Chapter Six:
The Past and It's Problems
They approached Dana's apartment building in silence, enjoying the night. "This is my apartment building here, you wanna come upstairs?" Dana offered to Brian when they got nearer the door.
Brian wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, making Dana laugh.
"Not in that sense... just to get something to drink or eat," she smiled.
"Sure," he agreed.
"We won't stay," Dana explained while unlocking the front door. "I mean, I'll go with you back to the restaurant so you can grab your car."
"I get it, I get it, you wanna get rid of me," he pretended to pout.
"No!" Dana burst out laughing. "That's not what I meant! What I meant was once you do leave I'll go with you to get your car!"
"Oh, sure, you're just saying that as a cover up!"
"You're horrible," Dana laughed at Brian's pathetic expression.
His face perked up. "I know," he replied childishly.
"You'll have to ignore the mess," she blushed. "Two girls who don't clean live here."
"Yeah, one guy who doesn't know the meaning of vacuum lives at my place."
"I guess we're just a pair of non-cleaners."
"I guess so," Brian nodded his head and glanced around the apartment. It wasn't big, but it wasn't small either. Just middle-sized. 'Perfect for two girls,' he supposed. They discarded their coats, and Brian sat on the couch while Dana checked the messages.
"You have four messages," the mechanical voice blared. "Message one: Hi DanaBear, it's mom."
Dana blushed at the mention of her mother's pet name for her.
"Listen, I'm just wondering when you'll be home for Christmas, if any time soon. Call me."
"DanaBear?" Brian teased, amused.
"Yeah, it's my little baby name," Dana mentally willed down the rising blush.
"Message Two:," the voice interrupted. "Brette, it's Lauryn. Listen, I know you don't really feel like talking to me right now, but I'm really sorry. I was drunk. I didn't know what I was saying! Please, Please forgive me. I'll call back later."
Brian checked Dana for explination on that one.
"Brette's a walking soap opera," she shrugged. "The whole campus wait's to see what's new in Brette's life and who she's mad at now. Her past is more interesting than the entire Harliquin Romance series."
Brian smiled.
"Message Three: Um, Dana? It's me Steve. I just wan-" Dana clicked off the machine.
"That's not important right now," she smiled thinly.
"Boyfriend?" Brian asked, praying for a negative.
"No, ex. Uh," Dana laughed weakly. "Pathetic ex. He's a little, um, shall we say over protective. Nothing too dramatic, just think's I still like him..."
"Do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Still like him?" His voice left no room for beating around the bush.
"Not at all." Dana replied bluntly.
"Ah." Brian relaxed. "Seems like your roommate isn't the only one with an interesting past."
Dana's face clouded over. "Yeah, well, there's always something we want to hide, and it's usually our past."
"I guess you're right," he supposed unsurely. "Who's that? Boysfriend" Brian asked, pointing to a picture of Dana hugging someone, even though the guy looked really young to be a boyfriend.
"No." she replied shortly.
"Oh." Brian had obviously hit a nerve.
"No," Dana continued, feeling bad for being so abrupt. "That's my little brother... he, um, he died a few years back."
"I'm sorry," he offered uncomfortably.
Dana shrugged softly. "It's okay, he's just a sensitive spot, no big deal."
"How old was he? If you don't mind telling me..."
"When he died?"
Brian nodded.
"14."
"How old were you?"
"17."
"Oh."
Dana was quiet.
"I didn't mean to open any bad memories..." Brian said apoligetically, not sure of what to say.
Dana forced a smile for Brian's sake. "No, don't worry about it. So, before I forget and my Brette kills me, whats your phone number?"
That was something Brian did know. "Do you have a paper?"
She shuffled through a stack of paper on a desk, and pulled out a half blank sheet and a pen. "Here," Dana pushed it towards him.
He scrawled his number down, and wrote 'Brian' in big letters beneath it. "There ya go!" he declared goofily.
Dana taped the paper onto the back of the phone, and turned to face Brian. She was surprised by his face inches from hers. She could feel his breath on her face as he stared down at her. 'Oh God,' she thought weakly, and stepped away. "So, do you want something to drink?" Dana clung to anything that would change the subject.
Brian winced. That hadn't gone the way he'd planned. "Sure, whatever you're having."
"Well, since I'm not having anything, that won't really work," she laughed shakily, very unnerved by his presence all of a sudden.
"Just pour me some water," he said finally.
"Water it is," Dana smiled. Dana turned on the tap and ran her fingers under the water, waiting for it to get cold. She filled the glass and passed it to Brian.
"Mmm, thanks," he accepted the glass. He sat back down on the couch, and Dana occupied the opposite end. "So you're single?"
Dana froze. All of a sudden the prospect of dating someone, especially Brian, terrified her. "Yeah," She nodded, devising a plan. "And thankfully so. The last thing I want right now is a boyfriend. God, having to call someone all the time just to check in, and all that jazz, who needs it?"
"Oh."
"Yeah, uh, what about you?" Dana asked, already knowing the answer.
"Ditto." He replied lamely. "Who needs a girlfriend- or, um, boyfriend in your case- when there is so much more to do?"
They regarded each other pathetically. Each knew the other was lying, but neither protested.
"I, um, I should be going..." Brian pointed over his shoulder to the door.
"Yeah, it's probably best," Dana whispered.
"I had a nice time, it was fun," Brian told her as he donned his jacket.
"So did I."
"Maybe I'll call you later or something...?"
"Yeah," Dana agreed. "If you don't mind, I'll just stay here instead of going with you..."
"That's fine, sure, okay, uh, no problem," he rattled off words nervously.
"So I guess I'll see you later?" Dana asked anxiously.
"Definately."
"Bye Brian."
"Bye Dana."
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