Her Deadly Friends

Chapter 5

Danny Pov

I stayed up all night. I almost fell asleep during my exam. He wants us to be friends. He's in college. What kind of friends will we be? He's mean and intimidating and he carries a gun. I'm afraid of him. I don't want to be in fear. I asked him if I could please think about it.

And I do, seriously. I think about it. Because it looks like Kyle doesn't want me as a full time friend. I love him but I don't like the way he acts sometimes. I'm angry with him. How could he leave me with his cousin? He hasn't called or text to see if I'm ok. When I left from my last class he came up behind me and covered my eyes. I snatched his hand from my eyes and left out the door.

"What's your problem?"

"I need to get to work."

"What the hell Danny. Get back here!"

I stopped then turned to him. "You managed to screw up the make-up day that we were supposed to be having. And what do you do the first chance you get? You leave me for the guy that turned you up on my doorstep drunk."

"Danny. I'm sorry."

"How many times will you be sorry Kyle. You're my friend. You're supposed to love me. Sometimes, all I have is you and you leave me. Every time. I don't interrupt your time when you guys are together. I just - just."

I threw my hands up and walked off. I can't with him right now. He didn't even ask me about my exam.

When I made it to work I grabbed some boxes and put them on the dolly and brought them up front. I started stocking. I wiped a tear I didn't even know was falling. I keep thinking about Kyle. He hasn't even called me. Should I call him and beg and grovel for a place in his life.

"How was the exam?"

I jumped and turned my back to him. I wiped away tears. I turned back and smiled. "It went great. I only missed 1 out of 50 questions."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Kyle. I guess I'm being bitchy. He won't entertain me when I'm like this. I just feel like he could be a little more considerate."

I don't know why I'm telling him this. He's so quiet. He's a good listener. For a minute I even forgot that he scares the crap out of me and carries a gun.

"Sweetheart." I turn towards the door. "Hi grandpa."

"You left your lunch at home so I brought it to you on my way to bingo." Grandpa still keeps the tradition that he and grandma had for the past 20 years. They would play bingo every Wednesday and Friday night.

He cut his eyes over to Dean. "Hi there young man." My grandfather shakes his hand. "Paw Paw, this is Dean. He's Kyle's cousin. He's a finance major at the university and helped tutor me for my exam today. I made a 96 on it."

"That's good news sweetheart. Invite him to dinner Sunday and we'll celebrate. I have to go." He kissed my cheek and left.

Dean raised a brow. "That's your grandfather."

"Yes."

"By blood?" He asked.

I raised a brow. "Ah, it hasn't happened in awhile so I forget to explain it. He's Samoan and Black. So was my father. My mother was biracial. All that spit out me."

"But you look white."

"No I don't."

People at my old school said that I tricked them. They thought I was white when I'm really black. I don't look all that white. My hazel and green eyes probably have most people thinking I'm white. Then when they see my Samoan/black grandfather, questions start happening. My nana was a white woman so my father was a tad lighter than my grandfather.

"Does that bother you?" I asked because one of my white friends at my old school became offended when she found out that I wasn't fully white.

"Why would it bother me?"

I shrugged.

"I want an answer to my question."

"What if I say no."

"Do you want to say no?"

I really don't know. I feel that I can't really afford to be picky in the friend department.

"I-I want t-to be your friend."

He nodded. I looked into his brown eyes then dropped my head. "Will you be going on the camping trip next weekend?"

I looked up at him. "Um, I was thinking about it. I won't know anyone there but Kyle and he's mad at me for being mad at him. Are you going?"

"I am now."

I nodded.

"Excuse me." I left to go help a customer. He started moving around while I helped the customer. I really needed to remove myself from his presence. I'm always jittery and hot. Flashes of something attacks my body. Out of all my 17 years this has never happened to me. Is it because I'm afraid of him? How the hell can I be friends with someone that I'm afraid of. I'm really hard up. My grandfather is wonderful and loving but he's hard and unemotionally available like my father was. We talk a little here and there then he kisses me on the forehead and leaves. I will never call my grandfather out about it. He's doing the best he can in this situation. He lost a son and a wife within a year of each other.

Go figure the men in my life are just like my grandfather, emotionally unavailable. They're cranky, pushy and domineering.

After the customer paid for his rope pulley and bolts, Dean came and put his items on the counter. Rope, shovel, duck tape, canteen. I became nervous. Does he plan on kidnapping someone?

"For the camping trip."

I breathe a relieved breath. "Oh yeah, of course. So we'll see you Sunday for dinner.

He nodded then started walking towards the door.

I waved, "bye."