16, chapter 13
Mike's POV
When I heard them sneaking into the house, I didn't run out to see and interrogate her straight away. I stood and listened, knowing she was pissed off at me for some reason as well as being upset and at least slightly drunk.
A few minutes later, Joey came back down the stairs. He turned to look at me and opened his mouth to say something. Then apparently deciding against it, he simply waved his hand at me sadly before walking out the door and out into the street.
I slowly walked up the stairs to Dani's room where I peered in and saw her sound asleep in her bed, still wearing her clothes. Her face was red and stained with tears.
I felt a pull in my heart as she shivered from the cold; her blankets were not covering her arms, a slight frown was apparent on her face. I walked forward and pulled the covers up to her chin. I sighed and walked out of the room, wondering to myself what it was going to take to fix our relationship.
***
I groaned and lifted my head slowly off my pillow. I blinked and rubbed my eyes.
"What?!" I said rather rudely to whoever was knocking on my door. The door opened and when I realized that it was only Mike, I put my head back on the pillow; I didn't want to get up yet and was suffering from a rather large hangover.
"Morning," Mike said, walking over to stand near my bed.
"I'm not going to school," I said, my voice muffled as I didn't bother to look up at him, "I'm sick."
"I know your not sick Dani," he said after a small silence. "I saw Joey last night."
This made me look up. What the hell did Joey tell him?
"He didn't tell me anything, he didn't say anything to me at all actually, and that's what worried me."
"Good," I said and once again I spoke into my pillow, my back to Mike.
"Why'd you run off Dani?" he said quietly after a minute. "And why'd you take two bottles of vodka with you?"
Will this guy just piss off and leave me alone? Doesn't he get that I drank a lot of vodka last night and that has caused a rather serious headache?
"Answer me Dani," he said with a hint of forcefulness in his voice that angered me even more.
"Because you hate me!" I yelled at him, finally sat up properly and turned to face
him. I looked into his eyes and saw complete confusion laced within them. "If you don't want me here then why should I stay? And I figured, you owe me enough, you wouldn't really mind if I took the bottles."
I threw my covers off me and stood up, although I wobbled a little from my pounding headache and the head spin that I got from rising so quickly. I stormed out of the room, the best I could and headed to the bathroom, desperate for some aspirin.
"What-?" Mike began but I cut him off as I reached for the small bottle of pills and shook two into the palm of my hand.
"My head hurts like a bitch."
Whilst Mike was trying to collect his thoughts and figure out what was happening I walked past him out of the bathroom and back to my bed. I stop when I am halfway there and turn around to look at Mike.
"Tell me something, if you didn't want me, why didn't you just leave me alone? Why did you come to my apartment that day? I was happy without you!"
"I came to see you because I wanted to see you. I want to get to know who you are. I want to be a real father and be there for you!" he yelled back at me.
"No you don't! Stop fucking lying to me! I heard you."
"Dani, what are you talking about?"
"You don't want me here! I heard you talking about me in your study yesterday morning."
Mike continued to look at me with confusion, clearly not remembering what he had said. I sighed, not believing that I had to explain everything to the man that never gave me a second of his time in the past.
"You said that you wish you weren't in this situation. You don't want me here. I know that you regret ever coming to see me. And...and now Mum's gone...I have no one."
By this time, I had tears staining my cheeks, making them glisten in the light coming through the open curtains. I collapsed onto the floor, leaning against the side of my bed. The tears were falling freely down my face as I let go of all my inhibitions. The fatigue I was feeling after not having had a decent sleep in the last month or so, the sorrow I had felt since I lost Mum and the overwhelming effort it was taking to get to know my father was finally taking its toll.
I took no notice of what Mike was doing until I felt his hand clasp my upper arms. He gently pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into the kind of embrace that only a parent could give.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened. I do not regret visiting you and making you a part of my life Dani. I only have one regret, and that is that I walked away from you. I love you."
"I love you too," I surprisingly managed to choke out.
