October was fast approaching, putting up jack'o'lanturns and decorations in its wake. Dirk was sitting on the front porch of the apartment complex he stayed in with the three other blonde kids, one foot tapping the cracked concrete while his other supported an elbow and, in turn, chin. He stubbed out a cigarette, releasing the last of the smoke with a long, heavy sigh.
Rose hated the fact that he smoked, not allowing him to do so in the apartment, even though the majority of the inhabitants could not care less. He rubbed at the bridge of his nose, aviators momentarily askew. He replaced them promptly as the door hinges behind him squawked in protest to being opened. The worn soles of shoes slapped down the stairs, followed by the thud of someone falling into a sitting position beside him.
Dirk shot a sideways glance, eyes visible past the edge of his sunglasses, thanks to the angle. Rose met them directly with her icy violet gaze before looking out at the dirty street. Their little end of the city was far different from the Egbert's- more or less the ghetto for an otherwise upbeat city. She cleared her throat a bit, the light wrinkle in her nose showing her distaste at the lingering stench of nicotine.
"Well?" She asked after a long pause, a breathy white cloud ghosting past her lips. Dirk was still watching her, brow furrowed slightly.
"Excuse me?"
Rose gave him a look, lips quirked in slight irratation. "Do not play stupid with me, Strider. When are you going to tell us what is wrong? We can only sit around and watch you elapse further and further into this hole of self loathing and depression for so long before our hand will be forced. It would be so much easier and pleasant if you simply complied."
His feiry orange eyes dropped down to the concrete between his feet, head still in his hand. He was shaking it slowly, declining any sort of help. "There is nothing to talk about, Rose. You know that."
"Oh, come now, I do not have the patience for this right now." She said, drawing her legs up closer with a light flutter of her home made dress. Her sewing skills were nothing short of professional, though she had her cold little heart set on something majoring in psychology.
Dirk stood up, looming over her as he swept off his clothes and turned to retreat into the apartment. The girl pushed herself to her feet as well, catching his hand and having him turn around; hugging her brother gently around the middle. He was obviously surprised, though before he could say or do anything, she was gathering up a binder she'd set down and walking away; probably up the street a bit to where her best friend, Kanaya Maryam, lived.
He closed his eyes, taking a long pause before he made his way back inside. They lived up near the top floor and, thanks to a few drunken idiots, the elevators were currently out of order. He instead made his way up the stairs, keeping a count in the back of his mind.
Floor one, floor two, floor three, floor four..
Why was it everyone he knew had to pry so insistingly into his private life? It really was none of their concern. There was nothing to discuss- which was, in his opinion, part of the problem. Nothing new, nothing exciting and certaintly nothing personal.
Floor five, floor six, floor seven, and, finally, floor eight.
Dirk dropped his thoughts as he reached the top of the cement steps, pushing through the door out of the stairwell and into the musty, offwhite hall. It was dark, thanks to the unchanged lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling, but the window at the far end of the hall cast white light far enough to see.
He opened the door to their shared apartment, closing and locking it behind him. Dave and Roxy were sitting in the small livingroom, he on the floor and she on the ragged couch with a huge smile. "Hey~" She greeted without looking up, turning a corner and just missing a head shot on Dave- who, in turn, knifed her in passing and continued on.
"Awwwww," the girl whined, flopping back against the couch with a frown. She was clad in a tight-fitting black canvisol and baggy pink pajama pants, while Dave, too, was still wearing his red pajama pants. Dirk sifted a hand through his messy blonde hair as he passed them; scarce enough room behind the couch for one to reach the kitchenette on the opposite side.
There was a bottle of extremely cheap wine left sitting out with a cracked glass, probably Roxy's morning drink. And they said he had a nasty habit.
"Hey," Roxy said, leaning over the back of the couch to look at Dirk, "are you working tonight?"
He snatched an RC from the fridge, cracking it as he turned to face her. "Yeah. Why?" The girl scrunched up her nose a bit in exhasperation, wriggling back to face the TV.
"Cuz I wanted to go over and spend the night with the 'berts. Janey's birthday is tomorrow, remember~?" She sighed, slumping down a bit.
"Then you go. I'll stay here." Dirk rounded the couch, perching on the arm with one leg up in front of him and the other hanging. Roxy groaned again, rubbing at her face.
