HEARTBREAK HIGH; •Spencer White•

nine - sarah

"WHAT'S UP?" Cash pulled the front door open, only to freeze slightly when he found Darren standing there. For a second, butterflies erupted in his stomach, stupid and sudden. Behind him, Daisy's stressed yelling echoed through the house and he winced internally, hoping it wasn't enough to scare Darren off.

"Hi." Darren smiled awkwardly, rocking back on their heels. "Random, I know. Guess surprise visits are our thing now."

Cash huffed out a quiet laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, uh—" Daisy shouted something unintelligible from deeper in the house, followed by the loud crash of pots and pans.

Darren glanced past him towards the noise. "Can I come in?"

"Uh..." Cash hesitated. "My nan's home."

"I'm great with nans," Darren replied instantly. "They love me. Pinch my cheeks, tell me about the one Black person they met in 1974." Their eyes flicked over his shoulder again curiously.

Cash tried not to smile. "Yeah, it's just... bad timing." Another loud bang sounded from the kitchen.

"Doug!" Daisy called out from the lounge before suddenly appearing in the hallway. She stopped dead when she spotted Darren at the door. "Oh. Hello Darren." Cash shot her a horrified look.

Daisy blinked back at him completely unbothered, standing there in nothing but jeans and a bra while she rummaged through a pile of washing for her work shirt. Realisation slowly crossed her face as she caught Cash's expression.

"Oh." She cleared her throat. "Right." Darren looked deeply entertained, Cash wanted the floor to swallow him whole. A few minutes later he reappeared from his room, hurriedly shoving his shoes on while Daisy finally dragged her work shirt over her head.

"Have fun, Cashy." She grinned, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before disappearing towards the bathroom.

Cash groaned. "Ignore her."

"Never," Darren replied immediately, following him outside. Not long after Cash left, another knock sounded at the front door.

Daisy barely looked up at first, still fixing her hair in the hallway mirror, but Nan moved past her to answer it. The second Daisy saw the uniforms standing outside, her stomach dropped.

Police.

"Evening, Mrs Piggott," one officer greeted carefully. "Did Douglas happen to mention a robbery at a sporting goods store?" Daisy rushed forward instantly, planting herself beside Nan.

"Doug hasn't done anything wrong," she cut in quickly. "I've been with him all week."

"That's right," Nan snapped. "So piss off." Daisy bit back a smile behind her hand.

"Mrs Piggott, we just need to ask a few—"

"I said you're not coming in without a warrant and he's not here." Nan crossed her arms defiantly. "What're you gonna do, strip-search me? Go ahead. Might enjoy myself." The officer sighed in complete defeat.

"Always a pleasure," he muttered before turning back towards the patrol car. The second they were gone, Daisy exhaled shakily.

"Give him hell for me, Nan," she laughed weakly, squeezing the older woman's arm before rushing out the door for work. By the time Daisy got back later that night, she knew something was wrong before she'd even stepped fully inside.

Nan was yelling. "Ones who won't drag you down the bloody shitter!" Daisy frowned, walking further down the hallway just as Nan stormed past her muttering angrily under her breath. Confused, Daisy pushed open the bathroom door.