by Ruby Madden
“Is he your boyfriend?” A girl named Amy, with fiery red curls, asked her and they all listened with bated breath.
“N-No. He’s my friend.” Daylen said softly though she wished that he was her boyfriend.
Daylen watched as Chase walked over to the line next to hers. The older boys started shoving him around good-naturedly.
“Hey, Chase! Is that your new girlfriend?!” One of the boys shouted out.
“Shut up, dude. She’s just my neighbor. Like my little sister or something.” Chase pushed the boy that had asked in embarrassment. His face, beet red.
Daylen’s heart sunk at his words. Little did she know that that statement would set a precedent for their entire relationship.
Chapter 3
Chase and Miguel stood outside of the bus after school, while all the other kids piled on. He was waiting for Daylen, so she didn’t have to get on the bus alone and be bothered by Whitney and her crew. After a while, when all the kids were on and the bus driver was yelling at them to get on, Chase realized she wasn’t coming. He hoped that everything was okay. He didn’t know why, but he felt very protective of the younger girl.
The bus ride home was fairly uneventful. Other than Miguel starting a paper wad fight. Then being forced to sit at the front of the bus right behind the bus driver. At his stop, Chase hopped off the bus and prayed that his father was passed out drunk like he had been the day before.
When he reached his front door, Chase pushed it open quietly. He hoped that he could get past his dad and head straight upstairs to his room. Unfortunately, it was not his lucky day.
“Hey, kid! Go get your dad another beer, would ya?” Ben bellowed from the family room.
Chase sighed and walked into the kitchen. He found his mother there, leaning against the kitchen sink. She stared out the window with damp cheeks.
“Hi, mom,” Chase said softly. “You alright?”
Stephanie quickly wiped at her face with the back of her hands.
“I’m fine, Chase.” She plastered a fake smile on her face, that didn’t come close to reaching her eyes. The same amber and green-flecked eyes as his. “I didn’t realize you were home.”
“Yeah,” Chase said morosely.
He went to the fridge and opened the door.
“Your dad want another beer?” His mom asked.
“Yeah.”
“Alright. I’ll bring it to him. You just go upstairs and do your homework.” Stephanie offered as she took the cold can from his hands.
“Okay.”
And so it went, like most days. Chase didn’t say much, just responding with one-word answers. His mom pretended that she was okay. His dad drank till oblivion. A good day was when he didn’t shout. Today would not be one of those days.
Dinner came too soon and Chase made his way downstairs. He was starving, but dinner was always a tense affair. It could go either way. Either his father would scarf down his food and go back to the family room. Or he’d yell. Chase never knew which it would be and neither did his mother, so they’d sit rigidly in their chairs. While his oblivious father would slouch in his seat like a king on his throne.
Chase helped his mother set the table. Then he quietly sat at the dinner table, while his mother went to get his father. Ben stumbled into the kitchen, pulled out his chair and flopped down, waiting to be served. Stephanie placed a plate of pork chops, mashed potatoes, and peas in front of him.
Ben cut a piece of pork and started to chew. His face turned up in disgust and he threw down his fork and knife.
“What the fuck is this shit?!” Ben growled at his wife.
“Its pork chops like you wanted.” Stephanie’s voice quivered, seeing what was coming.
“I didn’t ask for this shit! If I wanted tasteless rubber, I would’ve went out to the car. Took the goddamn tires off of it and thrown it on the fucking grill!” Ben bellowed and both Chase and Stephanie shrunk back at his wrath.
“What do you want me to do, Ben?” Stephanie asked in frustration.
“I want you to cook my goddamn meals like I like them.” Ben stood up with his plate and threw it into the sink, shattering the plate and sending food flying everywhere.
“Then fucking cook them yourself, you ungrateful bastard!” Stephanie uncharacteristically shouted back.
“You fucking bitch!” Ben raised his hand to hit his wife.