We stood that way, our arms around each other, me leaning against him for support, for a minute or so longer before stepping back.
"Go to sleep Dani, you look dead on your feet," Mike said.
I crawled under the sheets and was asleep before Mike had even left the room.
***
"You lost you what with who? What? Huh?" I was absolutely astounded. I knew they were going to get together one day but it never occurred to me that it was actually going to happen...if that makes any sense.
Alex laughed from where she sat next to me on my bed. It was about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, I had woken up about half an hour ago when Alex had finally returned from James' place.
"Me and James, we...um, yeah..." she clarified, kind of...if you could call her nervous muttering clarification.
I had already told her about everything that had happened whilst she was with James that morning and the previous day. She had been very supportive as she usually is and then proceeded to tell me about what had happened at the old apartment building after I left on Saturday night.
"So you and James, are together now?" I asked, smirking at Alex and thinking of the times in the past when I had told her that she would one day like James in that way. She smiled and nodded.
"And what about you and Joey?" She had picked up on my teasing about her finally realizing her true feelings for our best friend and was now trying to pay me back for all the times I had laughed at her. "You seem to be getting kind of close lately."
"Nothing is going on between us Alex," I warned her.
"Oh really? You cannot tell me you don't find him attractive."
"Nope." I stand and pull her to her feet also. "Now get out, I want to shower and you have officially brought this conversation to an abrupt end."
She laughed and walked to the door. Before I can slam the door in her face she says one more thing.
"Oh you want him bad."
***
The following month or two went by surprisingly fast and with not too much drama. Alex and James were in an icky I-cant-live-without-seeing-you-every-second stage and I was spending all of my spare time playing the drums, hanging out with my friends or occasionally just chatting with Sam, Mike or Estelle who I was on friendly terms with again. We seemed to be finally over most of the tension between us. Joey and I had become basically inseparable, he was my best friend.
Christmas was fast approaching and I was happily awaiting the end of the school term and the two week break.
"Two days left my friends," Bob said, stretching and putting his arms around Wednesdai as we walking towards our regular lunchtime spot beside a tree for lunch one day in December.
"I cannot wait," I muttered.
Thankfully, I didn't have to wait much longer. Two days later and we were walking out into the car park.
"What are you guys doing over Christmas?" Joey asked as we stood waiting for Alex to pick us up.
"I'm going to Ohio to visit my Grandparents because we didn't go over the summer," Wednesdai said.
"And I'm going to New York to see my Dad," Bob told us as he took Wednesdai's hand. "We better get going," he added. "We're gonna go out for dinner and spend some time together before my flight leaves in the morning."
"Okay, bye guys." We all said goodbye and hugged etcetera and they walked away.
I watched them go fro a few seconds before a car horn sounded and I turned around to see Alex sitting in my car with James in the passenger seat beside her.
"Jamie-Poo!" I squealed, as I opened his door and hugged him. I grabbed the sides of his face and planted large kisses on his cheeks and forehead.
We laughed and Joey and I proceeded to climb into the back seat.
"So how was school, kiddies?" Alex asked a big cheesy grin on her face as we pulled out of the car park.
"Meh," I replied. "It was school. When did you get here James?"
"I drove up at around lunchtime and sat around at Rudie's all afternoon watching Alex work."
I nodded and sat back in my seat for the rest of the ride. After another 5 minute we were pulling into the driveway of Mike's house, well our house.
Mike and Sam had agreed to let James stay in one of the spare bedrooms for the two week Christmas break. Strangely they didn't mind having a full house as we were always off at Joeys, out eating, or out of the way playing as a band in Mike's basement. Even though it was noisy, Mike was very keen to encourage any kind of music/instrument playing.
When we got inside the house I quickly ran up the stairs to drop my school bag in my room and grab my drumsticks while the others headed to the kitchen for some food. We met up on the stairs heading down into the basement where we were planning on practicing a few new songs we'd been working on. Joey had a can of coke in his hand for me and I took it with a small smile as my hand brushed his.
