I know you won't." He smiled and winked at her. "This guy I approve. Don't let him go."
"Good bye Trent. I love you," Danielle smiled.
"I love you too Dannie. Bye." The last image Danielle had of Trent was him smiling at her, that crooked smile she had always loved.
"I'm back!" Tyler came down the stairs with two cans of black paint and two paint brushes. "This way we can go over the written on stuff and start a-new," he smiled handing her a brush. They went over the ruined writing and Danielle smiled to herself. When they were done they sat on the couch and looked at the room.
"Tyler I have one more favor to ask you," Danielle said. "Can you help me bring my room to my room?" she laughed. Tyler nodded and smiled. They carried everything one by one back to her room and it took a lot less time than the first time Danielle had moved her room. They put the TV, DVD/VHS player, and movies back upstairs. The mini-fridge and pantry were moved upstairs as well. The basement contained the leather sofa, the coffee table, the rug, and a few boxes. Again, Tyler and Danielle collapsed onto the couch. They looked around and the room felt bigger now that everything was gone.
"We did good," Tyler smiled.
"We sure did," Danielle laughed in agreement. She looked at Tyler and realized he had been staring at her. She leaned closer to him and then she heard the door slam upstairs.
"Danielle! I'm home!" Cathleen yelled.
"I'm downstairs!" Her mother fumbled down the stairs and looked around at the unrecognizable room. "This is Tyler."
"Nice to meet you," Cathleen replied smiling at them. "Alright, well I'm going to go upstairs. You kids be good. It's a Friday so you can stay up. Tyler just make sure your mom knows where you're at. Good night. I'm going to sleep." Cathleen headed upstairs without another word.