8. Daniel
Chapter eight
Daniel
Fortnight
M y mind is a whirlwind, thoughts swirling and colliding as I try to make sense of the chaos. Images of Becca sleeping in the car flood my mind, intermingling with flashbacks of Cat’s hand around my sister’s throat, blood dripping from her lifeless body. The pain and heartbreak that constantly surrounds me threatens to consume me whole.
In an attempt to find some solace, I reach for a blunt, not caring that I am sitting in the kitchen. Anything to calm my racing thoughts and bring me back down to reality before I spiral down into that dark abyss.
As the smoke fills my lungs, I feel a familiar numbness spread throughout my body. It helps to ground me, but those haunting thoughts still linger in the back of my mind. Those damn demons are always lurking, waiting for their chance to drag me back into the darkness.
The echo of heavy footsteps reverberates through the quiet hall as my dad comes walking in, a beer clutched in his hand. His face is etched with concern as he asks, “You okay?”
I shake my head, unable to find the words to express the turmoil inside me.
“Wanna talk about it?” My dad’s voice is gentle, the offer of support evident in every word.
I shake my head again and hop down from the kitchen counter where I had been sitting.
My dad lets out a sigh as he leans against the counter, taking a sip of his beer. “Danny, I’m always here to talk. No judgment or anything. I know losing your sister-“
“Jesus fuck!” I interrupt him, the frustration and pain bubbling over. “Not everything is about Daisy! Daisy this and Daisy that. And it’s never even good shit!”
I start pacing around the kitchen, my dad patiently watching me, his own beer still in hand. “It’s always negative. Daisy fucking killed herself. She brought problem after problem into our family and now she’s gone. Can we all just fucking move on and stop making every single little fucking thing about her?!”
My dad calmly walks to the fridge and grabs another beer before handing it to me. “Sounds like you need one.”
A small half-smile tugs at the corners of my mouth as I take the beer from his outstretched hand and pop it open. Standing across from each other, there’s a tense silence for a few minutes before I finally let it all out.
“There’s this girl at school,” I say, shifting on the couch as my dad settles in next to me.
“Is she pretty?” he asks with a knowing smile.
I can’t help but chuckle, already anticipating his reaction. “Yeah. Yeah, she is. Becca is... wild. She’s got this fire in her eyes that makes you want to get closer and see what she’s made of. But then there are moments where she’s so cold, like ice running through her veins. And yet, I’ve seen her be the warmest person to others. It’s like she has all these different sides to her. One minute she’s smiling and laughing with me, the next she hates my guts.”
“What’s her last name?” my dad asks, taking a sip of his beer.
“Carney,” I answer, watching him closely for any reaction.
He nods thoughtfully. “Her dad, Theo, is a nice guy. Her mom, Hartley... well, she’s-”
“She’s a cunt, dad,” I interject, not mincing words. “Kicked Becca out of the house.”
My dad lets out a dramatic breath. “Wow. Does her father know about all of this?”
“No,” I reply firmly. “She’s hiding it from everyone, and I don’t know why. All I know is that she hates her mother, and she’s living in her car at the truck stop down the highway.”
“Well, that’s quite the predicament,” my dad remarks, shaking his head.
I take another sip of beer as I contemplate Becca’s situation. “I know. She wants me to keep it a secret until we graduate. But schools don’t start until August, September at the latest. She can’t live like that for months.”
My dad studies me carefully from across the kitchen table. “Do you like Becca? I mean, she comes from a good family.”
“Minus her mother,” I add in a bitter tone. “But no, I don’t like her in that way. I care about her well-being because I have a heart and would do the same for anyone.”
My dad raises an eyebrow. “Would you really care this much, though?”
I sigh and take another sip of my beer. “Dad, I’m just trying to be a decent human being. She’s going through a tough time and has nowhere else to turn.”
“Okay, okay,” he concedes with a chuckle. “So her mom just up and left? Where’s her dad in all of this?”
