"So you want me to wear this?" Danny asked chuckling as he held up the blond wig.
"I actually want to turn you in but Lacey won't let me." Sarita said as she glared at the guy sitting on her friend's bed.
Lacey sighed as she took Jo's large army jacket off the table. "And this."
Danny wanted to joke about it, but the way all 4 girls were staring at him tight-lipped, it seemed they all wanted to kill him for different reasons. He turned and smiled at Jo. "Thanks Jo…I uh…" He lifted the jacket she'd walked in with. "I appreciate this." When she looked away from him guiltily, Danny turned and refocused on Lacey. He gave her a grim smile. At least Lacey was being pretty civil towards him. Well and Phoebe too…but she creeped him out a little. Ever since they came to the house, Phoebe just stared at him with a strange curious gaze in her eyes as though she was trying to solve something really quick.
"So everybody remember what we're doing?" Lacey asked trying to ease the tension in the atmosphere. She knew Sarita and Phoebe were helping her against their better wishes. Sarita wasn't even trying to pretend she didn't want to do it. At least Phoebe was a little more lenient.
Jo on the other hand seemed to have other things on her mind. Standing awkwardly on the other side of the room. Her arms crossed, occasionally sneaking glances at Danny and Lacey.
Sarita rolled her eyes. "I have to be back home by 10. My mom's working the night shift."
Jo pulled up her book bag and unzipped it. "I got Mrs. Desai's credit card." She said taking out the platinum card. "And a note for you…I almost forgot." She said handing Danny a small folded piece of paper.
Phoebe got up and snatched the card from Jo with a smile. "So I'll get a couple bus tickets. Final destination Arizona." She grinned. "Do those come in first class?"
"Who cares you're not actually going to be on it." Sarita said exasperated.
Danny turned the letter in his hand to hide his trembling fingers. His mom must be going through hell right now. He knew she still believed he did it. But it was also heartwarming to know that she would do anything before turning her back on him again. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up to see Lacey watching him carefully. Having gotten caught, she looked away and nodded.
"Okay so Sarita and I will go with him to NYC. Jo and Phoebe will go two town over with my car to get the ticket and such. Everybody meet at Phoebe's house at 9:45." Lacey said straightening up.
Sarita muttered something under her breath as she got up. "SO are we going or what?" She asked. "New York City isn't like 10 minutes away…the sooner this socio is out of my presence, the better."
Lacey bit her lip to hold back a comment to tell her to ease up. Just being in the same room with Danny and agreeing to this plan was already too much to ask of her.
Lacey turned to Danny. "Just put on the wig and Jo's coat and meet us downstairs."
She went to Sarita and opened her bedroom door. 'Thank you' she mouthed at the the grim faced girl. Sarita pushed her long curl brown hair back and glared at her friend.
Not wanting to be left alone with Jo and Danny, Phoebe hurried over to the door and followed Lacey and Sarita out the room.
"I'm kind of surprised they're in on this." Danny said with a small smile as he tucked his mother's note in his pocket, he'll read it later on his own.
"Yeah well…." Jo headed towards the door, not wanting to be left alone with Danny either. "She kind of gave a pretty impressive speech earlier." She said
"Actually, kind of surprised you're here." Danny said with a brief chuckle. "I was pretty sure you were done with me."
Jo swallowed hard as she looked at the floor. "Well…I don't think you killed Regina." She said clenching her teeth together to avoid her emotions spilling forth.
"Thanks…" Danny said sincerely. "I mean that…for always believing in me." He said looking at her attentively until she was forced to lift her head. Her blue eyes meeting his soft light brown ones. Danny's smile shook a little at the corner as he looked at his best friend. He would seriously do anything for her. He needed her to know that. But what she wanted from him, that he couldn't give her. It just wasn't there. But anything else he would do for her in a heartbeat. Jo looked like she wanted to say something but then quickly looked away. She headed towards the door again as Danny watched her retreating back.
"Jo…" Danny said softly.
Jo swallowed hard and turned around. "Let's not talk about that okay. Let's just forget anything happened yesterday." She said her voice shaking.
Silently Danny held up the blond wig. "I was going to ask if you could help me with this." He said with a sheepish grin.
Jo stared at him for a couple seconds before her mouth too curved into a small smile. She shook her head and groaned as she went towards him and snatched the wig.
"I wasn't just asking you because it really resembles your hair in color and…." He pointed at the wig. "Style." He said remarking on the frizzy matted unkempt hair. Jo gasped and playfully hit his side before shoving the wig on his head.
Danny chuckled and she followed suit. It wasn't okay. It probably wasn't going to be okay for a while. But for right now it was fine. It felt normal and it reminded her of her nostalgic childhood. She could do this for a little bit. Wait until he got his name cleared.
Danny smiled up at her encouragingly as she moved the wig around on his head. They'll work through it. They always did. That's what friends were for. Him, Lacey and Jo…they'll get through this. He'll make sure of it.
"There goes another one." Sarita said looking in front of her.
Lacey looked out the side window and turned to Danny next to her. She opened a magazine and pointed to a random page. It was a half naked picture of Francisco Lachowski this time and she tried to stifle back a laugh. Sarita slowed down as usual. The officer casual looked in the car as the other ones before had. Speaking in his dispatcher, not really acknowledging them. Danny's head was bowed, his blond hair hiding his face as he giggled. Lacey actually laughed louder at his silly attempt to be feminine.
Sarita waited as the officer nodded and she drove away rather slowly. "They're so fucking dumb." She said referring to the officers. She seemed disappointed at the fact. Having no other choice, she turned right and officially left Green Grove. Sighing she looked up in her rear view mirror only to see Danny and Lacey staring at each other cautiously. Her hands gripped the steering wheel as she watched them. They were neither blinking, or moving. Matter of fact, she wasn't even sure they were breathing.
Sarita put her foot on the brake and stopped abruptly in the middle of the street. That snapped the young teenagers in the back out of their trance.
"What's wrong?" Lacey asked panic. She turned in her seat to look out the back to see if the cops were after them.
"I think you should come sit up front." Sarita said sharply. "I doubt you'll need to keep acting like giggly teenage girls."
Lacey turned around, her eyes slowly lifting to meet Sarita's through the rear view mirror. Lacey bowed her eyes as she nodded. Without a word, she got out the car and jogged over to the passenger side. Taking a deep breath she opened the car door.
Danny lifted his eyes and met Sarita's death glare through the rear view mirror.
"I really appreciate all your help." Danny said with fake charm.
Lacey sat down and put on her seat belt.
"I'm not doing it for you Socio." Sarita said. "But the idea that you'll be gone and out of our life forever is very comforting."
"Sarita let's go." Lacey said softly as she sensed the tension raising even more in the car.
Danny stared at the curly haired brown eyed girl through the mirror for a while, the side of his mouth going up in a smirk. "Lacey what do you-
His voice was drowned out as Sarita turned on the radio and blasted it. A rap song came through the speakers as she drove off.
Lacey didn't dare look back at Danny as she sat stiffly in her seat.
Danny's hand formed an involuntary fist at his side as he stared at the mass of curly hair in front of him through hooded eyes. He clenched his jaw tightly as he briefly thought of what it would be like if Sarita ceased to exist. Taking a deep breath to control himself, he shoved his hand in his pocket. He cocked his head to the side as he took in the side view of Lacey's face. He smiled when he saw Lacey look at him quickly through the corner of her eyes. Feeling the paper in his pocket, he looked down as he took it out.
Hesitating only momentarily, he unfolded it and read.
I may be the worst mother ever but I love you and I believe you