Angel (A Story Written by my Younger Self)

Chapter Ten

THUD!  I opened my eyes to find metal walls surrounding me. "Daniel, I did it!" I screamed, feeling like a child showing their parent something they did. Dan nodded, he was starting to slow down. "COME ON DAN, I'M NOT GOING TO LOSE YOU!" Those words did it. He picked up his pace and leaped. The wind's fingers combed through his hair as he jumped. Just like me, he landed with a thud inside the cargo.

Dan grabbed my hand. "That. Was exhilarating!" I laughed at his slurred statement. "I'm tired, what about you?"

"Exhausted." Dan shoved the duffel bag against a crate and laid his head on it. "That looks uncomfortable."

"It is," Dan chuckled. I laid down next to Daniel. "Good night, Willow."

"Good night, Daniel."

***********

The morning sun rose just as Daniel woke up. "How long have you been up." He yawned.

"For awhile now. Do you have any food in that bag?" Dan ruffled the bag, he pulled out a bag of potato chips, a KitKat bar, a handful of granola bars, and some water bottles. I snatched a granola bar and a bottle of water.

"Seems like yesterday we were climbing trees and playing war," He said softly.

I smiled, "I remember you tried to leap from tree to tree and you ended up with a broken arm."

He let out a hearty laugh. "Oh yeah, my Dad was mad at your Mom for letting that happen and I thought it was so cool that I had a broken bone." I laughed along with him. "Can I ask you something? Or would it be too personal?"

"Well, it depends on the question."

"You never really talk about your Mom. You talk about how you miss her but you never talk about the accident...What happened?"

I let out a sigh. "Do you remember when your Dad took me to your soccer game because you wanted me to go?" He nodded. "When your Dad dropped me off, my Mother was waiting by the front door. She gave me a locket and told me that when I don't know what to do, I need to open my heart and follow it. I didn't know what she really meant at the time, I was just really happy to have a locket. Later that day, David turned on the TV and one of the stories was about a car accident. That car was on a highway and crashed, the car fell off the edge and was destroyed. It was my Mother who was in that car. Back to present day, David told me that it wasn't an accident...It was suicide and it was all my fault and Stella's..."

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Willow," he whispered.

Tears were welling up in my eyes. "No, it's okay. That's just how my life rolls." I paused. "Just when everything starts to look up, something bad has to happen."

"Hey," Dan's brown eyes gazed at me. The sun made his pale skin look ghostly. He put his hand in my hair, "wipe those tears away. I mean look at where we are right now. We are miles and miles away from David and my Dad, in this somewhat homey cargo box watching the sun rise while eating granola bars. " I let out a quiet giggle. "See, it's not the end of the world." He whispered. My eyes met his, it was like we were under a spell, he leaned in and pressed his chapped lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around him and he wrapped his arms around me.

I pulled away slowly, "You always know what to say, Daniel."