THERE WILL BE BLOOD || DANIEL MATTHEWS ||

II: THE SCHOOL DAY

"Oh wow you look like the dead," Daniel said to me, my face down on the lunch table.

"Haha you're so funny." I grumbled, "I had to wake up at 5 to open for Mister Magico's."

"The opening shift?" Danuel's eyes widened, "Damn that sucks, especially since we were up late last night. Wait, I should've asked, how are you?" He asked, concerned.

"It's fine."

"No it's not, that should've been the first thing I said to you not to compare you to a corpse."

I lifted my head and laughed.

"Holy shit," Daniel's face dropped, "Are you okay?"

"What?" I self consciously placed my hand over my eye, "I'm fine."

"No you're not," he uncovered my hand, "He did that to you. What the fuck is his problem?" He asked indignantly.

"Alcohol? Cheating? You pick one." I yawned, "It happens all the time."

"Doesn't make it okay," he grumbled, arms crossed.

"Trust me, I know that's why there were multiple cop interrogations and a whole legal case." I sighed and then picked up and ate a carrot.

"Yeah," he paused, "Sorry it got closed," he said, sympathetically.

"It's okay, though I don't know who the idiot was who cleared him for "character witness." I sighed.

"A dodo head," Daniel answered.

I smiled. Then I paused. "How did it go with your dad?" I asked, tentatively.

Daniel sighed, leaning back in his chair, taking a bite of his sandwich. He shook his head, "You know how it is, the same old, same old."

I nodded, "He got upset and yelled at you for no reason?"

"Well," he smirked, "There was a reason. He had to pick me up for stealing."

"Danny! You can't act surprised when your father treats you like a delinquent when you act like one." I shook my head in disbelief.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I told him I'm going back to my mom's."

"Are you?" I asked.

He paused, "Yeah, I guess so," he said softly.

Daniel told me that his mom was doing pretty well for herself after the divorce. Julie moved to the fashion district, got a pretty nice place, unlike Daniel and Eric's cramped apartment, and got a promotion in her journalism dog. They also have a nice outdoor balcony patio where Rosco, his Akito and Australian shepherd mix. I miss Julie, she was like the mom I never had, she always had oven-warm cookies waiting on a plate for me when I came over, and Rosco was adorable, immediately pouncing on me when I walked through the door. But I haven't seen them since Julie left.

"Dads are shit," I mused, referencing our conversation from yesterday.

"Goddamn right they do." He smiled.

~~~

"Hey Danny!" I called out to Daniel in the hallway. The bell just rang and everyone was looking to get the hell out.

"Yeah what's up?" He answered as I jogged to him.

"Can you please, pretty please, pick up Varia and Liam from Daycare at 6? I work the closing and the daycare closes before I get out." I explained, rubbing my fingers over my backpack straps, anxious. I hate asking people to do stuff for me, especially Daniel.

He looked up at the sky, almost like he was checking his mental calendar. "Um I really don't want to run in with my dad?" I gave him a pleading look, the look that would make him do anything. He faltered. "Yeah I can do that. Good thing I brought my car, huh? I can take them to get ice cream and then I can drop them off at the house. They'll be fine on their own?" He rushed out, his words over lapping each other as I stared at him.

"Mmh, I told my mom that she has to be home for them, otherwise I'd hide her liquor and drinking money and tell the ladies at the book club about her habit." I smiled at him, "Thank you so much Danny," I hugged him.

"You're welcome," he exhaled, eyes wide.

I said goodbye and walking backwards smiled and waved at him, I turned around and accidentally slammed into Jason Powell. Fuck.

"Watch where you're going, Deli." He smirked, gripping my shoulders and pushing me back.

"Really Jason? You have to do this right now? I'm gonna be late," I snapped, annoyed.

"Late for what?" He taunted, "Work?" He leaned over me, trying to intimidate me.

Jason Powell was a douche. And a football quarterback. Tall, rich, blonde, white, and dumb.

"As a matter of fact," I looked up at him, "Yes, I actually do something with my life other than playing with balls ," I smirked, eyes staring unfazed at him.

His eye twitched, "You little-"

"HEY! Leave her alone and go stare at your teammates assholes!" Daniel yelled, shoving Jason back.

"Oh look you're depressed, emo boyfriend's here to rescue you. Shouldn't you be cutting yourself somewhere?" Jason cooed. His friends laughed.

"Shut up," I snapped, "At least I can get a boyfriend that isn't related to me,"

"OOOOO!" His goons laughed at him.

"Watch it Matthew's," he snarled, "This isn't over Deli," he walked off his goons in tow.

"I really don't know what his problem is," Matthew stated, shaking his head.

"He's a racist, homophobic asshole," I muttered. I scowled, angry at his prejudice. He called me Deli because he saw my mom working at the deli back when she had a job, and in his ignorance believed that I was hispanic because "Only Hispanics work at the Deli." She's not hispanic, she's Filipino, but he doesn't care.