Okay, I can always go back and dedicate things later. I really hope somebody tries the challenge... If you really don't like it, why not put some suggestions for later ones? Thanks! xoxo
I don’t have long to wait before Dan comes up behind me. He leans his head to my ear, whispering, “Woody told me. I’m sorry.”
I turn my head and kiss his nose, feeling a little better. “It’s okay. It wouldn’t have been natural for us to go this long without a fight.” He doesn’t seem convinced so I sigh and add, “I forgive you, and I love you.”
A grin spreads on Dan’s face and he says “I love you too,” before sitting down across from me. “So, what do you want to do today?”
I shrug, pushing my pancake remnants around my plate. “I don’t really know. I’m horrible at decision making.”
Dan rolls his eyes. “Hey guys, what are you up to today?” he calls to the group.
Kyle looks up, “We need to go shopping. I need more bananas.”
“Can I go babe shopping?” Will pipes up, grinning at me.
I shoot a glare, “This again?” He nods his head and jumps up. He practically runs over and grabs my hands, yanking me out of the seat. I yelp and stumble forward, flailing my arms. Will bends his knees and, somehow, I land in his arms, bridal-like.
Will manages to stand up and I blink, dazed. Then I take a deep breath and yell, “Will!”
Everyone within earshot winces and Will shakes his head to one side. “My ears! They bleed!”
I ignore him and struggle, yelling again, “Put me down!”
This whole time, Dan, Woody, Kyle, and Shannon are being great helps by standing around and laughing. “Daaan!” I yell when Will only shifts and holds me better.
Dan blinks tears of laughter from his eyes and saunters over. “Yes?” he says, trying not to laugh.
Will backs up before I can shoot any daggers at Dan and carries me out the door. “Gingerbread man—and woman!” he hollers back.
I hear a chorus of “Hey!” and chairs squeak as the boys rush out after us. I stiffen and bounce along in Will’s arms, surprised he can hold me up like this.
“Will! Put. Me. Down!”
Will ignores me and we end up quite a ways down the street before Dan strides up next to us. Kyle follows, yanking on Will’s left arm. It weakens and I fall backward with a squeak. I brace myself for the impact of my skull on pavement, but arms catch my shoulders.
I pry my eyes open one by one to look into the amused blue eyes of Dan Smith. I recover from the shock and sigh, pulling my legs out of Will’s grip with a glare.
Dan and Woody help me up, but Kyle and Will are hunched over, laughing so hard I’m surprised they’re not suffocating.
I brush myself off and straighten up. “What the heck was that for?” I yell.
Kyle wipes tears from his eyes and walks over. Without warning, he grabs my hand and spins me around. I gasp and lose my footing. With a yell of “Dan!” I fall back and land in darkness.
∆ ∆ ∆
I wake with a splitting headache at the back of my skull and a wet cloth on my forehead. I try to sit up but my head swims and I collapse back into—a couch? Where am I?
“She’s awake!” I hear someone yell. The voice sends a slap of pain through my head and I hiss, “Quiet!”
Then Dan appears beside me and hushes everyone. He removes the wet cloth from my forehead and somebody takes it away. "Katie! Oh, God, I’m sorry! Are you okay?”
I wince. “I don’t know. Where am I? What happened?”
Dan’s face crumples slightly. “I’m so sorry. We were being idiots outside of iHop and you fell. You hit your head. How’s it feeling? Do you need a doctor? You didn’t seem to hit it that hard.”
I reach up slowly and prod the back of my head. Pain greets me along with a large bump. “I don’t know, but I’m not seeing stars. Well, except for you superstars,” I add with a smirk.
Shannon comes up behind Dan and leans down with a sideways grin. “She’ll be fine. Attitude’s in check, that’s for sure.”
I don’t remember the last time I’d had an attitude like this, so I take it as a good sign that life is really starting to look up again. I smile gratefully at Shannon and she pats my shoulder.
“Can we get you anything? Water? Food?” Dan asks worriedly.
I breathe carefully, trying to dull the pain. “Do you have any painkillers? I don’t like taking them, but this really hurts.” Dan nods and stands up, rushing off.
I get a better view of Kyle, Will, Woody, and Shannon in the dark room. Woody walks over to me. “Hey, you okay?” I shrug as much as I can.
“I’ll manage.”
He smiles. “That’s our girl.”
“Hey, nobody answered me. Where am I?”
“Oh, we’re back at your apartment,” Woody answers. “We didn’t know if you needed a hospital, but you weren’t bleeding so we figured you were just out cold. Dan wanted to bring you here.”
I purse my lips. “Yeah. Thanks.”
Kyle rushes over. “Katie, I’m real sorry about all this.”
Will walks slowly toward me, taking Woody’s place. “Yeah, we didn’t think.”
I shake my head slightly. “It’s all right, guys.” They seem to be relieved and I add, “You’re just gonna be owing me for the next month, that’s all.”
Shannon snorts and Kyle jumps at that. “Hey! Come on!” He’s grinning, though.
Dan comes back with a cup of water and a bottle of Ibuprofen. “Thanks, Dan,” I smile and reluctantly down the pill.
We sit in silence for a few moments before Kyle pops up, “So can we still go banana shopping?”
“What is with you and bananas, Kyle?” Will laughs.
