Chapter
8: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Chance went to school that day in a good mood. She hadn’t seen Darren since breakfast and thought nothing of it. As she walked into physics that morning, she could see Brad glaring at her. She knew he was ready to retaliate, but Scott didn’t have the details of his plan. Brad never told anyone anything until an hour before it was to happen, Scott had told her. He also told her to expect something sudden and completely unoriginal. That’s the way all Brad’s plans of revenge were. He stole other people’s ideas so the blame wouldn’t be pinned on him.
Throughout physics, Scott was the only thing on Chance’s mind. She stared at him the entire period taking him as if he were a natural wonder. ‘I can’t believe I’m so in love with him,’ she thought, smiling. She began to write a note to him telling him to meet her near the girl’s bathroom on the second floor of the school during third period.
As the bell rang, Chance stood up and walked out of the room, “accidentally” bumping into Scott and handing him the note. He put it away in his pocket and hurried to get away from her.
One period later, Chance found herself standing outside the girl’s bathroom waiting for Scott to arrive. He snuck up behind her and put his hands around her waist. Chance turned and looked up at him. She peeked around his body to see that Brad was coming their way. ‘I guess Scott forgot to take into account that Brad would have walked this way,’ she thought to herself as she pulled him into the girl’s bathroom. Thankfully there was no one in there, or they would have been kicked out.
“So, what do you want to talk to me about?” Scott whispered.
“I know that you have study hall this period, so maybe we can spend it together,” Chance replied.
Scott smiled and replied, “I’d love to spend this time with you, but don’t you have a class to get to?”
“I don’t give a damn about class, remember?” she answered pushing him to the wall and kissing him. Scott returned the affection by entangling his fingers in her long black hair. He loved the feel of her sacred kisses on his lips. The fast pace of the secret relationship was more than enough to keep the blood in his body boiling every time he saw Chance.
Scott slowly made his way down her neck to her collarbone. Chance groaned in pleasure as she felt his lips on her bare skin. This was something she’d never forget. Being with him made her feel loved and cherished. She transformed from a lonely, sad little girl to a treasured, happy young woman. She knew he was The One.
Chance pulled away and looked at Scott with wide eyes. “I love you,” she blurted.
“I love you too,” Scott replied.
“Do you mean it?” she questioned, making sure he wasn’t leading her on.
Scott gazed deeply in her eyes and said, “Yes, I mean it. I love you, Chance.”
Chance’s lips reached for his again for a long slow beautiful kiss that she had only dreamed of. This was for real, and nothing could happen to them as long as they were together.
~~~~~~~~~~
When Chance came home that day, she found Darren sitting on the couch in the parlor staring out the window. He watched her come through the door then turned away. Chance walked over to him and sat down across from the couch on a small chair.
“I know you’re probably angry at me about ignoring you this morning after Scott came over. I wanted to apologize after he left, but you disappeared on me,” she said.
“Everything is my fault. I thought I had a chance with you, but after seeing you with Scott I realized that you two were meant to be. I just can’t believe how stupid I am for letting my heart go like I did,” Darren explained.
“I…” Chance tried to interrupt.
“Before you say anything, let me finish. I wanted someone to love, someone to protect, someone to be my friend. I’ve been so lost ever since Colby and I divorced that I completely forgot how to keep my feelings from getting the best of me. And last night when I fell asleep beside you, I was only thinking of myself that I completely forgot you loved someone else. I have a need to fill this empty void in my life, and I’ll do anything to get it filled, even if it means hurting someone in the process. Now that I look back at everything, I see that I was selfish, and now I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you. I’m sorry I did. Do you forgive me?”
Chance looked at him with calm eyes and said, “I forgive you.” She walked over to Darren and hugged him.
“Ouch!” he cried feeling the pressure on his left arm.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” she said. “Let me take a look at that again.”
The rest of the afternoon was spent watching TV and talking about the upcoming album that was in the works of being written. Chance knew she’d never be able to compete with Darren’s songwriting, but she had to give it a shot.
“Do you want to hear some of my music?” Chance asked. “I’ve wanted to show it to someone for the longest time, but nobody seems to want to hear it because they think it’s going to be really depressing.”
“I’m not in the position to assume, so bring it on,” Darren replied.
Chance ran upstairs to retrieve her guitar and sheet music that she had written in the last few months. As soon as she got back down, she took a seat across from Darren on the couch and said, “This is a little something that I wrote a few months ago. It’s entitled “Another Dream” and I was inspired to write it for my parents.”
Chance sat back and put the guitar on her leg. She strummed the first few chords of the melody and Darren was already interested in the song. “I lay upon my bed at night hoping to see your face,” she sang, closing her eyes and becoming completely engrossed in the song. “Somewhere in my dreams you take me away to someplace the sun never sets. A place my heart can rest. Then I wake up and remember you’re not there.
“Another dream, another day, another time far, far away. Another night, I see your face and wish I could feel your embrace,” went the chorus.
Darren watched the pain on Chance’s face when she sang the song. He knew she was as serious as he was when it came to music, or he wouldn’t have felt the pain that this song communicated. Tears began to fall from Chance’s closed eyes as she finished the song. Darren reached over to wipe them away as she opened her eyes again.
“That’s a really powerful song,” he said. “I want that on the album. It’s too good to be kept from everyone.”
“Really?” Chance asked, amazed that one of her songs was going to be on Darren’s album. She smiled at the thought. “You really want to put it on the album?”
“Yes. I love it. I even want you to sing it and I’ll take background vocals,” Darren replied.
“Actually, I was thinking about doing it as a duet, like Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey’s ‘Where You Are.’”
