Love Me Senseless, Chapter 1

Love Me Senseless 1

Chapter 1: Real2

“So, which one do you think Dani? Should I wear red or blue?” 3

“Huh?” Dani never paid much attention when her super hyper best friend, Arai Hamlin, was ranting. When Arai simply talked her conversations could be a lot of fun, even pleasant, but her rants tended to get tiresome. Especially when they were about boys, something Dani could care less for.4

Arai stared at her, mouth dropping open in shock. “Are you SERIOUS? You didn’t hear a single WORD I just said? What the hell is wrong with you girl, wake up!”5

Dani looked sideways at her friend before turning back to her lunch, ripping a chunk off the piece of bread she was holding. Arai had apparently been asked out by a guy she considered fairly hot, and wanted Dani’s advice on what kind of outfit to wear on her date with him Saturday. The young Asian boy chaser tended to forget that she was not the best person to ask about these sorts of things.6

“Arai, you KNOW that I can’t give you advice on things like that,” Dani reminded. “I don’t know what guys like. Do some research, go on AmericanGirl.com. You’d be a thousand times more likely to find something there than in MY head.” 7

Arai huffed, obviously annoyed. “I can’t believe you ignored me until I stopped talking. Some friend you are. Even if you DO go the other way, can’t you at least see what I big deal this is for ME?! This guy is different from the others! I want to impress him!” She got up off her knees and frolicked out into the open school courtyard, which was overrun with bright flowers blooming brightly in the spring sunshine. Assorted other students were scattered around, eating and chatting the day away. Lunch break was the only time you could really be free from rules at Sunny Hill High School, and everybody appreciated this time. Not a moment of it was ever wasted. Dani and Arai always ate together under the very old, very pretty blue oak tree just outside the courtyard’s entrance. 8

Arai turned back around to face Dani and flashed her a mischievous smile before spinning in a few circles. The sun seemed to caress her glossy black hair like gentle fingers, sending it in slow motion waves around her shoulders as the navy blue summer dress she wore flowed around her knees as she moved. Dani rolled her eyes. She knew what her friend was trying to do. 9

“C’mon Dani, you have to admit that I’m pretty. I know that my obvious hotness must get to the guys, but doesn’t it get to people like you as well?” 10

“Whatever, Arai.” Dani smiled and finished her lunch. “Alright. Why don’t you wear the red dress? Red brings out your hair and eyes better. But keep in mind that just because your gay best friend likes it on you doesn’t mean your new boyfriend will.” 11

Arai grinned in triumph, and giving her hair one last wave, sat back down with Dani. “See,” she said, “that wasn’t so hard, was it?” The two girls laughed and eventually ended up in a hug. Dani had to admit: no matter how much Arai tended to annoy her, she couldn’t live without her best friend. Maybe that annoyance was what kept them together. That and the crazy chemistry in both their lives.12

They still had a few minutes before classes started again. Arai took that as a chance to talk about yet MORE details for her date. As she droned on, Dani listened here and there, occasionally tuning in, and other times found the small butterflies flitting about more interesting. She absentmindedly glanced over at the school’s beautifully decorated front gate, all twisting and turning over itself like that of the Eiffel Tower. 13

That was when she saw her.14

Dani didn’t have any special powers, nor was she gifted with any unusual abilities. She didn’t have visions, she couldn’t see spirits, and she never got sick enough to see illusions or mirages. Looking at what she saw before her now, she wondered if all that was still true. Because surely, this sight couldn’t be anything else?15

Standing outside the school gate in front of a small silver car, carefully taking various items from an older woman, was a girl unlike anyone or anything Dani had ever seen before. Tall and filled out, her body seeming to be carved from the Earth itself. This girl had pale skin the color of a freshly ripened peach, and gentle caramel eyes adorned with flecks of gold. Flame colored curls fell loosely about her thin shoulders, fierce and fiery, yet calm and soothing at the same time. Her face was very young and far from mature, but together with her features, it was an adorable face that showed the good of her intentions and the purity of her soul. Dani’s heart skipped three beats when she saw this girl for the first time, and when her heart could beat again, she found that she could not breathe. 16

“HEY! Dani, are you listening to me?! What’s gotten into you?!” Dani’s trance was shattered by Arai’s annoyed and concerned voice. When she turned to look at her friend, she was surprised to see how worried and confused she now looked. “Dani? Is something wrong?” Arai asked her.17

Dani felt like time had suddenly shifted. She didn’t like seeing her friend look so worried, it really didn’t fit Arai. But when she opened her mouth to say she was okay, that was not what came out. Instead, she said, “Who IS that?”18

Arai turned her head sideways in confusion. “What?” 19

“That girl.”20

“Dani, what are you talking about? WHAT girl?” 21

“The one over-" But when Dani turned back to the school gate, there was nothing there. Not the silver car, not the older woman...and not the amazing creature of beauty that had spun her senses out of control.22

Dani stared in disbelief at the empty street, and shook her head back and forth to clear it. What, had she IMAGINED the whole thing? Was she going insane or something? A voice at the back of her mind was laughing at her, but another one was whispering words of contradiction. 23

No. No matter how otherworldly the young girl had seemed, she had been standing there. She was real, and Dani had definitely seen her. 24

Suddenly, a hand rested itself on Dani’s shoulder, scaring the hell out of her. She screamed and jumped back like a scalded cat, turning around to face her enemy, ready for anything. Problem was, it was only Arai. Dani had forgotten that her friend was even there. 25

“Jesus Dani, you scared me half to death! Seriously, what is WRONG with you?” The surprise and fear erased itself from Dani’s face, and she just sat there on the courtyard ground, feeling extremely pathetic.26

“Sorry Arai. It’s just…if only you could have SEEN her…”27

Arai stood up and brushed off her dress. “Oh right, this mystery girl you were going on about. She must have been something to get you like this.”28

Dani blushed. She kept her eyes glued firmly to the grass under her knees. Arai walked over to her.29

“Well, whatever. It’s time to go in, and if you want my advice you’ll stop by the nurse’s office before going to Algebra. I’ve never seen you have a weird episode like this before.” Dani gladly accepted Arai’s support as the bell rang to signal the end of lunch break. She really wasn’t feeling all the good; a trip to the nurse’s didn’t sound like a bad idea. As they walked hand in hand through the halls, Dani couldn’t get the mysterious young beauty she had seen out of her mind. Arai was right, she had been something. She hadn’t been aware that so much light and so much grace could be contained within one person. 30

WAS she real? Dani wondered silently. I wonder if I’ll ever get to find out.