Kyle pouts, “I don’t know. They’re a good source of potassium!” he points out.
I start to laugh with everyone else before I remember something. “Dakota!” I blurt. Everyone looks at me. “Sorry,” I blush. “I just remembered my old friend Dakota. She always used to say that bananas were a good source of potassium, too.”
Kyle jumps up and whoops, causing me to flinch. “Yeah! How about that?” he grins.
I decide to forgive him and search through my memory, still a little fuzzy from the knock-out. “Hmm… What happened to her? We finished middle school, she left to a different high school, and then… well, I’m not real sure.” Dan looks at me while I talk to myself and I don’t notice until it’s too late. I blush furiously. “Sorry, I talk to myself.”
He grins, “It’s fine. Whatever helps.”
I smile and then gasp as another memory pops up, “Oh yeah! She got some offer at an Auto-Mechanic university. She decided to go and… well I think she said she’d be traveling after that. I wonder where she is now.”
Dan gives me a lopsided grin, “Sounds like some friend. Do you want to ring her up, you know, after you feel better?”
I smile thoughtfully. “Yeah. I think I’ll do that.”
Conversation drifts from bananas to cars, and cars to balloons. How, I don’t know, but it sure is interesting. After a while, I realize something else. “Hey guys. You know something?”
They all turn to look at me. Shannon is seated at the end of the couch and Woody is in a chair, Dan sitting on the floor in front of me. Kyle and Will are standing.
“This is my first time getting knocked out,” I announce. “And my first time passing out was in… was it sixth grade? Maybe. And then later that year, again. It was all in the same class too!” [true story]
Dan shakes his head with a smile. “You’re too funny,” he murmurs.
Kyle begins to get impatient and Woody and Will agree to take him banana shopping—among other food items. Shannon stays behind with Dan to look after me. I groan, not liking the attention.
“It’s for your own good,” Shannon points out. “You’re just a weak little duckling.” I throw a confused glare at her and she grins and skips out.
I sigh and shake my head. “Hey!” I call out. “My head doesn’t hurt as bad!”
“Yay!” Dan celebrates, jumping over and planting a kiss on my forehead. “You want to get up?” I nod, happy to get moving, and he helps me up. I sway a little as I sit up on the side of the couch, gripping his hand for support. “You okay?”
“I’m good,” I assure him, determined to stand up. I stretch my feet out and rise slowly. Dan’s eyes bore holes into me the entire time and by the time I feel steady enough to stand on my own, I feel like there should be at least a coconut-sized gap in my side.
“Dan, you can stop staring at me, now.” He ducks his head, blushing a little. I laugh and squeeze his hand before letting go and hobbling into the kitchen. I stand in the doorway, realizing I have no real reason for walking here.
Dan walks up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. “You okay? Sorry again for the mishap. I should’ve stopped them.”
I pat his hands at my stomach. “Dan, it’s okay. It was hilarious, really. I just would have preferred being conscious.”
He kisses my cheek and guides me back to the living room. “What did you need?” he asks, releasing me. “I’ll get you whatever you want. Really. You need to rest,” he points to the chair. “Doctor’s orders.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I thought we didn’t go to the hospital.”
“We didn’t,” he grins. “But I’m the ‘doctor’ and I order you.”
I laugh and reach out to punch him in the arm, but he grabs my hand and pulls me in for a hug. I let out a breath as I hit his chest, grateful my headache is mostly gone. He leans his chin on my head and whispers, “Cross my heart.”
I practically melt.
I wrap my other arm around him and lean my head back a little, and up to look at him. Dan’s blue eyes glance down into mine before he leans in and kisses me.
It’s nothing big, just a light kiss, saying he’s here for me. And, of course, that he loves me. I smile against his lips and bring my other arm up to trace a heart and on the back of his neck. He shrinks a little and I laugh, pulling away.
“Ticklish, are we?” I tease. I don’t like being tickled, but successfully tickling somebody else… that’s a different story.
He puts his hands up in protest but I lunge at him and tickle his neck again. He throws his head back, crushing my fingers, laughing hard. I pull my hand out and tickle his sides. He leaps back and falls on the floor. I start laughing, too, as I fall on my knees and continue to tickle him. Through gasps, he reaches out and pokes my side. I jerk away, but that gives him the opportunity to flip over and start tickling me.
I yell out, “Shannon! Help!” but Dan covers my mouth with a grin.
“Nope! No escape this time!” he tells me, his hands still tickling my side.
After a minute, something changes and Dan’s fingers start stroking my side. It still tickles, but I can breathe again. I manage to sit up and grab his hands, pulling them away from me. I take in big breaths before telling him, “You are unbelievable.”
Dan smiles and looks proud of himself. I roll my eyes and he scoots over to sit next to me, our backs against the front of the couch. He glances over at me, “How’s your head?”
I reach up and feel around the back of my skull again. A bump is still there, but the pain isn’t as bad when I reach it. “Better.”
He nods thoughtfully, but obviously pleased I’m feeling better. I lean my head over on his shoulder. I remember loving the feel of someone on my shoulder a few years ago, back when I’d been dating. I hope Dan feels the same way.
Shifting, he reaches over and holds my hand in his.
“Thanks for forgiving me,” he whispers.
I smile. “Always.”