Chapter 2- First Love
This love has dried up and stayed behind
And if I stay I'll be alive
Then choke on words I'd always hide
Excuse me first love, but we're through
I need to taste a kiss of someone new
August 4th 2004
It had been two weeks since I arrived in Tacoma, so far I had successfully avoided Danny. I was getting closer to Kozik, he was always trying, and failing, to flirt with me, I was starting to wonder when he'd finally buck up enough courage to kiss me.
I was sitting on a workbench watching Kozik work on a car, I was handing him tools, much like I used to with Lee when I was younger. We had settled into a comfortable silence, only speaking when Kozik asked for tools. I enjoyed these quiet moments when nothing needed to be said, no words needed to fill the air.
I turned my head when I heard someone walking towards us. I looked up to see Danny, he still looked like the same boy I knew. His hair was still brown, his eyes still the same chocolate brown, his skin was darker but still pale. He was taller now, more muscular, he had grown into a man. He looked even more like a man with his prospect cut on his back.
I knew that we needed to talk, I had been putting it off by avoiding him but I knew that we would have to talk sometime. He nodded his head towards his bike, he walked off and got on his bike. I looked over at Kozik who was watching me with a sad look.
"I'll be back" I said getting off
Kozik nodded his head and returned to work, or at least pretended to, I could feel his eyes on me as I walked to the bike. I sent Kozik one last look before getting on the bike, wrapping my arms around Danny. He started the motorbike and we rode off.
I recognized where we were going when we were about halfway there. It was the forest clearing that we used to go to when we were teenagers. We used to sneak out and go to the park and make out under the trees. It was where I had had my first kiss, coincidently with Danny.
When Danny parked the bike I let go of him, getting off the bike and wandered over to the tree. I ran my hands over the engraving Danny had made when we were 16.
"Danny and Valerie" I whispered
Danny slowly walked up behind me, his hands in his pockets, his face was free of any emotion. Of course it was, probably remembering the last time we talked
SOASOASOA
Flashback
I was throwing the rest of my clothes into my bag, I had packed most of my stuff in the last few days. Lana had kept my secret but Lee had finally found out, which meant that Danny would soon find out. Sure enough I heard a slamming of the door and footsteps in the hallway outside my room.
My door flew open and Danny stepped inside, his face filled with anger.
"Are you leaving?" He asked
"Yes, I'm going on an exchange program to London" I said calmly
"Why?" He whined
"It's a good opportunity for me" I said, continuing packing my clothes
"No, I don't care, your staying" he yelled, picking up my clothes from my bag and throwing them onto the floor
"Danny, please" I said quietly, trying to hold in the tears
"No, I'm not letting you leave" he said sternly
"You don't have a choice Danny, I'm leaving tommorow, it's over" I said
"Fine, whatever, do whatever you want, I don't care" he said before storming out of the room
I heard smashing and breaking, him no doubt getting out his anger. I knew there would be resistance to me leaving, but it was my choice, not anyone else's
SOASOASOA
"Are you happy to be back in Tacoma?" He asked
"Yes, seeing everyone agains good" I said, walking around the trees
"You remember when we used to play tag here, you never could catch me" I said, smiling at the memory
"You were always just out of my reach" he said, his words holding two meanings
"How have you been? Since I left" I asked
"Good, prospecting for the club now, my years almost up so I'll probably be patched in soon" he said
"Hope they're not treating you too awful" I said
He just shrugged "Don't win any brownie points for being the Presidents kid" he said
"Yeah I guess not" I said kicking a stone with my foot, time to stop skirting around the issue at hand "So what did you want to talk about?" I asked
"About you leaving" he said
"I'm sorry that I left, okay, it was just an opportunity I couldn't miss, I should have told you and I'm sorry" I said
Danny laughed "Two years, you left for two years and that's all you've got to say" he said
"I apologized, what else do you want me to say?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest
"Why'd you leave? And don't feed me some bullshit about opportunities, if it was truly about that you would have told me" he yelled
"I wasn't going to take the offer originally, and then I found out about you and Katie" I said, finally revealing the secret I had known for two years but never told
"I'm sorry, it was a mistake, it only happened once" he pleaded
"Danny, I've had two years to move on from it, I mean the betrayal still stings a little but I really don't care anymore" I said honestly
Danny gave me a surprised look, he clearly hadn't expected me to move on from him, I don't think he's truly moved on from me to be honest
"Can you give my a ride back to the garage now?" I asked
"Yeah of course" he said
We got back on the bike and rode back to the garage. When we arrived I got off the bike and walked back to Kozik, smiling at him. Kozik stopped working on the car, he grabbed a cloth to wipe his hands as I approached him.
There was no one else in the garage today, everyone was either out or in the clubhouse, Danny had walked back inside straight away after we got back. I stood in front of Kozik with my hands in my back pockets. Now everything was cleared up with Danny something might be able to start with Kozik, but it looks like I'm going to have to make the first move.
"So, you and Danny huh?" He asked nervously
"Danny, no, two years ago yes, but no not now nor ever again" I said taking a step forward
"Good, I mean, well you know" he stuttered
"Oh shut up" I said
I grabbed Kozik's shirt collar and pulled his face down to mine, our lips meeting. I wrapped my arms around his neck, his were around my waist, my fingers running through his hair.
When we finally pulled away I rested my forehead against his and we just looked into each others eyes.
"I've been wanting to do that since I first saw you" he whispered
"Hey Kozik, Lee needs you" shouted Bull
"I've got to go see you later" he said
"I'm going to head back to the house" I said
"Okay, bye" said Kozik, who was grinning like a fool
We kissed one last time before he headed inside the clubhouse and I went home. When I got home I laid down on my bed, remembering the feeling of Kozik's lips against mine, his hair in my hands, his arms wrapped around me. God I felt so good.