3. Dani
Noah. Fucking. Kaplan.
The last person I expected to see. And in a hospital out of all places.
My childhood rival.
The king of all assholes.
God, I can’t stand him.
I told myself I was done with him. I thought I’d never see or speak to him again.
Five years ago, my mom planned the day before my high school graduation. I didn’t know what she had up her sleeve. All I knew was that we were going to the Kaplan’s house, which I dreaded because there was a good chance I’d run into Noah. When Mom told me there’d be chocolate cake from Marina’s Diner, I couldn’t resist because I love that damn cake.
That all changed when Laura suggested we should have a final game night.
“I figured we’d have one last family game night. What do we think?”
Laura is sitting in between my mom and her husband, Ben, on the sofa in the living room inside the Kaplan family’s house.
Lizzie is sitting next to me on the chair bed.
Noah is sitting by himself on the plush chair across from Lizzie and I.
I’ve tried everything I could to avoid Noah since sophomore year, but somehow our parents thought it’d be a good idea to put us in a room together after everything that happened.
“Have you guys prepared your arguments for what game we’re going to play tonight?” Ben asks, looking at Noah and shifting his attention to me.
I shake my head. “Well, considering I had no idea we were even doing this, no I didn’t prepare my argument. In fact, I have no interest in taking part in any of this.”
“Dani Girl, will you please stay? For old time’s sake?” Laura pleads, her pupils dilating the longer she keeps staring at me. “This isn’t spontaneous. I planned this. Noah didn’t tell you?”
I grunt. “No, he didn’t.”
Lizzie’s breath is on the edge of my ear. “Don’t worry, I’m here if you need me as backup to whoop Noah’s ass.”
“I heard that,” Noah says.
“You were meant to, dickhead.” Lizzie flips him off, rolling her eyes.
My eyes lock with Noah’s.
There’s nobody who brings out my anger like he does, even more so now than before.
I can feel a fire starting in the pit of my stomach, desperately trying to escape and torching the shit out of him.
He gets up off the chair, standing in front of all of us.
Noah’s eyes land on me. “I did prepare my argument, but there’s no sense in me presenting since I don’t have anyone to compete against.” He licks his lips. “I mean you think a smart person like Dani would’ve figured out we’d have a final family game night before we go off to college. I guess she’s not as smart as you all thought she was.”
I’m staring at the wall and attempting my best to keep cool.
“Maybe that’s because she never was smart.” He pauses. “Maybe it’s all a bullshit persona she conjured up in her head.”
“That’s enough son,” Ben says.
It was hard enough to be in the same room before, but it’s more intense now. My feelings towards him have intensified. My feelings of hatred and irritation, to be specific.
“That’s funny.” I pause. “Tell me something, Kaplan. Do you get off on being a prick or does it just come naturally to you?” I tell him all this without making contact until I say the last few words.
He marches over to me. “Get up.”
“Fuck you,” I say.
“You want to make a scene in front of our families? Or are you going to listen to me like the good girl I know you can be?”
I blink my eyes repeatedly. “What did you just say to me?”
“Don’t act dumb. I know you heard me.”
Lizzie shakes her head, rubbing her eyes with her index and middle fingers.
“Alright, everybody, let’s calm down,” Ben says.
Getting up off the chair bed, I stand in front of Noah. “You’re not the boss of me.”
“Are you sure about that?” He challenges, inching closer to me so there’s a sliver of a gap between us.
“Oh, I’m positive,” I say.
“Fine,” he says. “You wanna air all our shit out? Then, let’s do it. Right here. Right now.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Lizzie says.
Laura turns to her. “It’s not, but we’re going to just go with it because they’re not going to listen to us.”
I place my hand on my hip. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“I think you’re asking the wrong person that question.”
“Why didn’t you tell me tonight was our last family game night?”
He raises an eyebrow. “Uh, was I supposed to?”
My eyes widen. “Did you not hear when your mom said you were supposed to tell me?”
He clears his throat. “I must’ve blacked out.”
“You could’ve told Lizzie.” Then, it hits me. “Oh, you did this shit on purpose.”
“Why would you ever think I’d be capable of doing something like that?” He smacks his lips together.
I back away from him, pacing in a small circle with my hands on the temples of my forehead. “You’re unbelievable.” I point a finger at him.
“Don’t tell me something I already know.” He winks, giving me a wicked smile.
“It’s not a compliment, dumbass.” My chest heaves. “God, I’m so tired of this.”
“Tired of what?”
“This!” I point to myself, then at him. “I swore to myself I’d never talk to you again after what you did. I was at peace and you had to fuck it all up, didn’t you? Didn’t you?” I take a moment to catch my breath. “I’m done with this. And I’m done with you.”
He narrows his eyes, scoffing. “You’re done with me?”
“After tonight, I never want to see you again. I never want to speak to you again. I just want to move on. Please, let me move on. Please,” I beg.
Tears are cascading down my cheeks as I swallow a lump down my throat.
“Then, go. Leave. I don’t give a shit what you do, Dani.”
“I hate you!” I shout, straining my voice in the process.
I sprint out of the house before he can say anything else to me, stopping outside to collect myself.
I don’t look back.
I’ve never felt so free, and I can finally move on.
For five years, I’ve been able to live my life without the constant need to prove myself to a man I despise.
Five fucking years.
And now, here we are.
Noah’s sitting in a chair in front of me with a dumb smirk plastered all over his face.
I stand in front of him, feeling the temperature of my body increasing within seconds.
I want to punch him in the face so badly.