“I’m not sure,” I admit, feeling a twinge of guilt for not knowing more about Becca’s situation. “All I know is that her mom kicked her out and sold the house without telling anyone. And Becca doesn’t want her dad to know because she’s afraid of what he might say or do. So she sleeps in her car at night.”
My mom pops out from around the corner. Her face is lit up with a wide grin. “We can help!”
“Mom…”
But she continues on, her enthusiasm only growing. “I can help her. Oh my gosh, this is perfect. Your sister needs to get back to work and can’t be here with me all the time. It would be like having another daughter!”
My dad shakes his head and walks over to her, a look of concern on his face. “Louise...” he says in a warning tone.
But my mom is unstoppable now. “No, no, no! This is great. Becca can be like my project! I need a new model and-“
“Mom! No.” I cut her off, feeling frustration building inside me. “Drop it, okay? Pretend you never eavesdropped on this conversation and don’t bring up Becca again.”
She shakes her head stubbornly. “Danny, sweetheart...”
“No!” I explode, unable to contain my anger any longer. “You don’t understand. When will you ever stop and listen to us? Seriously? You steamroll over me and Del!”
My mom gasps, hurt evident in her eyes while my dad sighs and steps between us. He speaks calmly but firmly to me. “Danny, there is no excuse for speaking to your mother like that. Louise, this was a private conversation that you were not privy to.”
Tears begin to well up in her eyes and I feel guilty for exploding at her once again.
And just like that, we’ve broken through the thin layer of eggshells we constantly tiptoe around in this house.
“This is why I fucking hate it here,” I mutter before storming off to my room, slamming the door shut behind me. It’s a familiar scene; we can’t say anything remotely critical to my mom without her tearing up and locking herself in her room for days.
A few minutes later, there’s a knock at my door and my sister Delilah enters. She looks concerned as she asks, “What was that about?”
I bury my face in my pillow before sitting up and groaning. “You know... can’t say fucking boo to mom without her crying.”
Delilah sits down on the bed next to me, her brow furrowed. “Yeah, but what upset her this time?”
“I told her to forget about a conversation dad and I were having,” I explain with frustration.
She raises an eyebrow. “Go on.”
Sighing, I continue, “Becca is homeless and living in her car. Dad and I were talking about it and now mom wants to get involved. She even suggested that Becca could be like her project. But she’s not some charity case or distraction from thinking about her dead daughter. She’s a person, Del.”
My sister lets out a low whistle and joins me on the bed. “Damn...”
“Yup,”
“Well, it seems like it’s happening whether you want it to or not at this point,” Delilah says with a sympathetic look. “Once mom gets an idea in her head, she doesn’t let it go. Especially these days.”
I retrieve my phone from my pocket, unlocking the screen and scrolling through my social media feed. I pause on a photo of Becca, taken in front of our school just as the sun is rising, bathing her in a stunning orange glow.
God, she’s breathtakingly beautiful. Just looking at her makes my heart race.
“Danny? Earth to Danny?” Del’s voice pulls me back to reality.
“Uh, yeah. Sorry,” I reply, feeling heat creeping into my cheeks.
Del laughs knowingly. “So you definitely don’t have the hots for Becca?”
My face flushes even more. “No! Jesus, even Dad asked me that.”
“I mean... it’s pretty obvious,” she continues with a smirk.
I quickly lock my phone screen and glare up at her. “You can leave now.”
Del chuckles and heads for the door. “Better take one last look at that gorgeous girl smiling, because we all know by tomorrow she won’t be.”
I groan and throw my head back against the wall. She’s right.
Becca is going to be livid. Not just mad, but absolutely furious. And I deserve every ounce of pain she’s going to inflict upon me.
