“I’m no little girl you hag. And it is my business when my family has been the ones to help her out while you and yours have been vacant from her life.”
Sweet. Freaking. Baby. Jesus. Is Riana getting pissed on my behalf? I’m so in the Twilight Zone.
Riana is shaking from her anger. Her eyes are alive with it. A second before I can feel the tendrils of her power leaking out, my inner Taser springs to life within me. Fear coats the back of my tongue making it a living breathing thing. Dammit. This is about to get very, very bad. I have to stop it. Knowing as soon as she gets to her feet I won’t be able to stop her. I have to act fast. In a move braver than I feel, I quickly reach underneath the table. Careful of the others around me, I latch onto my sister’s leg. I feel the zap connecting when I do and so does she.
With a high pitched screech she jerks in her seat.
The cafeteria is plunged into an abrupt silence. All eyes are on our table. Ashley’s are on Riana all confused and ticked off. Riana’s are on me. And she is so not happy. Oh crap. I force myself to sit up a little straighter, acting as if I didn’t totally zap her. She doesn’t buy it. Her power slips back inside her though and so does mine. Then she smiles.
Say what?
She turns her smile to Ashley. “Your right babe, it is your business. Guess we’re all worried about the little half-pint, it’s why we’re here now after all.”
This seems to appease Ashley because she leans back, all tension slips free of her. Conversation slowly goes back to normal. Eyes drift away when we don’t do anything else interesting. I still feel them on me though, and I search out the source and find Chance and my brothers watching us. The curiosity is pretty palpable in their gaze. I’m sure the twins probably felt it when Riana used her ability, but I wonder if they felt mine. Begrudgingly they go back to the business at their own table and I back to my own.
The rest of the period and rest of the day for that matter are far less interesting.
Later on as I’m slicing a twelve inch honey oat bread roll and asking what kind of sub an older woman with red hair would like, I replay the day’s events over and over. Ashley and Riana’s disagreement plays across my vision on repeat and there is nothing I can do to stop it. Not even when the customer gets all frumpy over my over mayonnaise usage. Swiping the excess off with a knife, I ask her if there is anything else I can get her. Clearly my tone is too hostel because with a pinched look she shakes her head.
Okay then.
If it weren’t for the cameras that I’m sure are everywhere in here, I’d totally flip her off when she walks away. As it is, I don’t. That would be bad customer service anyway, even for a demon such as myself. The rest of the customers go by in one merging blur. All of my movements become something that resembles that of a zombie, all tense and jerky. I push myself only going on autopilot. It gets to the point that Toby notices. Not that he points it out or anything. He’s been strangely quiet all night, keeping to himself and staying a safe distance away from me.
I know I should probably approach me and see if he’s okay. He must be a little freaked out by finding me a quivering mess last night. We didn’t talk about it then, but maybe we should have. It’s either that, or he’s ticked I’m spending time with Chance again. In his eyes I probably look like a stupid gullible girl who is being sucked in by a pretty smile and great body, when the package is a wrapped up in a jerk. Or he could be jealous. Anything’s possible. Once upon a time I used to make the boy blush just by entering the room.
I’m just gearing myself up to talk to him finally, when he happens to come out front beside me when the rush finally settles down in the dining room. It’s easy to forget he’s so tall and domineering when he blushes all the time, but he is. The glasses in front of his blue eyes give him a youthful glow about him, so does the waves of black hair that peek around the visor that is a little crooked on him. He is so a giant version of Harry Potter. It’s kind of cute.
He is wiping the glass covering the food, when I step up beside him.
“It was um…busy tonight huh? Weird for a Thursday night, it’s usually a Friday that we get swamped.”
He works the rag over a nonexistent smudge. “Yeah, it’s weird.”
Oh for goodness sake, work with me here buddy.
I lean closer to him. His constant scrubbing stills, but he doesn’t face me.
“I just wanted to say thank you for last night. I’m not…I’m not sure what happened exactly, but…it helped you being there when you were. So thank you.”
He turns to me. I smile. He blushes. The tension leaves his body. I smile wider and fight the urge to wrap him up in a hug.
“Oh, it was no problem really. I didn’t even do anything honestly. But you’re welcome. Anytime I can be hero is a good night for me.” He turns away with a grin and goes back to scrubbing.
I notice that it’s a different spot this time though. Feeling relieved, I saunter backwards and lean against the counter. That’s the great thing about Toby, he isn’t very complicated. One little admission and all the air is cleared between us. It’s safe. I value that, especially lately. With a sigh, I push myself away from the counter. I suppose I better make myself useful.
No sooner am I walking towards to backroom for the broom and dustpan, does the bell over the door sound a new customer. Marvelous. Turning around, a fake smile is plastered across my face to greet them. It freezes when I see that ‘them’ is none other than my wonderful sister Riana. Can’t I just catch a freaking break once in a while? Is that really too much to ask for?
Seriously.
