When Fallon Met Dane

This scene was originally going to be the prologue for the book. It was going to show how Fallon and Dane met and explain their friendship a bit before heading into the first chapter where they're bickering in Professor McKenzie's office. But I inevitably decided that showing their bickering and "hatred" towards one another would add a bit more to the mystery of who they used to be to one another. So this opening scene was scrapped and only alluded to a bit in the chapter flashback. Hope you all enjoy it! - Marguerite

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"I actually doing like this building much," February wrinkled her nose as the two girls walked down the hall towards Fallon's lecture room.

February had offered to walk with Fallon to find her first class together since she didn't have a class that first day until the afternoon and Fallon had been hesitant in knowing where she was going. How Fallon had gotten so lucky to have such a fabulous and confident roommate as February Vale, an aspiring artist and absolute fashion icon ... Fallon would forever be indebted to her.

In fact, the moment the two girls met, February had said, "Have you ever thought of bangs? I think they'd frame your face nicely."

February had cut Fallon's bangs for her that first night.

And now it was the first day of classes for their first year at Bembrooke University and Fallon was panicking. She didn't panic often; that wasn't entirely her thing ... but she wanted to do well in university and getting lost on your way to your first lecture was not on the top of her list.

"You do realize you're going to be super early, right?" February asked, flipping a few of her braids over her shoulder. They were a rich deep raspberry color that Fallon was obsessed with, and she fiddled with her shoulder length curls hesitantly in her own fidgety way.

"I just want to make sure I get a good seat!" Fallon commented before February threw open the door to the lecture hall to find it completely empty.

"Oh yes," February nodded, "I'm sure it'll be proper difficult to find a good one."

All joking aside, the two girls giggled as they hung by the door. It seemed only right to at least wait until the professor showed up before sitting down, and February didn't have anywhere else to be, so the two girls hung out.

Fallon had always wanted to live in London. She wasn't sure if she'd spend the rest of her life in the city, but it had truly been a dream of hers for many, many years. And being accepted into Bembrooke University in the heart of London set that dream to become a reality. She wasn't the biggest fan of the student housing (she and February had already talked about how excited they were to get their own flat) and the English Department was on the smaller side, but Fallon knew that she was going to have a full experience in her four years studying under Professor Edith McKenzie. She was head of the English Department and an adventurous and famous writer herself. So when Fallon saw her walking around the corner towards the lecture hall, she grasped February's arm and dragged her around the corner.

"What is wrong with you?" February hissed, "I thought you wanted to be here early and now we're leaving?"

"That's the professor," Fallon pointed at Professor McKenzie as she walked into the lecture hall, "I just don't want her to see me lingering."

"Well I'm seeing you," a deep, smooth voice said, causing the two girls to turn around. He was tall, with a full galaxy of constellations across his face and thick black glasses settled over his light green eyes. Curly chestnut hair looking perfect to run fingers through, and a smirking grin, Fallon felt her stomach in her throat.

"You're in the way, actually," he pointed out, causing Fallon to notice that her bag had pressed the water fountain's button and water was now flowing freely into the sink. Fallon gapped for a moment as February yanked her out of the way and the boy smiled again pleasantly.

"It's only the first day and you're hiding from your professors?" he asked after taking a sip. Fallon watched as he licked his wet lips and used the back of his hand to dry them, "Not a very good sign."

Fallon shrugged, "I just got here early."

The boy checked his watch and raised his eyebrows, "Quite, it would seem."

"You're here too," February pointed out.

"A good point," he nodded, "Well ..." he gave Fallon one last look before smiling, "Have a great first day."

Fallon and February watched as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder and walked down the hall. February scoffed, "What an arse."

"I don't know," Fallon shrugged, "He seemed pretty ..." Relaxed? Warm? Lighthearted? Fallon didn't know how to explain him, which was not a good sign for someone who wanted to be a writer.

"Other students are going in now," February pointed out, "You should really get going."

"Right," Fallon hugged February as the girls smiled at one another, "Thanks for coming with me."

"This building is shit."

"Thanks for coming anyway," Fallon laughed before she headed into the lecture hall.

Dr. McKenzie was setting up her presentation and there was a spattering of students already taking their seats. Sucking in her hesitance, Fallon walked towards the front and took a seat right in the front row. Dr. McKenzie looked up over the top of her glasses and Fallon caught a ghost of a smile.

"Bold," McKenzie noted.

"I'm used to always having to be in the front on account of how short I am," Fallon explained, "I figured it would be best to stop myself from a year of neck pains rather early."

Dr. McKenzie eyed Fallon again as Fallon started to take out all her supplies for class. The two women didn't talk again before class started, but Fallon noted that even though she'd expected to be nervous, she wasn't. Dr. McKenzie was feared by many students on campus (especially first years) and yet Fallon felt a sort of kinship with the woman she couldn't explain.

"Alright, let's settle down then!" Dr. McKenzie called, "As you all probably already know, I am Dr. Edith McKenzie and this is Creative Writing Level 1. And if you didn't know that, you're in the wrong place and I kindly suggest you get the hell out."

Nervous rumbles rustled through the lecture hall and Fallon smirked. She had this. She got this.

She couldn't help but appreciate her luck of sitting in the front row where no one else wanted to be. Because of that, the seat next to her was still empty and Fallon was just about to put her bag on the seat when the doors could be heard again. The entire class made a swishing sound as every student not-so subtly turned in their seat to see who dared to arrive to Dr. McKenzie's class late (by two minutes).

