Dream With Me
Ch 10. Dear, I was mistaken (it was only a pit stop)

Pepito didn't know the name of the girl grinding against him, but he didn't really care too much. He knew that it wasn't Amanda; she'd been avoiding him since the night of the party where she'd watched ten of their mutual acquaintances get brutally slaughtered. Funny how that could have such an effect on someone. From what he'd heard she might be in an asylum by the end of the week.

Something was breaking through the daze…what was that noise? Or the lack thereof…the music had disappeared. His eyes opened and he let go of the nameless girl. She stepped away from him and looked around with the other multitude of confused teens. But then, he saw it, his worst nightmare.
"Alright, now that the hideous excuse for music is off," Barbara's sweet no-nonsense voice echoed from the microphone, "do any of you darling children know where my baby Pepito is? He was supposed to be home tonight but I think he snuck out to the dance anyway."

Pepito stared at his mother in horror. The kids around him were snickering at him and backing away from him. Barbara's eyes found him and she smiled in that way that foretold immense misery and anguish. She thanked the 'sweetest little kids that were most certainly not disobeying their parents like little Pepi was', and stepped down from the stage where the music had been emanating. The clot of teenagers parted before her, scattering away like cockroaches. She drew him into her arms and cooed at him. His face was scarlet he knew. He tried to shove her away and eventually she did draw away, but only to slap him.

"Now, now, Pepi, it is not nice of you to push away your mother like that, let's go," she frowned reproachfully.

A moment later she looked over Pepito's shoulder and called, "Juan, dear, I found him!"

"Oh, good job Barbara," his father, 'Juan' answered, striding forward in his overly average business suit and combed-over hair style.

Pepito wilted, suddenly wishing to sink into the earth and rot. His parents wrapped their arms around him and led him out of the school's gymnasium that was all too silent. But as soon as they reached the end of the hall and rounded the corner, laughter burst forth louder than he'd heard in a long time. Every callous chuckle, crow, and muffled giggle cut through him like a razor blade and he knew, he knew just how much he would have to do to regain his standing when he returned to school on Monday. What was worse? He could feel his powers that enabled him to erase memories, to persuade and charm leave him, within his father's possession until further notice.

"Mom, I'm-"

"Oh save your breath, pumpkin-nose, Mommy doesn't really care about your feelings right now," Barbara chirped, somehow the sound of her fashionable pumps clicking on the linoleum the most terrifying sound he could imagine.

Todd was surprised that Pepito had the nerve to face him after the horrific evening they had technically shared. But it did give him the proper chance to cuss him out and call off the idiotic deal between them. Really, what had he been thinking?! A deal with the son of Satan? In what way was that not a bad idea? He couldn't help the small fear for the safety of his soul... relatively speaking.

After slumping out of the family car, that he had begged Edgar to let him use regardless of this strange new pronouncement of being 'grounded', Todd took a moment to collect himself. Traipsing up the narrow walkway, cutting across the pristine yard, he made his way towards the door. What exactly had he wanted to say? Hmm... guess I can make it up as I go.... With Pepito, he liked to have a plan of attack, preventing him from ranting.

He sighed before taping lightly on the door. Not surprisingly seconds later Mrs. Barbara, who seemed to have been waiting for him to knock, swung the door wide.

"Oh dearheart, I am just so glad you came on over!" She pulled him into a quick, loving embrace. "I am just so sorry Pepi drug you to such an awful party! I'm sure he didn't know what sorts of things would be going on." Along with the out of character, ignorant remark came a sarcastic slant of her eyes, showing she was well aware of her son's habits.

"I hope Nny and Mr. Edgar weren't too upset with it, now."

"Oh..." Flashes back to the party two days ago had Todd wincing under his godmother's gaze. "Not really...."

Todd wasn't so sure he should hold up the lies with Mrs. Barbara, recognizing the all knowing eyebrow raise.

"Yeah, a bit, but they're doing better about it."
Except for the fact that Nny hadn't been out of the basement for two days, and he knew it would be a few more before the man would come stalking out, ready for one of his increasingly rare showers.

After they had all piled out of the dead silent car ride, Todd had dumbly thought the house would hold a much more comforting air. Once inside, Nny had paced. Oh the horrible pacing, cussing, and ranting had all been rather insulting towards Todd. Edgar had sat stiffly on a nearby couch, looking none too pleased. With what exactly was anyone's guess considering just how much he hated conflict. Mr. Edgar tended to wall himself up whenever it did rear its ugly head. After a solid hour of Nny's shrieking he had retreated to take out his anger on something Edgar didn't like. Todd couldn't help but pity the very unlucky something.

