You've got Mail. Chapter three
"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Dana Cruz?" A boy asked a by passer. The student replied that they didn't. He sighed; it was more difficult to find her than he thought it would be. He kept asking, and asking and asking.
"Dana Cruz?" A girl asked, she seemed to be thinking. "Oh, you mean Lakisha Daniels. She has tutoring, you'll be able to find her in the library, and if she's not there, check her dorm room she sometimes takes her students up there instead of the library, it's dorm 88b, it's on the last floor. All the honor students get special rooms, because they're so few of them." Logan thanked the girl, but was confused. So he asked more people. And after a while, he came to the conclusion that very little people knew the name Dana Cruz, and asserted her with the name Lakisha Daniels. So he thought it best to seek out this mysterious person, if everyone was telling him to look for this Lakisha person when he mentioned Dana Cruz, then at the very least Lakisha could tell her where Dana was. He worked his way to the library and then up to her dorm. It was strange, the hall. Because it had only 3 or 4 doors opposed to 9 or 10. He assumed then, that the rooms were very large. He hesitated before knocking.
"Come in." A nasal voice came from the inside. It was a rather annoying sounding voice and he didn't understand how people could manage to be tutored by someone with such an annoying voice, none the less, he opened the door and stepped in. His assumptions were correct. The room was rather large. And... different. It had no color theme. There was an assortment of colors everywhere. Red, black, white and purple walls. Black and White leather couches. Orange, green, yellow and blue bean bag chairs and cushions. All the items were multi colored. There was a tie-died shirt hanging on the wall and a few meters to the left of it was a painting he recognized. It was a black and white abstract painting with different shapes and figures that struck chords in his memory. He'd painted it in art class one year when he'd been forced to take a summer course to make up for his lack of propriety. He'd wanted to throw it out as soon as he'd finished it, despite the praise and good grade he got on it. But instead, Dana had asked for it. It was one of those rare sincere times, she said it'd reminded her of a picture she had a home and would be grateful if he'd give it to her. And he of course complied. The canvas was now framed with a sleek black frame.
"That's Lakisha's favorite." The nasal voice came from his right. He looked over and saw a girl who instantly reminded him of Stacy, just without the lisp sitting at a glass table. "She sits there," She pointed to the white leather couch, "and stares at it... for hours." Logan looked at the painting. He supposed that Dana had given it to the girl, probably as a birthday gift or something. Now that she was near her family, she didn't need it to console her anymore. Figures.
"She said that the one who painted it was someone special to her, and so she'll keep it for eternity." The girl sighed dreamily. "I've heard so much about him, I wish I could meet him. He sounds wonderful." Logan looked at the girl, somewhat confused. "Oh you should hear the way she speaks about him. It's so romantic."
The girl sat up from her relaxed position. "We usually work in the library, but she confessed that she's been e-mailing this person and so we should work up here so if he e-mails her back, she can readily answer it. She said it's important." The girl stared off into space. "The way she talks about painter boy, is absolutely ... romantic...-"
"Oh shut up Peggy, there's nothing romantic about a boy who doesn't talk to you for two years and then you find out through someone else that he's madly in love with you and dreams about you and watches sunsets because he sees your face and hears your laughter and sees your smile when he closes his eyes and -" She sighed. "Okay so it's romantic." Peggy giggled. But Logan was frozen stiff. Those words, that voice. Logan looked towards the area where the voice came from, but saw no person.
"See, even she thinks it's romantic, and she hasn't had a romantic life since she moved here. She doesn't even see the purpose of looking at other guys." Peggy giggled again. "For a while everyone thought she was a lesbian. Until they heard about painter boy -" She was cut off by a strict voice.
"'painter boy' has a name Peggy." The voice came again, and the strength in it was all too familiar.
"Yes, but you never mention it. It's always, he, or him, or they, or thee, or..."
"I have never said.'thee' " A girl emerged from a room to the right, "Anyways his name is -" She was cut short when a beeping noise came from her laptop. She spun around so quickly, that it seemed almost inhuman. She opened the e-mail immediately.
"Is it the boy you've been e-mailing?" Peggy spoke. The girl nodded. "Oh! What'd he say Keisha?"
"He gave me Logan's number." Keisha replied. "I should call him."
"I thought you were getting his number for Dana." Peggy seemed so confused. And so did Logan. He'd sent that e-mail from his cell phone while he was in the elevator; he'd actually wanted confirmation about this Lakisha girl. It seemed that he didn't need that anymore, this girl was Lakisha.
"I am." She replied.
"But then why are you calling him?" Peggy asked, even more confused. Lakisha ignored her and picked up her cell phone, dialing the digits and pressing talk. It was a few seconds before Logan's phone started ringing. He took it out of his pocket and the ringing got louder. Lakisha turned around slowly, as if afraid. She came face to face with Logan, the phone slipped out of her hand and closed as it hit the ground, causing the ringing to subside. Logan placed his phone into his pocket.
"What is going on?" He asked, "I'm so confused."
"Me too." Peggy agreed, she was ignored.
"What are you doing here?" Lakisha asked the boy.
"I was searching for Dana." He replied. "I believe I did say, that if I knew where she was I'd be there in an instant. Well. Here I am."
"That was scarcely two days ago." She told him astonished, "If I had known you were coming..."
"I just want to see Dana." He said. "That's all I want, that's all I've wanted for two years."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Lakisha said suddenly. "You didn't tell me anything, Clyde is the one who told me you'd be here in a moment if you knew where Dana was! Unless..." She broke off mid sentence.
"I am Clyde." He replied.
"No you're not." She argued.
"How would you know?" He argued back. "You've never met me." Lakisha broke off, what was she supposed to say? Hello I'm Dana, yes I know you. I love you.
