Concrete Castle

After that day, I through myself back into school and working with Charlie. All the while preparing mentally for the moment I would meet with my father again. It's funny, I think about him all the time, but when it comes to seeing him in reality, I had no idea what I would do.

John and I stayed friends, real friends this time, not the cheap imitation we had going on before, and it was actually nice being around him more and more.

In no time at all, it seemed, it was Halloween, which happened to be both Baylee's and my favorite holiday. “Okay, chickadee, we're putting our costumes to good use tonight! Kenny just texted about a party at John's.”

“When the parents are away, the children will play.” I smiled, “He told me about it last night. And, we're meeting at our usual spot before going.”

“You still haven't told me what this 'usual spot' is.” Baylee pouted. When I just secretly smiled, she gave up and grew excited again, “Anyway, when our boyfriends see us in our costumes, they'll go nuts. Actually, you should come back here and change before going to John's party. We'll arrive together.”

“John's not my boyfriend.” I reminded her for the thousandth time.

“Pshhh, whatever. Go to work, you lazy bum.” Baylee shouted as I headed towards the door.

….

After work, like normal, I went over to the Fro-Yo shop by John's parent's house, waiting for him.

“Hey, Daisy!” John kissed me suddenly on the lips. Despite the shock, I detected a hint of alcohol. I should have guessed, he never tried to kiss me unless he was smashed.

“Have you been drinking, John?” I said in a serious voice.

“Just a little.” He nodded, sitting across from me at the bench outside the shop.

“Did you drive?”

“Yes, officer.” He teased, “but, I'm totally fine to drive.”

“No, you're not. Give me your keys.”

“You don't have a badge yet, Foreman.” John refused to let go of his keys, still tucked away in his pocket.

“John.” I said sternly.

“Devon.” He smiled, using the same tone I had.

“I think you drank more than 'just a little'.” I scolded.

“I think you need to loosen up. Let's hurry and get back to your place so you can change into your costume and we can go. It'll be starting soon.”

“John, this isn't funny, you could hurt someone, or yourself.”

“You gonna arrest me?” He smirked, holding out his wrist.

I pinned them on the table in front of me, getting in his face, “Give me your keys, because you are not driving.” I seethed.

“You're really sexy when you're angry, have I ever told you that? Because you get angry a lot.” I tightened my grip on his wrist, glaring. “Fine.” He sighed, and I released his hands. He slipped the keys from his pocket and handed them to me.

“John, we're not supposed to be drinking, we're not twenty-one.” I started a lecture, “And since I'm assuming your brothers are there, they're probably drinking, too, huh?”

“Come on, Daisy. Live a little.”

“I can live without getting drunk, thanks.”

“You know you don't ever have to follow the laws. You're not in the academy yet.”

“If you're going to act like this, I'm leaving with your keys and you can walk your drunken self back home.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Fine, can we just go?”

“Yeah, come on.” I sighed, standing up. John followed and we went in his car. I drove it the block or so down to his house, dropping him off telling him that Baylee and I wanted to surprise him and Kenny, and then walked back to my car.

“Alright, Bay, let's get going!” I called as I opened the door to the apartment. “John's already getting drunk, and nobody has shown up yet.”

“Okay, sexy thing, get your butt over here.” Baylee beckoned. Within twenty minutes, I was ready to go, Baylee already in her costume. I pulled that the hem of the shorts a little.

“Are you sure these aren't too short?”

“It's fine.” She waved it off as I bent over, “You can only see a little bit of your butt.”

“Hey!” I protested, snapping upright and putting my hands over my backside. “Why did I have to do with your idea?” I whined, but Baylee grabbed my hand and dragged me out to the car. “Fine, but if I get molested by the creep O'Callaghan, I'm stabbing you in the leg with a spork.”

Baylee scoffed, “Don't pretend, you'd like it.”

“Gah, enough with that already, I'm not going out with him.” Well, not officially. And, believe it or not, I was just a few steps away from being ready to face him. The man who destroyed everything for me.