And there he was.

Just as tall, just as freckled, and with a sparkle in his green eyes, the boy from earlier walked boldly and casually down the aisle as he looked around for an empty seat. Dr. McKenzie had her arms crossed to seem stern but Fallon detected an affectionate smile on her face.

"A lovely start, Mr. O'Leary."

"After our meeting, Professor, I realized there were a few things I'd forgotten."

He stopped short when he noticed Fallon staring at him and chuckled a bit before falling into the seat next to her, "I do apologize for my tardiness," he told Dr. McKenzie, who shook her head and started back up with the lecture.

Fallon leaned in and tried to look as confident and smug as possible, "You're not one of those lazy students that are going to ask me for a pen, are you?"

The boy looked at her without so much as a twitch in his face as he reached into his rucksack and pulled out a bulging case of pens and pencils.

"I have six colors to coordinate my notes," he told Fallon, "Did you need to borrow something from me?"

Fallon's heart hummed.

After class it was just her luck that he followed her out. "So ... first year?"

"Oh did the nerves and hiding from the professor give it away?" Fallon asked, decided to just call herself out and be done with it.

"Just the excitement in the eyes," he said, poking at the spot between Fallon's eyebrows, "I'm Dane."

"Fallon," she shook his hand. It was warm and massive compared to hers, but she smiled despite herself.

"If you need anything, you let me know," he told her, "This is my second year and I'm the teaching assistant to Dr. McKenzie."

Fallon raised her eyebrows, "That's a pretty coveted position."

Dane shrugged, "I do my best."

"And I'll do better," Fallon challenged. "Maybe I'll TA for McKenzie next year."

Dane laughed, "I like you," he nudged Fallon's shoulder with his.

Dane was sort of intimidating in a way that Fallon felt she could never fully understand him or let her guard down. But he proved to very quickly be the most chill person Fallon had ever met. He was relaxed and open about his frustrations when it came to writing, was always there to help Fallon edit his work, and trusted Fallon to give constructive and supportive feedback on his work as well whenever he needed it. He seemed to have no shortage of friends already on campus and yet he was always asking Fallon if she wanted to hang out or do homework together.

Three weeks later they were inseparable and two months later Dane was lying in Fallon's bed staring at the ceiling.

Fallon had never experienced a friendship like this. She'd had dear friends in school prior to university, but she'd never had a friend where boundaries didn't matter. February was such a great roommate and friend, but they didn't tell each other absolutely everything. They had a mutual understanding and Fallon had even assisted February in doing her hair the other day. But when it came to Dane it was almost as if he was afraid to keep anything from her for risk of losing her. Fallon never hesitated in telling Dane what she was thinking, even if she was embarrassed about it herself, and Dane was the same. So the fact that he'd gotten off work and come over to Fallon and February's instead of his own place - kicking off his shoes and pulling off his jumper before flopping into Fallon's bed - that was the norm.

"Henley Parker asked me out today," Dane spoke up, causing Fallon to turn around in her chair at her desk with a gasp.

"She finally did?" her eyes lit up. A small amount of jealousy bundled it's way up Fallon's gut and into her chest, but she did her best to hide it.

Fallon and Dane told each other everything, but there was one secret Fallon would never tell him.

"Yeah it was so awkward," Dane groaned and dug the palms of his hands into his eyes with a whine, "She was so confident about it too and it makes me wonder if I did something to suggest I liked her."

"So you said no?" Fallon pouted, "I thought you did like her?"

"I appreciated her essay on the importance of foreshadowing in Gothic writing," Dane huffed, "That's hardly liking someone."

"But you said you liked my essay on religious symbolism in Gothic writing," Fallon pouted dramatically and stood up, flopping down on the bed next to him and poking him in the shoulder with her nose, "Does that mean you don't like me?"

Dane laughed and snaked his arms around Fallon's waist to pull her onto his chest. It was moments like these that had February screaming that Dane liked Fallon, but she refused to believe it. He was a touchy person - he had been since they'd met - and he took comfort in Fallon's touch. He'd said it before very plainly when they'd been at the cinema last week holding hands.

Dane buried his face into Fallon's shoulder and groaned, "I like you just fine," he mumbled as Fallon twirled her fingers through his curls, "But I'm not going to date you just because you're a fantastic writer."

"Pity," Fallon sighed dramatically, "My dowry is so small that I was hoping my writing would be enough."

Dane burst out laughing, which caused Fallon to laugh, and that's how February found the two of them when she arrived back from her class. They were cuddling together giggling in fits like children with their arms wrapped around one another and cheeks red.

"Did you two get high without me?" February asked bluntly.

"What?" Fallon gasped, "No!"

"You two are so gross," February wrinkled her nose.

"Let's go," Dane pulled Fallon from the bed, "If we don't get to that candle shop you like before it closes you'll cry all weekend about not having anything to burn and make me do all your edits on your Creative Writing paper."

"But you love editing my work," Fallon reminded him, "You said you could do it forever."

Dane scrunched up his face as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket, "I think I'd rather just buy you a candle."

Fallon shrugged and took his hand as he offered it, looking over her shoulder to February who was watching them curiously, "Want a candle?" she asked.

"Nah," February waved her hand at them, "You two enjoy your date."

Fallon couldn't help but notice that neither she nor Dane chose to correct February that it wasn't a date.