"You're not Clyde..." She spoke softly, as if searching for an answer... "Logan Malcolm... Clyde? Reese."
"Clyde was my grandfather's name." He confirmed. The girl dropped to her knees. "How would you know who I am, or my name?"
"I'm really good friends with Dana?" She tried. He didn't buy it.
"Why do you have my painting?" He questioned.
"She gave it to me?" She was thinking of anything she could possibly say to get him off her trail.
"Why?" He asked.
"She didn't want it anymore?" It was all questions.
"Why?"
"I don't know?" She couldn't think of anything to say to that. Truth is she did want it and that's why it's in her room.
"Guess that now that she's nearer to her family, she didn't need it anymore." Dana looked at him; he looked so dejected, so sad.
"It's not like that!" She said strongly, getting up. "She did want it. I asked for it. I wanted it."
"Dana's ... changed Logan." Keisha said. "She's not Danger Cruz anymore."
"Then who is she?"
"She's an honor student." Dana told him. "A tutor, a straight a student. She's..." in love.
"In love?"
"What?" She asked.
"You just said that she's in love."
"No I didn't."
"Yes you did, I heard you."
"You're imagining it." She replied.
"I would never imagine Dana being in love with anyone but me." He exclaimed.
"That's so cute." Peggy sighed. Logan and Dana both glared at her. "Alright, I'm going to... excuse myself."
"Good idea." Dana said threateningly. Peggy gulped and left.
"That was something Danger Cruz would do." Logan said. He stared at the girl suspiciously.
"In fact, you look a lot like Dana, and you're an honor student, you tutor... you know way to much about me, things only Dana would know, things I didn't even know Dana knew... you have the same voice, the same eyes, and I bet if you wet your straight hair it'd turn curly, just like hers." Dana gulped.
"You're getting a little ahead of yourself Logan." She said. "I'm not Dana." not the Dana you knew. Logan continued to approach his prey.
"No, I'm trying to figure out, why Dana would and could possibly know so much about me. I'm trying to figure out why she would tell anyone else when she didn't even tell her best friends. I'm trying to figure out why she would give you that painting, if she wanted it. That's not something she would do. When she wants something she gets it, because she works for it. She would never give away something that she wanted without a good reason. Not just because you wanted it." Logan cornered her; his arms shot past her head and hit the walls, paralyzing her, imprisoning her.
"Back off Reese." She said dangerously, "You don't know what you're saying." Logan ignored her.
"Can I tell you something?" He asked. "I love her. I love her more than I love anything else in the world. I'd die for her, I'd kill for her, I'd cry for her. I'd do anything for her. I can't live without her. But she insists on torturing me, and so do you. You keep avoiding my questions. If you're not her, then tell me where she is. So that I might get a glimpse of her. Why do you and her, want to cause me pain? You're killing me. I'm hurting. I've been hurting since she told us she was leaving. She's been torturing me from the inside. I left my life, my school, and my friends in the middle of the semester to find her. And I will find her. I'll search every nick and cranny in this school. I'll search all of Europe..."
"And if she's not in Europe?" She taunted.
"I'll search the world."
"And throw your life away? Looking for one girl?"
"I have no life without her. I'm not living; the person you see is simply existing." He explained.
"And if you can't find her?"
"I'll die trying." He didn't miss a beat, no hesitation.
"Tragic love story." Dana stared him in the eyes. "And if she doesn't love you?"
"I'll leave." He replied. "I don't want to cause her pain. I don't want her to feel like she has to love me. I'd leave. I'd be sad about it. But I'd leave and she'd never hear from me again. I'd leave her alone for eternity. No matter how much it hurts me. If she wants it... Consider it done." Dana looked at his down cast eyes, and noticed he was trembling, trying not to cry. She bit her lip until it bled, deciding what to say. If she said she loved him, she'd hurt him, he doesn't know her anymore. She's different, changed. If she said she didn't, she'd still hurt him. She can't let him suffer being with her, in France, away from all that he's known... for a girl he doesn't even know. But she didn't want to let him go.
"She doesn't love you." She said finally. Logan looked at her. "She doesn't want you."
"How..-" He started.
"Logan, I don't love you." She looked into his eyes trying to be strong. "I can't love you."
"No..." He whispered.
She nodded. "I didn't want to tell you." She tried to explain. "I changed my name to Lakisha when I moved here. I wanted a new life; I made a new life for myself Logan. For me! I don't need, I don't want you to come in and take it all way. I worked so hard. I'm not who you think I am anymore. I'm completely different... I loved you once. That love is gone for me. It's not here anymore. I..." She sucked back her tears. ".. I won't have you come into my life again, and take away everything I've worked for. Even if you don't mean to, that's what you'll do! I'm not... her anymore... I'm me."
Logan tried to comprehend it, but failed to do so. He stared at her... and then spoke. "You're right... you're not who you used to be. You're different. Changed. Not who I knew you as. But I'll always love you. "
"Don't" She commanded.
"I will." He argued softly.
"I can't deal with this, I wont." Dana's heart broke with every look, every word that was said. If she was doing the right thing, why did it hurt so much? Was it too late to take it all back? Yes. It was.
"Leave." She demanded. Logan looked at her briefly, he heard the strength in her voice, but he couldn't see that strength in her eyes. Still, he did say that if she said she didn't love him, he'd leave. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.
"As you wish." He whispered softly in her ear. He allowed his eyes to drop and his hands to fall to his side. He didn't cast another glance back at her. He knew how much it would hurt him. Dana stole a glance at the crest-fallen boy as he disappeared through her door. When she heard the door click shut, she collapsed on the floor and cried holding the spot where he'd kissed her. So gently, so softly, it was a goodbye.
-J103-
Okay… so I'm that's it for tonight. I'll see what I can do for the rest of the chapters to this story.
Long Live DL!