“That’s a really good song. Too bad it didn’t do so well.”
“Yeah. I love that song.”
“You got anything else?”
“Of course!” Chance was convinced that Darren loved her music and played every single song she had written. “I also play and sing stuff from other people,” Chance added once she was finished showcasing off her talent.
“Really? What can you play?” Darren asked.
“Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, you guys. Name it and I’ll try to play it,” she replied.
“Okay, lets see, how about Sarah McLachlan’s ‘Elsewhere?’” he challenged.
“That is one of my favorite songs. It’s totally easy.” Chance began to strum her guitar and sang the lyrics with a powerful passion that Darren could feel as he sat across from her.
“You have such talent,” he commented. “Why haven’t you tried for a record deal? You could have made it by now.”
“Well, I think I already told you that I didn’t want to because I had no representation. I didn’t think I could get anywhere,” Chance admitted. “But I guess holding off wasn’t such a bad idea. Look where I got. I’ve got a record deal with my favorite band in the entire world and I’m sitting in the living room with the person who helped me realize my dream. What more could I ask for?”
Darren laughed and said, “It’s great that I’m working with such a dedicated fan. I had no idea I was such an influence to you.”
“Believe it, baby!” she replied, giggling at what she had just said. She exploded into laughter after saying it to herself once more.
“You’re nuts!” Darren told her. “Absolutely nuts.”
Chance snorted and laughed even harder, almost falling to the floor. “I know!” she cried.
“So, what happened in school today?” Darren asked, chancing the subject.
Chance stopped laughing and became serious all to suddenly. She sat up on the couch and smiled. “I know I shouldn’t be telling you this because it might hurt, but I have to tell you. You’re my only friend. I found out Scott loves me,” she responded. “He really loves me as much as I love him.”
Darren wasn’t as crushed as he thought he’d be. “That’s wonderful,” he said, hugging Chance. “I’m happy for you two.”
“I’m happy too. I’m finally beginning to feel appreciated in this world,” Chance replied. “I think I can finally begin writing love songs now.”
“I suggest only writing one really sweet ballad, then do a few fast ones,” Darren advised.
“I know. The mushy stuff is sweet if you don’t get too much of it.”
“All too true.”
“You know what? We should write a song together,” Chance suggested.
“We should,” Darren replied. “Why not? You can play guitar and sing, while I can only sing. Sounds like the other band I’m in.”
“Yeah, it does, but we won’t have the same name. We could call ourselves Chance and Darren, like Evan and Jaron. That rhymes,” she said with a giggle.
“We’re beginning to sound like two drunk idiots with too much time on our hands,” he declared. “We have to get out of here and have some fun tonight.”
“Lets. But before we do anything fun, you’re going to tell Dan you’re sorry,” Chance affirmed.
“No, I’m never going to say sorry to that jerk,” Darren refused. “There’s no chance in hell.”
Chance grabbed the phone and dialed the number to the hotel. She told the guy at the desk the room number and waited for an answer.
“Hello?” Dan picked up the phone.
“Hey!” Chance said in a happy voice. “Wassup!”
Dan laughed, “Hey, Chance. How are you?”
“I’m good, and yourself?”
“I’m okay. My eye’s a little sore though.”
“So I heard. Well, I got someone here who wants to say he’s sorry.”
Darren quickly hopped off the couch, proving that he was going to be stubborn about this.
“He’s just being very difficult right now, so you gotta hold on,” Chance added as she put the phone down. She chased Darren around the room until she had him pinned back on the couch.
“I’m not doing it!” he exclaimed.
“You’re gonna do it or I’m gonna squeeze you’re balls like I did Brad,” Chance warned.
“Hand over the phone,” Darren said, knowing that she would do it if provoked. Chance reached for the phone and handed it to him. “I’m sorry,” he finally told Dan.
“It took you long enough,” Dan replied.
“I wouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t threatened,” Darren retorted. “No bad feelings?”
“None,” Dan answered.
“Here’s Chance again. Bye.” Darren handed the phone to Chance.
“What did you do to make him feel so threatened? I mean I know you’re demanding, but threatening? No way,” Dan said in disbelief.
“I just told him I’d squeeze his balls if he didn’t say sorry,” Chance replied nonchalantly.
“Wait, wouldn’t that be pleasurable?”
Chance laughed. “You’re disgusting! Besides, not the way I do it.”
“Oh, now I know what you mean. You’d paralyze him for life. I wish you had been with us from the beginning. You would have resolved so many conflicts,” Dan said.
“I probably could have,” Chance replied. “Hey, we’re going out tonight. Care to join us?”
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Just around town. We haven’t decided on a particular place yet. We just wanna get out of here and have some fun.”
“Yeah, I’ll come with you guys.”
“Great. I’m just gonna call one more person to see if he wants to come also, and I’ll give you a call back when I find out, okay?”
“Yeah, sure, but who are you calling?”
“My boyfriend, Scott. Bye.
“Scott?”
“I’ll give you the details later. Bye.” Chance hung up and quickly dialed Scott’s number.
“Hello?” his father answered.
“Hi, Mr. Holland. Is Scott there?”
“Oh, Chance! It’s so good to hear from you again. I’ll go get him,” Mr. Holland replied.
“Hey, Chance,” Scott answered seconds later.
“Hey, sweetie. I just called to ask you if you wanted to go out tonight with Savage Garden and me,” she said.
“Yeah, I’d love to,” he replied.
“Great. Meet me at my place as soon as you can.”
“Okay, I’m coming right now. Bye.”
“Bye.”
"Another Dream" ©2004 Dmmuzicfan@aol.com. All rights reserved.