Hey readers! Please take note of the time jump! It's now the wonderful year of 1939! Four more chapters until Pearl Harbour! Getting really excited about this all! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!
My name is Alice: No, you didn't offend me at all! I was just explaining the reasons behind the yet and why I think she said it! It was a mere comment on how you liked it too!
Enjoy!
January 4th, 1939
"Gosh, it's cold," said Shellie as she waved to us in Grand Central Station.
"Happy New Year," I greeted my friends. We were inside and still shivering. This winter had been relentless and being down South wasn't much help either.
"How was winter break?" she asked, helping Abbie and carry our bags.
"Eventful to say the least," Abbie chuckled. She was clearly talking about Christmas dinner, when everyone's secrets and bad cooking came to play. We'd learnt a lot about our families and parents when they were younger, much to Rafes displeasure.
"How about you?" I asked her.
"Well, I had to stay with Millie. My plane was cancelled, so I went upstate. The downside to living in California," she said rolling her eyes.
We were at the front of the station, Millie waved to us from the cab she was holding.
"This driver better have the heat on full blast," Abbie muttered. We piled into the cab after packing away our luggage and squeezed into the tiny little car.
"Back to Sarah Lawrence please," Millie instructed. He smiled and started to make his way to our school.
"Please tell me the dorm heaters are working?" I asked. There'd been a rumour someone had broken them, but it had never been cold enough to test the theory out.
"Full functional, beside, everyone spends time in the common room by the fireplace," Shellie told us.
"We should go there and get a hot chocolate. Nothing would taste better," Abbie smiled, practically drooling from her mouth.
"Well we are, the boys are coming over for the gift giving," Millie told us.
"Really? We couldn't even rest for a second?" I joked.
"They obviously miss us too much," Abbie replied sarcastically.
"Well, ever since Charlie told Jeremy about Danny, he's mopped around and continuously complained about everything," Millie said rolling her eyes and using the newly formed nickname. I was still getting used to it.
"I knew he had a thing for you," Abbie smirked.
"Well, I made it clear nothing was going to happen so long as I was with Danny," I told her.
"That won't end anytime soon, he practically proposed to her when we went home," Abbie told the other two. Their faces lit up with happiness and curiosity.
"Oh my gosh! What?" Mille asked.
"Show me the ring!" Shellie exclaimed.
"He didn't propose!" I told them.
"Then why would Abbie say he did?" Shellie asked confused.
"He just gave me his mother's bracelet and Abbie thinks he's gone and popped the question."
"Even your mother said that was her favourite piece of jewellery and Mr. Walker wouldn't have given it to Danny without knowing something more was happening," Abbie pointed out. I ignored the rest of the conversation knowing the real truth.
It was actually a present from Mr. Walker, that he was too ashamed to give me himself for some unknown reason. Danny said it was because Mr. Walker had given it to Danny's mother on their first Christmas together and Mr. Walker saw Danny and myself as a younger version, or something. I wasn't quite sure, Danny didn't explain it too well.
"Sarah Lawrence," the driver said as he pulled up to the curb.
"Thank you," everyone but I called out. They'd left me with the job of paying once again. I handed the driver his money and got out. All but running into the warmth of our rooms.
January 10th
"We haven't done anything for so long," Millie complained as we sat in the library and did our work.
"Because exams are coming up," Shellie told her.
"One night isn't going to hurt us," she complained.
"I think she just wants to see Steve," I taunted her.
"Why don't you just go out together? By yourselves," Abbie pointed out as she scribbled furiously in her notepad.
"Because, it's embarrassing," Millie said sighing.
"Well, we'll make a deal. If we all finish the piles in front of us by Friday. We'll go out," I told her.
She squealed in delight. "That includes you too," Shellie told her. Millie huffed and got straight into her work. Shellie sighed, happy with the peace and quiet, at last.
"What nerds," a male voice said behind us. Shellie sighed, her peace and quiet had been shot to hell. Jeremy and his boys joined us out our table.
"We're trying to get this done so we can go out on Friday," Abbie informed them.
"We're going out on Friday?" asked Steve.
"Yeah, Millie practically begged us," Abbie piped up.
