Drip...drip….drip...drip…
The slow sound of dripping water caused Danny to pull a pillow over his head. Usually, the sound of peppering rain eased him into a state of sleep. However, tonight it only beat against his eardrum causing him to have a headache. How could a simple drop of water be so loud inside his safe secure bedroom when the thunderstorm had raged outside?
He supposed it was due to the dream that his senses were heightened enough to let the drops of water against his gutter aggravate him so much.
Danny had the blasted dream again only hours before. The dream that at one time he had lived to have now became his nightmare. The dream tormented him with jeering of the things he could not have due to ignorance and self preservation but mostly due to unworthiness.
His fingers clutched around his pillow so tightly that his knuckles whitened. The cocoon , that he was desperately trying to make around his head with the feather filled rectangle, was doing no good. He still heard the metal pinging with the last droplets of a done passed storm.
Danny closed his eyes tightly trying desperately to rid himself of the sound of the droplets. For some odd reason that sound was a reminder of his personal torment that barraged him daily. Danny tried to think of his current girlfriend's face. He tried to desire touching her peachy cream colored skin. However, when he envisioned his fingers caressing a female body, they scraped across ebony skin. Danny cursed himself for it.
His first kiss with his girlfriend, Jo, hadn't even elicited desire. Danny thought perhaps it was her innocence of not knowing how to kiss. There was no softness of lips but a bombardment of an open mouth with a forced tongue. Danny gagged. Literally, he gagged. However, Jo thought the kiss was magical. After that, Danny tried his best not to endure too many of her magical kisses.
When he found out that Jo had kissed more boys than Lacey, he was shocked. Only three boys had endured her kisses before him. Lacey had kissed only Archie and Danny. But Jo had kissed four. In what world would such a thing happen but in Danny's Twisted world? Poor Rico was one of them. Danny was sure the boy was scarred for life thinking that is how kisses were supposed to be. Danny hoped that Andie had rid Rico of the memory of that kiss. Then there was Tyler. Danny was sure that Tyler wasn't interested in kissing but what it would lead to. With Josephine Marie Masterson, it did lead to that quickly. Sex was kind of the goal for most teen boys. But in Danny's case with Jo, never. Eww. He thought.
Then there was Charlie. Charlie, Danny would have to excuse that boy. He had been in juvie for over a year. Any female's kisses would be taken by most boys. Which was also a juxtaposition for Danny. He was rather picky who he'd kiss first after juvie. That plan didn't disappoint Danny either. Lacey Porter was well worth the pursuit and the wait. Too bad Charlie ended up being Danny's and Jo's half brother and crazy. Maybe he'd have kept Jo happy so Danny didn't have to.
Danny rolled around again trying to find a comfortable position to acquire much needed sleep. He hadn't slept well since his father died at his hands no less. Danny's insomnia only escalated when he started dating Jo. With dating Jo, at least both girls would be happy. That was his main goal after all. To make Jo and Lacey happy.
Lacey deserved much more than he was or he would ever be. She had even reminded him prom night that she had pulled herself out of the nightmare he had thrown her into five years earlier. She would not let him drag her back down. Yet, he selfishly thought he could be good enough for her.
When getting out of juvie, Danny pursued her with vigor. He needed her from the moment he saw her again. Danny knew that was something that plagued him from that one second of seeing Lacey Porter. He got her. He lost her. Then he was with her again only to lose her again.
The night she told him that It had always been Jo rung true in his ears. Not the way Lacey thought. Jo was never the one he loved. Yet, Jo was the one that he knew he deserved. Lacey was far too good for the likes of him. Jo had proven to be as equally damaged as he was. Jo was self centered and self involved. She'd sacrifice nothing for anyone unlike Lacey, who continually put others before herself.
Many would argue that wasn't true due to Lacey hiding Danny and her relationship. However, Danny knew that was for him and her friends. Lacey knew he'd be tortured more than he already was by her 'In Crowd'. She knew that her friends would hurt thinking Lacey was dating their friend's killer. Her parents would flip out too. They were already going through so much. They didn't need to add Lacey dating Danny on the list of what to blame the other for. So as much as others thought Lacey was being selfish hiding Danny's and her romance, she was actually thinking of others more than herself.
The cold harsh fact that Danny faced that night was that Lacey would be better off without him. Lacey could be the queen once more without Jo and Danny miring her good name.
Once again, Danny's thoughts went back to the blasted dream. One would think that Danny would enjoy the reoccurring dream. However, the dream was more of a taunt to Danny. The dream was not a made up fantasy but a memory of when things felt right with the world. The dream was a reminder that Danny was happy at one time. Now, the dream was securing the fact in Danny's heart that he was not afforded happiness.
Danny's mind had always seemed much older than he was in years. He'd have to thank his Daddy dearest for the time taken from his youth which catapulted Danny into manhood. A boy couldn't exactly stay a boy in prison. Even if that prison was for those under the age of eighteen. Fighting to survive was much more important than allowing adolescence be too much of a factor. Yes. Youth wasn't a gift to Danny.