It wasn't the first time Todd felt the tension between him and his 'father'. After all he was still that terror from his childhood, minus a few bad habits and a good amount of 'training' added on. Nny had brought him in to the house in a way, but only with Mr. Edgar's guiding hand. If he had never met the man there was no doubt in his mind that his first set of guardians would have wrecked him far past repair. Then again if Nny had been without Mr. Edgar in the process of raising him... Todd was also rather certain he wouldn't have lived past the age of 10.

"Well," Mrs. Barbara seemed quick to pick up on Todd's hesitance. "Pepi's up in his room. On a strict 'no friends' sentence, but of course you're ok to go on up." She chirped happily, turning to clack across the hall in her high class heels. Mrs. Barbara always had nice shoes. He heard her stop short in the living room, possibly alerted to his own non-movement.

"Ah… Mrs. Barbara?" Todd called out, taking a few steps in her direction.

"Yes Todd?" A warm smile emanated towards him even through the wall.

"Did Pepito enjoy homecoming?"

"He enjoyed the first half, I'm sure. Before his father and I escorted him out." There was a stiff motherly tone to her voice.

"...hm." Todd couldn't help but smile, turning towards the stairs, "Hey Peeepi!"

Oh how I loathe that fucking tone....

Pepito rolled over on his bed and sat up to stare straight at his door.

"Hey TODD, so glad you could come!" His volume matched the others though he could hear him already just outside his bedroom.

Deep breaths, your cool, its cool. Don't let him get you riled up....Who says riled up anymore?

"So! How was the dance, you ass?" Todd's sarcastic smiling face appeared in his doorway, shortly followed by the rest of his gangly body.

"Wonderful," He purred, returning the smile.

"Really?" Todd raised a hand to his chin, a puzzled look coming over him, "Even the part where your mommy escorted you out?" His smile came back tenfold as he made his way fully into the room, surveying the scene despite the lack of change.

"Even then...." Pepito rushed to think of another, not as annoying, topic that wouldn't offend Todd. He just wasn't in the mood for a 'round two' of the argument over the party.

Friends... he wanted to be friends with this boy. Why exactly?

Before he had the chance to fully contemplate the matter, Todd loosely dropped down onto 'his' beanbag chair. Really Pepito never used the old thing, and none of his friends ever sat in it. He could have tossed it years ago....

"Or was it the part where Amanda didn't show up?"

"Er...." That seemed a little out of character for Todd... how would he have know that? He didn't remember telling his mom.

"Now what could have caused that?"

"Uh, your psycho parents maybe!?" Pepito huffed, lunging off the bed. "They slaughtered a good 10 kids! Who called them, Todd? Was it me?" He was already regretting the insult on Todd's fathers... it was far from the safe topics he had been plotting a course towards.

"You left me no other option! Too busy literally fucking around!"

"Just because I'm not an agoraphobe that can't get the literal version doesn't mean you have to attack me for it! Just because I'm not some little fucking f-" Friends!! I do not want to go here. He isn't like those teens. These insults actually mean something to him... and he won't just take a few swings at me to get over it.

"What Pepito...? You're not some little fucking what?" He was quiet, daring him to finish the sentence with every inch of his being.

"So how did Nny like that alcohol on your breath?" He mused, crossing his arms fluidly.

"I... that was a- a mistake. I don't... you know I don't... I didn't drink."

"Sure did smell like it."

"It was that chick! She practically threw it all over me!"

"Right," He brushed it off. After all it was most likely true. "But what did Nny think about that?"

He only felt his confidence boost as Todd grew silent, his attack backfiring on him. Pepito already knew through the gossip chain just how the boy's 'father' was taking things. He had overheard his mother talking with Mr. Vargas over the telephone. Not exactly a great reaction, the 'Poor dear' had holed himself up in the basement for the past few days, refusing any contact. Even any with his supposed spouse, Pepito had always had a bit of difficulty understanding the two together. They seemed so... distant. Johnny wasn't the nicest to begin with, but Mr. Edgar always took it... most of the time with a smile. He doubted he could ever put up with that, someone constantly treating him like shit. Wait, stay focused. Todd. Todd....

Even without knowing prior to the family's reaction, he would have been able to guess just by Todd's body language. Home didn't seem to be the most comfortable place to be right now. It may have been an overly manipulative tactic, but Pepito was running out of energy for their constant quarrels so underhanded methods were starting to sound like his best option.

If Todd was feeling odd at home, a phase almost every teenager goes through at least once, perhaps this was his chance to ease into at least a grudging share of company. One without the purpose of increasing his placement in the social ladder.

"Hold on Todd, my dad wanted my help downstairs," Pepito slipped out the door, pausing to glance back inside, "got some new games." He nodded towards the TV, curtly closing the door behind him before padding off down the hall.

