The Misadventures of Daria Pigwidgeon (29 page)

After making plans to get together after school tomorrow, we reluctantly leave the comfort of the car. The whole short distance to my apartment steps, I can’t believe that not only will he be coming inside with me tomorrow, but it’ll be under better circumstances than the last two times. Each one makes the breath catch in my throat though. I’m sure it’s not wise to count my chickens before they hatch, but I can just picture how he can take my mind off of horrible things. Yes, I am so bad. Duh, hello, I
am
a demon.

Somehow when I am getting into bed later on, I manage to fall asleep pretty quickly. I do so with the image of Chance walking out of the garage with a smile on his face replaying in my mind. For someone who can make my emotions slip into overdrive, he’s good at making me feel safe and normal it’s a quality that fascinates me about him. Sleep comes before I know it. So does the annoying sound of my alarm clock indicating that it is in fact time to get up for another wonderful day.

This time I don’t bother rushing. I think I’ll get a ride to school today. It’ll be sure to make Ashley happy I bet. And yes, me too I suppose. Yet, when I make my way down the steps to the garage anticipating seeing me some beautiful blue eyes, I spot the wrong ones. The garage is sans Chance, and is instead filled up with Ashley. She quickly informs me that Chance is either sick or just running late, so we’re on our own. She does hold up the keys to the mustang, so the ‘on our own’ part
doesn’t
include having to walk. Good to know.

The whole ride to school I’m consumed with what could make Chance not come to school. Is he really sick or is it something else entirely? Like a certain dream that could be bothering him again? I’ll just have to wait I guess and hope that he does make it to school at some point. Maybe I was a little quick to jump to the fact that he was taking all this demon stuff a little too well. Maybe he’s changing his mind about me. Only one way to know for sure, I’ll just have to wait and see.

So basically, my morning sucks, and it doesn’t even include a run-in with any of my family. Glorious.

A while back I had a theory that the reason Toby hired me, was because he was the only employee and didn’t want to be alone. Turns out, I was wrong. Why? Because I have a day off, on a Friday no less! Jackpot! So, what do I do with my free time? Have a party, live a little, try to analyze what is truly right or wrong in the world? Of course not! I do my nails. Even demons like to spoil themselves at some point.

I couldn’t attempt it on my own though, so I enlisted Ashley to be my girly backup. Thankfully for my pitiful nails, she complied. Of course, if knew indulging in recent gossip in the love lives of the student body, I might have reiterated my plans. But we were already in the thick of things that smelled like battery acid and cotton candy, when I wanted so get away. So basically, I was stuck.

Literally.

My toes were so not getting out of the foam contrapment thingy Ashley locked them in.

While I was stuck, fearing the worst for my little toes all spread out like they were, I was forced to listen to Ashley’s gossip. Half of it was mostly easy to feign listening to, but the other half required comments by me. Like Ashley’s love life or lack thereof for example. She and her brother’s best friend Jesse have sneaking behind everyone’s back for the past couple of months, because her parents forbid her to date until she graduates. They aren’t very good with the whole sneaking thing since I walked in on them last month, so I know firsthand her love woes.

To say that I lack decent gossiping skills is the understatement of the century, although, I did somehow manage to give her some pretty good advice regarding her semi-serious-secret boyfriend Jesse. Really I just told her that she should come forward and be honest to avoid any heartbreak in the future. I didn’t really believe my own words, heck I don’t even follow them, but she ate it up like yummy chocolate cake. So maybe this whole normal girl thing is a cinch after all?

But what do I know. I’m currently daydreaming instead of listening.

What does that say about me?

Then of course before I could even try to squeeze in some gossip about the absence of Chance this morning, Ashley gets a little sidetracked by something about the hair color of our promiscuous cheerleaders. A topic that seriously has me contemplating jumping out my two story bedroom window in search of freedom. I think my ears might even be bleeding.