S itting in my car, I can feel the weight of fear and dread settle like a stone in my stomach as I stare at the looming front doors of the school. I know Becca will be waiting for me, ready to unleash her wrath on me. As I take deep breaths and try to prepare myself, I silently pray that my mom kept quiet about last night’s incident, but my hope quickly fades as I remember her past behavior. Glancing around the parking lot, I scan anxiously for Becca’s car, hoping that she’s not here yet.
Gripping my backpack tightly, I make my way towards the school building, trying to avoid any potential confrontation. But before I can even reach my locker, a powerful force slams into my back and sends me crashing into the lockers. Staggering to turn around, I am met with Becca’s raging fist connecting with my face. The sickening sound of bones cracking and the warmth of blood gushing down my face only fuel Becca’s frenzy as she continues to attack me mercilessly.
“What the fuck! You’re a fucking psycho!”
“I’ll show you fucking psycho, Danny!”
Her hands wrap around my throat, her nails digging into my skin as she tries to choke me. Kaiden and Cat come running over, their footsteps thudding against the ground. They manage to pry her off of me and drag her into an empty classroom.
Kaiden’s grip is tight on Becca’s arms as she struggles against him, her body shaking with anger. Cat quickly hands me some paper towels before shutting the door behind us.
Kaiden looks between us, his eyes wide in shock. “What the fuck is going on? It’s not even eight in the goddamn morning.”
Becca glares at me before charging forward, her fist connecting with my chin. Kaiden grabs her again and stands between us.
“Becca. Enough. What the fuck is going on between you two?” His voice is firm and commanding.
Cat nods and steps closer to Becca. “What did Danny do?”
“Me?! Who says this has anything to do with me?” I protest, my hand pressed against my throbbing jaw.
Cat rolls her eyes. “Come on, Danny. Don’t try to fool us here.”
I let out a sigh as Becca wipes away a single tear. “I didn’t do shit.”
Becca spits towards me in disgust. “ Piz’dets ka’tyonku. ” She turns to Cat, her eyes dark and full of rage. “He told my secret. My secret that wasn’t his to tell!”
“I…” I start, but am quickly cut off by Becca’s sharp tone.
“Exactly. You did. I told you not to fucking tell and you couldn’t even last twenty-four hours!” Her voice cracks with emotion.
I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. “Becca… it’s not like that.”
“Well, it is now! And now I’m being bombarded by my father. My mother won’t stop fucking calling and screaming at me, and now I have no choice. No choice in what I do or stay! All because you have a big fucking mouth!” Her words are laced with anger and pain, her fists clenched by her sides.
Cat instinctively puts her hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Okay. We can work this out. What secret did Becca tell you? Talk to me, Becca. Maybe I can help with something?” Her voice is calm and level, but there is a tinge of concern in her eyes as she looks at Becca.
Becca’s glare intensifies, her body tensing up like a coiled spring. All emotions seem to disappear from her eyes and body, leaving behind an icy coldness that sends shivers down my spine. But Cat remains unfazed. The ice princess has no qualms about taking on the queen of black hearts.
Kaiden breaks the tense moment by whistling lowly. “Okay... so Danny. Wanna talk over here?” He guides me away from the girls who have now sat down and are whispering to each other.
He taps me lightly on the back. “You good man?”
“Yeah,” I reply, rubbing my nose gingerly. “Not my first broken nose. It’s good now.”
He shakes his head in disbelief. “So what’s going on? What fucking secret is she talking about?” His tone is laced with frustration and confusion.
Becca rises to her feet with a sharp rustle of fabric, Cat following close behind. Kaiden stands in front of me, Cat with a smirk playing on her lips as Becca cackles.
“I’m not going to hit him again. Is poor little Danny scared of me?” she taunts, her voice dripping with venom.
Cat suppresses a laugh, her expression turning serious. “Danny, what you did was not okay.” She turns to Becca, her tone gentle yet firm. “But we can’t go around clocking people in the face. Especially on school grounds. You have too much at stake.”
Kaiden crosses his arms over his chest, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Can somebody please tell me what’s going on?”