“Leave her alone!” Chase dove in front of her and took the smack directly to the side of his face.
He fell to the floor and Stephanie crouched over him protectively as Ben raised his hand again. His eyes came back into focus as he looked down at his cowering family and he cursed in frustration.
“Fuck this shit! I’m going to the bar. I’d rather eat their slop than your terrible fucking food.” Ben growled.
He ripped his keys off of the hook on the wall and stormed out of the house. The only sounds left in the house were their broken sobs and the TV in the other room.
~~~
Daylen and her mother heard the racket coming from next door as they sat down to dinner. Daylen’s eyes widened with fear at the language and volume of a man’s voice coming from Chase’s house. She remembered what Chase had said earlier that morning. Yeah, my dad’s a jerk. She hoped that wasn’t him yelling. Her father may have been a lot of things, namely, never around. But he had never talked to her or her mother like that. Their fights had never reached the level of disrespect like she heard now.
“Daylen…eat your food. That’s none of our business.” Her mother said in warning.
Daylen didn’t agree. She so badly wanted to ask her mother to call for help. That the boy that lived next door had helped her when she was in need. But she didn’t want her mother to know that she was having problems in school. Pat Daniels would either march right down to the school demanding that the girls leave Daylen alone, which would make her look like a big cry baby. Or worse, she’d tell Daylen to fight back. Daylen was terrified to fight one girl, let alone her whole group.
Daylen decided to keep quiet and prayed the fighting would stop. She excused herself after dinner and went up to her bedroom to read one of her new Judy Blume books. It was a beautiful, end of summer evening. A cool breeze blew in from her open window into her room, ruffling her pink curtains. Daylen laid her book down on her lap, closed her eyes, and raised her face to feel the breeze blow over her. Next to cookies and the smell of flowers in the spring; soft, cool breezes were her favorite things.
The soothing air carried with it the sounds of someone crying. Daylen sat up straighter and turned her head to the right, listening closely. Again she heard sniffles coming from outside. Quickly, she placed her bookmark in the book to hold her page and laid the book down on her daybed. Daylen walked over to the window and lifted the screen. She peered out into the night, the sniffling came from the tree next to her window.
When she and her mother first moved into the house, Daylen had noticed that there was a makeshift treehouse in the tree in between her and Chase’s houses. She figured that’s where the crying was coming from.
“Chase?” Daylen called out softly, in the direction of the tree.
The crying suddenly stopped.
“Chase, are you out there?” She tried again.
“G-Go away, Daylen.” His trembling voice reached her.
Daylen looked at the tree limbs right outside her window. They were thick and sturdy, so she figured they should be able to hold her weight. She climbed onto the ledge of her window and gingerly placed one foot on a thick, twisting limb and pushed down to test it. It barely moved. Daylen set her other foot on the branch, reached for the one over her head, and stood up. Slowly, she went hand-over-hand, holding onto the limb above in a death grip and took slow steps towards the treehouse.
Once she reached the tiny house, Daylen tapped gently on one of the wooden slats. She could see Chase huddled in a corner, through a makeshift window. His knees were raised to his chest
and his forehead rested on top of them.
“Chase, are you okay?” Daylen asked, startling him.
“What are you doing here? That was dangerous, Daylen!” Chase whispered loudly. “You could’ve fallen or something.”
“I’m okay. It was easy.” Daylen said proudly. “So are you gonna let me in?”
“Go inside, Daylen. I don’t wanna talk.” Chase grumbled.
“That’s okay. You don’t have to. I can just sit with you.” Daylen offered.
“Fine. Come in.” Chase conceded.
Daylen stepped onto the branch in front of the burlap flap that posed as a door. She crouched down and crawled into the treehouse.
“Wow! Who made this treehouse?” Daylen asked in awe of the dilapidated hovel.
“Me and my friends,” Chase said around a couple of sniffles. “You weren’t on the bus home earlier.”
