The sound of breaking glass, the clicking of the large clock in the corner of the room, the loudness of birds chirping outside; all of these caused Danny's head to explode in severe pain.
"Are you okay, Danny?" Karen placed her hand on Danny's forehead. "You don't have a fever." Danny blinked as he stared at her. "I'll clean up the glass. Are you okay?" She asked again. "You're being clumsy."
Danny stared down at the shards of glass laying on the floor. He simply wanted a drink of water but when he picked up the glass, his fingers felt thick as they clasp the glass. His grip loosened unknown to him allowing the glass to fall from his hand. His thirst was more than usual. His tongue felt thick and his mind was foggy.
"Sorry." He finally answered as he shook out of his haze. What had Whitney given him? He couldn't really complain though. He did receive reprieve from his life for a few hours by having much needed sleep.
"It's okay." Karen noticed Danny's eyes red brimmed. He looked exhausted. The past couple of weeks had reeked havoc on his life. "Are you hungry?"
Danny started to say yes. However, he realized he wasn't hungry at all. Instead, he felt nauseous. Maybe he was coming down with a stomach bug or something. "Can I stay home? I'm not feeling too well. I think I may be coming down with a stomach virus."
"I don't know, Danny." Karen crossed her arms over her chest. "Jack and I are supposed to go to New York today. He wants to do something special." She glanced at her son with concern evident. "I'll cancel our plans. I'm not sure about leaving you alone if you're sick."
Danny swallowed trying to make the dryness dissipate from his mouth. "I'll just go. I'll make it. Maybe if I eat a piece of toast."
"Are you sure?" Karen placed a piece of toast in the toaster. "If you're sick, I don't care to stay home and take care of you."
"I'm sure." Danny half smiled feeling his stomach tighten due to hunger pains coupled with nausea.
Danny picked up his book bag and draped it over his shoulder as he took a piece of toast in his hand. He headed out the door. He decided to walk rather than drive as he felt slightly dizzy. Whitney rushed to catch up to him.
"I was going to ask for a ride but I guess we're walking." Whitney grinned as she saddled up beside Danny. "Are you stopping by to pick up the girlfriend?"
The look on Danny's face told Whitney all she needed to know. Jo may be Danny's girlfriend but he was anything but excited about that. He never answered as they continued their journey towards the school.
"Why aren't you riding with Lacey?" Danny finally broke the silence. "Aren't you two best buds or something?"
"No." Whitney grimaced at having to answer about Lacey so soon. "Although, Lacey is quite the kisser."
Danny halted in his tracks. He gripped the strap on his bookbag as he deadpanned Whitney. "Excuse me?"
There was more than of a hint of shock and animosity in Danny's tone. Whitney enjoyed the reaction she garnished from him. After all, reactions were what she lived for especially shocked and appalled reactions.
"Don't worry, step bro." Whitney tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. "Lacey wasn't sure she liked the kiss. But she wasn't sure she didn't. Basically, she is still hung up on you. But you prefer tacky blondes though. I mean really. Jo over Lacey? Are you on drugs?" Whitney laughed at her sardonic statement.
If her plan was successful, Danny soon would be. Then the boy would conveniently overdose. Or at least made to look like he did. Karen would get the money and her daddy would be Karen's husband. At least, Jack figured his proposal today would be answered with a yes.
Danny ignored her comment about Jo as he started walking again. "You shouldn't take advantage of her while she's vulnerable." Danny raked his hand through his hair. "Lacey is a great person. Don't mess with her. Okay?"
"Don't worry, Johnny Depp." Whitney took a couple quick strides to catch up with Danny. "Lacey no longer wants to be my friend. She can't trust me." Whitney held up her hand before Danny could question her. "Don't ask. But she is rather intuitive. Don't you agree?"
Danny smirked thinking about Lacey being intuitive especially when it came to him. She always knew when he was being less than truthful with the exception of his lie about his dad killing Tara. Although it was only a half lie, his father did beat Tara badly before he forced the rope into Danny's hand and begged him to pull. Danny remembered closing his eyes tightly as he pulled the red jump rope at his father's urging. The sound of Tara's gurgling would forever torture him. Danny blinked quickly realizing now was not the time to think of Tara's demise. He needed to move on from that torturous nightmare.
"Here comes your stalker." Whitney rolled her eyes as Jo approached. "Isn't her house the other way to school?"
Danny peered at Whitney before shaking his head. "She's my girlfriend, Whitney."
