I told him all about the hunt on the way to the cafeteria. Lexa, Singer, Nelly, Mimi and Buba were all waiting for us at the door. Singer had a weird apologetic look on his face. I hadn’t told anyone about the thing with him and Ranger. I wondered if he had spoken about it with Lexa. Judging by the look on his face, I figured he hadn’t. We all greeted each other normally. After that though, Singer kept his distance. As we waited for Mouse, he just chatted with Stone. Then Ranger, who never ate with us, showed up. He greeted everyone and went to talk with Lexa, Singer’s sister, of all people. Him and Singer exchanged a few looks, but I couldn’t really read anything in it. Some of the townspeople greeted and congratulated me on their way inside. When Mouse arrived, we all went in together.
Mr. Harper was there as always, talking with everyone. He waved when he saw me. I could really get used to all that praise. Buba was so happy, he could barely stay still. Even Lexa and Mouse, who were usually more composed, were all smiles that evening. We ate venison, of course. It was delicious. Looking around, I could see a few not-so-happy faces, some of the other hunters... Flavian... But I was determined not to let it get to me, not that night. After dinner we all went to Bibi’s party, at my place.
Bibi walked on ahead with Xandy. She shouted celebratory obscenities and laughed the whole way. Buba, Nelly and Mimi followed her lead. She wasn’t much of an example for them to follow, but they were having so much fun we didn’t dare spoil it. Stone and Mouse were just behind them, laughing at the kids’ excitement. Ranger and Lexa were still chatting, a little ways behind me. That’s when Singer finally came to talk with me.
“Dana,” he started uneasily, “Hi. Um, Can we talk for a sec?” He nervously pushed his glasses back into place.
“Sure,” I replied, taking a deep breath, “Shoot.”
“I just wanted to apologize,” he said, “for... well, if I said anything earlier that offended you or anything. The last thing I want is to make you mad... or sad...”
I wasn’t quite sure what to think exactly, but mostly I didn’t want to ruin the party, so I said, “Don’t worry about it, Singer. I’m not mad, or sad, or anything.”
“So, we’re good?” he asked, awaiting confirmation.
“Yeah,” I confirmed, “we’re good.”
“Good,” he repeated, “I was worried that going to your party might be a bad idea... for me...”
“Singer,” I cut him short, “seriously, let’s just forget all that and enjoy the party tonight, okay?”
“Okay,” he agreed a bit unsure. After a short moment of awkward silence, he tried starting up a normal conversation, “So, looks like you’re Mr. Harper’s new favorite person. I saw him waving at you back there.”
“Unreal, right?” I said, still amazed, “He actually knows who I am and everything.”
“Yeah,” he added pleasantly, “Today is definitely a day worth celebrating, no doubt about it.”
“Hey!” I suddenly remembered, “Speaking of celebrating, where’s that old guitar of yours? Do you still have it?”
He explained, “Oh, yeah. It’s at Lexa’s. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea bringing it... Should I go get it?”
“Would you?” I asked, “I’d love it if you sang for us.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint you on a day like today, now, would I?” he declared, before running off.
He was surprisingly fast. We were all walking slowly, but still. He got back, with the guitar over his shoulder, just as we were getting to my building. I opened the door and raced upstairs ahead of the others to light up some candles. It was a good thing I had always been a neatness freak, my home was always presentable. I made sure my journal was safely locked in it’s drawer and then I went back to welcome everyone in. Bibi, Xandy, Buba, Nelly, Mimi, Stone, Mouse, Singer, Lexa... Ranger was the last one up.
Just as he got to the door, he glanced at me and asked, “Dana, before we go in, can we talk in private?”
I took another deep breath and replied, “Sure.”
He jerked his head towards the empty hall and walked on ahead of me. I followed. Glancing back at the opened door, I saw Singer watching us from inside. Ranger led me down the corridor and around a corner. The hall ended in a giant hole, where half the building had collapsed. From there, we could see the backside of another building.
“Whoa,” he commented observantly, “this hallway must get pretty damn cold, huh.”