She saunters up to the counter with a beseeching grin and Toby is clearly too busy with the scrubbing to wait on her, so they’re in no help there. I snag a pair of plastic gloves before I reach the counter. I struggle to slip them onto my sweating fingers while I give her a pretty good glare. She waves me off after I win the fight with the stupid gloves.
“I’m not ordering anything sorry. Just stopping by for a quick chat, Jane told me you worked here. Thought I’d check it out for myself and here you are.”
The laughter in her voice really makes me want to slap her. Instead I toss the useless gloves in the trash.
“Really? You just had to rub it in that I’m working huh? Wow. You really are quite the hellion.”
This gets a snicker out of her. Glad my sarcasm is so hilarious.
I cross my arms over my stomach. “What do you want Riana, I have things to do.”
“Well, if you must know, mom wanted me to invite you over for a visit. Since the last one was such a party, we wanted to recreate it, but without all the drama. Dad and the twins will be away of that helps at all. We really…we just…it would be nice to be able to catch up for once.”
My jaw is literally touching the floor. They want to catch up? Who is this nice girl that looks like the evil wench that is my sister? She waits patiently for my reply, but I’m not sure what to say let alone think. This is what I’ve wanted, but I am so scared to even trust it. And where the heck are dad and the twins going? One way to find out I guess, but I don’t have to like it.
“If I agree to come over will you stop pestering me about all this fake goody goody caring routine?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “It’s not fake. We really do care, whether you believe it or not.”
“Okay fine, it’s real, whatever. But I don’t know when I’ll be able to come over. Sunday maybe, I wouldn’t count on it though.”
Regardless of my sassy tone and glare, Riana’s smile brightens. Man oh man, she is way too eager for us to have another ‘visit’. She is practically bouncing with excitement, it’s a little unnerving. No, a lot actually. She makes a point in telling me to swing by the motel at any time. Her reasoning is that someone is usually there at all times. They would have to be too if they wanted to keep the place to themselves. I nod in the affirmative confirming our not so confirmed visit and before I know it she is sauntering out the door.
I watch as she ho
ps into a dark little car that has two boy shapes in the front seats. As they drive off, I have to wonder where in the heck they managed to snag a car. My guess is that they probably stole it. Probably from one of the guests that got kicked out of the motel too.
Isn’t my family the best?
Nothing says love and trust like steeling from the people that live around me.
***
Thankfully for my waning sanity, the rest of the night goes by in a normal blur of flaky rolls and cranky customers who just had to have a sub at nine o’ freaking clock. Before I know it its closing time, and I’m hurrying to slip on my way to thin pink hoody trying to catch up to Toby who is already walking out the door. I should have known something was up the moment Toby’s wide shoulders stiffened in front of me, but I didn’t pay any attention. I simply step out right after he did finally securing the hoody over my person. It was only when I skirt around Toby flipping the hood over my messy hair that I see him.
Chance.
I come to a stop as a smile plays across my lips in a wash of giddiness.
I don’t have to walk tonight.
Like the night before he’s casually leaning against the back fender of his mustang, arms snuggly wrapped around one another over hit tight stomach, face a little too relaxed with a grin thrown right at me. So what, was he just waiting there in that pose for me? Hey. I’m not complaining. Me likes what I see. He knows it too. I can see it in his eyes as he watches me. I literally have to rein in my control to not go running into his arms, which would be way too embarrassing for words. Gathering some self-control, I make my over to him. He rises and meets me halfway.
He stands so close. I have to tip my head back to look up at him.
“What brings you to these parts at this time of night?”
His grin widens. “Oh you know. I kind of have this thing where I like to be a nice guy and not make a pretty girl walk home in the freezing cold. It’s just how I roll. No big deal.”
No big deal? Pretty girl? Be still my beating demon heart…
“Well then. Why are we standing out here for? Hurry up nice guy, this pretty girl isn’t getting any warmer you know.”
He laughs. I shiver, and not from the cold.
And an audible snort can heard right before Toby slips inside his own car.
Chance gestures to the passenger side door, practically bowing. “Your chariot awaits.”
I have to laugh as I make my way towards the door. No sooner am I just slipping inside, is he already beside me. Damn, the boy sure can move. When he pulls us out of the parking lot, I snuggle into the warmth of the seat and lay my head back on the headrest. I don’t close my eyes though. They are too busy watching the boy that looks too good to be true, or more realistically, too good to be true that I’m in the car with him.
My emotions and hormones feel like they are in overdrive for some reason. It has to be him. Everything else always fades when I’m near him lately. What’s up with that anyways? Do demons go into heat or something? That would be so weird…and gross. Still, I don’t mind when it involves getting to ogle him. Feeling my eyes on him, he turns to me with a sardonic little grin.
“So my teammates have taken quite the liking to your brothers. Is that some sort of demon ability or what?”
Damn. Talk about a mood breaker.
Sulking, I turn away and find something not as interesting out the wonder to stare at.
“Nope. Not a demon ability…at least I don’t think so anyways. They are just naturally gravitating.” I pause. “What were you guys talking about by the way?”
