Chapter 14: Elsewhere

            Chance and Darren sat across from each other in the little restaurant across from the studio called Zlata Praha later that evening. It was a small Serbian restaurant with a casual atmosphere that Chance’s parents had loved ever since the studio opened across the street. Chance had only eaten there a couple of times, but knew the food was absolutely perfect. Since her was part Slavic, she enjoyed the meals.

            “Come on, you have to try this,” Chance told Darren when he refused to go to the restaurant. “You need to experience some of my culture for once.”

            They were now sitting at a small table in the back of the restaurant waiting for the waiter to take their order. Chance sat patiently trying to remember some of the language that her mother had taught her. She used to be fluent, but completely forgot everything now that there was no one to talk to.

            Darren stared at her, noticing that she was fiddling with her napkin as she thought.

            “What’s on your mind?” he asked.

            Chance looked up and gazed at him for a few moments before answering. “I’m trying to remember the language. I haven’t spoken it in a year and a half, and I think I forgot everything,” she said, looking down at her napkin again and folding it into triangles.

            “You look really nervous,” Darren replied.

            “I’m not nervous,” Chance retorted.

            “Then why are you so intent on making origami with your napkin?”

            Chance dropped her napkin onto the table and stared at it. It was folded into a neat little triangular package. “I am nervous,” she finally admitted.

            Darren took her hand and smiled. Chance looked up at him and became transfixed in his pale blue, almost gray eyes in the candlelight. A smile crept onto her face as a warm feeling made its way up her spine. All to suddenly, the urge to lean over and kiss Darren became overwhelming.

            Chance slowly made her way in his direction, her lips pouted and eyes closed. Darren was ready and waiting for her. They were a breath apart, their lips so close they almost touched, when the waiter arrived at their table. Chance quickly realized what she was doing and pulled away. Her heart raced with adrenaline as the rest of her body calmed down from the near-kiss experience.

            The waiter rattled off the names of several specialties the restaurant offered in Serbian, which Chance was intent on remembering as he quickly talked. She understood him for the most part and was able to respond when he asked if they would like drinks.

            “Di mi edna voda, y za nego, ne snam. Que mu prasham,” Chance relied in the strange language. She turned to Darren and asked, “What would you like to drink?”

            “Water,” he answered in an annoyed voice.

            The waiter rushed off with the drink orders as Chance turned back to Darren. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry about that. I just got so caught up in the moment that I couldn’t help it. I’m so sorry. I can’t believe that I did it to you again. Please, I won’t do that again, just don’t be pissed at me,” Chance begged. Her desperate eyes pleaded with his inner soul.

            Darren stared back at her straight-faced. He wasn’t sure if he should crack up laughing at her or to be angry at the way she had just nearly pulled his heart out of his chest. A smile shown on his face as her eyes became cloudy with tears. He began to laugh at the innocence of her face.

            “What’s so funny?” Chance asked, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

            “You look so cute with that face,” Darren said. He reached over and wiped another tear from her eyes.

            Chance smiled and pulled away from him. She knew that wrong signals had been flying from her all night, and she was determined to make things right. ‘I will not get close to him,’ she told herself.

            And nothing did happen the rest of that night. Chance and Darren had a pleasant Serbian dinner with all the trimmings. After paying and heading into the street, it was time to head back home. Chance stepped into her car and turned on the engine. The first thing she did was turn on the radio to find a good song,

            As she flipped through the stations, Chance found a slow and relaxing song on one of the lighter stations. “Calling all angels, calling all angels walk me through this one, don’t leave me alone. Calling all angels, calling all angels, we're tryin' and we're hopin' but we're not sure how...” it went. Chance instantly recognized it from one of the movies she had seen a while back ago, “Pay It Forward.” The song was called “Calling All Angels” and was sung by Jane Siberry.

            “I love this song,” Chance softly said to Darren as they began to drive onto the highway. He smiled back his approval and eased back into his chair, his capped head resting on the leather cushion. Darren closed his eyes and began to doze off as Chance drove down the deserted roads.

~~~~~~~~~~

            Thursday morning rolled around slowly. Chance woke up at her usual 6:00 AM with Brutus beside her. She gave him his breakfast and began to cook her own. It was nice to get back to her old habits again, especially breakfast. Her stomach growled for the delicious hash browned potatoes in the skillet right beside the bacon and ham. She set out a plate for herself and piled it with the food she had made.

            Just as Chance was about to sit down at the table and begin, Scott appeared at her back doorstep with a bouquet of white roses in his arms. Chance jumped when she saw him and quickly went to open the door.

            “Oh, Scott, you shouldn’t have,” she gushed.

            Scott handed her the roses and said, “It was nothing. I just wanted to.” He bent over and kissed her.

            Chance rushed back into the kitchen to find a vase for the roses. As she was looking through the cabinets, she replied, “You’re the sweetest guy in the world, you know that? I swear there’ll never be anyone like you, ever. I’m so glad you’re my boyfriend.”

            Scott came up from behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Well, you’re the sweetest girlfriend anyone could ever ask for, so we’re even.” He kissed her cheek as she pulled out a crystal vase from the bottom of the china cabinet. Chance poured water into the vase and stuck the roses in it.

            “Care to join me for breakfast?” Chance asked as she sat down at her set place on the table.

            “I’ll join you, but I’m not hungry,” Scott replied, sitting down beside her.

            “So, why are you here this morning, besides the fact that you bought my a dozen roses and wanted to deliver them to me?” she began the conversation while taking big bites out of her food.

            “I knew you were going to ask that,” he answered. “I have some inside information for you from Brad’s camp. Seems like they’re planning to attack you again. I haven’t heard the plan yet, but I know it’s going to be more precise than the last one. Brad’s still fuming from that. He’s determined to get his revenge for physics class and the getaway.”

            Chance stopped chewing her food. “Shit,” she said.

            “I know. I’m worried that I’m going to find out too late to warn you. I’m just hoping Brad gets a little dumber this time and actually needs more time to act out the plan,” Scott told her. He took her hand and kissed it.

            Chance stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. She began to wonder why she wasn’t getting the feeling that she had when Darren had taken her hand the night before.

            “I never want anything to happen to you ever again,” Scott finished, snapping Chance out of her daze. “I love you too much.”