Smashed
On the night of the reveal, just after Ronnie finds the locket. Danielle gets drunk, returns from the tube station to Ronnie's house and smashes every window….. Stacey finds her and the pair trash the place…
Her mother's harsh words rang in Danielle's ears… "You pathetic little freak…" she felt numb inside… all those foolish dreams of being reunited with Ronnie had all been a ridiculous fantasy. Danielle knew that she had made a terrible mistake. No one believed her now, she would be seen as a laughing stalk, a pathetic looser that no one had any time for.
Why should she leave, she thought to herself. This was her world too. Ronnie would soon realise the truth and then she'd be sorry. Danielle's vicious side came out, she wanted to anger her mother further, to cause her pain, then perhaps Ronnie would realise what it felt like to be hated.
Danielle threw her bag over her shoulders, "Look at me…" she said to the dark night sky, "Crying like a baby….I need to grow up!" she wiped her tears a way fiercely, and marched back across the square.
She wandered back into the Slater's house and grabbed a bottle of vodka…. She opened the lid and began to down it…. It burned her throat at first, but she felt comforted….. Reckless… like she could really hurt someone…… Danielle could hear Stacey throwing up in the toilet up stairs and decided not to bother her friend.
She shut the front door quietly and headed off out into the disserted street again..
Danielle stared up at her mother's home.. It was dark inside, Ronnie hadn't returned yet. Probably she was still over at the vic partying the night away, totally oblivious to Danielle's feelings. She was a heartless evil cow, who disserved to suffer… And as for Archie, Danielle hoped he would choke on his Champaign and drop dead.
"I could die tonight… And none of them would care…" said Danielle to herself sounding defeated, she took another few gulps of vodka, and wiped her mouth on her sleeve "I'll make her pay!" she screamed viciously, "I hate you!" She picked up a rock from the street and hurled it threw one of the windows…. The smash of the glass made her feel better, stronger, just like her mother.
Danielle continued hurling large rocks at the house…. Suddenly she heard a voice, calling to her, the voice sounded baffled…
"Danielle….." called Stacey, rushing towards her friend in high heels and trying not to fall over, "What the ell are you doing…. The ol square can probably hear what your up to! Just leave it aye Dan…. You've made your point!"
Stacy grabbed Danielle's arm firmly, "Leg it… Or the old bill will be on there way soon…"
"Get off me!" screamed Danielle, pulling her hand away and staggering towards Ronnie's door. There was pure anger in her eyes, which was being directed at anyone who came near her… She used one of her rocks to break the glass and then let herself in….
"Alright Dan…." sighed Stacey, following her friend, and pulling the bottle out of her hand… and taking a large swig said, "Lets do this… But mind we're gonna be banged up for a long time after this…. Do you think you can andle it?"
Danielle didn't answer….. She was in no fit state to think about what she was doing let alone care about what would happen later.
It was very quiet when the two drunk girls stumbled into the dark and lonely flat…
Stacey turned on a light, and began drinking from the vodka bottle heavily, "Let's get this party started!" she roared, smiling wickedly, "I'll head to the vodka stores… A slapper like Ronnie has to have drink somewhere…."
Danielle took a rolling pin from one of the kitchen drawers and began to lay into the radio… Stacey ripped the microwave from the wall and threw it on the floor, "Yeh take that!" she slurred drunkenly, and almost tripped over the thing.
But Danielle had lost the plot completely. She began screaming with rage, she took a swing at the TV with her fist and then pushed it to the floor, yelling "Why! Why!… There was blood pouring out of her knuckles and wrist, but she felt nothing…..
Next she went for the pictures on the wall, "There we go mummy dearest!" she laughed manically, "Happy now!" she chucked the photos on to the floor in a pile and then started jumping on them and kicking them across the room.
Stacey came through from the kitchen and laughed, "Dan… what are you on girl….. " but then her expression changed when she saw the red stuff pouring from Danielle's hand and wrist, "Ah…. Jesus Christ Danielle….." stuttered Stacey in a panicked tonne, "What have you done to yourself…. What were you thinking…"
Danielle stopped and slid to the floor clutching her head in her hands…… Her features began to dissolve… She had turned into an animal… Tears poured from her eyes, and she began to notice the horrible throbbing in her hand, blood had soaked into most of the right arm of her yellow cardigan…. She screamed in fear…."Ahhhhhhhhh!" she moaned pathetically..
Stacey ran to her and ripped a bit of material off her skirt to wrap it round the wound which was bleeding terribly badly…..
"It's alright Dan… We'll get out of hear.. And to the hospital…. I should have dragged you home the minute I saw you here…. You really are nuts…" Stacey tried her best to sooth her friend, but Danielle was inconsolable…"Here… drink this…." Stacey poured some more vodka into Danielle's mouth…And bent down next to crying girl…She poured some alcohol on the knuckle wounds, Danielle screamed in pain, "It'll feel better in a minute," Stacey assured her…
Just then Stacey heard a noise and a loud bang…. The door swung open….And three police officers stood before them..
