Chapter 25- Weeping Willow and Diabolical Danny

On the bright side, Danny's new bedroom was bigger than the one back in V-Town, but it still wasn't as big as the basement. And now it seemed every little thing his wretched older sister did got on his nerves.

"DANNY!"

His eyes shot open at the sound of Willow's voice and banging on his bedroom door. He jumped up and pulled the door open where she was still her pajamas, holding out his socks from yesterday on a couple wooden spoons.

"Do you mind?" Danny groaned. "I was trying to sleep in!"

Sam peeked out from the bathroom and sighed heavily.

"Will you stop throwing your dirty clothes in my room!" Willow threw the socks and spoons into his room.

"Will you stop thinking about yourself for once!" Danny shouted.

She scowled at him. "How exactly am I just thinking about myself?"

"I should have gotten the basement! This room is so small, I have to put my dirty clothes somewhere!"

"And the only possible place to put them are in my room?"

He nodded. "It's only logical solution."

"Just admit it. You don't want me here!"

"Okay this has been going on too long," Sam cut in. "It's been four days. Danny, we never said you were going to get the basement, Grandpa did when he wasn't in his right mind."

Danny groaned. "Yet Willow seems to think that she was entitled to it, simply because she was born before me!"

Willow huffed. "I just thought that would be more logical since I'm an adult and need more space.'

"And you know how to play Mom, don't you?"

Willow scrunched her face. "What?"

"You know she's so distraught over losing so much time with you that she won't ever scold you, but she will me!"

Sam rubbed her temples. "Danny…"

"Don't even try to deny it, Mom," Danny said.

"I'm distraught over losing time with all you. But…" She sighed. "Come on, your dad's getting breakfast ready. Let's go…"

Danny shook his head and jabbed Willow in the side as he followed Sam to the kitchen.

"Good morning," Drew said as he placed eggs and toast in front of each of them.

Sam kissed Scout's cheek and sat beside her.

Willow groaned when the only seat left was beside Danny.

Danny took a huge bite of his toast and glared at Willow while he chewed it.

Willow rolled her eyes as she took a bite of her eggs.

"So, Scout, what do you think we should do today?" Sam asked. "Cousin Nikolas said school should start next week. They're almost finished building it."

Scout shrugged. "I don't know."

"Yeah, not like there's much to do on this island," Danny said. "No phones. No TV. No internet."

"That's probably a good thing," Drew said. "We were addicted to it before. Should be less distraction when you start school."

"Will you still be my teacher?" Scout asked Willow.

"Yeah, I will be," Willow said. "Should be fun, right?"

Danny turned to Scout. "Oh sure, if you consider having Weeping Willow as your teacher fun."

"Danny!" Drew furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't talk to your sister that way."

"I'm just saying," Danny continued. "That having Willow as a teacher may not be what it's cracked up to be."

Sam's eyes grew wide. "Danny! That's enough!"

"Well, I think having Diabolical Danny for a brother isn't all it's cracked up to be either!" Willow poured her orange juice on his lap.

Danny's jaw dropped as the cold juice sank into his pants and lifted his arms partly in the air. He looked around the table, his family's mouths, including Willow's, were slightly agape.

"Willow…" Sam started to say.

"You'll pay for that!" Danny lifted his plate and dumped his eggs over Willow's head.

Sam buried her face in her hands.

Willow pulled a piece of scrambled egg out of her hair, then lifted the jar of jam. She scooped some it out and flung it in Danny's face.

"It's a food fight!" Scout lifted her piece of toast, but Sam stopped her.

"No, it's not," Sam said. "Now, go get dressed. We're going to walk Daddy to work while…" she turned to Danny and Willow… "your brother and sister clean up this mess."

"I'm not cleaning this up," Danny protested. "Make Willow do it. She started it."

"What are you eight?" Willow said. "Besides, you're the one who started it."

"Can we go see Grandma and Grandpa too?" Scout asked.

"Sure," Sam said. "Maybe you can spend the day there while Mommy talks to Danny and Willow."

"I can just take Scout," Drew said. "If we leave them alone, they might destroy the house."

"Good point," Sam said. "Now get started, while I braid your sister's hair."

Drew, Sam, and Scout headed to their bedrooms.

Willow started clearing the table, but Danny leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

Willow dumped everything in the sink and turned to Danny. "She said both of us."

"I think you're hearing things," Danny said. "Might want to get your hearing checked."

"I'm not cleaning this myself!"

"Sure looks like it." Danny took another bite of his toast.

