Chapter Two
Sweet Pea rested a hand gently on Delilah's cheek as he leaned in to place a surprisingly gentle kiss on her soft parted lips. Despite her brain yelling at her to not do it she threw caution to the wind and kissed him back, her first kiss willingly given away to a Southside serpent. They parted ways a knowing smiled played on each of their lips, their fingers loosely intertwined as they walked back over the bridge to the Southside before finally saying goodnight and heading in their separate directions.
Delilah walked home at a leisurely pace, taking note of the sounds of the twilight hour, pushing open the door to the House of the Dead was always an experience, but it was eerily quiet for a Friday night.
"It's past midnight, I've called you a hundred times, who have you been with Delilah." Malachai had gone with scare tactics to get the information he wanted; he leaned against the kitchen door frame as he twirled his pistols around his fingers.
"I was with a boy." Delilah knew he wouldn't probe her for anything more, the dopey little smile on her face told him no foul play had occurred."
"Go to bed Lilah; it's late." Malachai sighed and retreated down to the den in the basement.
"Night Chai." Delilah lazily headed back to her room as she collapsed onto her waiting bed not even bothering to get undressed beforehand. Delilah for once fell into a peaceful slumber which all stopped when an obnoxiously loud banging woke her with a start.
"Delilah if you wanna go to that art store in Centreville shift you ass, I'm leaving in 10 minutes and I'm not waiting for you." Shouting between bangs Malachai's operation 'wake the dead' was successful.
Rubbing her eyes Delilah sat up, no time to shower she thought before stripping off her clothes and heading towards the closet and once again picked up a pair of black ripped jeans and a mesh t-shirt. Delilah set a mental reminder to text Tyler and ask if she wanted to go shopping later.
"Please tell me someone has coffee." Fully dressed and ready to go Delilah headed downstairs, her cry for coffee was more of a demand than a request. A mug was thrust into her hands by a passing Ghoulie it contained the dark nectar that she was craving Downing the cup in one. Delilah wasn't one for mornings, and without at least one cup of coffee, she was brutal.
"I swear Delilah. I'm always stuck waiting around for you." An exacerbated Malachai threw Delilah her jacket, before all but pushing her out the front door to the car that already had the engine running.
"Why do you even offer to take me Malachai? If you all you do, is, complain? Why are you even going to Centreville anyway? Do you have a secret girlfriend or boyfriend? Hey, I, I'm not judging."Delilah had finally gotten her much needed caffeine high causing her to talk a mile a minute.
"Slow down kid,; I've got some business might as well take you with me, just get in the damn car already." Laughing Malachai climbed into the car drumming his fingers on the wheel as Delilah swung her legs into the car.
"Do I at least get to play with the radio?" testing the waters as always as Delilah spoke up hopefully.
"Is this your car?"
"Well no because you won't let me drive."
"You're a princess you don't need to drive."
Sighing Delilah rested her head on the window closing her eyes, she knew she was lucky to have her brother. But sometimes his overprotectiveness frustrated her, Malachai had taken care of her for so long that it was hard for to him to let go and let her live her life.
Picking up her phone Delilah remembered her previous mental note of needing new clothes.
D: I'm in desperate need of new clothes come shopping with me later?
T: How was your date?"
D: It wasn't a date...how did you even know about that?
T: My brother works at Pops duhhhhh
D: Don't tell anyone Ty please especially my brother, he'll have me hung in Pickens Park.
T: Relax Li, tell me everything later okay?
Delilah began chewing on her lip nervously as she looked over at her brother.
"What's wrong Lilah?" Malachai instinctively knew something was wrong, and she couldn't exactly lie to him, but she could bend the truth a little.
"Nothing, someone asked me last night what I wanted to do after high school and I guess I just don't have that many options when I weigh them all up." Delilah didn't feel so sorry it's not like her white lie was too far from the truth.
"You are going to art school." Speaking in a very matter of fact tone Malachai hoped that would soothe her fears.
"I want too, but I mean will I even get in, it's not like I'll get in with my reputation." Needing to talk about her thoughts Delilah carried on the conversation.
"Stop it, Lilah, you have to stop with all this self-doubt shit."
"I know I'm sorry." Delilah sighed before staying silent only humming occasionally to the radio. Soon Malachai was pulling into the side street by his sister's favourite art supply store.
"How long do you need?"
"Twenty Minutes maybe." Delilah picked up her cell phone before pulling herself from the car, she crossed the street and for the bright yellow frontage of 'Paint & Ink'.
Pushing open the heavy door to the art supply shop a tiny bell signalled her arrival as she smiled at the familiar and comforting sound.
"Delilah what a surprise to see you." Mr Nelson, the seventy-four-year-old owner of 'Paint & Ink', appeared from the back room.
"Hey Mr Nelson, how are you?" Delilah gave the old man a genuine smile as she approached the front of the shop."
"You know, as good as I can be for a seventy-four-year-old, got my very first great grandkid." Mr Nelson gave a well-worn smile as Delilah walked over to him taking in the lanky teenager as she approached.
"Really? Congratulations, Bianca?"Delilah had been coming to the shop for three or four years ever since Digger had found out that she was interested in art, over the years she had come to know more and more about his family.
