-Dani-
Present Time - Sep 2004
"Dani, it's time to get up!" Dad called from the hallway, and I reluctantly sat up in bed.
"I'm up!" I replied, hearing him make his way down the stairs. I grabbed my phone off the nightstand to see the time—6:30. Awesome. I'd only caught about four hours of sleep. I yawned and stretched my arms before finally getting out of bed. I ended up chatting with Laura on the phone for hours, and then I couldn't fall asleep because of the wind howling outside. And the house made creepy creaks that totally freaked me out.
I put on a robe and headed for the bathroom.
After a quick shower, brushing my hair, and applying mascara, I felt ready to tackle the day ahead. I wore blue flare jeans and a gray T-shirt under a black hoodie, hoping to blend in with the other students.
"Are you ready to roll?" Dad called out as I came down the stairs.
"What about breakfast?" I asked, and Dad grabbed his jacket.
"I still haven't hit the grocery store, so I figured we could grab a bite at Daisy's diner right by your school. A guy from the pizza place raved about their breakfast last night." I nodded and quickly laced up my sneakers. Dad called out for Colt, and we headed out to the car.
"Is Colt going to be with you on every shift? I don't want to be left alone in the house if you work late nights!" I said as I put on my seatbelt.
"You know Colt is a working dog and needs to use his head and nose daily," I sighed, "Yes, but the house is eerie. Didn't you hear the creeky noise it made last night?" Dad laughed it off, "It's just an old house, nothing to worry about."
I rolled my eyes but felt a little uneasy. The thought of sitting home alone night after night made me shiver. Dad was a workaholic, and even if he had promised me things would change this time, I knew he wouldn't be able to keep his promise for long.
Canmore, a small town with about 15,000 people, was undeniably stunning. Even I couldn't deny that. As we drove through, I couldn't help but sigh because it was so beautiful. The buildings, mainly in a cozy farmhouse style, featured warm wooden tones and strong pillars, all set against the backdrop of the wild mountains. The whole place felt like it could be a scene from a Western movie, rustic timber and log structures adding to the charm. Damn it! It really made it hard to hate it.
"We're here," Dad announced as he pulled the car over to the side of the road. We got out, and I followed him into the diner.
The place was small, but it had its own unique vibe. The warm wood tones and retro-style interior gave it a cozy feel.
"Welcome to Daisy's! I'm Franny, the owner and sometimes waitress, and I know just about everyone in this town, so you must be new here!" A friendly woman greeted us at the door. She had dark blonde hair in a bun and wore a white scarf, a light blue dress, and a white apron—she gave off that 1950s housewife vibe. But then she caught her breath before Dad could reply, "Peter? Is it really you?"
"Yes, it's so great to see you, Franny! This is my daughter, Danielle. We just moved back and arrived last night," Dad said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
"That's great news! Welcome back! Oh wow, a daughter! Danielle, you look just like your Dad!"
"It's just Dani, ma'am," I replied, and she smiled. "Okay, call me Franny then! Let's get you two a table," she chirped, and we followed her to a table by the window.
"Just let me know when you're ready to order breakfast, and wow, welcome home, Peter; it's really good to see you again." Franny walked off after pouring us coffee, and I took a sip while skimming through the menu.
"I'm getting scrambled eggs and bacon with toast. What about you, Dani?" I glared at him over the menu.
"Are we seriously just going to act like that wasn't weird? Who is she?" Dad put down his menu.
"That was Franny; we went to Canmore High together. She's the older sister of one of my old friends." I put my menu down, too.
"Okay, which friend? You haven't told me anything about your life here. I don't even know who I'm related to." Dad sighed, "I completely understand that we have a lot to talk over, and I'm willing to sit down tonight and answer any questions you have. Sound good?" I nodded, "Fine, I'll just have the same as you then," I said, and Dad signaled to Franny that we were ready to order.
We ate in silence, and I struggled to get most of it down. I was getting increasingly nervous about school while Dad browsed the newspaper without a care in the world.
