"Knock, Knock?" Danny stood hesitantly in the threshold of the doorway. A house once so familiar to him now seemed foreign and strange. Part of him wish he had bought Jo with him. But this was something he had to do on his own. Face down a demon he had long ago fought to destroy. He knocked again, calling into the empty hallway Taking a step in he noticed some open boxes stacked against the wall, packing paper spilling onto the wood floor.

"Hell-"

"Hey, sorry I had my head phones in, can I help you? Are you looking for my mom?"

Danny ways caught off guard by the warm, inviting smile of the girl who stood in front of him. Her deep brown eyes were framed in black rimmed glasses. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back, and displayed the stretched holes in her ears. Not from here, he thought to himself as she swallowed lump in his throat. He had stood silent for to long as he looked her over.

"Umm yeah. No, I mean." He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh as he collected his thoughts. "I'm Danny...Desai." The smile that played on his lips was slight. Awkwardness began to thicken the space between them as her inviting smile fell slightly.

"Oh, You're the- I mean you...shit. I was told that you...fuck. Connie, I'm Connie." Connie waved awkwardly. One of the first things her mother had told her about was him. The boy who strangled his aunt to death five years ago.

"Do you want to come in? I mean come in, come in, like into the kitchen?" The heat in her face told her that she was blushing. Danny had stood in her front hall less than five minutes and she was already drawn to something about him.

"That'd be nice." Every step he took into the house caused memories of his aunt to come back to him. Closing his eyes as he entered the kitchen he breathed deeply. The smell of new paint was slightly comforting to him. Something new, something wasn't there before. Smiling to himself as he relaxed he took a seat on a stool at the center island. Watching Connie as she pulled two bottles of water from the fridge. Something about her seemed completely different from other girls. It wasn't just her piercings that he liked, she seemed almost not to care even though she knew who he was.

Connie handed him the colder bottle of the two. Well aware of his watching her every move. Danny's fingers grazed hers gently as he took the bottle from her hand, and looked at her with his warm, intense chocolate eyes. Sitting next to him and facing him they sat together with knees touching.

"So what brings you here, Danny?" The way she said his name sounded different to him. She wasn't calling him Socio, or making him feel guilty for something he felt no remorse for. It felt like a friend should speak to another friend. The way someone you're close to should say your name.

"My aunt actually." Connie's eyebrows arched slightly in surprise as she took a sip of water. Danny licked his lips as he watched her's cup the edge of the bottle. Teen hormones lighting his body on fire. He could have sworn her knee pressed against his with more force. " She lived here. Once upon a time." His fingers traced small paths in the condensation forming on the bottle, and she followed his slender fingers as they moved in slow circles.

"I know." She paused momentarily." My mom told me. Apparently the Real Estate women couldn't keep her mouth shut about it. "He's the reason we can afford this place, no one else wants it." Then she started to ramble so I blocked her out after that." They both laughed sightly. "Moms."

"Moms. Are you going to the local high school or..." Trailing off he realized he was running before he even learned to walk with her. "I'm sorry. It's not really my business. I was just curious."

"No, I won't be. I finished early and tested out. I'm done with high school." This was Danny's time for slight surprise.

Connie smiled at him. Danny decided he would do anything to get a smile from her.