(Author's Note: Hope you guys like this chapter! Sorry I didn't update sooner; I went on vacation. Disclaimor: I do not own the 39 Clues. Sigh.)
Chapter 4
Tight Suits and Tin Flowers
Amy pulled a comb roughly through her wet hair. Not even a warm shower could improve her mood. Amy soon gave up on messing with her hair and made her way to her bedroom. When Amy opened the door, she found her closet being raided by Nellie. Amy cleared her throat. Nellie turned to look at Amy, her face mingled with pity and exasperation. Amy stood there in the doorway in her towel, her face damp from both crying and the shower. Nellie scurried over to Amy with a warm hug, despite her wetness.
"How're you holding up, kiddo?" Nellie put her arms around Amy's shoulders and squeezed.
"Mmm," was all Amy said.
"Great. Let's get you dressed," Nellie disappeared into Amy's closet. She emerged a moment later with a small black dress. Amy blushed.
"W-where'd you get that?" she croaked. Nellie sighed apologetically, remembering. Amy had bought that dress for a party she thought she had been invited to. Amy had showed up at the scheduled place, the local bowling alley, all dolled up, only to find a bunch of beer-bellied men bowling spares.
"Come on, Amy. You spent all of your babysitting money on it. You'll never get another chance to wear it," Nellie pleaded. Amy groaned, but gave in. Nellie was being more compassionate than usual and Amy didn't want to ruin that for Dan. At least, that's what she told her self repeatedly. Nellie squealed in delight.
"You get dressed and I'll fix that hair of yours when you're done," Nellie walked out of Amy's room and closed the door behind her. Amy groaned again. She didn't like the sound of Nellie 'fixing' her hair.
Six minutes later, Nellie rapped impatiently on Amy's bedroom door.
"Yes?" Amy asked as she adjusted her dress straps.
"Done? Good," and with that, Nellie barged right in.
"Nellie, I might not have been ready!" Amy furiously tried to cover herself up. Nellie sighed in approval of Amy's dress.
"Amy, doll, you look gorgeous," Nellie smiled and fiddled with her snake nose-ring. Amy rolled her eyes. Dan's head suddenly popped in the doorway.
"'Doll'?" he inquired, "Who even says that anymore?"
Nellie glared at him. "I just did," she replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
Dan shrugged and entered the room.
"Whoa, Dan," Amy was shocked. Dan was wearing a suit.
"Nice suit, kiddo," Nellie ruffled Dan's dark blonde hair. He shrugged again and winced. Shrugging in a tight suit… not the brightest thing to do. Amy laughed, but then cried out in surprise.
"Nellie, how tight is this thing?" Amy gasped, gesturing to the knot on the back of her dress Nellie had tied.
Dan grinned; at least Amy was in as much pain as he was in.
"You go into the kitchen while I deal with this," Nellie pointed her thumb back at Amy while she ushered Dan out the door. Dan saw Amy wince at Nellie's words. He heard Nellie give his sister some orders as she walked down the hall towards the kitchen.
Dan plopped down on a stool in the kitchen and began daydreaming about what an awesome ninja warrior he would be someday. He imagined himself felling a tree with a flick of a single finger. He would live in the high mountains and surprise his enemies by jumping out of the thick fog. He would have a servant to do whatever he wished. He would have a chef to cook whatever he wished. He might hire Nellie as chef; she was a good au pair. And he would show Anna Phelcon he wasn't an annoying little brat. And, and-ding dong.
Ding dong? Was that some sort of bell he would use to call his servant? But no, it was the doorbell. Dan heard rapid knocking at the door.
He sighed and stomped to the front door. He opened it and groaned when he saw who it was.
"Amy, I-," the visitor began and noticed it wasn't Amy answering the door. "Oh, hey Dan," the visitor adjusted his bifocals.
"Chuck, Amy's busy. She can't take any flowers now," Dan folded his arms and heard his suit split.
Oops.
"Oh, oh, alright. Well, can you give these to her anyway?" Chuck wiped his sweaty brow. He held up some metal-looking flowers.
"No," Dan replied sternly.
"You know Dan, that really is a nice suit-," Chuck began. Dan closed the door on him mid-sentence. He called down the hall to Amy.
"Amy, hurry up, will ya?" Dan heard more rapid knocking and ringing. Dan sat down hard on the kitchen stool and chose to ignore Chuck.
"Dan! Don't you know to answer the door like a normal human being?" Amy yelled at her brother. Amy was infuriated to see that he was just sitting on a kitchen stool completely ignoring the person at the door. Amy pulled the front door open and wished she hadn't. There, of all people, stood Chuck Williams with a fistful of metallic flowers in one hand, his baseball cap in the other. Chuck was a year younger than Amy, but that didn't stop him from asking her to the movies almost every day for the past two years. And Amy thought that Dan was obsessed with his collections.
Tin flowers? What was he thinking? Amy struggled to keep her thoughts in her head. Dan chuckled behind Amy at the expression on her face.
"Yes, Chuck?" Amy said acidly. Chuck didn't say anything. He was too busy taking in Amy's appearance. Nellie had piled Amy's reddish brown hair upon her head. Amy coughed; her perfume was very strong.
"Going dancing?" Chuck asked blankly.
"I'm going to a funeral," she snapped.
"Oh," was all he said. Amy tried to close the door, but Chuck's foot was in the way.
"Chuck-," Amy started, but was interrupted.
"Will you go to the movies on Friday with me?" Chuck looked hopefully at Amy.
"Uhh, I'm busy then. Bye!" Amy watched Chuck's face fall as it did every time she declined him. Amy nudged Chuck's foot out of the way and slammed the door.
"Daniel Cahill, I know you were putting me on the spot!" Amy shrieked. Her brother had tears of laughter streaming down his cheeks. Amy was close to strangling him when yet another disturbance at the door stopped her. Six tin flowers made their way through the mail slot and unto the floor. Dan howled and began to shake with laughter.
"How can you laugh like that?" Amy asked incredulously. "Grace is gone and we'll be forced to deal with Aunt Beatrice without her help and what if Aunt Beatrice fires Nellie then we won't find a good au pair and I don't know what I'll do," Amy's voice increased in hysteria with every word. She collapsed on the cold linoleum floor and was overcome by tears. Dan stopped snorting at once and sat down cross-legged in front of his older sister. Dan was surprised, and scared. Amy never broke down like this. She hardly cried at all. He didn't know what to do either, so he just sat there on the floor looking uncertain. Over two thousand miles away, someone was crying just as hard.
(Author's Note: Hope you guys liked the new character, Chuck! I think I made Nellie seem a bit too sweet to Dan and Amy, but hey, their grandmother just died. Give some compassion, people! Please rate and review! I love you all! 3 -Woman in Black)