"I would've taken you girlie," Steve told Millie.
"Oh, well, we've made group plans now," Millie smiled shyly or embarrassedly.
"We'll go to the club again," James offered.
"There is a massive ball at the Chrysler building my Dad can get us in to," Steve told us.
"A ball?" Abbie asked excitedly tearing her eyes away from the pages of her textbook.
"It's some company party. Black tie event, big bands, the whole lot," he told us.
"That sounds good," Millie said.
"That sounds way better than the club," James pitched in.
"Yeah, you guys can even bring Matthew and Danny if he's in town," Steve offered. Jeremy's hand instinctively moved away from mine at the mention of Danny.
"He won't be in town, but what about Ella, Jeremy's girlfriend. She could take his place," I told them. Jeremy flinched once again. Actually, every time you mentioned Ella or asked where she was when she didn't turn up for our plans, he always flinched. And was it a coincidence he'd told me of her after I told him about Danny? Abbie thought not.
"She won't come. It's not really her thing," Jeremy coughed out.
"What? A upper-east side baby doesn't like parties? I thought I'd never see this day," Shellie teased.
"We uh, broke up actually," Jeremy finished.
"Oh," Millie gasped. The table went quiet.
"How about we go to the common room and from there someone can come with with to get dinner from the Chinese place," I offered, taking the attention off Jeremy.
"Sounds good, I'm starved," Steve informed us. The group got up, the boys heading off first while the girls packed up.
"Does anyone else think Ella actually didn't exist?" Abbie asked smartly.
"I'm not the only one then? Good," Shellie agreed.
"Come on, we didn't even meet her. She probably has her own friends at Yale," I said.
"Did you hear yourself? We didn't even met her, that's the point," Millie said following after the other two.
They left me to pack up my stuff by myself. Did Jeremy really make up a girlfriend so he didn't seem lame or pathetic for making advances at me? Was Abbie actually right in believing he liked me? I quickly caught up to the girls, now very eager to go to this ball and finds out Jeremy's true intentions so I could let him down easy, if his feelings were what I and the other girls thought.
January 15th
It was the day of the ball Steve had gotten us into. Our dresses arrived the day before, in their shining black dress bags. We'd bought them the day before and had gotten them altered so we looked like the picture of perfection.
"Pass me this clip will you?" Abbie asked as she twisted various sections of Shellie's hair.
"Here you go," I said taking a break from painting Millie's nails. It was like a salon our dorm room. Clips, nail polish and make up were strewn across the room in the middle of shoes and the dresses. We had spare rollers and dressing gowns hung over chairs and sticking to pillows. It was absolute chaos.
"Millie, Steve will absolutely die when he sees you tonight," Shellie giggled.
"My mother would die if she saw the lack of material at the back of the dress, more like it," Millie replied. Her dress was a gorgeous, deep green dress, that was halter-neck and exposed her wonderfully tanned back.
"I'm surprised you went for that to be completely honest. It's like you're a new woman," Abbie told her.
"I want to be the kind of girl Steve wants," she said timidly.
"Millie! You don't have to change yourself for him. You're beautiful and fabulous the way you are. And if he can't see that, then he isn't worth it," I told her quite fast, my accent shining through. She giggled at it. "Still wear the dress though," I winked.
We continued on in our getting ready. Millie started painting my nails and Shellie started on Abbie's hair. However, mid-way we were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" I sang.
"It's me Lottie," my brother's voice came from the other side. I looked to Abbie to see if they'd made plans and forgotten. She shrugged her shoulders. I opened the door and greeted him with a smiled. However, Matthew didn't smile back. His face downfallen.
"What's wrong Matty?" Abbie asked right away when she saw his face. He didn't say anything, but shoved a Nashville newspaper in my hand, opened at the obituary page. There was a little square that had been circled.
"In loving memory of Steven Walker. May he rest in peace with his beloved wife."
"Oh God," Abbie gasped, hands flying to cover her mouth. Danny's dad had died.
"Mum sent it to me. I got it this morning. Seems he died a few days ago," Matthew told us. Millie and Shellie excused themselves to our bathroom, giving us private time. Abbie walked over to Matt and hugged him, sobbing softly. She would be worrying about her makeup though, no doubt.
