"I'm never gonna get this I might as well just give up now". David Silver threw his pen down in frustration and sat back in his chair arms folded resolutely across his chest.
"Look David you're exhausted, you've hardly slept in days. Why don't you take a break and get some rest. You'll feel so much better." Donna spoke soothingly hoping that this time he would listen to her. He had been burning the candle at both ends lately and it was starting to show.
"I don't have time to rest Donna!" David snapped. Noticing the angry glares from the other students frequenting the library, he fought to lower his voice and regain his composure. "The finals are in less than two weeks and I'm still way behind". He sighed "I've read that last chapter three times and I still couldn't tell you a word that was in it". Slamming the book shut he snapped "Do you want me to graduate this summer or not?" David knew he wasn't being fair but he was just so tired and his nerves were shot. Every spare moment was taken up with study and it was starting to get to him.
He'd been working himself in to the ground and his brain was starting to feel numb. Right now he couldn't imagine how he was going to get through finals, he couldn't seem to hold anything in his head for more than a few minutes. Donna had been his salvation, competently taking over his radio show, despite her lack of experience, bringing him dinner so he could keep studying, and never once complaining that he didn't have any time for her.
Donna put a comforting arm around his shoulders. "Of course I want you to graduate this summer David, but I also want you to take of yourself. If you carry on like this you'll end up having some sort of breakdown". She sighed. "I worry about you, you know".
He smiled all his anger dissipating "I know you do Donna. But it's just for a few more weeks and then we'll have the Christmas vacation. I can get some rest then."
She looked at him doubtfully "If you make it that far."
David could see that she was genuinely concerned. He knew that she was right; he could really use a break. Actually they could both use a break, they'd been hitting the books pretty hard. But he still had so much to do. Gazing in to her worried eyes, noticing for the first time how tired she looked, David relented. "Okay I'll make you a deal. If I get this chapter down in the next few hours I promise I'll take some time out tonight."
Donna immediately brightened "There now that wasn't so hard was it?"
"You've got me for one night only, so make the most of it." He warned, but secretly he was delighted to see some of her worry slip away.
Donna considered for a moment "I vote for dinner, somewhere nice, maybe a little candlelight and soft music". She smiled dreamily. "Followed by a movie, something romantic." It had been so long since they'd done anything but study, a night out would do them both good.
"Okay you pick the restaurant but I get to pick the movie". He grinned at her "It's either gonna be action adventure or a good comedy."
Donna, just relieved that he was taking a break gave in immediately "Alright David you win, but lets make it a comedy. I think we could both use a few laughs right now".
"Comedy it is." He nodded his approval.
Slowly Donna gathered together her stuff. "I'll go call the restaurant and check out the movie times. You just concentrate on getting that chapter done before I get back." She kissed him briefly on the cheek and then gave him a reassuring smile "Don't worry David, everything's gonna work out just fine you'll see".
David forced a smile in return, but secretly he was worried. He still had so much to get through he couldn't see how he was gonna do it. History was the killer, all those names and dates - he couldn't keep them straight in his head. But he was determined to give it his best shot or die trying. Shaking his head in the hopes that it might clear the fog that seemed to have settled around his brain, he picked up his pen and started again.
Brenda Walsh chewed the end of her pen thoughtfully as she stared out of the window. She loved studying in the old city library. She always sat in the same place, tucked away on the top floor amidst the dusty tomes that comprised the American literature section. She found it inspiring. She knew that David and Donna were currently ensconced two floors below, but she didn't feel like joining them. This afternoon Brenda preferred to study alone.
She yawned. She'd hardly slept at all last night and she was beginning to flag. She wouldn't study too long; instead she'd take an early pass, go home and get some dinner and then catch up on her sleep. After she'd called Dylan of course. She smiled blissfully thinking of Dylan and how considerate he was being. She was so glad that they'd managed to sort things out.
He was working on his motorcycle right now, but she'd told him she'd call him once she was done studying. He hadn't complained that she was neglecting him, and she hadn't badgered him to study. She guessed that was what a mature relationship was all about, respecting the other person's choices, making a few compromises along the way. That and honesty of course. The one thing she and Dylan had always had was honesty.
Their relationship hadn't been easy, and they hadn't always stayed faithful. She still burned with shame over her past indiscretions. Involuntarily her mind drifted to Tim Mathews. She and Kelly had met him at a cardio funk class. Besides being pre-med at UCLA Tim had been cute, funny and interested in Brenda.
She had met Tim at a time when she was feeling vulnerable. Dylan had been neglecting her, getting a little too close to a girl from his program. She had been flattered by Tim's attention and had found herself attracted to him. She had kissed him, and what's more she'd enjoyed it. That had come as a shock, and for the first time she had questioned her feelings for Dylan.
