Out of the Black - Chapter 3
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Starr looks at her defensively.
" What do you mean what am I doing?! Did you see him in there?! He's like a god damn zombie!" says Starr.
" Yeah, I noticed. How long have you been here and how long has he been like this?" says Kelly.
Starr puts her head down.
" Starr.." says Kelly more sternly.
" I've only been here for about a half an hour, alright?! As far as before that, I don't know. Last night when mom packed up and left and made me go with her, he was nothing like that. He was really mad, but he wasn't anything like he is now." says Starr.
" Why didn't you call someone?" says Kelly.
Starr looks at Kelly wierdly as she laughs.
" Like who!? My mother? Or maybe to make it even more interesting, Dorian. Who would you suggest I call, Kelly? I snuck out just to get here." says Starr turning back towards the door.
Kelly pulls her back as she turns her around. Starr pulls away from her as she rubs her hurt hand.
" What happend to you?" says Kelly.
" I slipped. It's not a big deal." says Starr.
" Starr, I want you to go home, ok? I'm gonna go in there and try to straighten him out. Or at least pull him back to reality." says Kelly.
" I'm not going anywhere!" shouts Starr.
" YES, you are. I want you to go back to Dorian's right now." says Kelly sternly.
Starr shakes her head.
" Forget it. I'm not leaving him with you. You hate my dad. You always have." says Starr.
Kelly didn't respond to that. She looked at Starr in the eyes.
" If there's one thing I know about your dad, it's that he would never want you to see him like this. Your too young to understand the pain he puts himself through. Even when he does the things he does and knows he has to pay for them." says Kelly.
Starr pushes her hair back behind her ears as she crosses her arms.
" You've never seen him like this, Starr. I have. It's not something you need to see, alright? I promise I'll call you and let you know what's going on. Will you please just go home?" says Kelly.
Starr looks up at Kelly.
" You promise you won't tell mom about this? Especially Dorian?" says Starr.
" I swear. Or that you snuck out. Just go in the same way you left and you should be fine." says Kelly remembering back to the days when she herself used to sneak out of Dorian's.
Starr let out a deep breath that she didn't even realize she'd been holding in.
" I'm trusting you, Kelly..." says Starr hesitantly.
" I know. I'm gonna take care of this. He's gonna come out of this." says Kelly as she brushes Starr's hair back.
Starr wipes away a tear as she embraces Kelly in a hug. Kelly hugs her back as she feels Starr lean her head on her shoulder.
" It's gonna be ok, Starr. Alright? I promise." says Kelly.
Starr nods as she quietly heads for the elevator. She stops for a second, wanting to go back. But she came to the realization that this was out of her hands. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, this was way beyond her years. She didn't know everything about her father, and she liked it that way. She only wanted to know the good in him. And she knew that's what he wanted to.
She pushed the down button, stepped onto the elevator, and watched as the door closed.
Kelly stared at the door for a few seconds. She didn't even know what she was going to do when she went inside, all she knew is that she needed to shield Starr from that. Sure, sure was mad at Blair and didn't like Todd or trust him farther than she could throw him, but Starr was just a kid.
Kelly opened the door and shut it behind her. She watching Todd, still standing in the same place they had left him. He had stopped drinking now and was sort of just staring ahead of him. She walked over, stepping over glass, and stood beside him.
" Hard night?" she says giving him a small smile.
He didn't respond. He looked down at the floor and then straight ahead again.
" You know Starr was just here. I sent her home. Well, back to Dorian's. She snuck out. Go figure, huh? She's always been a chip off the old block." she says with a laugh.
" So, I think Kevin's gonna divorce me...there's not much I can do about it. Blair left you what, last night? I'll give them twenty four, no make that twelve hours before they start playing tonsel hockey in the bedroom.." says Kelly.
Kelly sighs as she rolls her eyes up at Todd.
" What are you doing, Todd? Snap out of it! Come on, the Todd Manning I know wouldn't do this. He wouldn't just check out. You have to get her back. Do you hear me? She can't go running to Kevin. We can both win." says Kelly.
Todd smiles as he tilts his head down, letting out a small laugh.
" What's so funny?" says Kelly, getting annoyed.
Todd looks at her and then back at his hand.
" Get out." he says, almost in a whisper.
Kelly looks down at his hand, which is beggining to gush out blood. She wondered how he could stand the pain, and how he could act like he didn't even notice.
" I thought you were catatonic?" says Kelly sarcastically.
" Get out..." repeats Todd louder this time.
" You let me take a look at your hand, Todd. That's gonna get infected. One thing I learned from Dorian that was useful." says Kelly reaching for his hand.