It wasn't planned out yet, but if he left and let Todd cool off then he might have a chance for getting him to relax. He had realized something after his mother's rather blunt pep-talk. No matter how much Todd screamed and yelled, or claimed to hate it here... he always came. Sure, 'his parents drug him there' along with other multitudes of explanations were always prepared, but it didn't seem as if he had alerted his parents of his displeasure too strongly. Surely Mr. Edgar would have let him use an excuse to stay home at least some of the time. Like right now, if Todd hated him so much why hadn't he just stayed home? Normally people avoided those they disliked so strongly.

Pepito had gotten progressively better at reading emotions. Todd was a big tangled mess of them. He still couldn't sort through it all and always felt as if he was dealing with a jigsaw puzzle with 200 more pieces than were needed. He just couldn't figure out where they were meant to be placed.

Whenever Todd saw Pepito there was a definite emotion he couldn't place. It was weaker than the hatred and jealousy, there was always awkwardness and sometimes a slight fear. He couldn't place it exactly but it reminded him of a very stunted version of joy... or at least an increase in interest of his surroundings. It was hard to say. He had always taken it as Todd being pesky, or happy about getting him back for... whatever it was he had gone oh so wrong with for that day.

This place, Pepito's home, was Todd's "house away from his house" and if he could exploit that then maybe....

Pepito padded down the stairs, ready to forage for a proper snack, but stopped short of the kitchen door.

"Ah, son, there you are. Ever Punctual." His father smiled loosely.

Pepito, who had frozen mid step at the familiar, ever ominous presence of his dear father, wondered just what he was 'punctual' for.

"Er, hello father! How was Europe?" It had been 3 solid weeks since they had actually spoken. His father had been in Europe quite frequently and only popped in every few weeks. It was apparently for something top-secret that he wasn't allowed to know about... secret keeping... something Pepito had yet to master.

"Rather messy right now, but we wont get into that. Ready for your lessons?" Mr. Diablo had yet to take off his business suit, making for a very mild mannered, average, white male standing near the kitchen doorway.

Ugh, shit....

"Well... Todds over, so-"

"Now, now I heard you excuse yourself from him to come to talk with me."

"Ah. Right." He laughed nervously, "Sorry, Padre, I'm ready."

His father's smile grew substantially, continuing far past human limits as the facade of a tame man dissolved around him, the Prince of Darkness casually strolled towards his spawn.

"Remember, I can see it all Pepito."

"I remember." He sighed, reminded of so many plots failed over that... miner detail. He was rather used to the invasion of privacy by now, having lived it his whole life, yet he still had the silly fault of hoping for his father's ignorance to his plans.

"Now today I will be doing an over view of your progress!" His father stated cheerfully.

Aside from his regular school classes, Pepito also had classes with other spawns from his father. Similar to older siblings teaching him, they would educate him in various areas of study. From behavioral studies, past historical events, or culinary practices for both spiritual and mortal worlds to demonic power control, and proper temper management, Pepito was taught it all. As far as that last class... Pepito had been in it since near birth, learning to control his fiery attitude. He was very proud of his improvements so far.

"So... its just a review day?" That wouldn't be too difficult, nor would it take long.

"Yes, after all its been a while since I've watched over your lessons. I hope to see you have been studying your... weaker areas." this was his father's hint towards a subject they both were well aware he utterly failed at: Possessions.

"Oh...." He tried to hide his embarrassment as he followed his father towards the basement. Double shit.... He hadn't been practicing.

It just felt weird. Sprawled out on Pepito's huge bed flat on his belly, clicking away at the Z-box controller, Todd couldn't help but relax. That was not a good thing. Agitated, he tossed the controller to the side to rest his chin on the edge of the bed.

It wasn't his fault... he had just wanted to leave. Alcohol... he didn't really care, Todd hadn't caught onto all of Nny's morality processes, and he understood they were just looking for fun, or whatever. They were just being normal teenagers. It wasn't the alcohol itself, or he wouldn't have gone past the front door. It was just how terrified he was of himself.

When Shmee had left... he knew he was alone, and the nightmares got worse, much much worse. He remembered trying to fix them, Pepito helped, and even kept it a secret. He was always horrible at that. Nothing helped as much as Shmee monitoring him. The thought of loosing control of his thoughts... loosing coherency, that terrified him.

Todd sighed, turned sideways to curl inwards, I didn't know Nny would answer the phone... Mr. Edgar always answers. another sigh as he closed his eyes, Maybe I wanted them to be hurt....

"No."

I don't want to hurt anyone. Getting people killed is wrong.... Pepito... didn't even seem to mind. All those 'friends' that died... he just seemed annoyed. Todd felt sleep pulling him in. What good is a friend... that couldn't care less if your mutilated... or even murdered right in front of them...?