"But what about you? If me 'n Dave go, and Rose is stayin' with Kankan, then you'll be home all alooone." She drawled, frowning up at him with her thin arms crossing.
"I don't mind."
"A'course you don't. You're so antisocial these days! No wonder you don't have any friends."
Dirk made a small motion toward the screen and Roxy jumped; hurriedly grabbing up her controler just before Dave got at her with the same knife as before. She bolted, quickly losing the boy. While she was distracted, Dirk took the opportunity to move back to the bedroom; which had a bunk bed, a single and a nest on the floor.
He had claimed the top bunk, the only bed with sort of privacy, and, for that very reason, had passed it on to Rose. She wasn't strict on him remaining on the lower bunk, however; so he scaled the rattling ladder and carefully tossed himself down on the upper bunk.
The comforting scent of his younger sister lifted from the disturbed blankets, giving Dirk at least a little peace of mind. In all honesty, he probably shouldn't have allowed her to walk herself up the street -she was only fourteen, after all, and there were quite a few creeps present- though he'd seen what had happened to the last guy that gave her a little trouble..
There wasn't much to worry about.
At some point, Dirk must have drifted off, as the next thing he was aware of was a toy cat bouncing off the top of his head. "Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirk," Roxy was whining and, by her tone, had been for a while. The cat, complete with a pink bow, fell into his hands as he sat up a bit and glared over the edge of the bunk. His sunglasses were no longer covering his bright orange eyes, though they no longer phased her.
"What."
"Huh?" She jumpped a bit, dropping the wizard she'd drawn back to chuck up at him. "Oh! We're getting ready to go- you really should get ready!" Roxy said, putting a hand on her waist.
"I already said I'm not going."
"Oh, come on! It's for Janey's birthday!"
"What if Rose comes back and needs help? There wouldn't be anyone around for her."
"Ugh, she has a cellphone, y'know! She can just call or text or somethin'."
Dirk rolled his eyes, flopping back down on the bed. Roxy resumed chucking her small plushies up at him and complaining about him. Dirk finally relented, sitting up on his elbows and brushing his hair back with his fingers. He hopped off the side of the bunk, snatching his glasses and putting them on.
"Good boy~" Roxy giggled, musing his messy bed head before turning on her heel and walking out of the shared bedroom. At least she'd managed to dress herself.
He did not bother to change, merely shrugging a bit deeper into his jacket and leading the two younger blondes out the door. "So you're coming?" Dave inquired, looking up at his brother as they descended the stairs. It'd been a while, yet still no maintanance for the elevators.
"No dip."
Roxy rolled her hot pink eyes, looping an arm through Dave's. "Sorry, Dave. Dirk is PMSing too much right now to be nice~" She giggled and Dave smirked, though Dirk himself gave no reply or acknowledgement. "Ugh, come on! I remember back when you were fun! Now you're just.. not fun."
"Ten points, Lalonde." Dave said, his opposite hand diving into his pocket.
Dirk reached the bottom floor, holding the door for the two and instead taking up pace behind them. Roxy pretended not to notice, instead holding small, meaningless conversations with Dave. The oldest of the Striders nearly walked right past the fence- had Dave not caught his sleeve and guided him in the correct direction.
The immediate scent of baking sweets wafted through the front door as Jade answered it, grinning and hopping back a step to allow them in. John and Dad were busily working in the kitchen, Jane sitting at the window with a look of longing.
"Please?" She begged, leaning across the bar-like window with her lands clasped together and light blue eyes glimmering.
"No!" John giggled in reply, skipping over to check on the cake. "You're not baking your own birthday cake!"
"Why not?"
"Because it's just not right."
"Ugh, but why?"
"Janey!" Roxy cut in, throwing herself at Jane and hugging her tight around the neck. John laughed in triumph and Dad chuckled, waving the two girls away from the window.
"Roxy," he said once the two had settled down and she'd taken a seat on one of the barstools, "would you like to lick the bowl?" Lalonde let out a shrill squeal of excitement as he passed her the bowl coated in homemade chocolate icing.
Jane smiled softly at her best friend as the girl quickly swiped her finger through the icing and licked it up; something she'd done since she was a child. Dad had taken to handing off the bowls or whisks to her rather than any of the others, especially John. He despised sweet things.