When I heard them sneaking into the house, I didn't run out to see and interrogate her straight away. I stood and listened, knowing she was pissed off at me for some reason as well as being upset and at least slightly drunk.
A few minutes later, Joey came back down the stairs. He turned to look at me and opened his mouth to say something. Then apparently deciding against it, he simply waved his hand at me sadly before walking out the door and out into the street.
I slowly walked up the stairs to Dani's room where I peered in and saw her sound asleep in her bed, still wearing her clothes. Her face was red and stained with tears.
I felt a pull in my heart as she shivered from the cold; her blankets were not covering her arms, a slight frown was apparent on her face. I walked forward and pulled the covers up to her chin. I sighed and walked out of the room, wondering to myself what it was going to take to fix our relationship.
***
I groaned and lifted my head slowly off my pillow. I blinked and rubbed my eyes.
"What?!" I said rather rudely to whoever was knocking on my door. The door opened and when I realized that it was only Mike, I put my head back on the pillow; I didn't want to get up yet and was suffering from a rather large hangover.
"Morning," Mike said, walking over to stand near my bed.
"I'm not going to school," I said, my voice muffled as I didn't bother to look up at him, "I'm sick."
"I know your not sick Dani," he said after a small silence. "I saw Joey last night."
This made me look up. What the hell did Joey tell him?
"He didn't tell me anything, he didn't say anything to me at all actually, and that's what worried me."
"Good," I said and once again I spoke into my pillow, my back to Mike.
"Why'd you run off Dani?" he said quietly after a minute. "And why'd you take two bottles of vodka with you?"
Will this guy just piss off and leave me alone? Doesn't he get that I drank a lot of vodka last night and that has caused a rather serious headache?
"Answer me Dani," he said with a hint of forcefulness in his voice that angered me even more.
"Because you hate me!" I yelled at him, finally sat up properly and turned to face
him. I looked into his eyes and saw complete confusion laced within them. "If you don't want me here then why should I stay? And I figured, you owe me enough, you wouldn't really mind if I took the bottles."
I threw my covers off me and stood up, although I wobbled a little from my pounding headache and the head spin that I got from rising so quickly. I stormed out of the room, the best I could and headed to the bathroom, desperate for some aspirin.
"What-?" Mike began but I cut him off as I reached for the small bottle of pills and shook two into the palm of my hand.
"My head hurts like a bitch."
Whilst Mike was trying to collect his thoughts and figure out what was happening I walked past him out of the bathroom and back to my bed. I stop when I am halfway there and turn around to look at Mike.
"Tell me something, if you didn't want me, why didn't you just leave me alone? Why did you come to my apartment that day? I was happy without you!"
"I came to see you because I wanted to see you. I want to get to know who you are. I want to be a real father and be there for you!" he yelled back at me.
"No you don't! Stop fucking lying to me! I heard you."
"Dani, what are you talking about?"
"You don't want me here! I heard you talking about me in your study yesterday morning."
Mike continued to look at me with confusion, clearly not remembering what he had said. I sighed, not believing that I had to explain everything to the man that never gave me a second of his time in the past.
"You said that you wish you weren't in this situation. You don't want me here. I know that you regret ever coming to see me. And...and now Mum's gone...I have no one."
By this time, I had tears staining my cheeks, making them glisten in the light coming through the open curtains. I collapsed onto the floor, leaning against the side of my bed. The tears were falling freely down my face as I let go of all my inhibitions. The fatigue I was feeling after not having had a decent sleep in the last month or so, the sorrow I had felt since I lost Mum and the overwhelming effort it was taking to get to know my father was finally taking its toll.
I took no notice of what Mike was doing until I felt his hand clasp my upper arms. He gently pulled me to my feet and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into the kind of embrace that only a parent could give.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry for everything that's happened. I do not regret visiting you and making you a part of my life Dani. I only have one regret, and that is that I walked away from you. I love you."
"I love you too," I surprisingly managed to choke out.