He tilts his head slightly, folding his arms in front of his chest. “Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer.”
“Usually when a person takes a picture, it’s something they want to remember. I don’t need to remember how much of an asshole you are.”
“And I don’t need to remember how much of a bitch you are.”
I roll my eyes, sticking my middle finger up at him. “Fuck you.”
“I don’t think that would be appropriate. We are in a hospital.”
“It’s a figure of speech.”
“To you, maybe. But, it’s not to me.”
Our moms decided to hang out at the end of the hallway. All so Noah and I can hash out the last five years of pent-up anger in peace. I mean if you want to call what we’re doing peaceful.
A small smile appears on my face. “Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m here?”
“You know, I was…” He pauses for a brief moment. “Then, I realized I don’t give a shit.”
“That’s fine, just know I’m not leaving.”
His eyes work up my body, starting at my legs and landing back on my face.
What is he doing? He needs to cut that shit out.
I raise an eyebrow. “What the hell are you doing?”
“There’s been something that’s been bothering me for years.”
“And what’s that?”
“How can you look like this when you’re made of stone on the inside?”
“Funny, I could ask you the same thing.” I grin, blinking my eyes and staring at him afterward.
He sits there, not moving a muscle and allowing the awkward air to rapidly surround us. He notices I’m staring at him. “What the hell are you looking at?” He crosses his arms in front of his chest.
“You kinda froze there. Oh my God, are you malfunctioning?” Sarcasm is present in my voice.
“No, I’m not malfunctioning. I’m not a toy. I’m a human being,” he says with a straight face.
I laugh. “Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.” I breathe out through my nose. “God, why are you like this?”
“Like what?” He presses his lips together, studying my face.
“It’s like you have your humanity turned off. Your mom is showing enough emotions for ten people. Guys can show their emotions too. It’s okay, you won’t look weak.” My chest rises and falls.
“Just because I’m not showing how I feel physically doesn’t mean I’m not losing it mentally. I need to be strong for my family. Don’t assume things you don’t know.”
“Why? You did it to me all the time. What makes this any different?”
“I’ve changed. I’ve grown up. I can’t say the same about you.”
I point at him. “See. You just made an assumption about me. You don’t even realize you do it.”
“Neither do you.”
“Oh, shut up.” I scrunch my face.
Noah rocks from side to side in his chair, gripping the side of it with his hands to balance himself. He places one hand over his chest as his eyes roam around.
I lower my eyebrows to express my confusion. “You are malfunctioning!”
“Fuck off,” he says with a straight face.
“Someone took their cranky pills this morning.”
He’s not looking me in the eyes, but he’s not avoiding me. “If you’re just going to be a p-pain in the ass, leave. You’re not h-helping.”
His lips are twitching.
His hands are shaking.
His chest is rapidly heaving.
“Sit down,” I say.
“I am sitting down!” He grunts, staring at me intensely. “Dani.” His tone is stern rather than upset.
I pull up a chair, moving it in front of him. “You’re having a panic attack, aren’t you?”
“No, of course not.” He pauses for dramatic effect. “Yes, I’m having a fucking panic attack.”
Here I am, letting my guard down to help a guy I’ve hated since I was a kid.
I know what it feels like when you have nothing but the worst thoughts cycling inside your mind and when it feels like they don’t want to go away. It’s the only excusable reason.
“Look at me,” I demand.
He ignores me, staring at the floor.
“Noah, will you look at me?” I roll my eyes, shaking my head. “I’m trying to help you.”
He picks his head up and his eyes lock on mine. “I don’t need your help,” he bites out, his breath staggering.
“I’m going to need you to do some basic breathing exercises. Can you do that?”
He nods and closes his eyes, raising his chest and letting it fall.
When his chest heaving slows down, he opens his eyes and examines his surroundings. “What the hell just happened?”
“It’s a technique I learned from my therapist. She taught me that breathing helps get you out of the depths of your mind.” I clear my throat. “I have anxiety. I get panic attacks, too. I bet you don’t remember because you were always so busy in Noahland.”
“Noahland, huh?”
“You were always wrapped up in your own world. You didn’t give a shit about anything, or anyone, outside of it.”
“And there you are making assumptions again.”
“I’m not making an assumption. It’s a fact.”
“You just stated an opinion which is much different than stating a fact since facts are usually backed up by evidence.”
“Okay, we’re not in science class, dumbass.” I burst out into laughter.
He narrows his eyes. “What the hell is so damn funny?”
“You know, you could thank me. I could’ve let you have a full-on panic attack in front of everybody here.”
He chuckles, licking his lips. “I mean you kinda did.”
A small smile tugs on the corners of my lips as I lean back on the chair. “Whatever.”
“Not that you probably care, but I do remember you have anxiety. I may have been an oblivious asshole, but I did pay attention to some things outside of my time in Noahland. Just putting that shit out there.”
If he’s known I’ve had anxiety all this time, why would he keep that to himself? God, why am I wasting my time on this? Why am I wasting my time on him? This is ridiculous. No, he’s being ridiculous.
“You’re still an asshole,” I fire back.
“And you’re still a bitch,” he says.
“This is exactly why I didn’t want to come here.”
I get up, rubbing my eyes and leaning my head back.
“And what reason is that?”
“I knew I’d have to deal with you.”
He gets up off his chair, walking closer to me. “Dani Solomon never backs down from a challenge, though, right?” He stands taller. “She never admits defeat.”
“Don’t put words into my mouth. And don’t talk about me in the third person.”
He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, like I’ll listen to you.”
“I expect nothing less.”