Dahven handed Taylor a guitar case hesitantly. "Give this to Isaac would you please?"
Her smile wavered and Taylor looked at her in disbelief. "You have got to be joking me." He voiced incredulously, refusing to take the case.
"No." Dahven confirmed quietly, her voice just a little scratchy now.
His lips thinned, "Why?"
She groaned, "I don't know why. Because I got it for him and I have no use for it." She muttered as she went and sat at her desk.
Awkwardly, Taylor looked around her room, and smiled when he noticed a picture of his family and her.
Walking over, he picked it up. After he reminisced a little he set it back down, and frowned at her. "Why don’t you just return it?"
Her shoulders slumped a little, then she quickly straightened up. "Because I’d only have store credit. And I don’t have any use for instruments."
"Well, you always wanted to start your own marching band." He reminded, smiling a small smile.
She gave watery laugh. "I think I gave up on that dream a long time ago, Tay."
"So what dream are you on now?" He asked moving over to place a hand on her shoulder.
Dahven looked up at him with blank eyes. "I don’t dream anymore, Tay." She whispered. "Hurts too much."
Closing his eyes and fighting back obscenities, Taylor sighed softly and prepared himself to make his announcement. "Ike wants you to come over later on tonight for dinner and to talk afterwards."
Stiffening, she shrugged. "Maybe." She looked away. "I need to be alone, Tay." She whimpered before closing her eyes.
Hating to see her like this, Taylor bit his lip. "Sure." He complied, leaving reluctantly.
Going back over to her bed, Dahven let the tears she thought were dried up come falling down again as the pain in her chest deepened. "When are you going to stop caring and letting everyone hurt you, little girl."
"That was a great meal, Miz Hanson." Dahven complimented softly as she helped with the dishes.
Mrs. Hanson smiled at her and gave a hug. "Thanks, Charm." Then she pulled back, and frowned slightly. "It’s been a while since you ate here."
She nodded carefully. "I know. There was something I had to... sort out of my mind and try and stay away from."
"Mom, can I speak with D alone." Isaac asked from the kitchen doorway.
Looking over Charm Mrs. Hanson shrugged, "I would say that's up to her. But I'll leave you to try."
After she left a few crucial moments of a painful silence passed between them, and Isaac cleared his throat. "Can we go out back?" He asked nervously.
Dahven lifted one shoulder. "Why not?" She asked as she walked in front of him.
"D, we need to and we have to talk." Isaac said as he sat next to her on t he steps.
Sliding away, Dahven looked at him angrily. "Don’t call me D." She ordered coldly.
Taken back by her request, Isaac only nodded. "Tay gave me your gift." He waited for a response.
There was none.
"Thank you." He continued, still watching her. No matter how hurt and angry she was Dahven was still beautiful and he still loved her. And he would watch her all day if he could.
Shrugging her shoulders, Dahven looked up at the sky. "Welcome." She said absentmindedly.
"Talk to me." He pleaded suddenly. "I can’t stand it when you won’t talk to me." His voice betrayed him as the guilt shown clearly as he spoke.
Turning to him, Dahven felt tears welling up in her eyes. "When I asked you that one time how you felt, you said that you loved me. And I actually believed you. I actually thought that you meant it." She said it sharply so that she could not become attached to his voice.
"What a fool I was." She added softly. "What a jerk I’ve been." She whispered it, but it cold.
Isaac felt a violent shiver race up and down his spine form the chill in her voice. "I do love you D." He said looking at her with pain in his eyes.
Dahven held up her hand quickly. "Don’t talk to me about something you know nothing about!" She warned heatedly.
"How could you even think that I would do something like that?" She burst out hurtfully. "After all we've been through. After all we've said to each other and how much we were supposed to mean to each other!"
Standing up, she started to shake. "I always thought that I could trust you and that you trusted me. But you didn’t trust me and I can’ trust you." Her lower lip trembled and matching tears raced down her cheeks.
Leaping up, Isaac went to brush them away, when Dahven slapped his hand down offensively.
"No!" She cried out at him. "Not again!" Her voice shook violently as she stood up. "Not ever again." She whispered hoarsely.
"We said we’d be friends forever." Isaac said softly, he didn't want to hurt her again.
But it was too late. Dahven’s face was already twisted in anguish. "Forever is a long time, Isaac." She whispered quietly before she left.
Her legs were wobbly and she needed to support herself on the side of the house. Leaning on the hand that she placed against the house she walked as quickly as she could to her car. She needed to calm down or she was going to collapse.
Not knowing how she did it, she made it home without an accident or a ticket. Flinging herself onto her bed, she instantly fell asleep from exhaustion. Hot salty tears of pain still soaked her pillows even as she slept.