Star Bright

One: Stranger

   "Here you go."

   "Thanks." Dani Chamberman accepted the smoothie from Gabe Tonnes, her childhood best friend. She sipped it and sighed in satisfaction. "Yeah, that hits the spot."

  Gabe smirked and nodded towards the exit. The two of them walked out slowly. The town of Hawks wasn't really populated so as such the road was almost always empty. Every now and then, an old beat car would drag by (sometimes the sheriff's) but that was about it. Dani and Gabe strolled across the road to the red Ford Mustang at the other side. They got in.

  Dani Chamberman could be described in a simple way; uncertain. She was used to overthinking and self-shaming. She would point out all her flaws, throwing her good bits away. For example, she had a nice brown shiny hair that reached her waist. Her eyes were an attractive black and her lips were pale in a good kind of way. She had a slim figure and good fashion taste; today she was wearing a blue jacket and a white knee-high dress inside.

  The boy beside her in the driver seat starting the engine had a jacket on too, but it was black. He had on his favourite red shirt and black jeans to match his jacket. Both wore sneakers. Gabe was dirty blonde and had blue eyes. Dani was envious of them.

  The car shook to life and Gabe got on the road. Dani watched the quiet atmosphere of Hawks move past her glass window. Her smoothie was almost empty.

  "So," Gabe begun, glancing at her, "are you going to tell me?"

  Dani turned. She made a face. "Tell you what?"

  Gabe smiled. "Jeremy told me already. Said Mr Brown assigned you to tutor him."

  Dani blushed. She felt her mouth open and the straw pulling out. "I was gonna tell you!"

  Gabe waved her off and returned his hand to the wheel. "It's okay. You must have forgotten. Just going to warn you though, Jeremy isn't a boyfriend material. More of a hump and dump."

  Dani blushed harder. Her cheeks were on fire. "What's that supposed to mean?"

  Gabe kept his eyes on the road. "I know my older brother, Dani. And most especially, I know you." When she didn't say anything, he continued. "You've always had a crush on him. I see it in your behavior when he's around, and don't even try to lie," he added quickly when she opened her mouth, "I've been your best friend for 16 years now."

  Desperate for the subject to change, Dani said, "I'm surprised he borrowed you his car."

  Gabe frowned and shrugged. "He was going to hang out with his cronies; Matthew and the rest. Probably at The Summit."

  Dani felt her heart ache. Everyone in Hawks High knew what happened in The Summit; hook ups. Only and all the popular kids hung out there. Gabe had once been invited and he had come back saying he'd seen it all; there was no need for living anymore. The Summit was controlled by the Jocks and Cheerleaders. It was a house in the woods (Hawks is surrounded by them) which once belonged to a mad man but he'd died. The teens had claimed it and remodelled it; during the time of the remodelling, Dani would sneak up to see Jeremy work. He would be all sweaty and shirtless.

   Jeremy, age 18, was one of the hottest guys at school. Not the bad boy type, more like the player type. He could seduce a tiger if he wanted to. He had won Dani's heart at age 13, the day she had fallen into The Moon Lake in the woods and he had rescued her. It was called the Moon Lake because the full moon always shone directly at the river, making it glow a dull milky colour. Gabe had pushed her and gotten sharp words from Jeremy about his playfulness.

  The car turned to Entreat Street; Dani's street. Gabe drove to the house at the far end, just close to the entrance of the forest. Dani had thought it was creepy at first, but then after sometime, she got used to the cricket sounds, birds chirping and leaves rustling. It was comforting. When the car pulled up in front of the two floor pale blue house, she had worn her bag pack and buttoned her jacket.