"How's Danny?" I asked still looking at the obituary.
"He's moved in with the McCawleys. Making plans to sell the house and belongings. Mum says he seems to be doing okay. He wants to hold off the funeral so we can come," Matt told me.
"But we have exams and the funeral would be in two days. That is how long it takes to get there. If we don't go Danny will be alone," Abbie said.
I nodded my head. There was no way this was going to work out, there were so many things to consider. I wanted to be with Danny, I knew he was putting on a strong face, he loved his Dad despite all the years of torture he'd been put through. The last year, when he'd gotten his act together had bought them closer. He needed to cry and he wouldn't do it without her there.
"Both our parents want us to try and get there," Matthew said.
"But we can't," I piped up. "We don't have the time, despite how much we want to be there."
"He's waiting for us though," Abbie said.
"Maybe we'll send a card and call him and explain why we can't make it, but go down after our exams?" Matthew proposed.
"A card will hardly suffice to tell my boyfriend my condolences of his dead father," I spat out.
"Then go home Charlotte!" Matthew exploded.
"I can't! I have my final fine arts exam for the year! My teacher will never let me reschedule for it," I told him. Our tensions were rising. We all wanted to go and all couldn't.
"I'll ring Rafe and let him now what's happening. We're staying and we'll go up later."
"But we're also taking two weeks off for the wedding," Matthew said sighing. School really didn't like us taking time off. Those two weeks were hard enough as it was to get off.
"Okay, so a card, we'll all speak to Danny over to phone and we'll see him at the wedding then," Abbie said.
"I can't believe this. We saw the man three weeks ago, promised to see him again and we can't even go to his funeral," I muttered.
"You girls better finished getting ready," Matty said checking his watch. "I'll call Rafe."
"Okay, bye," I said softly as he kissed me on the cheek and then Abbie and left. The door shut behind him and the other two girls emerged from the bathroom.
"We're sorry Charlie," Millie said hugging me.
"Don't be sorry. I'm just happy he's not in pain anymore," I started, but my voice cracked and the tears started to well.
"We're sorry you can't go," Shellie pointed out. "Because Danny will be in pain without you."
I nodded. Her words were true, and the thought of Danny being in pain and all alone, was enough to send me over the edge. I was all he had left beside the McCawleys, and I couldn't even be there for him.
"You're looking blue," Jeremy whispered as we sat outside the Chrysler building. I'd gone out to get some air. The events of tonight and the amount of people being happy inside were enough to make me sick.
"My dress is blue," I quipped. Not sure if it was a pun or sincere.
"Yes, it beautiful, but I'm afraid it matches your feelings."
"How do you know I'm sad?" I asked as I watched the taxis line up to start taking people home. It had to be at least 1am.
"It's written all over your face. What happened?" he asked.
"Someone very special passed away and I can't go to their funeral. I'm afraid I'll hurt more people by not going," I told him.
"That is quite a predicament," Jeremy stated. He paused and lifted my arm, inspecting the beautiful bracelet of Danny's mother. "That's beautiful."
I looked at it, my tears starting up again and I remembered it was actually from Mr. Walker and not Danny.
"Hey, don't cry," Jeremy said taking me into his arms. "I take it, that this bracelet was theirs, or a gift from them."
I nodded into his chest. My tears surely ruining his suit jacket.
"They left it in good hands," he whispered. "Let's get you home."
January 20th
"Please tell me you've called him," Abbie exclaimed as she walked into our dorm and saw me staring at the phone, as I had been ever since I found out Danny's dad had died. She took my silence as an answer.
"Look, you have to call him. Rafe said Danny's gone crazy, always stating he's fine." I still didn't speak.
"Lottie, call him now or I'll do it for you." I could only look at her. She huffed and puffed and picked up the phone, dialling the numbers to her house and shoving it into my hands when she was done. It was the push I needed as I reached it tentatively to my ear.
It rang and rang until Rafe's familiar voice answered. "Hello."
"Rafe," I whispered out.
"Lots-of-love, thank God you called. He needs you," Rafe said,
"I know and I'm sorry I couldn't come to the funeral, it's jus-"
"We know. He knows, just talk to him," Rafe said, cutting off my excuse.