But when it came down to it she had known that Dylan was the one she wanted. She liked Tim but she loved Dylan, there was no question about that. She had called it off with Tim before things had gone any further. Then she had confessed everything to Dylan. He in turn had admitted kissing Sarah, the girl from his program. Although it was worrying they had agreed that their relationship was strong enough to survive. They had both been tempted, but ultimately they had both known what they wanted - each other.
Then this summer there was Rick. She wasn't even sure how that had happened. Matters between Dylan and her father had come to a head and she'd found herself banished to Paris for the summer. She'd been half a world away from her life in Beverly Hills and the problems that she'd left behind there. For those few weeks she'd been able to pretend that she wasn't Brenda Walsh, but someone completely different. It had been fun and she had enjoyed re-inventing herself, even pretending to be French. But it was more than just an acting exercise it had been a means of escape. Things had been really difficult for her in the build up to Paris, and she'd wanted to forget about all the problems and the pressures that she knew would be waiting for her when she got back.
It was almost as if anything that happened in Paris didn't really count because it had happened to a different person, a girl who didn't really exist. Meeting Rick had been fun and exhilarating, he was the complete opposite of Dylan, and it had been a relief to be with someone who didn't spend all of his time angry at the world. But when Rick showed up in Beverly Hills she'd realised that it could never work. Oh on paper he was perfect for her, but in reality her feelings for Rick could never come close to what she felt for Dylan. No matter how many problems she and Dylan had, and how many times she had been tempted to stray, Brenda knew that she would always chose Dylan in the end.
She had told Dylan about Rick of course. He had been angry and upset but eventually Dylan too had confessed to seeing someone else. Although he'd said that the other girl wasn't important, it still hurt, and she tried not to think about it too often. Sometimes she still wondered who the girl was. He had never actually told her, said that it didn't matter. Brenda figured that it was another girl from the programme, someone else that Dylan had tried to save. It hadn't come to anything and just as they had the last time, they'd talked through their problems and managed to stay together. It just proved that when their love was put to the test it really was strong enough to withstand anything.
Brenda knew that Dylan loved her and ultimately no matter how much he was tempted he would always come back to her. He had been tempted before, he might be tempted again, but he had learnt to look the other way - they both had. Tim hadn't managed to come between them, neither had Sarah or Rick. Nor did she intend to let her father come between them, even if he did have her best interests at heart. No she and Dylan were meant to be together she was surer of that now than she ever had been.
Brenda sighed. They had certainly had their share of problems but the course of true love never did run smoothly, at least not in books and movies. You always knew that the hero and heroine would end up living happily ever after, but not before they dealt with some pretty dramatic twists and turns along the way.
This latest fight about college had been just another bump in the road of their romance. And they'd worked it out just as they always did. It wasn't the worst hurdle they'd ever faced and it probably wouldn't be the last. She was glad now that she had been honest with Dylan about her feelings, felt better knowing that he had been honest with her. But she wondered wistfully, how many more obstacles would they have to overcome before they finally got their happy ever after?
The sound of the old church bell across the street chiming the hour snapped her out of her reverie. She checked her watch. It was still early. She'd planned to call in on Kelly on her way home. She frowned in concentration. If she spent another hour with the books she'd have time to see Kelly, call Dylan and still get to bed at a reasonable hour.
Satisfied she returned to the battered copy of 'Romeo and Juliet' that she'd been studying. Brenda loved Shakespeare and 'Romeo and Juliet' was one of her favourites. She guessed it was because she could identify with the central characters. Whoever said that Shakespeare was boring and outdated had obviously never been in love. What with her father's animosity about her relationship with Dylan, and all the sneaking around they'd done before Paris, she had a pretty good feel for what Shakespeare's young lovers were going through. She smiled. One day when she was a famous actress on Broadway or maybe the West End, she would play Juliet to a packed theatre. Closing her eyes she pictured it in her mind, her spectacular performance, the adulation of the crowd, Dylan applauding her from the front row. Just for fun she experimented with some of the lines until she received a disapproving 'shush' from the on duty librarian, an austere lady in her fifties, who if she had ever been in love, looked as though she'd forgotten what it was like.
Smothering her giggles Brenda picked up her book feeling happier than she had done in weeks. She and Dylan had worked through their problems, she was getting on much better with Kelly since their heart-to heart, and she was even starting to feel that she might actually be ready for finals when they came. Perhaps it was because she was in such a good mood, or maybe she was just feeling more confident because of all the study she had put in lately; but for some reason finals felt light years away, yet Christmas vacation with the delights of parties with her friends and masses of free time to spend with Dylan, seemed to be just round the corner. Brenda smiled. Yes, right now life was good.
Author's noteThanks for the tip off about the double posting. The first time I tried to post that chapter I had problems with it (the screen froze in the middle of posting). It didn't seem to work so I tried again, and now it's on twice! I've been having a few problems accessing the site lately but I'll try to remove it at some point. For now please ignore it and continue reading.