"But Aunt Cassie, why? Why would you let that…that creepy murderer into your home? What if he…what if…" 25 year old Dani spluttered, her face turning red with frustration. She's finally lost it, Dani thought to herself furiously. All those investigations must have finally gotten to her. Of all the people to have to face...why does it have to be him?
Cassie sighed and looked at her niece, completely understanding her reservations with being in the same vicinity as Justin Pendleton, the convicted murderer who was being released that day from the State Prison on parole. Nobody really understood Cassie's desire to help Justin, not even her partner, who incidentally swore that as long as Justin was staying with Cassie, he was camping out in a car in front of her house at night.
She had received a great deal of flack when she had started to visit Justin in jail and then when she had spoken with her friend at the Drake Inn and convinced him to hire the boy upon his release. But she just felt a connection with him, felt she understood him. She was, in a sense, just as alone as he was. Justin had never met his father, and as for his mother, she had made it clear that she didn't want anything to do with him, not that she ever had. Cassie, in a way that she couldn't clearly express to anyone, felt close to Justin. He would have made a brilliant detective, she thought sadly, a wistful smile playing on her lips.
Dani gasped in annoyance. "Aunt Cassie! This is not funny! How could you have not told me this when you invited me to stay for the summer? I won't stay in the same house as him: I won't!" She clenched her fists at her side, glaring at Cassie. Cassie smiled at her sadly, unable to help feeling a rush of love for the girl. Dani's mother, her sister Claire, had been killed when they were younger, and Dani had been just a child at the time. She had never really known her mother, but if she had, Cassie thought to herself, she would know that she was just like her: her long, dark, fly-away hair, and her blazing black eyes. Her passionate personality.
"Dani," Cassie said, moving over to put her arm around her niece's shoulders, which she could feel were trembling. "It's only for a week, until his new job at the hotel starts, then he'll live there, on the premises. He's served his time, Dani. And he really is, for all his mistakes, a very interesting person. And I know you, Dani. You have a heart of gold. I know you can be ok with this." Dani sniffed, tears stinging at her eyes, and she pushed away from her Aunt, turning her back on her.
"Interesting person? Yes, Aunt Cassie, I remember him. Don't forget, we did go to High School together, although I'm sure he doesn't remember me," she said bitterly. Cassie put her hand on Dani's shoulder.
"Is that what this is about? Dani, talk to me. Are you upset about something that happened in High School? I didn't know you two were friends: it was a big school. And since the murders happened just after you moved away with your Dad, we never really talked about it. Let's talk about it now, ok?" Dani turned towards her, tears running down her face, and Cassie pulled her into a hug.
"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. What is it? Tell me what you're afraid of. Did Justin ever hurt you?" Cassie handed her a tissue from the kitchen table and Dani sniffled into it.
"No, not exactly. I never even talked to him. But I used to…" Cassie's eyes widened as Dani blushed. "I…I used to watch him a lot. I always wanted to talk to him, but I was scared. He was always so smart, and I was sort of afraid of him. And then when I heard about what had happened, I just couldn't believe it. I just couldn't…" Dani sniffled again, swiping at her eyes impatiently. "I just couldn't believe it. And I cried for a long time." She looked at Cassie helplessly, her eyes pleading for understanding. Cassie nodded sympathetically, reaching for Dani's hand as she continued. "Dad didn't know what was wrong with me, and I couldn't tell him. But I haven't stopped thinking about him," she whispered, looking lost. "And when you told me that you had been visiting him, I just felt…terrified. For reasons I can't even understand myself." Cassie sighed and reached to hug her again. She felt Dani trembling in her arms.
"Dani, I didn't know you…always liked Justin. I do understand your fears. But give him a chance. It was a horrible thing he did, and you don't have to forgive him. But try to deal with it, ok? I want you here with me." Dani nodded and Cassie smiled. "I'm going to get him now. Will you be here when we get back?"
"Yes," Dani mumbled. "But you better believe I'm sleeping with a kitchen knife under my pillow." Cassie sighed, before leaning to kiss Dani on top of her head. She grabbed her keys and walked out of the house.
Dani listened to her Aunt start the car, burying her face in her hands, unable to stop the memories from flooding her mind.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Justin asked her. Unable to answer, or look away from his blue, blue eyes, Dani nodded dumbly, feeling her palms start to sweat as Justin smiled at her.
"It is taken?" he asked, amused. Dani gasped, turning red, and shook her head.
"It isn't taken?" Justin asked, still smiling. Dani wildly glanced around at the noisy cafeteria, hoping nobody was witnessing her make a fool out of herself. She looked back at Justin as he slid into the seat across from her.
"You're in my chemistry class," Justin said conversationally, taking an apple out of his lunchbag and biting into it. Dani stared at him, willing herself to say something, anything.
"Yes," she stammered. "Chemistry." She felt her face turning even redder. Justin stared back at her curiously, still smiling slightly.
"Am I making you nervous?" he said with a grin.
"Yes," Dani blurted out. He laughed and she cleared her throat nervously. "I mean...no, of course not. I...see you later," she mumbled, closing her eyes briefly in embarrassment before she got up from the table, practically running to the nearest exit. She never saw Justin staring after her, still smiling.
Dani felt herself begin to sweat as she gave in to these memories of Justin...
There was the field trip to the museum...that asshole, Richard. So glad it was him that died and not Justin, she thought crazily.
"Quit it, you retard!" Dani yelled at Richard, who was following close behind her, stepping on the backs of her sneakers as the group made their way through the museum hallways. Richard snickered.
"Why is it that you're the only one who talks that way to me, Dani baby? You should be nicer to me." Dani turned around to glare at him, grinning at her.
"Don't call me baby, you creep." she hissed at him. " And why should I be nice to you? You've been mean to me since we were five years old, rich boy." The other students in the class hooted and laughed. Richard only grinned.
"I'll bet you'd be nice to me if I was...you know who," he said teasingly. "The boy you're in love with.We all see you staring at Justin as if you want to eat him like an ice-cream sundae," he said, motioning to Justin, who was kneelling down next to a floor sculpture, examining it. He looked up when Richard nudged him with his foot, glancing at Dani's furious blushing face with mild interest and a hint of a smile.
"Justin, my friend, didn't you just tell me the other day you thought Dani was...how did you put it...cute, although...so nervous that it's painful to watch?" As Richard and his friends laughed, Dani felt as if she wanted to sink into the floor, she was so embarrassed. Justin frowned at Richard disapprovingly, then glanced at Dani's blushing face, sympathy in his eyes.
"Richard, don't be such a dick, leave the kid alone," he said softly, getting up and moving over to the next room display, Dani watching him miserably, thinking how he would never be interested in a joke like her...
Now, as Dani sat at the kitchen table of her Aunt's small house, she thought to herself how ridiculous life was. Why now, she thought, after all these years, after all that has happened. Why? And as she picked up the latest horror novel she was reading from where it was lying on the kitchen table, she tried desperately to ignore the fact that she was waiting to see him. Waiting with all her heart.