“You have nooo idea,” I confirmed.
Ranger turned to me, with that charming crooked smile, and started, “You’re pissed at me, aren’t you?” He didn’t act as apologetic as Singer had done. There was something of a challenge in his big blue eyes.
I studied him for a moment and decided to meet his challenge. “Now why exactly would I be pissed at you, Ranger?” I asked, crossing my arms.
“Maybe,” he explained carefully, “because I questioned your friendship with Singer. And maybe, in doing so, I kind of used the wrong tone with you... maybe...”
“You also might have just walked away from me in mid-conversation,” I added bitterly, “maybe...”
“Yeah,” he agreed regretfully, “I might have...”
He went quiet and stared me down. For the first time, I actually hated how charming he was. He was trying to get back on my good side, without really apologizing... and it was working... Not that he was really on my bad side to begin with. I wasn’t really mad, just confused. But he didn’t have to know that.
“Well, what if I am pissed?” I finally asked, playing his game, “What’re you going to do about it?”
He tilted his head to the side and replied, “You know what they say about people who fight...”
I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to finish.
He went on, “They say we should kiss and make up.”
“Ha,” I chuckled and said, “Nice try, pal.”
Okay so, he was definitely flirting with me, but was he doing that just to tick me off... or was that his way of showing me he was really interested? I couldn’t tell.
Just then, we heard Bibi’s voice calling, “Dana? Dana! The fuck is that girl?”
“Coming!” I replied, shaking my head at Ranger. “Come on. Let’s go inside already.” I grabbed his arm and pushed him back towards the door.
When Bibi saw us, she quickly narrowed her eyes and inquired, “What were you two love birds up to back there?”
“Oh,” I explained provocatively, “Ranger here was just apologizing for being a total jackass earlier.”
“Whaaat?” he cried indignantly.
I pointed a finger at his face and ordered, “Inside.”
He laughed at me, but didn’t argue. Once he was gone, Bibi leaned against the wall and grinned at me, insinuating we were doing more than just talking.
“Oh, shut up!” I told her jokingly, heading inside.
Bibi followed me in and announced, “Alright then, now that everyone’s finally here and there are no fuckin’ guards around...” She peeked out the window ominously.
“No guards?” Stone wondered, “What the hell are you, Beebs, the Easter Bunny?”
“Off du-ty,” she replied, “that’s what I am. Anyway, it’s time to get this fuckin’ party started!” She reached inside her jacket and pulled out a bottle, “Whisky!”
“Of course!” I lamented, “It’s so like you, Bibi, to try and get us all drunk.”
“And in trouble,” Stone added, lifting an index finger.
Bibi looked around and warned, “If anyone fuckin’ rats on us, I’ll arrest the fucker and say it was them that brought the illegal beverage into this sacred home.”
Lexa intervened, “Oh, this calls for a pact of silence! Everyone has to drink at least one sip. That way we’ll all be accomplices. No exceptions!”
“I like it!” Bibi accepted, impressed with Lexa’s idea. She opened the bottle and asked, “So, who’s first? Dollface, you’re the fuckin’ party girl! You first!”
I rolled my ey
es at her. “Really? Didn’t you at least bring a cup? Do I have to drink from the bottle?”
“Shut it and drink up, Buttercup!” she insisted, shoving the bottle into my hands.
I never liked alcohol. I mean, I always thought it tasted like shit, but it’s what it did to certain people that I really hated. There, in my apartment though, we were amongst friends, and even I had to admit the situation... kinda called for it. I swallowed about a quarter of a mouthful. It was enough to burn my throat all the way down to my stomach. I gasped, as everyone cheered.
“I think I just had my fill,” I said, passing the bottle over to Mouse, as the heat rippled through me, “Damn!”
We cheered him on, but he just took a gulp as if it were nothing and passed it over to Lexa. It quickly turned into a game, every time someone drank, everyone else cheered. Lexa took a mouthful, but she savored the burn. I never even knew she was into drinking. With her permission, Nelly took a tiny little sip. Mimi tried having a bit more, but ended up coughing afterwards. Stone didn’t let Buba take more than a spoonful. Even Xandy wanted some, just because he had seen everyone else drinking.