I let out a heavy sigh and meet Becca’s sneering gaze. “Becca is homeless,” I confess, my voice filled with guilt. “I found out by stalking her... and then accidentally let it slip to my mom.”
Becca points an accusatory finger at me. “But you were telling someone! And now I’m stuck living in your goddamn house.”
“What? No, that’s not what I wanted,” I protest, feeling a knot form in my stomach.
She shrugs nonchalantly. “Well, neither of us are happy about it now. You can thank yourself for that one. Maybe next time you’ll learn to keep your fucking mouth shut.”
Cat places a comforting hand on Becca’s arm. “I’m really sorry. That sucks.” Her eyes soften with understanding.
“Yeah,” Becca mutters bitterly.
Kaiden steps forward, his expression concerned. “What exactly happened?”
Becca lets out a weary sigh. “Danny will just tell you anyway... my mom kicked me out and sold the house. She’s always hated me.”
Cat purses her lips in sympathy. “Oh, you’ve got one of those too? Trust me, it’s best to just get away from her.”
The shrill sound of the bell interrupts our conversation and Becca grabs her bag, heading towards the door without another word. I watch her go, feeling like a complete idiot. Kaiden turns to me, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“Well...” he starts, unsure of what to say.
“I fucked up,” I admit, my shoulders slumping in defeat.
Cat nods in agreement. “Yeah, yeah you did.”
I let out a heavy sigh and sink into the chair. The weight of my mistakes hangs heavy on my shoulders as I replay the conversation with my dad in my mind. Little did I know that my mom was within earshot, ready to pounce on me for venting about her.
Kaiden shrugs nonchalantly. “Don’t beat yourself up, man. You didn’t know she was there.”
Cat’s eyes narrow as she pipes up. “Actually, it kind of is Danny’s fault.”
Kaiden groans. “Come on, Kitty cat...”
“No.” Her voice holds a hint of anger and frustration. “You guys need to start taking responsibility for your actions. Sure, you’ve come a long way, babe. And so has Xander, but turning a blind eye to your friends’ mistakes is not okay. It makes you just as bad, Kaiden.”
Standing up, I face them both, knowing that Cat is right. “She’s right, Kaiden. I messed up. I messed up with my sister, with how I treated Cat, and with what I just did to Becca.”
Kaiden gives me an encouraging pat on the back. “You’re good bro, I promise.”
“Are you going to apologize to Becca?” Cat asks pointedly.
I glance at her before answering. “I’ll try. She’s just so cold towards me...”
Kaiden laughs lightly. “Well, look who raised her. Can’t say I’m surprised.”
Cat raises an eyebrow in curiosity. “Is her mom really that bad?”
I shake my head and plop back down in the chair. “Her mom is shitty, but never really raised her. It was her au pair.”
“Yeah,” Kaiden chimes in with a nod. “Back then, it was all the rage for our community to have Eastern European nannies. They were tough, raised quiet and obedient kids, and didn’t say a word about the family’s dirty little secrets. Becca got really close to hers and then poof, she was gone. That’s when Becca changed.”
“I can understand that,” I say, fiddling with my phone. “Losing someone who was like a mother would be pretty traumatic.”
Cat nods in agreement. “Exactly. You have to remember, Danny. What if your mom suddenly disappeared? How would you feel?”
“Shitty,” I answer honestly.
She gestures towards Kaiden, too. “Same goes for you. Give that girl some understanding. She’s dealing with her own emotions.”
“We all are,” I counter defensively. “Becca isn’t special.”
Cat’s expression softens, but there is still a touch of sadness in her eyes - a sadness that I know I’m responsible for. Without saying another word, I grab my bag and head to the locker room to change. As I toss in my headphones and make my way outside to the track, I realize that what I need most right now is some time alone with my thoughts.
Staring up at the cloudy sky, I take a moment to stretch before starting to run.
Fuck you, Daisy.