"Then if you're not cleaning, I'm not either." She abandoned the dishes and headed to her room.

Danny grinned and made his way to his room too.

After changing out of his orange juice pants and washing his face, he plopped down on his bed. No point in trying to get back to sleep which Willow rudely interrupted earlier, since he knew who'd be walking in any minute.

So, he stared at the ceiling as he heard his parents' muffled voices saying goodbye for the day. When finally, the door swung open and his mom stood there with her arms crossed.

Danny sighed. "Why does this not surprise me? Come to punish me and not Willow?"

"I'm going to talk to her too. But this has got to stop. Do you want Willow to leave us?"

"Of course not. It's not like before."

"Well, you have a funny way of showing it." She closed the door and sat at the edge of his bed. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Because she messed up my chances of getting the basement."

"We both know it's more than that. If you don't want her to leave, don't act like this towards her."

"Mom, relax. She's not going to leave. In fact, I think she's enjoying this as much as I am."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"We're bored, okay? We have no electronics and there's not much to do on the island."

"You have one week until school starts. Surely you can survive."

Danny shrugged. "Well, it's more than just boredom. Even though outside is all unknown, we can finally be normal in here. We can fight over small stuff, especially since I'm seeing how annoying she can really be. The past three years we were fighting for freedom. We had to take care of ourselves and the kids."

Sam nodded. "Now you don't have to anymore. But we really don't know what Willow wants or doesn't want. We're still getting to know her. How do you know that she's enjoying this?"

"Ask her. Or maybe… don't. I think she's still testing the waters."

"What do you mean?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't think she's completely comfortable around us. She wants to feel equal with me and Scout… we all do. But she didn't have siblings growing up, did she?"

"No. She was moved around a lot. To ashrams, communes."

"Yeah, so I think that's evidence right there that she's enjoying it. She gets to be a kid… a normal sibling around me. Something she didn't have."

"I never thought of it that way…"

"But she's been trying to hold back," Danny said. "Probably doesn't know what you and Dad will think since she's an adult."

"Well, can't you act like kids and siblings without fighting?"

Danny scrunched his face. "Didn't you ever fight with Aunt Krissy or Molly?"

"Not really. Well until three years ago with Molly… though it was more just one-sided. I think they have a few times though."

"Weird…"

"Maybe it's because it's a bigger age difference. Though 8 and a half between you and Willow is pretty big too."

"Well, I'm older now," Danny said. "But yeah, I think she just wants to feel secure here. To know that she can be herself around us. And even when she makes mistakes or fights with me, that you're not going anywhere or going to kick her out."

Sam kissed his forehead. "How did you get to be so smart?"

Danny grinned. "I got it from my momma."

"Now, get out to the kitchen and finish cleaning up your mess."

He groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes. And apologize to your sister."

"If she apologizes first."

Sam rolled her eyes, then chuckled a little.

When they reached the kitchen, Willow was back and washing the dishes.

Sam cleared her throat. "Willow, I think we need to talk."

Willow whipped around and her face paled. Her eyes were red like she'd been crying. "I—I'm sorry I acted that way… especially in front of Scout. Danny, I'm sorry I poured orange juice on you and—"

"I'm sorry too," Danny said. "For the dirty socks… everything."

"It won't happen again." Willow turned and continued with the dishes. "I'll clean up the mess."

"Willow…" Sam said. "Danny's going to help you. But I want to talk first."

"It's okay, I can do it."

"Willow!" Sam urged. "Come sit."

Willow sighed and dried her hands on a towel, then joined them at the table. Danny made sure not to sit on his seat from earlier in case there was still some orange juice on it…

"First and foremost," Sam said, "I want you to feel comfortable here. When you mess up or…" she rolled her eyes, "fight with Danny. I might not be happy about it, but this is your home."

Willow started crying.

Sam held her hand. "I don't know what it was like at those communes or ashrams or any other cult you were in… I don't know how they punished you or if they kicked you out for disobeying them… but it's not like that here."

Danny frowned.

"Nobody is kicking you out. We all want you here. Danny too. He just… he seems to think it's fun fighting with you."

"Hey!" Danny cut in. "I didn't want her to know that."

Willow started to laugh, then bit her lip.

"Well, I think she needs to know it," Sam said. "I'd rather you bond in a different way though. Like bond over cleaning up this kitchen. And I expect you to treat each other with respect. I mean it. Both of you. I know you did it when working together to get out of V-Town. Surely, you can do it here."