She stood there looking at the doors, terrified of going inside. It wasn't just the fact that he would be there, she could handle him.(well, sort of) It was the memories that had kept her from coming back. So much had happened inside that gym. But she had to go in, Lucas was waiting for her. So she walked into her high school gym and was flooded by all of her memories that came rushing back.
September 1983, first day of high school.
I was so nervous about high school. Junior high had been really fun but Keith was always telling us that everything changes once you hit high school. But I didn't want things to change. Last year I had been head cheerleader, i always got pretty good grades and I was best friends with the Captain of the Basketball team. Now I'd be some sophomore on the cheerleading squad and who knows, maybe Dan will be like Keith and make new friends now that's he's in high school.
That's what was going through my mind as I stepped through the front doors. I hadn't been able to find Dan and Keith would probably get here in the new car he got for his birthday with some girl beside him. Dan always said it wasn't nice of Keith to change girlfriends every week just because someone hotter came along. But Dan was always like that. It's probably why he's my best friend.
I went into english class, hoping Danny would be in my class but I still hadn't seen him. The teacher was calling out our names and placing us in alphabetical order. Now I really hoped that Dan was in my class because then he'd be behind or beside me instead of Timothy Smith, the guy that bullied me every day in 3rd grade until he failed twice and ended up in my class. The teacher called 'Karen Roe' and ushered me to the last seat in the back row. I waited for her to put Timothy beside me but to my amazement she called Daniel Scott instead.
She scanned the room twice before Dan came through the door, clearly out of breath. "Sorry Mrs.Montecalo, the coach wanted to let us know when practise would be." That was one of Dan's faults. He was always trying to show off. He knew that regular tryouts only started in two weeks. He had been chosen during the summer along with Larry Sawyer, a fifteen-year-old from Chicago. I looked at Dan with a reproachful "I can't believe you just did that" look as he sat down next to me. He just shrugged as if to say "Sorry, I can't help it."
English turned out to be my favorite class. Dan and I would spend our time passing notes that sometimes lead us to laugh out loud at the wrong time and get caught but it didn't happen often and we treated our detentions as we treated english class: as a joke.
Keith had lied because nothing changed. Dan and I stayed best friends and we still walked home together everyday after practises and I'd still cheer for him at games though now he was a Tree Hill Raven. We both made new friends but none of them came between us.
The first really big change came that spring when a junior asked me to the homecoming dance. He had taken me so off-guard. I told him I needed to think about it before hurrying off to english class to tell Dan. At first he laughed, then he passed me a note asking me to meet him in the gym after school. I asked him why all throughout class but he wouldn't say a word so I told him I'd come. My last class was Math but his was gym so I waited on the bleachers while Whitey made Dan and Larry run laps and shoot hoops. Larry had become Dan's best friend even though he was a year older.
Finally he let them go after 20 minutes, when Camilla walked in. Camilla Durham taught math and was in charge of cheerleading. I had always wanted to be like Coach and Camilla. They were so in love and so happy. I was pulled out of my thoughts as Dan said goodbye to Larry and sat down beside me on the bleachers.
His happy and playful mood suddenly turned to seriousness as he said my name. I couldn't help myself, I just burst out laughing. He looked at me in disbelief. "Karen this isn't funny, this is serious." he said, looking hurt.
I tried to stop laughing but I couldn't so I explained it to him between giggles. "Well you're all serious and purpose-like. You're acting like Wally, from Leave it to Beaver, when he was asking that girl out, you look just like he did." and then I realised why he was so serious. "Oh my gosh! I'll be quiet now." I stopped laughing and became just as serious as he was. My heart was pounding and I was nervous for him.
"Listen Karen, we've been best friends since kindergarten." He started, looking so scared and afraid of rejection, my rejection. I was looking straight at him but his eyes were on his feet. Finally he looked up at me and smiled, then laughed at himself and continued. "You know that I've never been good at orals and I'll never be able to do my speach so I'll just tell you how I feel. I love you Karen. I love you because you keep me sane. When my dad is hounding on me about basketball, you're the only person who keeps me going and makes me happy again, despite all that. I love you because no matter how bad the world seems to be, you always make it better. After I play basketball or get a good grade, you're the first person I wanna share it with. Heck when I do anything, you're the only person I wanna share it with. So i'll just cut to the chase. Will you go out with me?" he finished, pulling a chain out of his jacket pocket. On the end of it was the class ring he got the year before for graduating junior high. I didn't know what to say so I just turned my back to him and held my hair. He put the chain around my neck and when I turned around, he kissed me. It was my first real kiss and it was perfect. He took my hand and walked me home, like he did everyday, but this time it was special. He was no longer just my best friend Dan, he was my boyfriend Dan!