“You sure you want this, baby?” I asked him, “I don’t think you’re going to like it. It... tastes bad.”
“I want it!” he insisted confidently.
Glancing at Bibi, I figured one sip wouldn’t kill anyone. I held the bottle, making sure he didn’t take too much in. The second the whisky hit his little tongue though, he spit it all out and coughed wildly.
“I warned you,” I told him, laughing. Turning to the others I asked, “Does that count? Is he sworn in?”
“Hell yeah!” Bibi commemorated, “He’s a real man now! All hail Xan the man!”
He looked up at her with watering eyes, but he seemed happy to have passed the test. When it was Ranger’s turn he winked at me and took a big gulp. Singer saw it and tried to do the same.
Lexa tried warning him, “Don’t do it, bro.”
Clearly, he wasn’t a drinker. He took the whisky in, but then bent over forward and coughed even more than Xandy. Lexa laughed and shook her head at him.
“You okay?” I asked, trying not to laugh too much.
“No, I’m fine,” he said, catching his breath, “It just went down the wrong tube.”
I sympathized, “I guess you’re like me when it comes to alcohol, we don’t have any RIGHT tubes.”
Neither of us touched the bottle for the rest of the night. In fact, when everyone had done their part for the pact, the bottle mostly just stayed in Bibi’s hands. Only Lexa joined in on her drinking. Singer eventually asked everyone what they wanted to hear and started singing. He had that most wonderful voice, forceful, melodic and versatile. He could sing just about anything we could think up. He was very charming, in his own way. Between songs, Bibi told us some of her crazy stories. Like the one where she single-handedly shot down over thirty demented, just to get her hands on a bottle of whisky. I couldn’t remember the last time we had so much fun.
At one point, I wandered out into the hallway for some fresh air. After a short while, Buba, Nelly and Mimi came to me. They looked a little nervous, especially the girls. They both stood next to Buba, as if waiting for him to speak to me. I could tell he felt pressured by them.
“Okay, what’re you three up to?” I inquired.
“Hey, Dana,” Buba asked directly, “So, when are the girls going to join the squad? They’re old enough, right?”
“Oh,” I realized.
Nelly quickly dodged my eyes, but Mimi looked at me defiantly, awaiting my answer.
I considered the thought and then said, “Well, it’s not really a question of age, girls. My dad started teaching me when I was twelve, mostly out of necessity. By the time I was your age, I was already a hunter... more or less.”
Mimi put her hands on her hips and declared confidently, “I’ve been hitting straight bullseyes in archery class. How much longer do we have to train?”
Lexa had spotted us through the door and wandered over to see what was going on. Everyone else seemed to be singing along to Singer’s tunes back inside.
“Look, girls,” I explained, “I know you’re both eager to go hunting with us, but it’s dangerous out there.”
“But Dana,” Mimi insisted, ”we can totally handle ourselves. We won’t be a problem. I swear! Right, Nelly?”
“Right!” she agreed nervously.
“We’ve been training for-EVER,” Mimi continued, “If you give us the chance, we’ll prove to you that we can hunt.”
Lexa joined the conversation, “What’re you talking about? You’ve been training for only a year. And it’s not just about shooting arrows, Mimi, it’s about avoiding demented and whatever else is out there. Dana’s right to be worried. She already has Buba to look after,” She turned to him and added, “No offence Buba.”
“None taken,” he accepted, shrugging, “I know I’m still a noob. But Dana, I have to say, I’ve learned so much going out with you... Maybe you should give them a chance.”
The three of them had such eager looks on their faces I couldn’t help smiling. It was cute, seeing them standing up for what they wanted.
“I’ll have to think about it,” I said, looking over to Lexa, “What do you think?”
She replied boldly, “If they want a chance, I say give them one. It’s on them if they can’t shoot straight yet.”
“We can shoot straight!” Nelly suddenly cried, before shrinking back away from me.