He had lost youth when he was locked away like an animal for a crime. A crime that he committed but claimed his father did. Danny still cursed at the fact he told Lacey and Jo a lie so that their lives would be far less dramatic than they had lived until that point. The idea came to him when he was on the run again. After all, his cell mate, Charlie McBride, had believed him. Ironically, that was a good thing considering Charlie was there to kill him for the murder of Tara Desai.
It was so easy to convince Charlie of his innocence. Danny remembered the satisfaction of having Charlie believe the lie. However, it wasn't as satisfying when he told the girls his falsified story. However, it was worth it to see Lacey's face brighten up at the story. Danny sighed at the memory of that perfect smile formed on her beautiful face.
Danny rolled over again flailing his arms in frustration. He cursed the pinging of the raindrops out loud this time. However, this time there was a reply from his bedroom door opening.
"Does your mother know you use language like that, step bro?" Whitney leaned against the door frame in a seductive pose. "Trouble sleeping? Maybe I can help?"
She wore only a small tank top and booty cut cotton shorts. Her goal was simple. Seduce the gorgeous boy, who had millions to spare. Lacey was no longer a threat as she was at first. Danny was with Jo. Whitney wanted to mock Danny for his choices. Lacey was the one to try to aspire to. Jo was more the type to leave behind.
Danny was a sixteen year old boy. Therefore, it was natural for him to notice Whitney's attire or lack thereof. However, this girl was confusing. One minute she was flirting with Lacey, the next she was standing in his room sleazily making suggestive comments.
"I'm fine, Whitney." Danny leaned up on his elbows as he allowed his eyes to roam up and down Whitney's body. "Shut the door on your way out."
Whitney ignored him as she strutted over to Danny's bed. She slinked down to sit on the edge of the bed. "Come on now, Danny. I wasn't offering what you think, silly boy. I know you got the love of your life in Jo."
Danny groaned and spoke without thinking. "Jo is far from the love of my life."
"Oh do tell." Whitney teased as she fiddled with something in her hand. Seducing Danny was far too much work. She'd go with plan number 2 or 3. Whitney had lost count at this point. "Seriously, Danny. Lacey thinks so."
"Lacey doesn't know me at all." Danny's eyes traveled to Whitney's hand. Her slender fingers ran across the objects in her palm. "What did you have in mind to make me sleep? And not sex as you say."
Whitney chucked arrogantly. "Oh Danny. I'd prefer Lacey to you any day. Although I admit, I'd still wouldn't mind a tumble in the hay with you, I'm not ignorant enough not to know that you'd prefer Lacey in that capacity. Unlike, Jo Masterson I refuse to be sloppy seconds."
Danny rolled his eyes at Whitney's words. Why was it so obvious to everyone but Lacey and Jo who he preferred as his girlfriend thus who he wanted to be entangled with in his sheets?
"Just answer me, Whitney."
The glint in Whitney's eyes flickered as the dim lighting from the hallway hit them. She held out her hand. "Take these. You'll forget that Jo Masterson exists. You'll also forget about your daddy, your stupidity with Lacey and…" Whitney chuckled as she watched Danny stare at the two pills resting in her palms. She leaned very close as she whispered in Danny's ear. "You'll even forget your name."
Danny grabbed the two pills quickly before he thought this whole thing through. He didn't want to think about anything but sleep. He shoved the capsules into his mouth and swallowed. "All I want is sleep."
"Yeah. You'll get that." Whitney stood up and began to walk out of Danny's room. She looked back over her shoulder with a wicked grin. "Have sweet dreams, Danny."
Somewhere between sleep deprived and numbness, Danny laid staring at his ceiling. The room seemed to be floating away with him in it. It felt strange yet welcome. Since he was eleven years old, his life had not been worth living with the exception of Lacey and their short lived romance. How long had it lasted? Approximately a week and a half first go round. Then four days the second. All the wasted potential that he had with her was gone in a split second with stupid decisions of keeping secrets and telling lies.
This time he was dreaming and not having plagued memories haunting him.
"What color looks best, Danny?" Lacey twirled around in front of him in a teal blue sundress. "I can try on the other one again."
"No." He smiled as he peered at her. "You look gorgeous in anything. But I like how that looks against your dark skin."
"Okay." Lacey grinned allowing her dimples to become prevalent. "I'll have to get a bikini to match."
Danny twisted on his bed as his body warmed up at the dream he was falling into. "My Lace."
He whispered into the nothingness of the air. "My sweet beautiful, Lace."
Whitney walked by Danny's bedroom hearing his utterance. She could tell the drug was working its effects on him. Wouldn't her daddy be so proud? She'd have to let Jack know that Danny took the little red pills without much of a fuss. Actually, there was no fuss at all. The boy really was desperate to escape reality. Whitney almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
She walked into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of mineral water. Karen greeted her with a smile before retiring to bed. Jack watched Karen leave the room before addressing Whitney.
"So. How did it go?" Jack chucked mischievously noticing the satisfied grin on his daughter's face.
"Easier than I thought." Whitney took a long sip of water before adding maliciously. " Who knew that Danny Desai would be easily made into a drug addict. I think he'll be hooked in no time." She peered over the rim of her water glass. "It is actually easy to want relief any way you can get it when you're tormented."