"Well…. Well……well…." said the one which looked like postman pat, "Good party is it girls….." and then he noticed the state of Danielle and his expression changed, "Cathy… call an ambulance…… You girls are in serious trouble! You are both under arrest for breaking and entering, vandalism…. And breach of the peace… You do not have to say anything, anything you do say may be taken as evidence…"
One of the female officers, took Stacey by the arm, "Get off me…" she hissed, "The tart that lives here! Is her mother!" she nodded at the broken Danielle, who was still sobbing in shame…..
"Regardless…. You are under arrest!" snapped the woman who Stacey thought resembled a bulldog, "Get up…. Now!" she pulled Stacey to her feet and handcuffed her.
"Oye watch it will yah!" shouted Stacey, stumbling after her, "Ronnie was looking for er earlier….. Ronnie Mitchell the local prostitute…." added Stacey with a drunken smirk….
The other female officer, went to help Danielle to her feet, she tutted loudly, "Look at the state of you girl… Why on earth did you do such a thing….. Smashing up someone else's home isn't going to make things better for yourself……" she stopped and then asked curiously, "Is this really your mother's place…"
Danielle pursed her lips and nodded, she wiped her eyes with her bloody sleeve and followed the cops out of the flat.. She just wanted to lie down and die, she felt so ashamed of herself…
Ronnie ran for her flat as soon as she noticed the police car….. She had been searching for Danielle for some time now….
"Oh… my…. god!" she uttered in shock, noticing the state of her broken windows……. And then when she saw the police coming out of the house with Stacey Slater and then to her horror Danielle, she almost fainted.
"Danielle!" she screamed, running across the square as fast as she could…. Her child looked dreadful, there was blood all over her. What the hell had happened, "Danielle!"
The police woman practically had to lay Danielle down in the back seat of the car…..
Ronnie ran up to the pavement and then gazed up at her destroyed windows…. She gasped in horror……. Then she felt awful, as she listened to her daughter crying in agony…..
"What do you think you are doing to my daughter!" snarled Ronnie in exasperation, "Isn't anyone going to tell me what's going on here! This is my house!"
"Calm down mam…." Insisted the male police officer, "We'll get your kid to hospital first…. Before we throw the book at her…. She was seen violently throwing bricks through those windows, she is also extremely drunk and disorderly!"
Ronnie ignored the man and glared at Stacey who sat next to her daughter, Danielle was still screaming and hitting out at the woman who was trying to calm her down…
"Get off her!" Ronnie ordered, and the woman stepped back…."Let go of her!"
"Fine…. You see what you can do with her…..Let's hope this pissing ambulance gets here soon….. We're not allowed to drive her you see, not in this state…."
"Then I'll bloody well drive her….. What are you lot, thick or what…… Idiots!" Ronnie turned to her wailing daughter and clasped her bleeding hand, "It's not too bad darling…." she whispered softly… "I'm not angry…. ok…… After what I said to you…. I'm not surprised you wanted to get back at me…. I believe you ok……. I love you, just calm down baby…."
Danielle's breathing became less strained…. Ronnie pushed the car door wide open with her foot and lifted Danielle out into her arms…..
"Hey!" exclaimed one of the officers, "What do you think your doing…. She's under arrest lady…."
Stacey was laughing away to herself, wishing that she had a camera.
"None of your business!" hissed Ronnie, supporting her drunken daughter as best she could, "You're not taking her anywhere, so why don't you all just piss off!" her voice was getting louder, "We don't need your help thanks, my house, my daughter, my problem, so take a running jump aye!"
"Right that's it!" shouted the bulldog lady, "You are under arrest madam…." she pulled Ronnie back and out of her daughter's arms…. And received a smack across the face from the crazy blond, "Don't you dare!" she yelled, as the police officer struggled to get her under control.
"Stop it!" roared the other officer…….. "Get in the car Miss Mitchell this instant…And remain seated……" he lifted Danielle up from the curb… "I'm beginning to see why this poor girl's such a mess…. I will escort her to hospital and bring her back in later…. Oh thank the lord….. there's the ambulance..
Stacey smiled as Ronnie sat next to her, "Arrested aye…. Twice in one year, boy Dan's well lucky to have a mova like you….."
Part 2
Danielle's head lolled as the policeman attempted to help her over to the ambulance…
"Ger off meeee! Just piss off!" screamed Danielle in a distressed voice, trying to free herself from the man…. Stumbling as she did so, "I need ti go home.." she slurred…..
"That's enough now love….. Stop being a silly little fool aye!"
Danielle doubled over and threw up on his shoes…. She then continued to wail.
"Ahhhh sick!" uttered the disgusted looking man, "Come on you!" he ordered dragging Danielle by the arm….
"Don't you dare hurt her!" shouted Ronnie banging loudly on the car windows, "Let me see to her…. I can calm her down!"
She watched as Danielle was half carried into the ambulance, still screaming, louder than ever.
Stacey snorted as the police car pulled out of the street, and in the direction of Walford nick, "You're the one who caused all this in the first place you dumb slappper!"
