Anger & Betrayal [3-5-08]

Marie scoffed her toe on the ground. Why should she wonder anymore, why should she wait...and, furthermore, why should she care? No matter who it's with, this always happens. The claims for everlasting friendship, the "You can call me whenever"s and the "I'll always be your friend"s. Then the betrayal and hurt, falling faster. She knew it would only be a matter of time. Well, today was that time, because her friend, Leah, had never showed up at the park. It had been an hour, and she did not have her new cellphone number claiming that she "couldn't give it out". Marie accepted that. She wished she hadn't now because she wanted to know what was going on. 1

Marie decided to pull out her iPod and turn it on. There had to be a song that reflected her mood--angry and betrayed. There weren't any, just L'Âme Immortelle's "Betrayal", but it just wouldn't work. There had to be something angry and hateful lying around.2

She kept flipping through her iPod and stopped at a random song. It sounded pretty, whatever the hell it was called. It was also in a language she'd never heard of. It didn't sound English, German or even Polish. Then Marie remembered what her other friend had told her, and in turn she remembered the song--"Slania's Song" by Eluveitie and they were Norwegian. Norwegian or Swiss. One of the two. Looking around and letting the song take her over, she saw a set of swings. She got up from the monkey bars and almost ran to them. She got on and let herself take off, forgetting about Leah, forgetting about their supposed "date" and everything else. It felt good to be free. Free from the hell that consumed her day in and day out, slowly but surely. Friends constantly ditching her wasn't exactly the greatest thing to happen to her these days...these years, actually. No matter who she befriended, they usually left, and she mercilessly blamed them all--all except a few good friends, and they knew who they were. She smiled at the thought of them. They were sweet and helpful, the way friends should be. 3

When Marie opened her eyes again, she saw Leah walking with a boy. She brushed them off; she had said that she might bring William, her boyfriend. Seeing them infuriated her, and she swung faster and higher until they screamed in terror and she actually did fly--right off the swing and onto the uncaring concrete.4

~5

"You're alright, aren't you?" a person asked.6

"She'll be fine, worse could happen." another person responded. It sounded like her father, whose name, strangely enough, was William as well. He turned to her. "Marie?"7

Her eyelids fluttered and she let her eyes turn to him. "Daddy?" He gave a gasp of mirth and threw his arms around his only daughter. 8

"What happened?" she asked. "All I remember is that I was swinging...and the music...where's my iPod?"9

Her father looked to the doctor and back to her. "Smashed, Pumpkin." As he predicted, she howled miserably. She could live without her music...she just did not want to. 10

"What am I going to do?" she moaned.11

"I'll buy you a newer, better one." he said proudly. "You've always wanted one of the bigger ones,didn't you?"12

She nodded, overcome with misery to speak.13

"Then it's settled. When you get out, that's the first thing we'll do, right after we buy your phone."14

"My phone too?" He nodded solemnly as she said this. She paused for a moment, then: "What did Leah say?"15

"Leah?" both her father and the doctor were puzzled now. "What did she do? Was she there when the ambulance came??"16

"No one but you and a young man were there. There weren't any girls."17

She nodded, considering that this was the ultimate betrayal...and knowing that she fell and hit her head...why had she not stayed until the ambulance came?18

"Alright.", Marie said. "Is this man here now?"19

"He is, I can bring him in if you like..so you can thank him and all..."20

"I'd like that a lot." she smiled. The doctor left and she turned back to her father. "Where's Mom?" she asked him. 21

"Working, as always." he muttered. She grumbled; why couldn't--or wouldn't--her mom want to know if her daughter was safe, or at least okay?22

"Does she even know I'm here?"23

"Yes, but she wouldn't leave." he sighed apologetically as the doctor and the young man came back in. Her heart bounced around inside, he was the most attractive man she had ever come across in a long, long, long time.24

It was the "nameless guy", the seldom ever seen young man from the park. She called him that because she never had the courage to ask him his name, and she thought about him all the time. He smiled.25

"Hello. You're Marie?"26

She nodded. He had an amazing aura. A bluish-white color. It overtook her slowly; at first all she could do was stare for a few moments before he said her name again. 27

"Marie?"28

"Huh?" she looked around. "Oh, wow, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare like that....um....." she let her voice trail off.29

"Dan."30

"Excuse me?"31

"My name." he said, "It's Dan. I guess by your expression you never knew that..."32

"I mean, I've seen you...I've just..."33

"Never asked?" he supplied. 34

She looked down, throughly embarrassed. "I'm sorry."35

"Don't apologize." Dan said. "There's no need."36

"You're sure--?" she asked.37

"I'm positive." he said, "Don't apologize."38

"If you say so." she said, smiling. She couldn't stop smiling. It's as though he was heaven-sent--and she didn't believe in Heaven. 39

How did he have such an amazing aura, and why did he stay with me the entire time? she wondered. He looked back at her, curious.40

"You've got a nice aura." he commented. "A bright, pretty kind of blue surrounds you." 41

Her face flamed in a pleased sort of way at this comment.42

"So do you. Yours is bluish-white. That makes a pretty kind of color, I think." she said, smiling still. He cocked his head.43

"You think so, do you?"44

"Uh huh. I do."45

He smiled. It looked true enough. Marie's dad was pleased with what was going on. This was something her mother might have liked if she ever bothered to come from work.46

"When you're better, Marie," Dan said, "would you like to...just, hang out a bit, in the park. Just for a bit. Maybe get to know each other?" 47

"I'd love to--so long as my dad says it's okay." she added the last bit hastily, but inside she was pleading for him to say yes. He was kind, he had a nice aura...and she might have been falling in love with him--and if not love, then an extreme crush was underway.48

William nodded. Marie grinned for the millionth time. "Then it's settled." she said. "Thanks Dan."49

"You're welcome." he said, and he walked out the door back out into the waiting room.