“Oh.” He laughs. “That’s a secret that me and the other guys will be taking to our graves. We never dispel inside jokes. It wouldn’t be cool.”
A quiet giggle slips through my lips before I can stop it. “Wow…I had no idea that guys were worse than girls with their gossip. I feel like I should alert the media or something. For you know the rest of the female species.”
He laughs again. Then reaches out a hand and taps my thigh before pulling away. I risk a glance at him and nearly gasp at the playful expression on his face. It’s like he’s trying not to laugh again, but is trying to be serious at the same time.
“No way Pigwidgeon…” He pauses dramatically. “That kind of information is highly classified. I need your word that what is discussed will never breach these nicely pimped out walls of my car. Or else…”
I resist the urge to yell out a - dun dun dun!
My body twists in the seat as I turn to him. “Or else? What could you do about it…Harris?”
Our eyes lock for a heartbeat, before he looks away first. A blush rises up to my cheeks as I glance away too. I can’t believe I just said that! What the heck is wrong with me?
“You got me there rabbit.” He clears his throat. “I do believe any and all power of secrets rest in your delicate little hands. I am at your mercy.”
Seriously? Wow. I’m so about to apologize for taking this whole witty banter to far, when his laugh makes me turn to him again all wide eyed. So he was picking on me then? What a turkey. I’ll show him. Wait. No. I’ll play it cool. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do. I’m a rock. Nothing gets past me. Total lie I know.
“So…ugh…should I be worried that your brothers are hanging around so much. I mean, they won’t do anything will they?”
I shake my head even though I’m unsure. “No, I don’t think so. If they wanted to do anything they would have by now. It’s eerie how good they’re being, kind of scary actually.”
“Speaking of scary, what was up with your sister at lunch today? Her yell made the entire cafeteria, myself included, have a heart attack. I thought she was going to launch herself across the table at Ahsley.”
Ha! Yeah, he has no idea how close she came to doing that.
“She kind of almost did. The two of them were in a heated debate over me, don’t ask, and it got a little overboard. Riana was close to using her ability on Ash and I had to stop her. So I zapped her. It worked. No biggie.”
No biggie my left foot. It was so touch and go, but I won’t tell him that, it’ll only worry him.
He eyes me warily. “Seriously? Damn rabbit. You keep on surprising me.” He pauses. “It must have really been something to get Ash all worked up. She’s usually so self-controlled in a weirdly bubbly way.”
“Oh…er…it was really nothing. They were just kind of debating why I was here alone long before the rest of the family showed up. Oddly, I think they were both sticking up for me and trying to put the other one down at the same time. It was an interesting sight.”
He does saying to that. Neither do I. We’re silent the rest of the way home, and in a blink he’s turning off the car in the darkness of the garage. Neither of us make a move to get out or even say anything else for that matter. We just sit in an oddly comforting silence, which given what we were just talking about, doesn’t really make any sense. I could just sit here like this all night, but I know I can’t. I have to ruin the moment by opening my mouth and being honest with him. It sucks, but I have too.
I stare at my hands in my lap. “Riana came into work tonight…she…she pretty much made it known that I’m more than welcome to come over and visit with the rest of the family any time I wanted. I told her I might go over this weekend, Sunday maybe.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. That’s a good thing right? It’s the opportunity that we’ve been waiting for, and not for that long either. I have an in to be nosy and it was their idea.”
One of his hands reaches over and covers mine. The warmth of it rushes through me almost making me gasp.
“It is a good thing.” He says softly. “But why do you sound so lost?”
“It’s stupid. In a way I’ve always wanted them to want me around, but now that they do, it’s like I don’t believe or something. I should probably just suck it up and be glad for anything, right?”
His hand envelopes mine and gives it a squeeze. “It’s not stupid. They’re your f
amily. Of course you want to be able to have a closeness with them. And it’s not wrong to question their motives either, it just makes you smart.”
I sigh, bite my lip, hold bad tears that threaten to fall, and cling to Chance’s hand.
“How about this…” He starts. “How about we get together before you leave to see them? I might not have kickass powers to match theirs, but I could try to make you feel better before you leave to see them. Would that help? Don’t feel bad for telling me no…it’s probably a dumb idea. In fact, I know it is. Never mind.”
He starts to pull his hand away, but I yank it back. “No!” I clear my throat. “I mean, no, it’s a good idea, the best actually. I’d love some company to keep me sane before I see them. It would definitely help.”
“Okay rabbit, you’re on. I’ll be the calm before the storm.”
What is he talking about?
He is the storm. More than he clearly realizes. I’ll just keep that little tidbit to myself though. It’s hard not to say that between him and my family, I feel like I’m constantly in the middle of a twister trying to tear me apart from the inside out. I can only imagine the consequences of mixing the two together.
This is the main reason I won’t be bringing him up to my family…at all, like ever.
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.
The Misadventures of Daria Pigwidgeon Page 22