Baylee rolled her eyes as if I was the one suggesting absurd things and we continued out to her car. Within twenty more minutes, we were at John's parent's house. Which, I guess, is still John's house. Whatever.

Kennedy saw us first, wolf whistling at Baylee, “John's in the kitchen, Dev.” He said, sounding completely sober. He probably wanted to wait to drink in order to see Baylee in all her glory. I'll have to admit, she was pretty sexy. In a completely heterosexual way, of course.

“Thanks, Ken.” I wave and continue into the kitchen. A little sad that John hadn't waited for me to start drinking, I saw him mixing drinks for a couple guest.

“Daisy!” John beamed, throwing his arms out wide when our eyes connected. Slowly, his eyes roamed down my body, and he licked his lips. I felt myself flush under his gaze. “Nice, we match!” John motioned to his own costume, a black and white striped sweater with matching pants. A criminal.

“Huh, Kenny was dressed as a car crash victim, I think anyway...” I pondered, “Did someone tell you?”

John smiled slyly, knowing he had been caught, “Baylee might have let it slip, but the idea to match was all mine.”

“I'm on to you.” I narrowed my eyes at him, poking him in the chest.

“Wouldn't have it any other way, Dais.” He responded cheekily, capturing me in a tight hug with his arms around my waist.

“Trick or treat.” I said suddenly, tilting my head back to look at him.

“Hmmmm.” John hummed, “We don't have any candy here, but--”

“What kind of loser are you? You don't have candy at a Halloween party?” I interrupted.

John just continued with his sentence, “I have something just as sweet and you've been craving for a while.”

“Oh, you think so?” I lifted an eyebrow at him, issuing a silent challenge. I think...he won.

He put his lips to mine, and automatically, my lips parted to move with his. Maybe it was the fact that we hadn't kissed since California, or something else entirely, but I wanted more. So much more.

Despite that, I pulled away quickly before anyone could see. I didn't need anyone freaking out on me, and I didn't want to kiss John when he tasted like beer. “Nope, I still want that candy.” I quipped, smirking.

John's shoulders slumped in mock defeat and he pouted, “It's on the fridge.” He said and my eyes focused in on it. A slumping pile of candy bags.

“Twix!” I exclaimed, rushing over.

“Hey, Daisy, stuff your face, I'm going to find Halvo.” John called back at me, not forgetting his cliched red cup in the process of exiting the kitchen. I gave him a wave he didn't see as I tore open the bag holding the scrumptious candies.

“Hey, mind if I join you?” Garrett showed up seemingly out of nowhere as I poked through the candy I spread out on the already cluttered counter. As expected, he was dressed as a zombie, one of his favorite things to kill on video games.

“Sure.” I nodded, “But don't take any of my Twix.” I fake glared.

“Wouldn't dream of it, officer.” Garrett teased.

“You look like a man with a mission, Gar, what's up?” I leaned against the counter, sucking on a lollipop.

“Do I?” He asked, “I was just bored, seeming to be the only other DD here.”

“It's just because we don't drink.” I shrugged, “Seriously, what's up? You look troubled.”

“I...saw...you kiss John.” He started, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. This is one of those times I would have verbally expressed how cute he was, if it weren't for him saying what he just said. Instead, I went silent and looked straight ahead of me. “Devon, I don't want to see you get hurt.”

It seemed like there was something he wasn't telling me, something important. “I know, it's John...but...” I shrugged, “He's just...different. I mean...as crazy as it sounds coming from me, I trust him.”

From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Garrett's face drain of color, but when I turned to look at him, he was turning around, busying himself in finding a suitable piece of candy. “Hey...” I put my hand on his shoulder before I heard John shout my name. I quickly gave him a 'one minute' sign and continued with Garrett, “I've been through a lot, Gar-bear, and if John's going to hurt me, then I can handle it, okay. So...don't worry. I'll see you later.”

“Yeah, see you, Dev.” Garrett unwrapped a mini Snickers bar, popping it into his mouth.

“What's up, John?” I asked upon reaching him.

