Just you and I

XXIIII

(POV Dani)

I get in the car and head over to my sister's house, she called me an hour ago and sounded like an anxious mess. She's behind schedule, nothing's packed, she's not completely dressed, and oh, she has to be there in an hour to get everything ready.

So like the good sister I am, I'm heading over to help her do whatever she needs me to. And honestly, I don't mind helping. The only negative thing about this, is Ben. Why isn't he helping her anyways?

I turn on the radio while driving and sing along to get me in a good mood.

Fever dream high in the quiet of the night
You know that I caught it
Bad, bad boy
Shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it
Killing me slow, out the window
I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below
Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes
What doesn't kill me makes me want you more
And it's new, the shape of your body
It's blue, the feeling I've got
And it's ooh, whoa, oh
It's a cruel summer
It's cool, that's what I tell 'em
No rules in breakable heaven
But ooh, whoa oh
It's a cruel summer
With you
Hang your head low
In the glow of the vending machine
I'm not dying
You say that we'll just screw it up in these trying times
We're not trying
So cut the headlights, summer's a knife
I'm always waiting for you just to cut to the bone
Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes
And if I bleed, you'll be the last to know

I don't think there's a better way to get in a good mood than singing along to Taylor Swift. She has songs for every and any mood.

Singing along made me think about Saylor, she openly told me she wasn't okay, and she's not someone who opens up to people easily. So for her to actually tell me, even after I kept my distance for so long, it shows how much she's hurting. And I don't know what to do.

I care about her, and I made it pretty clear that I do. And I'm sending her the worst mixed signals by either pushing her away, or either doing everything I can to help her. And I know it isn't fair to her. But I'm a human being before I am a teacher, and I tend to forget that and get caught up in my spiralling thoughts of worst-case scenarios.

I put my car in park and turn it off. I take a deep breath and knock on the door. Lainey immediately swings the door open.

"Thank goodness you're here."
She grabs my arm and pulls me inside. At least she managed to get dressed by the time I got here.

"Where's ben?"
"He had to handle something at work."
"Ah."

She pulls me all the way to the kitchen, and it's a disaster in there. It's like bake-off gone wrong. There's cupcakes everywhere, literally everywhere. "Laney, what- how-?"
"Sst. I know. Just put them in the containers I have on the dining room table. Please."

She speedwalks away before I could even respond. Alrighty then. I take one of the many containers and start filling it with cupcakes. Once I'm done, I grab the lid and seal the container.
I decide to grab some big grocery bags to put the cupcake filled containers in, so they're easier to carry.

Ben comes home just as I put away the last one.
"Danielle."
"Ben."

I grab a wet washcloth and wipe off her kitchen island and counter. You would think she'd be prepared since she works in the fashion industry. But no, not at all.

I grab her car key and start bringing out some bags to put in the car. Ben grabs the last ones, to my surprise. We walk out to their car and put the bags in the trunk.