He hadn't wanted to go out. It was just for Dani's sake. If he had thought before his niceness kicked in, he would have gone up to his room and went to sleep. It seemed that was all he could do. And even sleeping was becoming harder, with the terrible real-life nightmare that was Kris and Matt. It was now entering his normally-peaceful dreams.
But, go out Junior did. He waited for Dani as she spent an hour upstairs showering and getting ready. She came back down to the living room and gave him a weak smile.
"Are you sure you wanna go out, Dani?" Junior asked her. "Because we can-"
"Nope," She said defiantly. "I refuse to wallow. I've had too much time already to do that. I need to go out and have some fun." Junior gave her a look and she said, "Or at least attempt to."
Matt led Kris over to the bar, gently pushing through the big throng of people. They found two seats that had just been vacated and sat down to order. Kris ordered water, Matt club soda. He looked around, noticing the vibe that was radiating off of every person in the room. Every person but them. None of the other people had met each other before. He and Kris had. This could make things difficult, Matt thought.
"Okay, why do I feel like we just totally don't belong here tonight?" Kris asked Matt as she looked over at him.
"Because everyone else is meeting someone new," He said. She smiled at him and they both shook their heads. "We could pretend we've just met." Kris raised her eyebrows at him.
As they sat in the car for the 10 minute ride to Bobby's, Junior kept glancing over at his younger sister. She just continued to stare straight ahead, looking at the small city lights ahead of them.
"You okay, little sis?" Junior asked Dani as he reached over and rubbed her shoulder gently.
"Mm," she said. "I'm fine." She managed a pretty convincing smile and he gave her a look that told her he didn't believe her, but she just shook her head. "Really, Junior."
When they got to the club and Junior saw all of the lights and people who looked a hell of a lot happier than him, he decided it was time to hit the bar. He went up and ordered a beer, letting the alcoholic liquid slide down his throat at a rapid pace. He looked over at Dani who was scanning the room nervously. Then he noticed her eyes get a flare to them. He noticed it as anger. He followed her gaze and watched as she walked over to none other than Kris and Matt playing pool. Well, they weren't really playing pool, unless the pool table was in Matt's mouth.
Dani stormed over to Kris and Matt. It still stunned her to say those two names together. They didn't fit, she knew that better than anyone did. It was like coffee and peanut butter. But obviously they didn't. She let out a fuming sigh as she shoved a dancing couple out of the way. She finally reached her destination.
She poked Kris hard in the shoulder and she looked at her with a surprised look that soon turned to nervousness. "How could you do this?! God, you just won't give up, will you! You haven't hurt my brother enough, you have to do it more! Oh God, I just can't wait to see how he deals with this. He'll have your head," Dani said, nodding at Matt while still looking at Kris.
"Dani, look. I know you're going through a rough patch right now and I'm real s-"
"No! Don't you touch me, you little bitch!" Dani bit out loudly as she swatted Kris' hand away from her wrist.
"Dani," Matt jumped in, holding her shoulders steady to calm her down, "you need to calm down." Just then someone else joined their little party.
Junior shoved Matt out of the way and said, "What the hell are your hands doing on my sister?"
Matt said, "We were just here playing pool and she freaked out."
"Oh she freaked out?" He shot back, shoving Matt and getting in his face.
Matt shoved right back. "Look, you wanna take a swing at me, go ahead."
Junior nodded while his face was up close to Matt's, his expression fierce. He glared at him using every ounce of angry energy he had in him. He pushed him backwards with the power of his eyes until Kris' hands were on his stomach, pushing him away.
"M-Matt, Matt," She said, trying to break them apart.
Junior turned around to leave, but then another flame of anger hit him and he clenched his fist, heaving it and turning around to hit Matt. He heard contact and felt triumphant, but that feeling completely dissipated when he saw Kris hunched over with a look of surprise and shock on her face.
"Kris!" Junior was the first to say her name and he watched helplessly as Matt cradled her in his arms and she held her eye. He couldn't help her. Couldn't comfort her. It wasn't his place anymore. That was Matt's job.
Junior walked out of the bustling club, Dani right on his tail. He shoved the door in a fit of anger and stormed out to his Porsche. He shouldn't have done this. He'd known it was too early, but he'd still gone. He felt Dani's hand on his shoulder and he turned around slowly, a pitifully sad look on his face.
"Junior," she said.
"Save it. I just wanna go home, alright?" He said, climbing into the car.