Dirk passed her silently, hands deep in his pockets and eyes fluttering a bit in anxious thought. Dave had already migrated to the livingroom with John, fighting with him over the remote and what to watch- Con Air, which was playing on HBO or the Barbie movie playing on Cartoon Network.
He sat down at the end of the far couch, positioning him just beside the window. The curtains were parted just enough to see outside, where it was begining to grow dark. He stared out toward the trees bursting up in colorful arrays of autumn leaves periodically from the sidewalk through similiar golden orange eyes.
There was a light dip in the couch beside him as the birthday girl to be sat down. She was turned toward him, one arm on the back of the couch and her thin legs bundled up beneath her. "Mr. Strider?" Jane asked, resting a slim hand on his shoulder.
For a long moment, he was unresponsive; though he eventually turned to look at her. Her brows drew up in concern, heeled by a sad smile. "What kind of pizza would you like? The oven is being used right now, so Dad is going to go ahead and order from Cici's."
"You know I don't give a shit," he replied blandly, dismissively.
"Extra cheese it is."
Jane lingered a moment longer, gazing at Dirk's stone cold expression before standing up and retreating to the safe hold of the kitchen bar. Roxy was just pushing the bowl toward the sink, conviniently placed in the right corner within reach of the bar.
"The usual," Crocker said with a small smile, leaning beside Roxy. Dad nodded, turning to the phone he'd already been talking on to complete their order.
"So how's your boy doin'?" Roxy asked, resting her cheek in her palm and watching Jane with an easy grin.
"He's not my boy," Jane replied with a light blush, crossing her arms on the bar and averting her eyes in embarrassment.
"Whatever you say, Janey-girl~" Roxy sang, poking the girl's bright pink cheek.
John popped up on the other side of the bar, leaning partially over it and giving Jane a curious, questioning look. "Aw, what's wrong?" He asked with a buck-tooth grin, sparing Roxy's laughter a glance.
"Ugh, nothing!" Jane squeaked, burying her face in her hands.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Pizza's here~~" Jade cheered as she helped Dad bring it all in; laying it out on the coffee table between the couches and recliner. She set out some soda with it, along with breadsticks, plates and cups. "Are you guys ready to eat?"
Jane, who was sitting close between Dirk and Roxy, sat forward to crack open the boxes and release the warm aroma of fresh Cici's pizza. "Ooh, it smells so good," she hummed, pulling out slices and passing them off accordingly.
Dad sat down in his recliner with his plate, waggling a finger at the teens. "Make sure not to get any food on the furniture, kids." They all traded amused, knowing glances, recalling mishaps in the past when Mr. Egbert had forgotten his usual warning.
"I smell food!" John yelled from one of the back rooms, bolting out into the livingroom with Dave close behind. The derp's socked feet shot right out from beneath him on the hardwood flooring; Dave managing to hook his arm beneath John's back and steady him.
"My my, you've fallen hard for the ol' Strider charm, huh, Egert?" Dave teased, smirking down at the squirming, blushing boy.
"Daaaave! I'm not a homosexuaaaaal~!" He giggled, finally managing to regain his footing and hurrying more cautiously toward the table. Dave chuckled to himself as he sat down to enjoy his own dinner.
Once the pizza and soda alike had been depleted, Dad set about to work out the sleeping arrangements. "Dave, you can stay in John's room. Roxy and Jane can share a room as well," he said, motioning around at the kids as he spoke. "Since Rose isn't here, I suppose Jade gets her room to herself." A small cheer. "And Dirk.."
"I'll sleep on the couch," he said with a nod, knowing it was troublesome for them to ready the guest room- the room Mrs. Egbert had always loved. He didn't know much else about her, beyond that she was an angel and perfect in every way- or so everyone who had known her made her out to be.
"Are you sure? We have another room upstairs that I could-"
"It's fine, Mr. Egbert," Dirk assured him with a steely look. The fatherly figure relented with an unsure 'okay' as he stood.
"Well, good night, then, kids."
Did I mention before that this is more or less a vent via empathy on Dirk's part? I've been feeling off, but I have no idea what's wrong. It's good to feel like I'm not alone in this feeling, thanks to Dirk, and even moreso actually knowing what's wrong with Dirk. So yeah.