Chapter 16: In Need

Me and Dolly sat at in my bedroom discussing a possible plan to let Dana know that our relationship is serious and not something to be messed with. "How do we get it through to her that I'm not interested?", I asked Dolly. "You got any ideas?"

She put a hand to her chin. For a second it had seemed like she actually came up with something. "I got nothing.", She admitted. Well, there's gotta be something we can do.

A couple of knocks came from my bedroom door. "Aaron you in there buddy? Someone downstairs wants to see you.", Dad said from the other side.

"I'll be back."

I got up from the bed and left out my room. I came downstairs and went into the living room. My heart skipped a beat upon seeing Dana making herself comfortable on our couch.

"Hey handsome.", She greeted her tail swaying in excitement behind her. "You break up with that dirty dalmatian yet?"

Dirty dalmatian? Oh no she's gone too far. Hold on...I feel an idea coming on. I gotta let Dolly know about this. "I was just...getting ready too yeah!...babe?", I awkwardly said.

"Well what're you waiting for?", She said in an almost demanding tone. "Hurry up so we can go back to my place."

She was starting to piss me off, but the plan I just came up with will make this all worth it. I went upstairs and went back into my bedroom.

I couldn't help, but smile. "So who was it?", Dolly questioned.

"Well Dana is in my living room.", I replied. "But I do have an idea on how to deal with her."

"Tell me dude.", Dolly playfully demanded.

"Alright so, I want you to pretend that I broke up with you. Once you go downstairs run out my door crying. Try to make it as realistic as possible. After that I'll go with Dana to her place and tell her how I really feel.", I explained. "And I'll text you when I'm done.

"That is the most...clever plan I've heard from you yet.", Dolly agreed. "Alright I'll do it."

Dolly opened up my bedroom door. "I hope you have fun with you're new girlfriend! I'm out of here!", Dolly wailed pretending to be emotionally devastated. I listened as she stomped down the steps slamming the front door.

My dad peered into my bedroom doorway obviously concerned about what just went down. "What just happened?", He asked with worry.

"I'll explain everything when I get back Dad.", I nonchalantly told him. I headed downstairs where Dana was waiting for me.

"I'm ready babe.", I announced. She smiled in approval and stepped outside. My eyes expanded once I saw a golden limo parked in the middle of the street. Jesus, just how rich was this girl?

Out of the corner of my eyes I spotted Dolly watching from a nearby shrub. Dana took my hand into hers and we entered the limo.

The inside interior was a soft red fabric that spread along the seats, doors, and ceiling. We both sat down, but I made sure to kept my distance from Dana. "Hey you.", She called.

I saw her smirking at me while patting the open space between her legs. "She can't be serious, she wants me to sit her lap.", I thought in embarrasment before putting on a fake smile. I complied and gently plopped into her lap.

Her wrapped her arms around my waist pulling me closer. She brought her face closer to my head and nuzzled into my scalp.

"You're like a little teddy bear.", She mouthed her face pressed into my scalp. "And you're hair smells so good."

I sighed to myself. This was gonna be an extremely long uncomfortable ride.

-Some Time Later-

I stared out the window as the limo parked infront of one of the biggest mansion's I'd ever seen. In fact this was the first time I've been to a in real life.

"Woah this place is amazing.", I stated in awe.

After we exited the limo Dana led me inside her home. This place was abnormally massive on the inside like the dalmatian household, but on a larger scale.

"My dad isn't here right now so we have the place to ourselves.", Dana brought up. "Oh! I know just what we'll do for the rest of the day."

-Sunset-

We had spent most of the day talking about our social lives, things we like, things we hate. We watched a couple of movies together. She even had a pool in her backyard. But, whenever I tried asking her about her mom or her dad she would dodge the question.

Right now we had been laying on the short cut grass staring up at the sky for sometime now. "Dana? Do you truely like me that way?", I asked shifting my head in her direction.

She sat in silence. "No.", She responded ashamed.

"I had a feeling you didn't really love me.", I stated not feeling any shock. "Then why'd you make it seem like we were a couple? Why are you suddenly so obsessed with me?" I was becoming more stern with her, but not trying to seem like I was attempting to be intimidating.

Dana sighed wiping a lone tear that escaped her eye. "I...I was jealous of you and Dolly.", She said.

"Why?"

"Growing up rich my Dad was always doing business stuff while my mother stayed home and took care of me. Me and my mom were very close. You could say she was my first real friend. I never really see or talk to my dad as much as I wanted, but I still had my mom. She kept me going.", She stopped before continuing. "One day she came home from a doctor's appointment and she wouldn't even talk to me. I had spent all day asking her what was wrong until she finally confessed."

"What was wrong with her?"

"Turns out she was diagonosed with stage four cancer. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was so upset that I was gonna lose my mother and my friend at the same time. Even though she was dying, she made sure to spend every single second of her life with me until she passed."

"When that day came I expected to atleast see my dad, but I discovered he had a whole new life with a whole new family which explained why he didn't bother showing up much. I hated him so much after that.", She finished.

"I feel really bad and all, but what does all of this have to do with why you are jealous of me and Dolly's relationship?", I asked.

"When I hit the age of sixteen I decided I wanted to go to highschool and make some new friends, but when you're rich and pretty like me nobody cares who you are on the inside. To them what's on the outside counts. But, when I heard people talking about you and Dolly being such good friends and lovers I wanted to be apart of that. I just didn't know how to talk to you, but When I saw Dolly leave your house crying I felt so horrible.", She admitted. She started crying into her palms and I said nothing, but watched her feeling sympathetic.

Poor girl. This goes to show not even rich people can be happy-go-lucky all the time. Her mother is dead and her Dad's a douchebag. I put an arm around her pulling her into comforting hug.

"Then you don't need a lover. You need a friend. You don't need to have good looks or rich to be my friend", I told her. "I'll be your friend."

"But, I ruined your relationship.", She retorted.

"Dolly faked it we didn't breakup. This was all planned. My plan was to get some time alone with you to see you for who you really are than rather what people make you out to be.", I stated. "And if Dolly would like too she'd be your friend as well."

"I-I...I don't know what to say.", She stuttered.

I chuckled, "It's fine, like I heard in a cartoon once. A stranger is just a friend you haven't met."

"Thank you.", She thanked. "I'll call one of my limo drivers to take you back home."