“I know. I had to stay longer and take the late bus because now I have orchestra.” Daylen rolled her eyes.
“Oh…” Chase responded.
“Are you sad?” She asked curiously. She tried to look at his face, but he just kept his head down.
“I thought you said you were just gonna sit with me?” Chase frowned at her.
“I know…but me and my mom heard yelling over here. I wanted her to call the police, but she said it was none of our business. I just wanted to see if you’re okay. You helped me, so I wanted to help you.” Daylen explained.
Slowly, Chase lifted his head off of his knees. Through the slats of the treehouse, the streetlights softly illuminated the inside. Daylen’s eyes were instantly drawn to the huge bruise forming from his cheek to his eye on the left side of his face. Her eyes widened, her mouth fell open, and her breath hitched. She had gotten spankings before, but never anything like that.
Tears glistened in Chase’s eyes. “My dad’s an asshole,” he said matter-of-factly. His weary eyes looked far older than ten.
Daylen nodded her head as if she understood. There was nothing in her innocent mind that could think of the proper thing to say in a situation like this. Instead, she slowly scooted over to sit next to him, shoulder to shoulder. She reached for his small hand that rested at his side and he clutched her even smaller one tightly. For lack of anything better to do, Daylen stretched up and kissed his temple, just above the bruise. She said without words that she was there for him.
At the simple sign of affection, Chase’s head fell back to his knees and let out everything pent up inside him. Daylen remained quiet as he held onto her hand for dear life and cried till there was nothing left.
That night, an impenetrable bond was made.
Growing Pains
Chapter 4
August 1995
“Why would you want to share your birthday party with an orchestra geek?” Daylen asked Chase. “Or even worse, an incoming metal-mouthed freshman orchestra geek?” Daylen corrected herself as she ran her tongue over her new braces. To be fair, she wasn’t a complete metal-mouth. She had chosen the clear braces with one metal wire going through the top and bottom. Even though they weren’t the obvious full metal braces, they still added another layer to her geekdom.
The very important discussion about their birthdays was currently being held in their treehouse/hiding spot. Where most of their important discussions were conducted, though they both knew that they were getting way too big to be up there. Daylen looked over at her best friend/secret crush, from her spot on the floor, her head lying on his calves.
“I mean, seriously?” She pushed further.
“Shut up, Day! You’re not a geek. You’re my best friend. We always celebrate our birthdays together.” Chase looked up from studying his high school football playbook.
“Yeah, quietly. My mom makes us a cake and we watch movies. And that’s only because you feel sorry for me. You could’ve had huge parties a long time ago, being the most popular boy in school and all. But nooo, you always decided to hang out with your reject best friend. You know they all hate me for it, right?” Daylen exclaimed dramatically.
“I want to hang out with you for our birthdays. And do you really think it would’ve ever been a good idea to have a birthday party at my house.” He gave her a doubtful look before continuing. “Besides, it’s not my fault that Miguel decided to throw us a party, so he can try to finally get laid. He knows I won’t celebrate without you, so the party is for both of us.” Chase shrugged.
“Don’t do me any favors.” Daylen rolled her eyes and sat up.
Since they had become best friends five years ago, they were almost inseparable. Except for when he left her to go to junior high and then high school. When they had realized that their birthdays were back to back, August fourth and fifth, they decided to celebrate them together. It was tradition and Chase had no plans of breaking it though Daylen would almost do anything to keep from going to a high school party. A place, she was sure, where she was most likely not wanted.
She slid back to the wall adjacent to him and leaned her back against it. They had reinforced all the walls a few summers ago. Not realizing they should’ve tried expanding instead. Chase was already getting way too tall to even sit in the treehouse anymore. His legs had gotten so long. The moment Daylen got comfortable, he immediately lifted, said long legs, and stretched them out on top of hers.
“Really? You’re such a brat!” Daylen scowled at him. Then she looked down at the offending limbs, weighing down her softer, shorter ones.
