𝐴 𝑁𝑜𝑡-𝑆𝑜-𝑁𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝐶ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑛 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

Chapter 6: shift

Daniek laid on his straw bed, it's nothing special, the room at least. It's just the straw bed and few books in the corner, he didn't even have a place to put his clothing. Daniek had homework to do, sure, but that wasn't what the boy was focused on, it was Tina, her dream had been shattered, and he had picked up the shards and built them into a new mirror, of his design. Daniek shook his head "come on Daniek, what would Tina do?" Embrace it? He couldn't possibly, it was his, motto, you could say. He used it to make tough decisions, because Tinitha herself was tough, he had never met a girl like her. Admittedly, he did feel something towards her, what was it? He always thought of Tina as a sister, a really tough, pretty, absolutely amazing sister. Okay, maybe he liked her more than that. But he knew it wouldn't work. Daniek sat up, and gazed over to the pile of books in the corner, he remember that day, the day he met Tina. He had been carrying those same books, he had bumped into her, and dropped the books. Luckily, it a good day for Tina, and she helped him gather the books, picking up one in particular. The fairy tale book, Daniels favorite, he actually hadn't touched it since, afraid he'd lose the Tina Touch. Well, maybe he could use it to help his situation! Daniek grabbed it and skimmed the book, he groaned when he couldn't find a single thing. There was a story of a knight, he was destined for greatness, and gained it. "That's not Tina's case.." he mumbled as he closed the book. "Seriously, this doesn't help!" Daniek immediately felt frustrated, and threw the book at the wall, it left a dent. wait, IT LEFT A DENT! "OH NO! Mom is going to kill me!" Daniek scrambled to find something in his room that would help his case, he grabbed some straw and a glue bottle out of his school bag, and glued the straw in the dent. He sighed, with the quality of the walls? I'm sure his mom wouldn't mind. "DANIEK! IM HOME!" His mother practically screamed into the house, or if you want to call it that. Daniek left his room, and stood at the entrance of it, this is how it goes, Daniek stands at the door and his mother 'asks' for his day, normally it is good news, and he gets let off easy. But every now and then, he returns with a low (which is high) grade, or a accident, and his mother won't feed him supper. "Well Daniek." His mother stood, gesturing her ring stricken hand at him, he sighed, that's what all the money was spent for? "It was good, mother, they searched for the chosen one today" he flinched, expecting a scolding, but, nothing came. His mother stood there "well? Was it Thumbwell, I always hated that girl and her parents, thank goodness they were exiled long ago. They are probably dead as we speak." Mother growled, Daniek felt uneasy. "Well.. about that. It wasn't Tina, it was-" "HAHA! TAKE THAT THUMBWELL!" His mother yelled, popping open a bottle of Chardonnay, and pouring it into a thick glass. "Go on then, who is it?" She began to sip the grape wine, when Daniek mumbled "it was me.." his mother practically spewed the Chardonnay out, and coughed, "YOU WHAT?!" She screamed, dropping the glass she held in her hands. Daniek braced himself, it was never good when she yelled like that. He was ready, he clenched his eyes shut, balled up his fist and... his mother hugged him? He opened his eyes and stared at her. She then muttered a word he had never heard before, a word that felt foreign to him. "I love you.."