~chapter twenty: moments frozen in time
Dana's eyes darted between Faith and Brian. Faith had a sympathetic gaze that was settled intently on Dana, practically pleaing that Dana refuse Brian's beg for love.
Brian, on the other hand, had a look of mad panic, very similar to a deer caught in headlights. He couldn't move, was barely breathing, and had lost almost all color in his face.
She sighed shakily, full of fear and possibilities of making the wrong descision. She examined Brian's face intently.
"Honey, please," he whispered, his voice audible to only Dana. "You know me Dana, you know me."
She shook her head with her hands trembling at her sides.
"Just remember everything we did," Brian encouraged quietly. "Come on." One hand reached tentatively for her hand, and when Dana didn't resist he took it as a good sign. Moving slowly, he extended his other hand and clasped her left hand in his right.
Dana searched his eyes, not knowing where the truth, if there was any, was hidden.
Brian let go of her hands, and pulled Dana in to his arms. She started to sob within his embrace, and he held her protectively, wanting to suck all of the hurt out of her body and bear her burdens. "Dana, don't listen to Faith, I swear never said those things, we never did anything. She's lying, I swe-"
"Don't!" Dana shouted, anxious tears trickling down her cheeks. "God, Brian, this is so perfect for you, isn't it?" She shoved him away with all her might.
"What are you talking about Dana?" He was genuinly confused, and consumed with the feeling of ominous loss that was approaching.
"All I'm hearing is one side of the story, all the time!" She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, and sniffled determindly. Dana was so worked up that she was forcing irregular breathing on herself, and every little thing was pissing her off. "Every time I get hurt, I get hurt!!" Her face screwed up as slews of tears unleashed themselves. Every pent up emotion from every bad experience and every bad relation ship exploded at Brian. "Automatically, when I run, he's the good guy and I'm just the flexible girlfriend who makes mistakes! I am always on the bad end of it."
Brian shook his head. "Dana, no-"
"-Well I'm SICK OF IT! I need someone who understands-"
"-Dana, come on, don't do this to-"
"-somebody who won't run to another girl-"
"-me, don't do this to us, think about it-"
"SHUT UP!" Dana screamed at him furiously.
They froze, staring at each other. For Brian, it was like that moment before dying, when life flashes before your eyes. Only it was his life with Dana. Fooling around on the mats, the long nights that they sat up and talked, the very first time he saw her. He had never allowed words to hurt so much, never wanted one person to control his life. He was like a puppet on strings.
"Forget it," Dana said bitterly. She pushed past Brian, leaving him stunned. She stalked away, crying and feeling like a lost little girl.
He spun around, and watched her walk away. She passed everyone in the hall, and was just a lonely silhoutte, exactly like when he had first met her. His eyes shifted a bit, and Faith winked at him while smiling triumphantly. The cruelty, and the realization that he had been set up slammed into Brian like a ton of bricks. "You BITCH!" Brian fired his anger at Faith, knowing now that it was Faith.
Dana turned to face Brian, not believing what he had just called her. "Excuse me?"
Brian's shoulders drooped instantly.
"What did you just call me?"
Brian didn't - couldn't answer her.
"SCREW YOU!" Dana screamed at him. She walked towards the door swiftly.
The fear of never holding her again built up under his heart, and Brian just lost it. It was like he was moving in slow motion, each movement being frozen in time as a constant reminder of what may or may not happen.
"I love you!"
~chapter twenty-one~
~chapter index~
