The Story Of Daniel

/t w e n t y - t w o/

Chapter 22

Three Years Before

Another bath, a trip to the vet, and a few squeaky toys later, Jelly was a customary part of the Johnsons' life. And Amelia's. They learned that Jelly had a rare disease that could make him very sick and weak, but they had no idea if it would ever affect him. He could live his entire life pain free, or he could get fatally frail. No one knew what would happen. But right now, Jelly was healthy and happy, and that was all that mattered for the time being.

Amelia came over every day to see Jelly. She would convince Daniel to go on long walks with them, or play fetch. And of course, Daniel couldn't say no because Jelly was making Amelia happy.

It had been a year since they had found Jelly in that bush outside of the school. Since then, he had grown into his baby fat, and was still just as adorable. Daniel wasn't nervous about high school anymore. In fact, he was looking forward to seeing the new freshman faces.

Amelia was running late, so Daniel had walked to school by himself. As he sat on the brick wall outside of the school, he saw a few students start to arrive. Most of them were new, hoping to get a head start on the day. Daniel watched as a girl with short red hair and glasses was walking towards the school. She had head phones on and absentmindedly walked into a stop sign. Daniel muffled a laugh with his sleeve but then walked over to her. The world better watch out when this girl gets her license, Daniel thought.

"So, I'm assuming that you didn't mean to walk into this sign?" Daniel asked, holding out his hand.

After taking off her head phones and placing them around her neck, she took Daniel's hand and he pulled her onto her feet. "Nope, I totally meant to do that," she replied sarcastically. She finally looked up and when she saw Daniel's face she added, "Well hello, fellow redhead."

Daniel let out a little laugh. "Hello to you too. Do I get a name? Or are you just Clumsy Redhead?"

"The name is Ca-" She was cut off by the sound of someone yelling Daniel's name. He turned to see Amelia at the brick wall.

"I have to go," Daniel said. "I'll see you around Clumsy Redhead." He gave a small smile and then walked over to Amelia.

Now

"How?" How could this possibly be happening? Amelia's parents had died in a car crash when he and Amelia were ten, or at least that's what he thought. His parents had sat the little Daniel down at the kitchen table and explained to him why Amelia wasn't at school that day.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was a ghost?"

He still had the gun pointed at Daniel. But why? Why did Amelia's father want to shoot him? How was he even alive? "How?" Daniel repeated. Amelia stood there, silent. She wouldn't look at Daniel.

"Alright, I guess its story time then. Once upon a time there was a guy who went broke. He faked his and his wife's death, and then ran away to Texas; leaving their child with his sister-in-law," he walked in circles around Amelia, "And then this man started the life of a criminal. You know, robbing. And just as he was going broke again, his daughter comes up to his front door asking to stay. The man thinks, 'Hey, this is the perfect opportunity to make some cash'. And here we are now." He pulls the gun back up to Daniel. "So, empty your pockets."

Daniel stood in place. This man was crazy. Who fakes their own death, and then abandons their child?

"Am I not being clear? Empty your pockets. Now." Daniel sets two dollars and forty three cents on a nearby table. He smiles. Mr. Cooper just gets angrier.