I'll Be Okay

“I don’t want to go back.” I whispered, running a hand through my hair. Danny looked up at me from across the restaurant’s table, taking a final bite of his dessert; vanilla ice cream. He raised an eyebrow.

“Why not?” He asked me, and I shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’m just annoyed with my aunt right now.” I muttered, shaking my head sadly. Pulling out his cell phone, Danny began typing away and I leaned forward, trying to see. He chuckled, moving it out of my reach before he finished typing, placing his phone back in his pocket. “What’d you just do?” I asked curiously.

“I just texted the lads. Stay at my place tonight. We’ll have a huge movie night or something.” He shrugged, and I blushed, laughing softly. “Jenn too.” He added, and I smiled. Standing up from the table, Danny tossed a few bent bills down to cover the check and he grabbed my hand, pulling me out to his car. “We’ll just have to stop at your aunt’s for you to get clothes. Is Jenn there? We’ll pick her up.” He spoke softly and I nodded.

“She’s there. This just isn’t going to be pretty, you know.” I muttered, and Danny raised an eyebrow, slipping into the vehicle. Buckling up, I turned to him. “Me and my aunt haven’t exactly got along lately. So we’ll see what she says.” I mused, and Danny nodded, making his way toward my aunt’s house.

“Do you want me to come in?” Danny asked, parking in the driveway behind my Volkswagen. I shrugged my shoulders, hopping out. I watched Danny get out, walking toward my popped tire with a confused look in his eye. “Did someone pop your tire?” He asked, and I raised my eyebrows.

“I don’t think so? I think it’s just flat.” I said, and Danny muttered something before following me into the house. I stepped into the house looked up the stairs, catching my cousin slamming her bedroom door. “Just wait here.” I muttered to Danny before I jogged up the stairs.

“Go away, mum! I don’t know when she’ll be back!” Jenn yelled once I had knocked on her door. Furrowing my eyebrows, I knocked again.

“It’s me.” I called to her, causing her to pull her door open wide. She sent me a soft smile. “Danny said we’re having a movie night with the lads. You in?” I asked, and she nodded eagerly, telling me to hold on so she could pack a bag. Turning, I was caught off guard as my Aunt Janette towered over me.

“You are doing no such thing, Lindsey.” She exclaimed and I rolled my eyes, stepping past her. She grabbed my arm, stopping me in the process. “You need to listen to me when I talk to you! If you are going to live under my roof, then you are going to talk to me! If not, then there’s the door!” She yelled, and I felt my eyes grow wide. I shoved past her as I felt my face screw up in humiliation; Danny’s downstairs and can probably hear everything she’s saying.

“If you don’t want me here, then just says so!” I yelled, slamming my bedroom door shut in anger. My aunt started yelling through the door, telling me to calm down as I felt my body shake in anger. “Just go away!” I screamed, quickly filling a bag with a set of pajamas and clothes for tomorrow. I covered my face with my hands and calmed my breathing, my eyes slipping closed as I hummed to myself, causing my heartbeat to drop down to a normal pace again.

“I’m just trying to tell you that getting close with a…a musician is not a great idea!” She tried to reason, but I just shook my head, covering my ears. “Every time I say a single word to you, you freak out! I’m not trying to get rid of you, Linds. I just want to talk! I said some hurtful things but so did you, you know.” She spoke so clear that I felt my body stiffen at the end of her sentence. Maybe I was rude, but she deserved it. I stood up and swiftly walked toward my closed door. “You have been doing God knows what with that boy and I don’t want you falling under his spell! He’s no good for you. Your mind isn’t right at the moment and I don’t want him to mess up all of our work of putting it back together-” I pulled the door open quickly, my mouth dropping open.

“I’m not some messed up, mental patient Aunt Janette. My best friend died in a car accident and my mother was killed by cancer! It’s kind of hard for a 19 year old to cope with all of that by herself!” I yelled, stumbling past her as I knocked loudly on Jenn’s door. I heard her voice, telling me to ‘hold on’ as I heard a few things fall to her wood floor. “And we aren’t doing ‘God knows what’ and he isn’t putting me under some spell! He is helping me.” I muttered, waiting impatiently as Jenn ran around her room.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t already had sex, Lindsey! Because I know the type of man he is and that’s all he’s going to want from you! You’re innocent, vulnerable, and messed up! He’s just going to take advantage of you like every other guy in this messed up world!” She screamed at me, getting completely in my face as her face grew a deep shade of red. I felt my eyes grow wide and I stepped back, shaking my head slowly.

“Just because that happened to you doesn’t mean it’ll happen to me, too.” I exclaimed, pounding my fist on the wall as all of my anger was laid out on my sleeve. “You are my aunt, not my mother! So stop telling me what I can and cannot do, okay? I know she told you to watch over me, and that means WATCH not CONTROL. So back off.” I muttered the last few words before I grabbed Jenn as she pulled her door open. Jenn looked over at her mother and sighed, shaking her head.

“We’ll be back tomorrow.” She whispered, and with that I pulled her behind me. We walked, well stumbled, down the stairs and when we got there, I grabbed Danny’s hand as well and pulled him out the door. Piling into his car, I felt my face heating up as I finally cooled down. Danny probably heard all of that. Turning from the passenger’s seat, I looked over at Danny and he was biting his lip, clearing his throat.

“So, I take it you can spend the night?” he muttered, pulling out of our driveway. I nodded softly, looking over my shoulder at Jenn. She was trying to hide her smile and laugh. Raising an eyebrow, she let go.

“I’m sorry! I don’t mean to laugh but holy shit, you put my mum in her place! I did not expect that.” She breathed, calming her laugh before she smiled sadly at me. “Sorry about her, Linds. She’s just trying to be all motherly and I know; it sucks ass.” She said, and I shrugged. “Don’t worry, she won’t be mad at you tomorrow. She’ll get over it. I think you said everything that needed to be said.” She shrugged, and I felt a small smile fall on my lips.

“My mouth kind of wouldn’t shut up once it opened…” I muttered, and Jenn started laughing softly again. Turning to Danny, I reached forward and touched his arm. “I’m sorry if you heard any of that. I didn’t mean for that to happen; especially that loud. I just, well, I got pissed and she kept making it worse and…sorry.” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. He turned to me, a small smile on his lips.

“Don’t stress it, love. I didn’t hear much.” But for some reason, I don't really believe him.