"That's enough back there!" snapped the bull dog woman, "What's your name anyway girl….."
"Stacey Slater!" replied Stacey in a rude voice, "What de yah want a signed Phota…"
"Well…. Stacey Slater, you and your friend better say your prayers tonight that's all I'm saying, and as for you miss Mitchell, I'm charging you with assault…."
"Assault!" uttered Ronnie in a shocked voice, "What… that little tap? I just wanna see my daughter is that too much to ask!"
"Well you can see her later…" laughed the other police woman, "When we lock you both up together…."
"Yeh.." added the bulldog, "Next time you go out, perhaps you'd better hide the vodka…." she sneered.
Danielle felt worse than she had ever done in her life… They had stitched her up and given her lots of water to drink, but now she was beginning to realise the stupidity of her actions. Her father would find out, and be ashamed of her, Ronnie was probably disgusted with her and would never speak to her again.
She had gotten her own mother arrested, she had embarrassed herself more than she thought possible. And now she was on her way to the police station, where an angry Ronnie and Stacey would be waiting for her.
She had officially hit rock bottom, so this is what it felt like to be a complete looser…. It wasn't enough that she had murdered her own child, she was now a violent criminal.
When she arrived, there was screaming and thundering noises coming from all around her.
She handed over her possessions without question and signed a form handed to her….. Keeping her head down as much as possible. Having never been arrested before, she was deeply afraid of the place…
"Right…. in you go…." said the woman who was escorting her, as she opened up the cell door, "I hope your not afraid of the dark…." she added nastily…… "Because the lights go out very soon…"
Ronnie stirred as soon as she heard the door open….. She had been dozing for hours, unable to fall completely asleep…..
Stacey was propped up in the corner of the cell, snoring loudly….
Danielle heard the door slam behind her and then turned to face Ronnie…. She was expecting her too scream and yell at her and tell her she was worthless….
"Ronnie…" she exclaimed in a frightened childlike voice, without moving….
"Oh… Danielle…." said Ronnie shaking her head, "What have you done to yourself aye….. look at the state you're in…" she whispered softly, "My poor baby…."
Stacey began to stir in her sleep, and muttered something incoherently, "You want some yeh, yeh, you wanna piece.." and then she rolled over and continued to snore…
Danielle glanced at her friend, wanting her to wake up so that she wouldn't have to deal with Ronnie alone, she was too ashamed to face her…
"Come here Danielle and sit down…" said Ronnie firmly, "Now…." she said in a gentler voice.
Danielle did so, but Ronnie could see that the girl was shaking with fear…. She started to whimper again, and then began to cry, more out of exhaustion than anything else.
Ronnie took her daughter's face in her hands, "I'm sorry sweetheart….. Don't worry I'll get you off the charges, we'll be out of here soon, very soon…." she whispered gently stroking her daughter's hair…"No more crying aye…" she hushed…"No more tears…"
Danielle sobbed harder than ever and threw her self into Ronnie's arms, "I'm sorry I smashed your windows…." she wailed bitterly, "You were right I am hopeless freak…"
"No!" insisted Ronnie, rocking her inconsolable daughter, "You stood up for yourself… I disserved what I got, I can buy new windows and doors Danielle but I can't buy a new daughter, don't ever think badly of yourself, no matter what anyone might say…. I should have believed you, instead of that liar of a father of mine…. I swear I'm going to make him pay for what he's done…"
"Can you forgive me….." Ronnie took the two lockets which she had around her neck and pressed them together tightly, "You are my daughter, and I hurt you…..But….. Please… please forgive me…"
Danielle nodded and rested her head on her mother's lap, grasping her hand tightly.
Danielle's sobs became less, she was still shaking but the crying was quieter…. After a while, she said, "I smashed your telly…" in a guilty little voice, like a five year old might after stealing some sweets….
Ronnie laughed slightly at her daughter's guilty tonne, and kissed her cheek "That's ok sweetheart, as long as the microwave's ok…. I just bought that…." she added jokingly….
"No… Stacey wrecked that too…" wailed Danielle, not understanding why her mother was laughing.
"Oh… just go to sleep aye darling…. I'll sort everything out in the morning…. Don't you worry…." whispered Ronnie in a motherly voice, as she kissed her forehead, "You have to rest now…"
Danielle tried to forget everything that happened and fall asleep, but it was a long time before Ronnie felt her daughter's breathing relax…..
Ronnie watched her daughter sleep, her expression looked strained, Danielle's face was smeared with tears, mud and patches of blood, and her hair was matted…. Her clothes were torn and her fingers were badly scraped, she looked like she had been in some sort of fight. God, they could have cleaned her up a bit at the hospital….
"How could I have let her get into this state…." thought Ronnie guiltily to herself, "I've been so awful to her, but I can make things right now…"
She could here shouting and swearing in the near vicinity…. What a place for her sweet baby to be in, she covered the sleeping girl's ears gently and whispered softly, "I love you….…"