Todd pulls his hand away from her grasp. Not rattled, Kelly puts her hands on her hips.
" Will you stop being such a baby and let me take a look at it. please? What do you want to lose so much blood that you'll pass out? That'll go over really great with Starr. She'll never let me forget it." says Kelly.
Todd looks down at the table again, as he puts both of his hands on his forehead trying to remember what had happend.
" Is...is she ok?" says Todd.
" She's fine. She was worried about you. You don't remember her being here?" says Kelly.
Todd shakes his head.
" I remember someone falling. I thought it was you." says Todd.
" No, it wasn't me. Look, don't worry about it. Why don't you just lay down on the couch over there. I'm gonna go get some bandages and antiseptic for that cut." says Kelly trying to lead him over to the couch.
" I..I don't need your help. Just get out. I'm..not an invalent." slurs Todd.
" Yeah, ok Todd I'm not going anywhere. Your either stuck with me or I can always call Viki." says Kelly as she puts her hand on the reciever of the phone.
" Put the damn phone down, Kelly!" yells Todd.
Todd puts his hand over hers when she won't put the reciever down, looking into her eyes.
" Don't call Viki. Please. She'll just give me a nine hour lecture on how to better myself. I'm too unsober for that right now." says Todd as he puts his hand on his forehead.
Kelly rolls her eyes.
" Fine. Just at least sit down, ok? You need to sleep this off." says Kelly.
Todd made a face at her as he stumbled over to the couch. Kelly helped him as much as she could, but like typical Todd, he would barely let her touch him. Which she could do without anyway. He layed back on the couch, still with his hand on his forehead.
" I'm gonna feel this tommarow." says Todd with a groan.
" And who's fault is that?" says Kelly as she crosses her arms across her chest.
" Kelly, don't start the righteous indignation thing with me, alright? I don't need it. Especially not from you." says Todd.
Kelly makes a face at him.
" You know what? I don't even know why I bother." says Kelly.
" Gee, here's an idea. LEAVE!" says Todd.
Kelly sighs as she turns and heads for the kitchen.
" What are you doing?" says Todd starting to get off the couch.
" SIT down, Todd. Stay there." says Kelly.
Todd lays back down, not looking at Kelly on account of she was pissing him off and making him angrier than he was to begin with...
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Starr looks at her defensively.
" What do you mean what am I doing?! Did you see him in there?! He's like a god damn zombie!" says Starr.
" Yeah, I noticed. How long have you been here and how long has he been like this?" says Kelly.
Starr puts her head down.
" Starr.." says Kelly more sternly.
" I've only been here for about a half an hour, alright?! As far as before that, I don't know. Last night when mom packed up and left and made me go with her, he was nothing like that. He was really mad, but he wasn't anything like he is now." says Starr.
" Why didn't you call someone?" says Kelly.
Starr looks at Kelly wierdly as she laughs.
" Like who!? My mother? Or maybe to make it even more interesting, Dorian. Who would you suggest I call, Kelly? I snuck out just to get here." says Starr turning back towards the door.
Kelly pulls her back as she turns her around. Starr pulls away from her as she rubs her hurt hand.
" What happend to you?" says Kelly.
" I slipped. It's not a big deal." says Starr.
" Starr, I want you to go home, ok? I'm gonna go in there and try to straighten him out. Or at least pull him back to reality." says Kelly.
" I'm not going anywhere!" shouts Starr.
" YES, you are. I want you to go back to Dorian's right now." says Kelly sternly.
Starr shakes her head.
" Forget it. I'm not leaving him with you. You hate my dad. You always have." says Starr.
Kelly didn't respond to that. She looked at Starr in the eyes.
" If there's one thing I know about your dad, it's that he would never want you to see him like this. Your too young to understand the pain he puts himself through. Even when he does the things he does and knows he has to pay for them." says Kelly.
Starr pushes her hair back behind her ears as she crosses her arms.
" You've never seen him like this, Starr. I have. It's not something you need to see, alright? I promise I'll call you and let you know what's going on. Will you please just go home?" says Kelly.
Starr looks up at Kelly.
" You promise you won't tell mom about this? Especially Dorian?" says Starr.
" I swear. Or that you snuck out. Just go in the same way you left and you should be fine." says Kelly remembering back to the days when she herself used to sneak out of Dorian's.
Starr let out a deep breath that she didn't even realize she'd been holding in.
" I'm trusting you, Kelly..." says Starr hesitantly.
" I know. I'm gonna take care of this. He's gonna come out of this." says Kelly as she brushes Starr's hair back.