“…and then Jane tells me that Stacey Stephen’s hair can’t possibly be a natural dye job. I of course blanch at this because, really, Stacey isn’t they type of cheerleader who would only go halfway. But…Jane’s swears up and down that its bleach job and
not
the real thing. My question? What
was
Stacey thinking going blonde in the first place? I mean
hello
, the chick is a naturel brunette! The roots are going to be out of this
world
noticeable.”

Silence ticks by, long enough that I pause in painting a peach color on my pinkie toe. I glance up to find Ashley glaring at me and holding her mini-paintbrush outward like a weapon. One perfectly shaped eyebrow scolds me from a short distance.

I raise my less than perfectly shaped eyebrow back at her. “What?”

“Daria, you not even listening.”

Yup, there is definite scolding, oops.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the recap of Stacy’s bleach job required comment on my part. I mean, I already thought she had blonde hair, so why do you want my opinion?”

“First of all, the only cheerleader that had dyed blonde hair was Parker. So Stacey joining the ranks amongst the brunettes and redheads is breaking news. Second of all, Parker dyed her hair last fall and it should be obvious she is the only bossy blonde around campus.”

There goes her eyebrow again. Or maybe it hasn’t moved. Huh, she’s very into this. It would be funny if I didn’t think she was so serious. And by her glare and adamant hand waving, I know she certainly is.

I look pointedly at her. “Well…as you know, I didn’t move here until September, so…how was I supposed to know all the backstory of the once and future blonde cheerleaders?”

Down comes the eyebrow as her oomph slips. “Right…” She pauses. “About that…why didn’t you tell me that your family was going to show up? I assumed you were all on your lost little bumpkin own.”

Well, this is going to be a long answer. Sighing, I place the mini-paintbrush in my hand back in the peach container. Once secured, I stretch out my legs across the floor and lean back on my dresser. Looking back to Ashley, she hasn’t even so much as twitched from her similar position leaning against my bed across from me.

“Technically, Ash, I didn’t know they were just going to show up. I did intend on coming alone, but honestly, I should have known they would follow me. It was stupid on my part.”

She’s silent as I wait for her reaction. There is none. Her face is noticeably blank.

“So it’s true then, why you looked like you had been through hell and back?” She takes a breath and glances down to her lap. “Was it really bad?”

“Was what bad?”

Sad eyes rise up to meet mine. “Your home life. Was it really so bad that you ran away?”

Her watch me so intently that I have to look away. Thankfully a pulled piece of carpet that curls near my stretched out feet catches my attention. If only for the moment…because what do I say…what can I say? I know I should tell her the truth. It kills me that I’ve been keeping it from her. But how much is too much?

I’m thinking I should go with mildly traumatizing and not heavy with the serious threats.

“It was pretty bad Ash. I won’t go into specifics, no, I
can’t
go into them. I just couldn’t take it anymore and I
needed
to start over somewhere. If I’d known that they would come after me, I wouldn’t have stayed here as long as I have.” I pause. “I am glad I’m here though. If it weren’t for you and your family, I don’t think I would have made it out there all alone.”

Wow. I never really considered that before. Would I have
really
made it if I went somewhere else?

The sadness on her face is replaced by worry. “Are they dangerous, your family? I mean they must have been to make you run away…but…will they do it again to you? Make you leave I mean.”

“No.” Frowning, I scoot away from my dresser and move closer to her. “The only people they are dangerous too are me and them…and I’m just not afraid of them anymore. I mean yes, they have done some questionable things in the past but I think they may have come here with slight good intentions. That doesn’t make them saints though, not in the least, so don’t believe a word of what any one of them says.”

She shakes her head.

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t trust your hag of a sister as far as I could throw her, and given her ridiculous curvy figure that I’m sure weighs out more than you and I combined…it wouldn’t be very far.”

I can’t help laughing at that. If Riana were only a fly on the wall right now, I’m sure she would just die. But what’s most surprising is that before I can even laugh full out, Ashley scoots forward and envelopes me in a tight hug. Aside from the brief rondevu’s with her brother, this is the first human contact I’ve ever been subjected too. I find that I kind of like it. The comfort and giddiness is almost a little overwhelming, and oddly I kind of wish that Ashley were my sister instead of Riana, minus the part where Chance would be my brother though.

