She decided that she would wear her dark green mini dress. She had bought it thinking that Isaac might have liked it. But when she was wearing it around him, he didn't even seem to notice.
Sighing heavily as she put her black, high-heeled sandals on Dahven muttered; "Stop torturing yourself!"
"He's with Julia, and right now you're with Shawn. That's the way it is, and that's probably how it's going to stay." She said as she slid her watch on.
Isaac walked quickly to the front door since no one else was around to answer it.
Opening it, he restrained himself from slamming it shut. "D don't live her, Shawn." He growled.
"I came to return Tay's game before we went out." Shawn said holding up a computer disk.
Taylor reached from behind Isaac and took the disk. "Thanks, Shawn."
Shawn nodded. "Who’s D?" He asked slightly confused.
"Ike's talking about Charm." Taylor interpreted helpfully.
"The one you're going out with." Isaac commented. "She's my best friend." He informed stiffly.
Shawn held up his hands, "You guys aren't, umm_ _."
"Boyfriend and girlfriend?" Isaac asked ruthlessly.
Shawn nodded.
"No. But let me give you a few pointers about D. She hates being touched. She doesn't like to be kissed. And whatever you do, do not look into her eyes. She will rip your arms off and beat you to death with them." Isaac informed this guy whom he vowed not to like now. He decided it must have been his hair cut or the way his eyes looked.
In his heart he knew that this was definitely wrong, but his mind kept telling him that it was completely the right thing to be doing. And he knew the only reason why he didn't like Shawn was because he was going to be spending time with Dahven and he wasn't.
Soon Shawn left nervous, and with a list of 'don'ts.’
Taylor looked at Isaac in disgust. "What'd you do that for?"
"Do what?" Hr asked innocently as he sat down on the couch, and reached for the remote.
Taylor threw his hands up in the air. "You totally screwed Shawn over! He's not going to make it past an hour with Charm. Let alone five minutes!" He shouted walking back in forth behind the couch. "I honestly don't get you man! You have Julia, yet you screw with Charm's life. I don't understand you!"
Jessica walked into the living room. "What's going on?" She asked watching as Taylor freaked out.
"Your brother is freaking out." Isaac explained as he too watched as Taylor flip.
Taylor stopped walking and glared at Isaac. "Your brother is an idiot." He stated to Jessica as he walked upstairs.
After Dahven got home from an extremely horrible date, she quickly changed into her silver silk pj's. She sat in her window seat and stared restlessly up at the moon.
"Friends?" She asked it. "Forever?" She wished it would give her some sort of answer. Preferably one that she liked.
Isaac checked his watch. "D must be home from her date with Shawn." He said guiltily.
He was standing by his bedroom window. He found himself staring at the moon. D always stares at the moon and stars. He thought to himself.
Then he sighed loudly. "Friends? Forever?" He asked the pale sickly moon.
He sighed again when it didn't give him an answer.
Isaac climbed into his bed. He wished he had an answer to this new question that occupied his mind, more than he would like it to.
Taylor saw Isaac standing by the window. He was about to get up and talk to him when he sighed and started talking out loud. He must be talking to himself or the heavens. Maybe even God. He said smiling to himself. Then he rolled over and fell asleep when Isaac went to bed.
Dahven and Arie were seating at one table with their lawyer.
Their parent's were at the other one. And the custody battle was about to begin.
Dahven felt the energy drain from her. How had my life fallen so far apart? At what point did it all start unraveling? When had things stopped making sense? And why did everyone just stop caring?
She had so many questions running over and over in her mind; and yet she had no answers to any of them.
Arie put his arm around her shoulders and she froze.
Then she pushed him off her. She looked in his eyes and tried to swallow. Her throat became unusually dry again. "Don't try to be brave for me, Arie." She said sternly. "I can handle this on my own."
Arie looked hurt but only nodded. "I'm glad one of us can." He replied.
Dahven instantly wanted to take her words back. But she knew she couldn't. But she doubted that she would even if she was actually given that chance.
Isaac was slowly following the group around the courthouse. He was completely bummed. Not only was D not his friend no more, but now he could never tell her how he felt.
He couldn't even tell himself what he felt for her. "Mom, I thought you said that we were going to see our legal system first hand?" He said bored out of his mind.
Mrs. Hanson looked at Isaac. Concerned filled her eyes as she nodded. "And we will, Isaac. Actually it's about time we go into the court room."
"So what are we going to sit in on?" Zac asked getting anxious.
"A custody battle between two divorced parents." Mrs. Hanson replied leading them into the courtroom.
Dahven turned around when she heard the doors open. A large group filed into the courtroom. "What are they doing here?" She breathed out raggedly.
Her lawyer leaned towards her. "It's some sort of field trip. Your parents gave their consent to allow them in." He explained.
Then Dahven felt like an invisible fist just slammed into her stomach.
Isaac, Zac, Taylor, Shawn and Mrs. Hanson were the only faces she saw in the group. Her tears blurred the rest out. She never turned around again. And never let a tear fall.
In the end Arie had become Dahven's legal guardian. Kasha was putting a firm in Washington, and Syrus was putting a firm in North Carolina. Dahven and Arie were staying in their house in Tulsa. They were still going to be supported by Syrus and Kasha and they were going to be given generous allowances every month.
Dahven was happy that she would be staying in Tulsa. That's what she wanted. Wasn't it? She wanted to live on her own with Arie. Right? She slowly stood up and Arie hugged her tightly.
"We did it." He whispered in her ear.
Dahven nodded silently. She looked at her only exit. The Hanson's were standing there. She looked at them and decided she would make a run for it. And she made it. But Taylor caught her at her car. He had grabbed her small backpack, which contained her car keys.
He held up her tiny backpack. "Wanna take me for a ride?" He asked gently.
Dahven ran off. Again.
He dropped the backpack and ran after her. He was faster than she was and easily caught up with her. He gently but firmly grabbed her elbow.
"Stop, Charm!" He said slowing her down. She started fighting him and he gripped her elbow tighter.
"You're hurting me!" Dahven shouted as she continued to fight.
"Then quit fighting, Charm!!" He shouted back at her.
Dahven knew she had better stop fighting him, or she was really going to start hurting. "What do you want?" She asked harshly.
Taylor had to look slightly down at her because she was so shorter than he was. "Why didn't you tell us about your parent's getting a divorce."
"Because it wasn't your business!" She snapped.
"Charm, you practically grew up at my house. You're practically a member of my family!" He shouted in her face. "Of course it's my business!"
Dahven just stood there and stared at him. Unaffected by his words. She was affected actually; she just couldn't nor would she let him know how much.
"Are you done yet?" She asked sharply, knowing that she had to keep her defense up, this time.
Taylor just stared at her for a moment, and then he nodded and let his grip on her slip. "Just remember this, Charm. You may have lost your biological family but you still have us."
Dahven stared at Taylor and shook her head. "No, Taylor." She said sadly. "I don't have anyone." Then she turned and walked back to the courthouse.
She saw her purse and Zac sitting on the hood of her car. Isaac was leaning up against it.
She grabbed her purse. "If you want to talk, talk to Taylor. He has plenty to say about this." She said getting in her car without another word.
Zac looked at her through the windshield and smiled at her.
Dahven smiled back and started the engine.
That's when Zac jumped quickly of the hood and hid behind Isaac.
Smiling cynically Dahven waved good bye to them.
As soon as they were out of sight Dahven broke down and cried. Deep heart wrenching cries that left her weak and almost fully incapable of driving.
