Daniels Song. Katherine Dobney
him. He was always honest with me, but I definitely would get teased about it.
“I don’t have time for boys.”
“Okay, okay, just had to tease you a little. How was your shopping trip yesterday?”
“Fine.” It didn’t come out as lighthearted as I wanted. As I thought of the trip home I couldn’t help but start giggling.
“Now what have you girls done?”
“Dad I didn’t start it.” Now I was laughing so hard I was crying. Remembering the look on Toby’s face didn’t help. I could barely get out “Toby started it, he was told not to go there.”
“And the three of you are innocent, I doubt that.” I had that ‘who me’ look, and my dad saw right through it like always. “You girls better be nice to that boy before you permanently damage him.”
“Toby was the one who asked the wrong question. He wanted to know what we meant by ‘the girls’ at the dress shop”.
You would think, with two older sisters he would’ve already figured this out. I was laughing so hard I barely heard him. “Like I said damage,” and we were both laughing. It was nice to be able to talk to him about almost everything. I could only guess how hard it was for him to raise me all by himself.
The sound of the doorbell made me jump. “I’ll get it, its probably Anna picking me up.” Before I could open the door, the bell went off again.
I opened the door and Anna stood there with her arms across her chest. “And for your info your cell is turned off,” then she turned to my dad, “Hi Daddy-Two.”
A little surprised it reminded me that I had turned my phone off when I was talking with Toby in the tree house. I guess I forgot to turn it back on.
“Hello Anna.” Dad was smiling and shook his head.
“Hope, I tried to call to see if Toby was ready for class. I swear he is slower than most girls I know, and we get the bad rep.”
“No, I’m not.” Anna jumped and looked shocked. She was caught and she knew it.
“And I’m right behind you, smart ass.” Toby stood there, book bag in hand. Giggling, I went to get my things when my dad handed me some money.
“You’ll need to eat some time, and better feed the rest” as he tilted his head toward the door where Anna and Toby waited. It wasn’t until that moment when I realized we had been having such a good time laughing and teasing each other; we forgot to even think about making dinner.
“Thanks Dad.” As I walked out the door I turned again, “Love you,” I smiled broadly.
“Love you too,” was his quick response as always.
We piled into Anna’s car in our usual spots with Kayla riding shotgun and Toby and I in the backseat as we headed off for our night classes at the college.
I found the little community college charming. It was nestled in the hillside surrounded by trees. It reminded me of a miniature Ivy League college, with its bricks and cut stones, and little pathways twisting around the buildings. In the wintertime the trees were a convenient shelter, since it rained most of the time. I could walk from one end of the campus to the other using the trees as my umbrella. They always seemed to smell like Christmas. In the winter evenings, you could look down on the lights of the town as they gave off a light glow. The water of the river beyond would glisten with the reflection of the moonlight. You could often see one moon in the night sky and another image of it rippled on the water.
In the spring like now, the campus setting was just as beautiful. There were rhododendron and azalea blooming everywhere. Even the daffodils and tulips were poking their little heads above the ground to welcome me. As I walked across the campus, I enjoyed seeing the bright colors and the air smelled sweet and clean. It was almost a daily walk for me. I enjoyed mixing with the students at the college. I guess mainly because they didn't judge me on my age. How many 18-year-olds go to college and high school at the same time? But we had something in common. We each wanted an education, to do something better with our lives.
There didn't seem to be many people around for the evening classes so most of the common areas, which the students used, were closed. We had discovered a little courtyard in between some of the classrooms. It was covered, perfect for when it rained, and it even had a few benches and was well lit. It sat between our biology classes and the history classes. This semester Toby and Anna had biology and Kayla had history. I had history, and English lit as my last class of the evening but of course it was on the other side of the campus. The courtyard was our meeting place after our classes were over. We had it down to an art. Toby and Anna got out of class first. Kayla would sit and talk to her tutor, or some of her friends instead of leaving class right away. Since I had to walk around the back of Kayla’s classroom to get to the courtyard, I had a habit of banging on the back window as I passed by heading to our rendezvous at the courtyard. That would signal Kayla to get her bags packed, her things together and get moving as we raced to meet the others. But today they were all waiting for me, as I came around the corner.
“Sorry I’m late, got caught up in English lit. I’ve been trying to get extra work to turn my B to a solid A.” I had been pushing hard to keep my grades up. It was so important to me I found myself late for a lot of things recently. Even so I could still see that this was the best way to get where I wanted to be in life.
Kayla’s crooked little smile told me she wasn’t worried. “That’s ok, I don’t mind the extra tutor time.”
“What tutor?” Toby asked.
Kayla was giving him that look again, the one that said he should know better, when she answered. “Mr. Starr, and he is some nice eye candy.” That was Kayla’s way of saying he is very good looking. “He’s one of the under grads that do tutoring on the side. I see him twice a week if you must know.”
I had only seen him from a distance. He was taller than my dad, maybe six-three with dark brown wavy hair to his shoulders and he had a lean build with broad shoulders. He looked too young to be a professor, but he dressed like one, dark slacks and button down shirts. Something my dad would wear to work.
Kayla turned to Anna and I. “He’s helping me in history, Professor Noland asked him. And I need the help.”
Toby quietly asked, “With history, or guys?”
“Toby,” Kayla and I yelled in unison.
“Both.” I couldn’t believe Anna said what we were all thinking.
I felt like I had to say something to head this off. “I’m hungry anyone want to get some thing to eat?” In a very sheepish voice, “I’ll pay.”
“Sure thing I’m starving too,” Toby blurted out.
I couldn’t help but think why are guys always hungry? I swear Toby could eat 24/7.
As we piled into the ‘Boat’, I thought about the money Dad had given me and started to panic. “Where’s my wallet, I can’t find it?” Ten minutes later and a clean car we found it under the front seat. Now finally we could get something to eat. Fast food was calling our names and after a quick stop we were all set. We shoved the food in our faces as we drove home. Anna and Kayla had the stereo on singing to some country song. Toby and I sitting in back were listening to some of the new music I had just downloaded on my I-pod. I had one ear bud and Toby had the other. We were poking and making funny faces at each other. Toby and I could always make fun of each other and it never bothered us. That`s what best friends were for.
Then time stood still. The moment felt like forever, without end. I was watching Toby’s face as the laughter had turned to shock then horror. Then I heard a scream, “Anna!”. I was still watching Toby’s face. My eyes couldn’t look away from him. Then he screamed, “No!!!” I never heard