“You love me. Admit it.” Chase smirked at her.
“It’s debatable.” Daylen rolled her eyes, trying to mask her real feelings.
He said that kind of stuff all the time, and every time he did, her heart would flip flop in her chest. She did love him, but she knew his love for her was of the sisterly kind. She was the chubby tagalong friend.
Chase was going into his sophomore year of high school and he was already king of the campus. Last year, he’d started as second string JV quarterback. But after the first string quarterback got benched for bad behavior, Chase took over and rose to fame shortly after. This year, they were considering putting him on the varsity team. His natural talent on the field skyrocketed his popularity. His boyish good looks didn’t hurt either.
As each year passed, he became more and more gorgeous. He was sitting at about five foot ten now, and still had more room to grow. He worked out relentlessly and had developed a lean but defined body that was swoon-worthy. He said he was trying to bulk up for football though Daylen had a sneaking suspicion that it had more to do with his father. She knew that one day, he’d be bigger than his dad, and then there’d be hell to pay.
Chase still had ridiculously long eyelashes with blond tips. His beautiful brown eyes with flecks of green sparkled with mischief. His bottom lip truly looked biteable. That smile that he was directing at her now could even make a teacher falter. Recently, he’d let his sandy blond hair grow out long. The front hit around his cheekbones and the back was slightly longer. It laid against his neck and brushed the very tops of his shoulders. Daylen was always tempted to run her fingers through his beautiful locks.
Luckily, the only thing that saved him from being perfect was the fact that he was actually going through his awkward phase. Daylen thought that if that was awkward, she would gladly take his brand of awkward on a daily basis. The only real clue to his awkward phase was his voice cracked all the time. She tried her best not to giggle when it did or he’d pout. But it was the cutest thing ever.
“You’re gonna go, right? We can celebrate the end of summer with a bang.” Chase coaxed, his voice cracking slightly.
“Eh…” Daylen gave a noncommittal shrug.
“Come on, Pretty Day.” Chase prodded her, using the nickname he’d given her years ago, to butter her up. He always used it when she was feeling down about herself. “You know you wanna. Pretty, please? You know you wanna watch Miguel make a fool of himself.” Chase teased, getting up and crawling ove
r to her.
He flopped down next to her, side by side. He nudged her with his shoulder. He looked down at her with a grin. The grin. It was this boyish, charming sideways smile that melted hearts.
“You suck! Fine, I’ll go!” Daylen finally conceded.
“YES!” Chase punched his fist into the air and then leaned over to give her a kiss on the temple, making butterflies flutter in her stomach. “You won’t regret it, I swear!”
Daylen seriously doubted that.
“I need to call Amy and see if my mom or hers will take us to the mall to shop for an outfit.” Daylen thought out loud.
“Yes, please. We’re best friends and all, but I draw the line at shopping with a girl.” Chase feigned revulsion.
“Oh, shut up!” Daylen scowled as she pushed herself up to leave the treehouse. “I gotta go to cello practice. I’ll see ya later.”
“Bye, Day. I’ll see ya tonight when I get back from football practice.” Chase wiggled his fingers at her in a goofy wave.
“Gross! Please, shower first! Funky armpits are soooo not sexy.” Daylen pulled a face before climbing down the tree.
She heard his laughter following her as she went inside. Chase enjoyed putting her in a headlock, right under his smelly armpit when he came home from practice. Even though she’d take him any way she could get him, she preferred freshly showered. Yuck! Smelly boys, she thought.
Daylen walked into the kitchen and pulled the phone receiver off the wall. She spent a few seconds detangling the long stretched out cord. Daylen had been trying to convince her mother to get a cordless phone but to no avail. She quickly dialed the number of her second closest friend.
Amy, the tiny redhead was bubbly and outgoing. The complete opposite of Daylen, though she too played an instrument, the flute. So they had bonded over their uncool band and orchestra geek status.
