Donnie

Author's note: for the continuity of the overall narrative, Donnie's story does not give the option to return to the other guests, but instead transitions directly into the house afterward. If you want to follow each of the individual guest's stories, save Donnie's for last.

"Well, if I'm taking part in this, I need another drink."

Donnie got up and went into the house. There were several types of seats around the fire. A two-person cushioned bench (Sandra and Eliza sat there), a sofa with room for three (Olivia sat at one end, Henry at the other), two soft single chairs (Isaiah and Joshua), and another sofa for three (Ben, and this is where Donnie had been).

Donnie returned to a silent group. "No one jumped in while I was gone? Guess it's my turn then." He smiled. "I think I have to go back to sophomore year."

"Whoa, we were kids!" said Ben.

"Yeah. Sophomore year. I didn't know you all then. I didn't start playing ball until junior year. But I loved the game. I went to most of the games. Well, most of the women's games."

Olivia smiled. Donnie noticed. Henry stood up and said, "I should get another drink, too. Anyone else?" Joshua raised his hand.

"I went to a lot of the women's games," Donnie continued. "They had this one player who was just fantastic. Great offensive mind, always alert, always energized. She was the reason I went."

"Joy-Anne," offered Isaiah, a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, Joy-Anne. Obviously Joy-Anne. Most obnoxious player in history, couldn't complete an offensive set if you cleared the court and lowered the net. Clearly she's the reason." Donnie laughed.

Eliza and Sandra looked at each other, then at Olivia. Actually, everyone was half glancing at Olivia. They knew who Donnie was talking about.

"Liv was like the most captivating athlete I'd ever seen." He turned to her. "You were so good, you know? Anyway, I went to a lot of the games. I was a huge fan. I remember one time, maybe my sixth or seventh game, I sat in the third row, and at the end of the game, you looked at me. I smiled, and waved a little. You smiled back -- but you know, I have no idea if you were looking at me, or someone else, or if you even remember this."

Olivia shook her head. "Sorry, sweetheart, but I don't think I have the same memory of that as you."

Donnie waved it off. "Aw, that's okay. We hadn't met yet. I'm sure it was a much bigger thing for me anyway." Henry returned, and delivered a drink to Joshua. He went and sat down with Ben. Donnie shifted to Olivia's couch, sitting at the far end.

"We actually met at the end of the season, though. I was such a stupid fan. I waited outside the arena with all the other fans. Everyone came out. It had been a tough loss, the last game, a close game. But losing meant you weren't in the tournament that year. Some of the girls on that team were just not nice."

"Cynthia," Joshua groaned.

"Amanda," added Isaiah. "Oh god, Amanda."

"Joy-Anne," said Sandra and Eliza together.

"But not sweet sophomore sensation Olivia," said Donnie. "I saw you come out of the arena, and I called out to you. You came over to me. I told you how much I admired your game, and that I had been a fan all season." He paused. "You probably thought I was crazy."

"No," said Olivia. "I thought you were sweet."

Donnie shook his head. "I went on, babbling like an idiot, recalling moments of your season that impressed me. I think I was trying to show off to you that I knew about the game, knew about you."

"It was a little intense, right after that last game." Olivia laughed a little. She had managed to scoot a little toward the center of the sofa.

Donnie went on. "I was just so young and stupid. I couldn't stop talking. Somehow in the middle of all of it, I mumbled something like 'we should hang out some time' --"

"You said that you wanted to buy me ice cream."

"I was that specific?"

Olivia nodded. "You actually said you wanted to buy me a cone of ice cream."

Donnie shook his head and closed his eyes. "Wow. More of a moron than I even remember."

Ben piped up. "Can't believe you asked Olivia out. After that loss. Dude, what were you thinking?"

Sandra giggled. "I have a vague recollection of seeing Olivia talking to someone as we left the arena. I didn't remember that it was you, Donnie."

Donnie glanced at the others. No one really seemed all that aware of the story. Olivia said, "well, you couldn't have been that much of a moron, Donnie. It worked."

Donnie smiled. "Yeah, I guess it did."

Olivia smiled and got a little closer to Donnie on the sofa. She touched his leg, lightly rubbing his thigh. Joshua noticed, as did Eliza.

Donnie took a breath. "We did go out for a 'cone of ice cream.'"

With that moment in the air, Olivia made a more specific shift on the sofa, and leaned on Donnie. She put one arm around his back, with the other still stroking his leg. She gently kicked off her shoes, and crossed her ankles. She glanced up at him. "Are you going to tell more of this story?"

Isaiah asked, "there's more of this story than a cone of ice cream?"

Donnie looked a little perplexed. "Do you all not know?" The others shook their heads and murmured. "Liv and I went out a handful of times at the end of sophomore year. Like, almost like a couple."

"I'd say we were a couple, Donnie."

"You think?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, Donnie. I mean, it was like four months, into the summer, I came to visit you at your summer beach gig."

The others began smiling and laughing. Ben said, "I had no idea!"

"Me neither," said Joshua. Sandra and Eliza whispered something to each other.

"Is that it then, Donnie? The origin story of you and me?"

Donnie looked at her, becoming more aware of her hand on his leg. "Unless I should go on."

Henry said, "oh, please, go on!" Eliza laughed.

Isaiah agreed. "Yeah, go on. If there's more."