Messy Ending

Dai

Sammi had predicted my actions pretty accurately. She groaned when she walked through the door and laid her eyes on the counters filled with pastries and breads of all sorts. “Dai, this is not healthy and not just because of all the deserts you’ve baked.” She stopped in her tracks and pointed at a pastry. “What is that?” She tilted her head, assessing it.

“Crescent rolls filled with Nutella.” I grinned at her abrupt stop.

Hesitantly she picked one up and sunk her teeth into it, her eyes widened to more than their original size. “That is like the best thing I have ever tasted!” she screeched., devouring the pastry in about a second.

“Was it good?” I teased.

“Yes,” she answered around a mouth full of the desert. “But it’s still not the way to deal with your problems.” She swallowed the last of the food in her mouth.

I rolled my eyes, packing up the food into boxes, stacking them around the counters.

“Help yourself to anything. I surely made enough,” I stated to Sammi, receiving a nod in return when I glanced at her.

I chewed my lip and made my way to my bedroom, flopping onto the bed. I stayed laid down on the bed for a while, but eventually moved myself up to rest against the headboard, tucking my knees against my chest. I collected my iPhone from my pocket and searched for the contact titled: ‘Steph.’

“Hello?” came the chirpy voice of Steph from across the line.

I brushed my bangs back from my face, fidgeting with the sloppy I’d thrown my hair in. “Hey, Steph.”

“Hey, Dai. Are you alright?’ Concern leaked out of her words.

“Yeah, fine, but I don’t think I’m gonna be able to go to work tomorrow.” I didn’t tell Steph about Ben and I , because she wouldn’t let me off and I was taking precautions just in case Ben decided to stop by again.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Dai. Feel better!”

“Of course, Steph.” I smiled, though she couldn’t see me.

“Bye!”

“Bye!” I replied, but she’d already hung up.

~~~

Ben

“Get your ass up!” I was pulled from the couch, landing painfully on my back.

I squinted up at Danny’s looming figure. “What the fuck?!” I clapped my hands over my eyes, protecting them from the light beating from the ceiling.

Danny ignored my question, pulling at my hands and tugging me to my feet.

I groaned and rubbed at my eyes. “What time is it?”

“Eight.” Danny shrugged, ignoring my shock.

I glanced out my window. “In the morning?!”

Danny cocked an eyebrow.

“I’ve been out for like fifteen hours!” I exclaimed.

“Whose fault is that?” Danny inquired.

I glared at the man in front of me. “Where’re the guys?”

Danny shrugged. “Probably asleep?”

“Then why’d you wake me up, you fat fuck?” I questioned, plopping onto my couch.

“I’m not that big,” he defended. “And you’ve slept enough. We’d assumed you were dead. The funeral’s Friday.” He grinned, plopping next to me, his arms stretching across the back of the couch.

“Thanks for the consideration.” I shook my head at him.

I was surprised Danny and I were still friends for as much shit as we gave each other
constantly.

“No problem, man,” Danny laughed.

I rolled my eyes.

“So, we’re probably going to the diner for the next few days.”

“M'kay.” I tousled my hair that had been mussed with sleep. I couldn’t help , but wonder whether or not Dai would be there, but pushed the thoughts aside. She obviously didn’t want to see me, considering she ran.

~~~

Why had I let my hope raise I have no idea, but I felt a crushing disappointment when I didn’t see her bustling around the diner with her co-worker who had not stopped flirting with me yesterday, which normally I would have been all over it, but not with Dai on my mind.

“Hey, guys,” Steph greeted us, emerging from the kitchen.

“Hey, Steph.” Danny embraced the small red head, but not in his usual “I-want-to-get-in-your-pants” way, but in a friendly gesture that said he loved her as a friend.

I tousled my already messy hair with my long fingers, chewing on my lip and playing with the piercings housed there.

“Can I get you guys anything?” Steph snapped me from my daze and I just ordered a muffin.

“Mmm, good choice. Dai made them.”

“The employee that got sick?” Danny questioned.

“Mhm,” she nodded. “She’s amazing.”

I cocked my head and retrieved the muffin from her, assessing it and beginning to devour it.

“Okay, this is fucking awesome,” I told her.

“I know,” she giggled, passing them to the five of us.

~~~

Dai

I sunk into the water of the tub, the hair at the nape of my neck lightly dampening.

A sigh escaped my lips, steam floating around the tiny tiled bathroom.

Tomorrow I had to go back to work and I knew and I knew there was a pretty good chance Ben could show up again. Why was I even running?

I sunk further into the water, wanting to wash my brain of any thoughts, submerging my head into the warm water.

Eventually I shot up, gasping for air. The sloppy bun I had my hair in had come loose, falling to my shoulders. I pulled the hair band out of the wet, tangled locks of my hair. Standing, I pulled the plug on the drain watching the whirlpool of water draining from the tub. I wrapped a towel around my body and I put my hair up with another.

My bare feet padded against the linoleum of the kitchen as I passed by the counters stacked with boxes to get to my bedroom. The room was noticeably bare, I’d barely hung up anything. Just a couple of pictures of Sammi and me, Steph and me, or all three of us. The walls were an off white color, the carpet; a deep purple color. My bed spread was purple and black. The dark wood dressers complimented the room nicely.

I pulled a drawer out and began changing into my clothes, shorts and another band shirt, I owned like twenty of them. I climbed under the covers of my small bed. “If I’m playing sick I might as well act the part,” I murmured, switching the lamp beside my bed off.