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"Timeless Love"
Legal Thing: Characters belong to someone else.
Props: Inspired by a challenge from Robert Nowall. Title taken from the song by Saraya.
A pounding on the door dragged Trent Lane out of a dreamless sleep. Clad only in stained boxers and a ragged t-shirt, he stumbled to the door. Trent hoped it wasn't another debt collector. He was too tired to pass himself off as Wind this ... morning? Afternoon? Did it even matter any more? Opening the door, Trent was shocked to see ...
"Daria?"
"Hi, Trent."
Her voice still had the trademark shyness Trent remembered from high school. Her hair looked the same too, although maybe a little bouncier than his still fuzzy brain could recall clearly. The clothes he vaguely remembered were gone though. This Daria was dressed in dark slacks and a nice green (green, that was the color she used to wear, right?) sweater.
Trent coughed to cover his awkwardness.
"Um, hi, Daria. Um, what are you doing here? Is Janie with you?"
Trent didn't think he wanted to see Jane right now. Their last conversation hadn't ended well and, to be painfully honest, nothing much had happened in his life to eliminate the source of their disagreements.
"No, Trent. I'm here by myself."
"Oh, OK."
He paused and coughed again.
"Um, why?"
Her blush intensified.
"I came to see you, Trent."
Trent looked at Daria questioningly.
"I have to tell you something."
Trent began to wonder if he was still asleep and this was really just some sort of strange dream he was having.
"It's something I've wanted to tell you since we first met, but I've always been too scared to. But now, I think I'm finally ready to tell you."
Daria took a deep breath.
"Trent, I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you since I first saw you, and I just know, deep down inside that we were meant to be together. I want to come live with you, Trent. I want to live with you and marry you."
She sighed deeply, as if a huge weight was taken off her shoulders. She's said it and there was no taking it back now.
Trent was stunned and didn't know what to say.
"I know this seems impulsive, Trent, but I'm sure its right. We were meant to be together."
Finally, he recovered enough to speak.
"But, Daria ... you're already married. To Robert, that guy you met in college."
Daria waved her hand dissmissively.
"Oh, I know, Trent, but he doesn't mean anything to me. Robert was nothing but a passing infatuation. He was just something to pass the time until I knew the time was right for us."
Trent felt his head start to spin.
"But ... you've been married for ten years. I was at your wedding."
Daria didn't appear to be listening.
"Now that I'm ready for you, we can be together like I always dreamed. I'll move in here with you, and support and encourage you and your band on your climb to the top while I write my Melody Powers stories. We'll live life by our own rules and the hell with what anyone else thinks."
Trent was now hoping that this really was just some sort of bad dream.
"Daria, the band broke up twelve years ago. The other guys all got real jobs. There's no music to support, and I can barely afford the life I live now, let alone a girlfriend."
It was true, Trent thought sadly. Jessie was head bartender at McGruddie's. Nick was now the afternoon DJ on Z-98. And Max was working full time at his uncle's garage and bike shop. Trent, meanwhile, was still living in his parent's house. They'd moved to Iran eight years ago and no longer thought to send money for utilities. Axel had taken pity on Trent and paid him $50 a week to sweep up the shop just so he'd have enough for food.
Daria was still going on.
"... and we'll have beautiful children, who have my brains and your good looks and talent. It'll be like a dream come true!"
Or a nightmare, Trent thought.
"But Daria, what about the kids you already have? Amy, and the twins, Jake and Jane?"
"Oh, who cares about them, Trent. All that really matters is our happiness together!"
Trent slumped down on the ratty sofa. He needed to call Janie. She'd know what had happened to make Daria act like this. She'd know what to do about it. Call Janie and everything will be OK.
Then Trent remembered he didn't have a phone.
"Crap."
Lalalala.