Chapter 20
Five Years Before
Daniel pulled Amelia deep into the crowd of people. They were all singing and dancing and moving around to the music of the opening act. Daniel didn't recognize the music, but Amelia clearly did as she joined the concert-goers in their singing. Daniel smiled, Amelia was having fun, she was happy.
Daniel was looking around, taking in his surroundings. The opening act was playing on the stage and the music was coming from huge speakers that surrounded the area. There were vendors on the sides selling things; band merchandise, glow sticks, refreshments. Daniel brought his eyes back to Amelia and saw some guy attempting to dance with her, but Amelia looked uncomfortable.
Daniel walked up to them and stepped in front of the guy. "Woah," the guy said. "What are you doing? Can't you see that we're trying to dance?"
"Nope, all I see is you making my friend uncomfortable. Now, back off." Daniel smiled innocently. The guy got the message and walked away after scowling at him.
"Thanks," Amelia said.
"No problem," he said. And then, all of a sudden, the entire crowd burst into cheer. The main act was coming onto the stage. Amelia grabbed onto Daniel's arm and was practically jumping up and down in excitement. Since they were so far in the back of the crowd, they couldn't really see the stage. So Daniel scooped up Amelia and let her sit on top his shoulders to get a better view.
The band was singing and playing their instruments and the crowd was singing along too and everything just had this aura of happiness. Daniel listened to the lyrics of the song that was playing.
I'll find the places where you hide. I'll be the dawn on your worst night. The only thing left in your life. Yeah I would kill for you, that's right. If that's what you wanted.
It was actually a good band, although Daniel still couldn't remember the name. After a few hours, when the concert was over, they slipped back out of the hole in the fence and made their way to the parking lot where Daniel's cousin would pick them up again to take them home.
"So," he said. "Did you have fun?" he asked Amelia.
"Yes!" she said. "I can't believe you did this for me."
"What can I say, it's what best friends do. By the way, you owe me one."
She rolled her eyes, but she still couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She was happy, for now at least. And that, all by itself, was the reason Daniel was smiling.
Now
"¿Dónde está elpollo?¿Dóndese pone elpollo?Dime, forastero. Necesito saber!"
Daniel wasn't sure what to do.
A man was speaking rapid Spanish to him. The man was flailing his arms around like a mad man as he shouted the words. Daniel just looked at him a confused expression and when he didn't answer the right away, the man repeated the words. He thought that Daniel hadn't heard him even though he had shouted it right in his ear.
Daniel tried hard to remember his Spanish class he took freshman year of high school, but his memory hadn't been working very well since the coma. Although Daniel was pretty sure the man was talking about a chicken, he wasn't completely sure. "Uhm, I don't speak Spanish. I speak English." Daniel exaggerated the movements of his mouth as he spoke, as if that would help the man understand what he was saying. The man apparently got the point, at least somewhat. He walked off muttering something in Spanish.
Daniel had been in Texas for a week. His car had broken down the second day he had been here, since then he and Jelly had been walking through Texas, no idea where they were. Daniel knew where Round Top was, he had looked at the map every day of their journey, but he didn't know where he was now, so how could he get there? He only had the contents of his bag and Jelly. He couldn't afford to buy a new car, so Daniel just asked around, seeing if anyone knew where Round Top was, or if they could give him a ride there. So far, no one had even heard of Round Top. It was as if it didn't even exist. But Daniel knew it did, he had seen information about it online. Even though it was small, it certainly did exist.
The whole thing seemed hopeless, but Daniel refused to give up. He walked up to a random house and knocked on the door.
"Who are you?" A girl opened the door. She looked about Daniel's age, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a dark tan.
"Umm. I'm Daniel. I was wondering if you've heard of the town Round Top?"
"Yeah... I have. Why do you need to know?"
"No one here seems to know about it except you. I need to get there, but my car broke down a few days ago and I've been looking for help."
"Well I don't help people, so bye." She slammed the door in his face.
"Thank you... I guess," Daniel wandered around looking for someone that knew of the town, but somehow he knew that she was the only one.
Daniel stopped at a local restaurant for dinner called, Taco Martes. He sat at a table, and started to look at the menu. The waitress came over a few minutes later.
"What'll it be?" The voice sounded familiar. Daniel looked up from his menu. It was the girl from one of the houses he stopped at. The one who slammed the door in his face. More importantly, the one who had known where Round Top was. He looked at her name tag, it said Chloe.
"Hey," he didn't want to be rude, this girl might have been the only way he could get to Amelia, "you look really familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" He used his best acting, if he could get on this girl's good side, he might have a chance.
"You look familiar too... oh wait! You're the King of Sarcasm!" Scratch that, he had no chance.
"Alright, fine. You caught me. But, maybe if I explain my situation, you'll understand how bad I need your help."
"Like I said I don't help people. Are you going to order something? Or do I need to call my manager?"
"Ok, yeesh, calm down. I'll have the chicken burrito and a Dr. Pepper." She scribbled a few things on her notepad, and then walked into the kitchen. She returned ten minutes later with the food. The whole time, she never said a word.
When the sun began to set, Daniel started to head towards a hotel he had seen on the south end of the town. He could walk on the side walk, or he could take a short cut in an alley that went straight through the heart of the town. He decided to take the alley since the sun seemed to be disappearing quickly. During the day, the alley hadn't been scary at all. But, it wasn't day time any more. The sun wasn't there to light up the alley. The night seemed to give it authority.
A/N: hello, readers. if you enjoyed this chapter, would you mind clicking the star icon to register a vote for it? it would mean a lot :) also, feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you guys are thinking
YOU ARE READING
The Story Of Daniel
Short Story"It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story." ― Patrick Rothfuss Daniel didn't have a perfect life. But he did have his fami...