Starr wipes away a tear as she embraces Kelly in a hug. Kelly hugs her back as she feels Starr lean her head on her shoulder.
" It's gonna be ok, Starr. Alright? I promise." says Kelly.
Starr nods as she quietly heads for the elevator. She stops for a second, wanting to go back. But she came to the realization that this was out of her hands. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, this was way beyond her years. She didn't know everything about her father, and she liked it that way. She only wanted to know the good in him. And she knew that's what he wanted to.
She pushed the down button, stepped onto the elevator, and watched as the door closed.
Kelly stared at the door for a few seconds. She didn't even know what she was going to do when she went inside, all she knew is that she needed to shield Starr from that. Sure, sure was mad at Blair and didn't like Todd or trust him farther than she could throw him, but Starr was just a kid.
Kelly opened the door and shut it behind her. She watching Todd, still standing in the same place they had left him. He had stopped drinking now and was sort of just staring ahead of him. She walked over, stepping over glass, and stood beside him.
" Hard night?" she says giving him a small smile.
He didn't respond. He looked down at the floor and then straight ahead again.
" You know Starr was just here. I sent her home. Well, back to Dorian's. She snuck out. Go figure, huh? She's always been a chip off the old block." she says with a laugh.
" So, I think Kevin's gonna divorce me...there's not much I can do about it. Blair left you what, last night? I'll give them twenty four, no make that twelve hours before they start playing tonsel hockey in the bedroom.." says Kelly.
Kelly sighs as she rolls her eyes up at Todd.
" What are you doing, Todd? Snap out of it! Come on, the Todd Manning I know wouldn't do this. He wouldn't just check out. You have to get her back. Do you hear me? She can't go running to Kevin. We can both win." says Kelly.
Todd smiles as he tilts his head down, letting out a small laugh.
" What's so funny?" says Kelly, getting annoyed.
Todd looks at her and then back at his hand.
" Get out." he says, almost in a whisper.
Kelly looks down at his hand, which is beggining to gush out blood. She wondered how he could stand the pain, and how he could act like he didn't even notice.
" I thought you were catatonic?" says Kelly sarcastically.
" Get out..." repeats Todd louder this time.
" You let me take a look at your hand, Todd. That's gonna get infected. One thing I learned from Dorian that was useful." says Kelly reaching for his hand.
Todd pulls his hand away from her grasp. Not rattled, Kelly puts her hands on her hips.
" Will you stop being such a baby and let me take a look at it. please? What do you want to lose so much blood that you'll pass out? That'll go over really great with Starr. She'll never let me forget it." says Kelly.
Todd looks down at the table again, as he puts both of his hands on his forehead trying to remember what had happend.
" Is...is she ok?" says Todd.
" She's fine. She was worried about you. You don't remember her being here?" says Kelly.
Todd shakes his head.
" I remember someone falling. I thought it was you." says Todd.
" No, it wasn't me. Look, don't worry about it. Why don't you just lay down on the couch over there. I'm gonna go get some bandages and antiseptic for that cut." says Kelly trying to lead him over to the couch.
" I..I don't need your help. Just get out. I'm..not an invalent." slurs Todd.
" Yeah, ok Todd I'm not going anywhere. Your either stuck with me or I can always call Viki." says Kelly as she puts her hand on the reciever of the phone.
" Put the damn phone down, Kelly!" yells Todd.
Todd puts his hand over hers when she won't put the reciever down, looking into her eyes.
" Don't call Viki. Please. She'll just give me a nine hour lecture on how to better myself. I'm too unsober for that right now." says Todd as he puts his hand on his forehead.
Kelly rolls her eyes.
" Fine. Just at least sit down, ok? You need to sleep this off." says Kelly.
Todd made a face at her as he stumbled over to the couch. Kelly helped him as much as she could, but like typical Todd, he would barely let her touch him. Which she could do without anyway. He layed back on the couch, still with his hand on his forehead.
" I'm gonna feel this tommarow." says Todd with a groan.
" And who's fault is that?" says Kelly as she crosses her arms across her chest.
" Kelly, don't start the righteous indignation thing with me, alright? I don't need it. Especially not from you." says Todd.
Kelly makes a face at him.
" You know what? I don't even know why I bother." says Kelly.
" Gee, here's an idea. LEAVE!" says Todd.
Kelly sighs as she turns and heads for the kitchen.
" What are you doing?" says Todd starting to get off the couch.
" SIT down, Todd. Stay there." says Kelly.
Todd lays back down, not looking at Kelly on account of she was pissing him off and making him angrier than he was to begin with...