"Can I get you anything else?" Franny said as she stopped by our table.
"I think we're full. The food was great," Dad said.
"That's lovely to hear. And if you don't mind me asking, Peter, did you come back because of your father's retirement?" Dad's smile faded a little. "Yes. I am taking over as the chief of police—this morning, actually." Franny looked a little surprised.
"Well then, it's an honor to have the new chief dining with us on his first day. Please, this is on the house!" Franny waved away Dad's hand as he tried to pay the bill.
"Thank you so much; that's very kind," Dad said, giving me a side-eye. I quickly thanked her as well.
"How old are you, Dani?" Franny asked as we were getting ready to leave.
"I'm sixteen," I replied, and Franny's face lit up.
"That's fantastic—my daughter, Donna, is also sixteen! Are you starting your junior year at Canmore High?" I nodded.
"That's great! So is she!" Franny turned to the back of the diner and called out, "Donna, come say hi!" Moments later, a girl came out from the back of the diner.
"Do you really have to yell, Mom?" she teased before making her way to our table.
"Donna, this is Dani! She just moved here with her Dad, Mr. Bergeron, our new chief at the police station."
"Nice to meet you both, and congrats on the new job," Donna said, smiling. "Dani's starting her junior year too, so I figured you two could walk to school together, and you could show her around," Franny suggested. I felt my face heat up—what was happening?
"Let me grab my bag, and then we can head out!" Donna said, strolling away.
"That's really nice of you, thanks!" Dad chimed in, and I just nodded, totally at a loss for words.
"Are you ready to go?" Donna said as she walked up to our table moments later. I nodded. "Sure, let me just get my backpack from the car," I replied and said goodbye to Dad.
"So, new town, new school; you must feel a bit nervous, huh?" Donna said after a minute of silence.
"Yeah, a little. I hoped I'd get a few days to settle in, but we just arrived last night," I answered.
"I totally get that," Donna replied.
"So, are you from around here?" I asked, and Donna let out a big sigh, throwing her hands up dramatically.
"I was born and raised here! My family has been around for generations! I'm probably gonna be stuck here forever and buried with my ancestors!" I couldn't help but smile a bit, "But seriously, Canmore isn't all that bad. Where did you move from?"
"Toronto," I replied, and she laughed a little. "Oh, so you're from a big city! Canmore's gonna seem kinda slow for you. There's not much to do, so we gotta get creative!" she said. I frowned a bit, "We?" I asked. Donna nodded, "Yeah, us teens!" She pointed to a big building ahead, "The teens of Canmore High, getting up to no good since the dawn of time!"
I couldn't help but laugh. Donna seemed like fun. Her dark blonde hair hung freely around her shoulders, and she wore light blue jeans, black sneakers, and a green top.
"Donna, finally!" a brown-haired guy called out from the bike rack.
"Jackson!" Donna yelled as she dashed over to hug him.
"Jackson, meet Dani! She just moved here from Toronto. Dani, this is one of my best friends, Jackson!"
"Wow, Toronto, huh? Canmore's probably a letdown for you," Jackson said as we strolled toward the entrance.
"We haven't even started class, and I'm already bored," a girl with red curls said, throwing her arm over Jackson's shoulders, making him and Donna laugh.
"Betty, say hi to Dani! It's her first day!" Donna called out, and Betty straightened up, giving me a nod. "Welcome to Canmore High, the biggest snooze-fest ever!" she said with a playful smirk.
"It's not that bad," Donna responded, and Betty rolled her eyes. But Donna ignored her and continued, "Every first day of a new semester, we gather in the auditorium for a long speech from the headmaster, and then they introduce the teachers and staff. After that, we get our schedules and all that fun stuff." Donna kept talking as we settled into the back row of the auditorium.
"Whoa. Is that Greyson Blackwood?" Betty whispered when the room fell quiet, and the headmaster took the stage.
"Where?" Donna and Jackson replied.
"Three o'clock," Betty nodded. "Omg! What happened to him this summer?" Donna mumbled, and I leaned in to see who they were talking about.