"I-I can't. He probably hates me for not being there," I told him.
"Look, I'm not going to sugar coat this. He's bitter as hell that none of you could make it,, you more so then others, but what's made it worse is that you took this long to call."
"We only found out five days ago," I told Rafe, defending myself and the others.
"Yeah, you found out five days ago and without callin' straight away, went out later that night, right?" Rafe asked spitefully.
"It's been hard for me too Rafe okay! I tried to get down, we were going to come and then remembered the wedding, and school won't let us take more time off," I continued.
"Yeah, we know," Rafe said hatefully. I sighed. This was worse than I thought it would be. "Just talk to him. He's coming in now."
I held my breathe, waiting for it. I heard Rafe calling for Danny and slight protesting by my boyfriend. But eventually, the phone was passed on and I could hear his breathe.
"Hello," Danny's grim voice greeted.
"Danny," I breathed out. "It's me."
"I know," he replied. I swallowed hard. His voice was so cold.
"How are you?" I asked.
"Okay."
"No, really. How are you?" I prodded.
"I'm fine. I wish everyone would just believe me," he breathed out.
"We don't believe you because we care about you and know you're not fine," I told him.
"That's funny, I thought people who cared didn't wait five days before they called," he spat. I flinched, he words cutting me deep enough to emit a gasp.
"I'm sorry. I thought you'd be angry at me for not being at the funeral," I tried to explain myself.
"That's not what I'm angry about."
"Then what Danny. Talk to me," I begged him.
"No, you talk to me!" he snapped. "I understand you had your exams and I understand not being able to get time off school because you'd already taken some off for the wedding. But what I don't understand is how my girlfriend, the one that I love and I thought loved me and my father to a certain extent, didn't call when she learnt of his passing but was able to go out to a ball that night!"
"Danny I do love you, I do. Your father too! I didn't know what to do that night, I was shell-shocked and was trying to figure out how I'd get to the funeral. Calling didn't even cross my mind until I got home that night. And by then it was at least two and I wasn't calling that late knowing people were grieving."
"Cut the crap Charlotte, I know it was Jeremy who took you back to your dorm. Who didn't leave until Abbie got back with Matt at at least 4."
"So this about Jeremy now?" I asked, getting angry we were having the same fight again but in a different context.
"No, it's about you and your priorities. Ever since you got to New York, there's be less letters, less love, but more fights and more partying. You've changed into someone I hardly recognise."
"I'm sorry I'm out living my life while you sit at home and get by doing odd jobs. Not to mention, worrying about your girlfriend. If you wanted to tie me down Danny you should've said so."
"If I tied you down you would've hated me for the rest of our life together. Hell, if you think I was going to do that!"
"Look, Jeremy knows where he stands with me. We're friends. And I'm sorry, with all my heart, that I didn't call, I really am. Everything happened so fast, I wasn't thinking. I love you Danny and I never want to hurt you ever, I'm trying to come home to you soon. I really am."
I could hear him sigh from the other side of the phone, he started to speak but his voice was shaky from what could only be tears.
"I needed you for one week. I needed you to be with me, I didn't even care about you not making it, but I needed your voice and your words, your laugh. I needed something of you to comfort me, but I got nothing. I waited and waited while Abbie called and Matthew and Ethan called. When I asked about you, it was always she's out, or she's doing homework, I'm sure she'll call as soon as she gets in."
"Danny," I started but he continued before I could.
"When you didn't call, I could only imagine you going out with Jeremy, leaving me to suffer. He may know where he stands with you, but in that process, I don't know if I even have a spot near you," he finished. It was evident he was crying now, the sobs racked his voice and my own face was slick with the salty liquid.
"Of course you do," I told him. "You always will." He didn't reply, but the phone was passed on, I could hear steadier breathing.
"Danny? Danny please," I began.
"I think you should hand up now," came Rafe's voice.
"Rafe please, let me speak to him again."
"I think you've done enough," Rafe pointed out and hung the phone up. I dropped it into my lap, not sure if that actually just happened. Abbie sat staring, unsure as to what happened but knowing it was not for the better.
Don't forget to R&R! Much love xx