“I know how well you can shoot, Nelly,” I reminded her, “but shooting wild animals is very different from shooting those stationary targets back at the hut.”
Their expressions melted into disappointment.
“But, maybe you’re right,” I added, looking back at Lexa, “Maybe it’s time for a trial or something.”
Nelly and Mimi exchanged an excited look and brightened up all over again.
I went on, “We’d have to take them somewhere close. If anything happens, I want to be able to get back fast.”
“Yes, of course,” Lexa agreed, “We’ll also have to take the day off from real hunting to test them.”
“Yeah,” I noted, “but our biggest problem will be keeping an eye on three inexperienced teenagers.”
“Three?” Buba wondered, “I’m not that bad... am I?”
I turned to him and said honestly, “Buba, don’t take this the wrong way, but if you didn’t wander off half the time, maybe I’d trust you not to get in trouble.”
His eyes dropped to the floor.
“You’re a good hunter, Buba,” I added, trying to reassure him, “you just need to listen to me when I tell you to keep close. I’d never forgive myself if I lost you out there.” Looking around at the girls I warned them, “That goes for all of you! If either of you fail to follow my orders, or if you even question my orders, the deal’s off. Got it? You do as you’re told, when you’re told. I’m not joking around here.”
“We’ll do everything you say,” Mimi promised.
Nelly asked unsure, “Are you really going to give us a chance, then, Dana? Like, really-really?”
I studied them carefully and then answered, “I am.”
“Yes!” Mimi cried victoriously, “You won’t regret this!”
“Thank you, Dana!” Nelly added happily.
They hugged each other and then ran back into the apartment with Buba.
“Don’t worry,” Lexa whispered, “we’ll find someplace safe. We’ll have to keep an eye on Mimi though, she thinks she’s all grown up, you know. Nelly won’t be a problem. She can get excited sometimes, but she follows orders.”
I wasn’t really worried. Actually, I was barely paying any attention to Lexa, my mind was elsewhere. “Those girls make me wonder, you know, what I looked like when I was asking the council for permission to go out hunting,” I said distractedly, “To those old men, I must have seemed so young and careless... cute even... like Nelly and Mimi.”
Lexa gave m
e a penetrating look and said, “Dana, maybe you did look young, but never careless. Nelly and Mimi don’t have a baby brother that depends on them. You were living a much more urgent reality, and you proved to everyone that you were up to the challenge. To me, you looked confident and mature. Watching you speaking up for us... it was like your father was still there.”
That struck a chord. I looked at her and smiled, as my eyes watered up.
“I’d follow you anywhere,” she added, “I mean it. You’re almost a whole decade younger than me, still a teenager, but... you’re my Captain.”
“Thanks Lexa,” I said, wiping the tears away, “but I’m not as confident as I pretend to be. The truth is, I just wish my dad where here to take care of me.”
“Oh, sweetie,” she said, hugging me, “but your father IS here, and he IS taking care of you.”
I hesitated and then said, “I’m sorry Lexa... I don’t think I believe in that kind of thing. To me, he’s just gone.”
She pulled back holding my shoulders and said, “It doesn’t matter what you believe in. We all share our spirits with those around us. You can call it aura, or memories... or love... it doesn’t matter. What matters is what we choose to do with it. Your father chose to share. We all carry a little bit of him inside us, you most of all. So much so, that I can see him in your eyes, plain as day, even now.”
I wanted to believe her, I really did... and, at least for that moment in time, I decided that... I did.
“Come on,” Lexa said, putting an end to sentimentality, “Wipe away those tears and let’s go get drunk.”
“Oh, no-no-no,” I argued, “I’m not drinking anymore of that shit. I already had my sip for the pact thing. I’m done drinking for the night... for the year, in fact.”
We rejoined the party and I soon forgot all about my tears. The party was great, the only sad part was that it had to end. Someone ended up pointing out the time and then everyone decided it was time to go. Xandy was already fast asleep in bed. The gang started cascading out the door, into the hallway, one after the other.
Dead End Chronicles (Book 1): Dead End Journal Page 7