That would definitely make kissing him awkward.

Before I can do something highly embarrassing like bursting into tears, I start to pull away, but I don’t get far.

We aren’t alone. A throat is cleared and the two of us literally freeze in stillness. In horror movie fashion, we slowly turn our heads to face the intruder. If I were paying better attention, I would have noticed than my inner Taser was sleeping peacefully inside me, and that our intruder was someone she or I knew. Regardless, we both act like total bimbos with huge round eyes.

Only to find Chance leaning in the open doorway to my bedroom, and here I thought I locked the door.

Oh. Right. He’s the landlord’s son.

He probably stole the key. I so wouldn’t put it past him. The boy can be sneaky when he wants to be, case and point. The smile on his face is practically devilish as he stands there watching us watch him. Hard telling what he’s thinking about. I almost don’t even want to know. No. Scratch that. Yes I do.

I sit back into my dresser again. “Can I help you with something Chance or did you just come by to see if you could break into my apartment?”

He smirks. He is so up to not good. I can sense it.

“Well…now that you mention it. I was wondering if I could get in on that action the two of you were carelessly flaunting just now.”

My lip quirks into a half smile without my say so. I knew he was thinking something stupid and pervy, what a weirdo. Our eyes meet and linger for a moment. Everything fades. A warm blush creeps up to my cheeks and my smile becomes genuine. I don’t remember what he was joking about.

A gaging sound brings my attention back to Ashley getting to her feet.

“On that creepy little incestuous innuendo my dear friend and brother, I think it’s time for me to skedaddle.” She wedges past Chance and makes her way out to the front door. “There’s a physics test that I need to cram for anyways…”

My confused eyes follow her movements. I have no shame in admitting that I forgot she was here.

Chance watches her in curiosity and embarrassment though. “Um…Ash…do you even take physics class?”

“Of course not silly, that’s why I really have to cram for that test. Keep up would you, Jesus.”

Shocked, Chance faces me again. I’m really starting to worry about the stability of my best friend when, her laugh can barely be heard over the closing of the door. Oh. Hardy har har. She left intentionally.

As if I wasn’t already blushing enough.

Chance taking that first step into my bedroom stalls any and all thoughts trying to peek inside my consciousness. My gaze follows him as he makes his way over to me, and it ends with me practically craning my neck to keep an eye on him. He is no longer smiling and come to think of it, neither am I. But then he does. The sight of it sends warmth coursing through me, and even more so when he extends a hand outward.

My eyes drift to that waiting hand in slow motion, a sigh slipping past my lips.

No sooner do I place my hand in his, is he quickly and gently yanking me to my wobbly feet. The sudden movement causes he and I to stumble. I all but crash into his chest, it’s a good thing he’s so sturdy, or we would have fallen. Since we don’t, he eases me back a bit and the emotion playing across his face makes me gasp.

“We need to talk rabbit.”

As much as I want to cling to the way his low raspy voice touch places inside me no inadament object should, I can’t. Why you ask? I’ve heard those words before. The reason behind them last time was pretty life changing. I doubt this time will be any different. This is why I let him guide me out into the living room and onto the sofa before he spills the beans. Any giddiness about his voice and him simply vanishes from my mind when he takes a hesitant seat beside me (at a safe distance unfortunately) and watches me with a strained wariness.

“I had…another dream last night…and I don’t know what to make of it. I’m not sure what it means or if it was even about you.”

From what I remember about his dreams, they are mostly vague feelings regarding me. So what could make fear is evident in his voice? Nothing good I’d wager. Dammit. It makes my inner Taser hum. The want to strike out at what hurts him is full of ozone to my senses. I don’t trust my control to try and comfort him with a touch of any kind. I’m grateful for the distance now.

But I have to know.

I have to start to ask two times before I find my voice, and even then it’s a whisper. “What did you see?”

“Too much and not enough.” He slumps back into the sofa, looking away. “All I remember is seeing a lot of white and splashes of red. The feeling behind it is something that took me a while to move past though. It was straight up fear, but not for myself.”