“Care to dance?” He grabbed hold of my hips, bringing them to his. Without another word, we began dancing to the music.

-Baylee-

The next morning, I peeled my hot, sweaty, and hungover self from Kennedy and went for a shower. Getting the remnants of last night off me, I tried to nurse the headache that now seemed to be splitting my temples open. “Oh, god.” I groaned, leaning on the counter, hiding my face in my folded arms. “I hate this.”

“Don't drink, then.” Devon replied smartly, she had already been up for at least four hours and was dipping apple slices into a pot of caramel.

“What are you even doing?” I asked, peeking my eyes out at the delicious spread she had on the remaining counter space. Why does coffee take so long to make?

“What's it look like, genius? I'm making caramel apples.” She said, absentmindedly humming to the sounds of Tom Petty playing softly from her iHome. “Maybe you really should stop drinking, it's effecting your brain.” She teased.

“I know what you're doing, but why?”

“They're for Charlie. Halloween is officially tonight, but he won't be able to go out trick or treating for too long, so I'm making him caramel apple slices. Even though he won't even be able to eat all of them...” She added thoughtfully.

“Why is there so much caramel then?”

“Deduce, Baylee. I'm making you guys some too. I figured something sweet would help with the effects of the alcohol. It makes your blood sugar drop, you know.”

“I guess you would know things like that, huh.” I rubbed my head, “And, I know I don't ask that often because you seem to manage it okay, but how are you doing with that hypoglycemia thing?”

“I'm fine.” She said, something I have heard from her so many times before.

“What about...everything else?”

“What do you mean?” She asked, finally looking at me with a genuinely confused look on her face.

“You know...the boys are going on tour next week for a whole month. You sure you're ready to part from lover boy?” I asked, cursing myself for not really asking what I had intended. But, I heard John stir in the living room, and I didn't want him overhearing that conversation.

Though Devon rolled her eyes, I saw a slight blush creep up her cheeks. “It's not like that, I've told you a million and one times.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I waved, hearing the blessed coffee maker beep.

John appeared in the doorway, smelling the coffee and blindly making his way to it. “So, what are you up to, Daisy?” John asked, sipping his black, scolding coffee.

Devon once again explained what she was doing, and stuck a stick in her fourth apple by the time she was done. “Do you want help?” John offered. God, I don't know if either of them knew it, but they made a freaking adorable couple. Like, really.

Not for the first time, I wondered if John was really just in it for the bet.

“No, go be nice to your head and huddle in a dark room somewhere.” Devon smiled up at him. As if forgetting I was there, John kissed Devon quickly on the side of her head. I felt my jaw hit the floor. Okay, I hadn't ever seen that before.

A plan formulated in my head. This was going to be good.

Devon left thirty minutes later, telling us to help ourselves to the caramel apples resting in the fridge. “I think she puts crack in everything she makes.” I mumbled, gnawing on the apple. The two boys beside me grunted an agreement, too preoccupied to use words. “So, John.” I started as soon as my mouth was mostly cleared from caramel.

“Yeah?” John asked, not bothering to swallow before speaking.

“I think this bet is taking too long, it's been almost two months.”

“What do you want me to do about it? It's Devon.” John shrugged.

“You already got half for the dates, since we were kind and counted your secret meetings after she gets off work...but you still need to prove to us you've kissed her.”

“Gah! Where were you last night? I kissed her out in the open just for you!” John complained.

“It doesn't matter. You have until you go on tour to finish this, otherwise it's off.”

“So what if I don't get twenty-five bucks?” John shrugged, flipping on the television with his free hand, the other still holding the sticky apple.

“I also get the right to mock you for the rest of your life.” I sighed, as if it was inconvenient for me.

“Hey! That wasn't part of the deal!”

“Now it is.” I said nonchalantly, turning my focus on picking at the caramel. He was so easy to manipulate. So immature.

“Geez.” John huffed, “Fine, you're on.”

It seemed Devon really did like him, and something was different with John, too. I don't care how it happened, but I would see to it that these two got together. I mean, the way I saw it, they were practically made for each other.