Love and Letters: Dina & David's Story

I can't believe what I'm seeing right now. A couple on the street is sharing a passionate kiss under the rain. I look around, considering the possibility of a film crew somewhere. It's so movie-like that I can almost hear a cheesy soundtrack playing in the background. Followed by a roll of the credits as the couple's picture pans out, of course—a happily ever after and the biggest lie ever told. In real life, they get separated after a year, or maybe they wake up the next day and it's over, just like that. Nothing lasts forever, that’s what my parents taught me. I cringe as the make-out session gets intense. What the hell is wrong with these people? Looking for a distraction that doesn't make me want to gag, I head toward the 7/11 just across from me. The road is getting slippery from the weather so I struggle to keep my balance. The last thing I need is a sore butt from falling into the pavement. I have work to do, after all. I slow down a bit as I hear footsteps behind me, looking

With quick reflexes, Mr. Cool grabs my head just before it can hit the ground and push me into his chest. He then rolls gracefully into his back, keeping a tight hold on me for the whole while. I huff, struggling to breathe in his proximity. "Wh-what are you doing?"I stammer as I realize the position that I found myself in. "Get off of me!" I shout, turning around and pushing my weight off his chest. Without thinking, I put my arm against his neck. "Dina! Stop!" somebody shouts behind us and my senses wash back into me. I lean back a little, embarrassed, while David remains lying on the floor, wincing in pain. "Dave! Please, no. Dave. Don't die on me, bro. " David's friend wails as he crawls toward David. The hell? I scoot farther away from them, weirded out by the sudden dramatics. "Brad, please don't embarrass yourself," Kier says, surveying the scene with hands on his hips. I place his voice as the one who shouted for me to stop, and I probably owe him for that. Around us, peop

"Nice performance back there." David comments, opening the front door seat for me. I scowl at him. I still don't understand how someone can be so considerate and horrible at the same time. "You know what, I should smack you for that. You? My boyfriend?! Not in a million years." "You did just confirm it to your parents, though," he says, nodding towards the windows of Arnold's house, where my parents are looking. Ugh. I can't believe I have to go to school today with this bozo. Huffing, climb up the front seat like it's a protest. As I try to get myself comfortable, I make the mistake of glancing at David. "What?" I rasp. He's staring at me quite intensely. "Do I have something on my face?" "Nothing," he says, breaking into an annoying smile. "I'm just wondering how long you can keep this up." I give him my best villain smile in return, "Keep up with what? Your craziness?" He shrugs, "If you say so." "I'm crazier than you. You're not getting anything from me." "Huh. We'll s

I made a huge mistake. David and Kier are not together, and it's apparently a running joke in their circle of friends, they almost die laughing about it every time it comes up. Pricks. "Why are we in the cafeteria?" I ask Sebastian once the maniacal laughter has died down. After my deathmatch with David, he all but drags me to meet the infamous student council to determine my fate. The way he says it, I was half-expecting to be brought into a coliseum with a den full of lions underneath, ready to gobble me up once I'm proven guilty. Instead, I get brought to the cafeteria to 'sit down and behave'. Like a kid. He even gives me a juice box. "We're having a meeting about your crimes. This..." Sebastian says, opening his arms wide to gesture at his friends. " ...is the student council." I pause from sipping my juice, waiting for him to say he's kidding. I look over the cramped cafeteria table. Half of the people in this 'student council' are the ones who had harassed me ever since I fir

"Not going to happen," I tell Boi, my mother's younger brother. He's knocking loudly on my old bedroom door, and it's not helping my mood. After visiting Dad, I couldn't bring myself to face David, so I escaped from him and immediately headed to our old apartment, which Boi now occupies after Mom and I moved in with Arnold. "Dina. I swear to God I will break down this door. I need to change. That's not your room anymore, remember? " Boi says from the other side of the door, his voice faint. Sighing heavily, I slowly drag myself out of bed. I open the door an inch, peering at my uncle. "You look like hell," he observes. I ignore him and open the door wider, gesturing for him to come inside. I try to step out to give him space. But I am reminded of my dilemma again, so I end up flopping back down on the bed. "Dina Marie. I said I need to change." Boi looks down at me reproachfully. He has a towel wrapped around his lower body and another around his head. His dark skin glistens with