We stood that way, our arms around each other, me leaning against him for support, for a minute or so longer before stepping back.
"Go to sleep Dani, you look dead on your feet," Mike said.
I crawled under the sheets and was asleep before Mike had even left the room.
***
"You lost you what with who? What? Huh?" I was absolutely astounded. I knew they were going to get together one day but it never occurred to me that it was actually going to happen...if that makes any sense.
Alex laughed from where she sat next to me on my bed. It was about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, I had woken up about half an hour ago when Alex had finally returned from James' place.
"Me and James, we...um, yeah..." she clarified, kind of...if you could call her nervous muttering clarification.
I had already told her about everything that had happened whilst she was with James that morning and the previous day. She had been very supportive as she usually is and then proceeded to tell me about what had happened at the old apartment building after I left on Saturday night.
"So you and James, are together now?" I asked, smirking at Alex and thinking of the times in the past when I had told her that she would one day like James in that way. She smiled and nodded.
"And what about you and Joey?" She had picked up on my teasing about her finally realizing her true feelings for our best friend and was now trying to pay me back for all the times I had laughed at her. "You seem to be getting kind of close lately."
"Nothing is going on between us Alex," I warned her.
"Oh really? You cannot tell me you don't find him attractive."
"Nope." I stand and pull her to her feet also. "Now get out, I want to shower and you have officially brought this conversation to an abrupt end."
She laughed and walked to the door. Before I can slam the door in her face she says one more thing.
"Oh you want him bad."
***
The following month or two went by surprisingly fast and with not too much drama. Alex and James were in an icky I-cant-live-without-seeing-you-every-second stage and I was spending all of my spare time playing the drums, hanging out with my friends or occasionally just chatting with Sam, Mike or Estelle who I was on friendly terms with again. We seemed to be finally over most of the tension between us. Joey and I had become basically inseparable, he was my best friend.
Christmas was fast approaching and I was happily awaiting the end of the school term and the two week break.
"Two days left my friends," Bob said, stretching and putting his arms around Wednesdai as we walking towards our regular lunchtime spot beside a tree for lunch one day in December.
"I cannot wait," I muttered.
Thankfully, I didn't have to wait much longer. Two days later and we were walking out into the car park.
"What are you guys doing over Christmas?" Joey asked as we stood waiting for Alex to pick us up.
"I'm going to Ohio to visit my Grandparents because we didn't go over the summer," Wednesdai said.
"And I'm going to New York to see my Dad," Bob told us as he took Wednesdai's hand. "We better get going," he added. "We're gonna go out for dinner and spend some time together before my flight leaves in the morning."
"Okay, bye guys." We all said goodbye and hugged etcetera and they walked away.
I watched them go fro a few seconds before a car horn sounded and I turned around to see Alex sitting in my car with James in the passenger seat beside her.
"Jamie-Poo!" I squealed, as I opened his door and hugged him. I grabbed the sides of his face and planted large kisses on his cheeks and forehead.
We laughed and Joey and I proceeded to climb into the back seat.
"So how was school, kiddies?" Alex asked a big cheesy grin on her face as we pulled out of the car park.
"Meh," I replied. "It was school. When did you get here James?"
"I drove up at around lunchtime and sat around at Rudie's all afternoon watching Alex work."
I nodded and sat back in my seat for the rest of the ride. After another 5 minute we were pulling into the driveway of Mike's house, well our house.
Mike and Sam had agreed to let James stay in one of the spare bedrooms for the two week Christmas break. Strangely they didn't mind having a full house as we were always off at Joeys, out eating, or out of the way playing as a band in Mike's basement. Even though it was noisy, Mike was very keen to encourage any kind of music/instrument playing.
When we got inside the house I quickly ran up the stairs to drop my school bag in my room and grab my drumsticks while the others headed to the kitchen for some food. We met up on the stairs heading down into the basement where we were planning on practicing a few new songs we'd been working on. Joey had a can of coke in his hand for me and I took it with a small smile as my hand brushed his.