"No, I don't think that girl will ever have kids, anyway what can I do for you miss Delilah?"
Delilah laughed."She might surprise you, oh I don't really know, I think I just needed an excuse to come and see my favourite old man."
"Oh girly you are a cheeky one, you had me until you called me old. I've got some new watercolour pens you might get on with, I know you like watercolours."
"Pens?" Delilah was curious.
"Yeah, I know, just but a little water in the cartridge and away you go." Mr Nelson didn't seem too sure about what he was trying to sell either.
"Sounds easy, I'll give them a go. I need paper, and maybe some more India ink sticks too please."Delilah pondered on what it was she needed, she was sure there was something she had forgotten but couldn't remember what it was.
"Anything else young lady?"
"Nope, well I don't think so, how much do I owe you, Mr Nelson?" Tilting her head to the side, she smiled.
"That'll be $26.95, Miss Delilah." Slipping thirty dollars into the old man's hands, Delilah picked up her bag of supplies bidding Mr Nelson goodbye before giving one final wave as she left 'Print & Ink'
Turning the corner of the street, Delilah sighed heavily when she saw that Malachai's car wasn't where she had left him, and neither her brother or the vehicle was nowhere to be seen. Pulling out her phone she dialled her brother's number and as she expected it went straight to voicemail.
"Hey, Chai it's me phone me and let me know when you are coming back okay, bye" It had been three hours since Delilah left the somewhat desperate voicemail. Having found a small diner near to 'Paint & Ink' Delilah found herself in a hidden both at the back, a bored-looking waitress came to the table.
"What can I get for ya doll?" The waitress drawled in an accent that was from a faraway state.
"A black coffee and a cream cheese bagel."
"Comin' right up" The waitress disappeared out of sight as Delilah's hands reached for her cell phone.
T: Hey Li, when you wanna hit the shops?
D: When my brother decides to come and pick me up, he's deserted me in Centreville.
T: He's left you? Shit, this is bad.
D: What happened?
T: Li, don't be mad but my brother let slip about last night
D: Shit, Ty this is bad, I'm gonna be in so much trouble
T: I'm so sorry Li
D: It's okay, I'll call you later okay?
T: Yeah sure, be safe
After her text exchange with Tyler, Delilah started to panic nothing good would come of her brother knowing about last night. Deciding to get some fresh air, Delilah headed outside for some fresh air in an attempt to try and calm herself down when she heard a familiar engine roaring through the streets of Centreville.
Picking up her phone "I'm outside the diner." Soon after Delilah hung up, her brothers cherry red hot rod came into view.
"Get in Delilah." Malachai's voice monotone, it held no clue for Delilah as to what he brother was thinking and that scared her.
"Where the fuck have you been Malachai?" Deciding to play nonchalant, she decided to pretend that she had no idea that her brother knew about last night.
"I had business sorry, I told you." his voice still monotonal as Malachai's eyes fixed on the road ahead, both hands gripping the steering wheel knuckles white.
"And I told you twenty minutes." frustrated to the point of tears Delilah let out a discontent sigh.
The drive back to Riverdale was utterly silent, not even the radio had been reached for.
"Come on Lilah, I said sorry." Attempting to soothe the situation Malachai's monotony broke, in return, Delilah gave him a pointed stare.
"You tell me all the time that I can't go out anywhere on my own that it's too dangerous, but you never tell me why then you go and leave me in some shit hole town for 4 hours. You don't text you don't call, and you expect me to welcome your arrival with open arms." Taking several deep breathes Delilah tried to regain her composure.
"You know I can't always tell you everything, I'm doing all of this to protect you, I don't want you to turn out like the rest of us." Now Malachi attempted to initiate a rebuttal of his actions, but his sister was quick to shut him.
"It's too late for that Malachai, I have a rap sheet just as long as yours, we were doomed the day our parents pumped their veins full of poison." Delilahs frustrated had turned to anger, she had, had enough of being protected from, being kept in a little bubble. The hushed whispers when she entered a room, the hidden rooms she couldn't go in, in a house that she was meant to call home.
"I'm sixteen chai, you think I don't hear the whispers around Riverdale about you, about us? 'isn't that the Macken girl, the one whose brother is a drug dealer?' or 'poor kid no wonder she's a waste just like those parents of her and that brother.' Delilah had never voiced any of those observations out loud before it felt cathartic to confess.
"What do you want Delilah? Charming little family on the fuckin' Northside, go to a good college, get married have the whole white picket fence life? Live the American dream with that Serpent you've been slithering behind my back?" aggressively Malachai pulled the car off the road and onto the grass verge, the anger he felt was almost visible as he shook and gripped the steering wheel even harder.
Trying the door handle discreetly Delilah found that it was locked, Malachai had put on the child lock before she even got into the car. She sensed that now she was in trouble, the last place Delilah wanted to be with ana angry Malachai was in a small confined space. Now Delilah was going to have to think fast and remain calm and either try and talk her brother off the ledge or run.
End of Chapter Two
I appear to like leaving you with cliffhangers.
Anyway, thank you to everyone for reading, reviewing, favouriting. I appreciate it.