"I'm sorry." Whitney teased as Jo bounced up with a grin plastered on her face. "Hey, Jo. Isn't your house the opposite direction?"
"I thought Danny my have wanted to give me a ride." Jo continued her cheesy smile as she took Danny's hand forcing it into hers. "But it is great we're walking. We can spend more time together this way." She tried to act flirty by jutting out her lip in a pout. Jo had deemed that look sexy for some odd reason. "You didn't call, text, or stop by this weekend."
"Wouldn't the case be he'd stop if he wanted to give you a ride?" Whitney quipped with a mischievous grin.
Danny ignored Whitney's jeering of Jo by answering Jo's question. "I was out of it most of the weekend. Sleeping after all the nights that I've lost sleep."
Whitney chuckled under her breath at Danny's lie. The boy hadn't been sleeping at all. Thus, her easy manipulation of him to take the drugs last night. She whispered under her breath again for Danny to hear only. "Lying much. Or Jo Obsessive Much."
Danny coughed trying not to laugh out loud at Whitney's charades. However, he had to admit that Whitney's secret jeers at Jo were making him forget the very sweaty palm of said girl. The drenched wet palm that caused his own palm to feel clammy as she grasped to his hand. Danny wondered to himself if this is what pubescent holding of hands felt like. He had foregone those awkward years in juvie. He had came out of juvie with voice changed, body heading towards manhood, and non sweaty hands. Lacey's hand hold was sensuously soft. The only time sweat accumulated between his and Lacey's skin was during the few times that their relationship had crossed the line into sexual endeavors.
Jo's voice cut through his thoughts of Lacey and him on their last intimate time together. It was sometime before he told her about the necklace and sometime after the sex video was made. He had gone to his house with Lacey to get clothes to stay with the Mastersons due to his mother's fake confession about killing Regina. They ended up having a quickie before he packed his clothes and headed over to Chief Mastersons.
"Did you hear me?" Jo bounced in front of Danny still gripping his hand tightly. "Mom and Dad are going to check out where they are keeping Charlie. It is a meeting with parents about visiting day and so on. Mom said she'll let your mom know when to go. I said you probably don't want to…"
"I do want to see Charlie. He's my brother." Danny interrupted Jo's rant.
"Well, he's mine too. But I don't know why Mom and you insist on seeing him." Jo pulled her hand away from Danny's angrily. It was supposed to punish him but instead, Danny was relieved by the removal of Jo's hand from his. "He did hold a knife to my throat."
"Didn't he also have his tongue down your throat?" Whitney couldn't resist the jab at Jo. For some reason, Whitney decided she didn't have to pretend with this one. It was her goal to not be nice or cordial to anyone that was a non factor in her dad's and her plans.
"Whitney?" Danny scolded. Then he turned to Jo. "He has problems, Jo. You have no idea how it was to be raised how he was. Trust me. Tara wasn't a good person to me no less to someone she was hiding for my dad's illicit affair with your mom."
Jo stopped walking. She crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE A KNIFE TO YOUR NECK!"
Her voice was loud and full of the victim persona that Jo loved to wallow in. Danny pushed his hand through his flowing hair. He gritted his teeth as he spoke in an angry tone.
"Really, Jo? You have no idea what kind of violence I've endured in my lifetime or what Charlie has faced." Danny closed his eyes trying to calm down. He opened them to look at Jo again. His voice was more nonchalant than before. "If you didn't want me to go see Charlie, why did you bring it up?"
Jo's face lit up now that the conversation was back to her goal. She slid her hand back into Danny's hand. "We'll have the house to ourselves."
Whitney's eyes darted to Danny's. If she didn't know better, she'd swear the boy was going to pass out or puke. Or both. He swallowed nervously.
"I ..well….I..." he stuttered trying to think of an excuse. Danny was never at a loss for words before. He composed himself. He'd think of something later. "Do you want to eat at Johnny Cakes before?" Danny thought he could feel ill after the meal and head home.
The rest of the walk was filled with Jo's excited chatter and Whitney's rolling of eyes at Jo's excited chatter. It was obvious to Danny and Whitney what Jo had in mind for Danny that evening. But it was also obvious, except to Jo, that Danny planned to have nothing to do with Jo's plans.
Without warning, Danny jerked his hand from Jo's hand. Jo started to ask what the deal was until she followed the direction in which Danny's eyes were staring. Jo wanted to scream but she held her breath keeping herself in check. Danny's eyes were connected to none other than Lacey's eyes.
Danny's voice came out in a lower octave when he spoke. "Hey, Lace."