He drove at an astonishingly fast speed down the highway, thinking of the evening's events. When they finally got home, Junior got out of the car and walked up the steps and into the house. Dani trailed farther behind him this time, though. He went up to his bedroom and, not five minutes later, heard Dani's bedroom door close.
Junior sighed as he sat on his bed in the dark room. He refused to sleep. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't know if he could do it. If he could put himself through that misery. That sadness. He shook his head vehemently and got up, quietly opening his door and going downstairs, walking out of the house for the seconds time that night.
Matt pulled up to Kris' trailer and they both sat there for a moment, neither able to say anything. She looked over at him, but as he turned his head to look at her, she turned her attention back to the road.
"Are you okay?" Matt asked her.
"M'fine," she mumbled. "I just- ah, I just need to be alone right now, okay, Matt? You get that, don't you?"
"Yeah, fine. I'll see you tomorrow," he said and Kris got out of the car, walking briskly over to her trailer.
Fifteen minutes later, Kris was sitting at the table near the front door of her trailer, watching TV. It was some tape that she had found of a soap opera. She wasn't really sure which, though. Eventually, they all ran together in her mind.
She was startled out of the imaginary world that wasn't hers by a knock on her trailer door. She ignored it and was surprised to hear a creak as the door slowly opened. She stayed where she was, unmoving, so that whoever it was would leave immediately. No such luck.
She felt her mouth drop open at the sight of Junior Davis in the doorway. Her doorway. The first thought to enter her mind was, How dare he? But then she thought better of herself and remembered it had been an accident.
Junior stared at Kris when he walked into her trailer. He looked to the bruise that was forming rather quickly on the left cheek of her face. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, all the while having Kris stare right back at him. She didn't move even when he did speak. He stepped closer to her, letting the door fall closed. "Hey," he said quietly.
Kris continued to stare in reply. She looked closely at his face, taking in his expression. He looked tired, drained, hurt, angry, sad. So many negative emotions. And to think she'd caused all that to brew inside of him. She'd never seen him like this. She didn't know how to treat him and she definitely didn't know what to say or do
"Um, can I sit down?" Junior asked, gesturing to the seat across from her. He gulped and took a deep breath.
Kris averted her stare to the seat. Junior must have taken that as a yes, for he promptly sat down. Her eyes fell down to her hands, where her thumbs were twiddling furiously from nervousness.
When five minutes had passed, and then ten without any talking, Kris spoke. "What did you come here to say, Junior?" Her eyes met his and she felt electrified. As soon as the feeling ran through her, though, she turned her gaze out the window. She wasn't allowed to let that happen anymore. She'd picked Matt. That decision was final.
"I punched you."
"Yeah, we all know that Junior." Kris rolled her eyes and ran her hand through her hair.
"No, I mean, I punched you. Hard. And I just- I didn't mean to and I- Kris, I'm sorry. I just came here to tell you that. So I guess now that I have I can leave," Junior started to get up, lightly slapping his hand on the table as he did so.
"Junior, wait," Kris said, letting out an exasperated sigh.
A smirk that he hadn't had in so long came onto his face without his permission and he paused, his foot in mid air. He wiped his current expression off of his face and faced her, hands at his sides. He looked completely and totally innocent.
"I accept your apology," she said, smiling weakly and blinking tiredly.
"Well, then, I can go."
"I'll go with you. I need to go up to the house anyway." When Junior gave her a look, she said, "Jean wanted to talk to me."
"Okay then," Junior said. He stayed where he was and let her pass. There was little room to walk, however, and Kris brushed up against his body, hard. He lightly grabbed her arm, stopping her from going farther.
Kris looked at Junior quizzically. He studied her face for a moment, becoming increasingly rapt with her lips as his eyes fell on them. His gaze was drifting from her eyes to her lips and Kris slowly let her eyes close. She could feel his hot breath on her lips and almost taste him already. She felt a pleasant sensation rush through her body, from her head to her toes, as his lips touched hers, moving up and down to the beat that only they knew.
It was a slow kiss. Slow and numbing. It made Kris' body and mind slow and foggy as Junior pulled away. She blinked and looked up at him, her eyes slightly widened to keep herself awake but also in surprise.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. Then he walked out to the Porsche and Kris watched him drive off. Her hand went up to her mouth and her fingers gently touched her soft lips, which where still vibrating and tingly.
A small gust of wind blew towards the door of her trailer and it tickled her nose. She let in a small gasp as Junior drove off slowly into the quickly darkening sky. She held her stomach, wrapping both arms around it, and watched as he left her, delving into the darkness that was all around her.