Axel's Daisy

21 • Axel

"Congrats, man," Cole said as we shook hands and hugged each other.

He cleaned up nicely with a leather jacket and jeans. He had an elated smile, like our biggest supporter, but I could still see hopelessness in his eyes, even if he tried to hide it.

"Yeah, it was amazing," his friend Ale Alvarez joined in the conversation.

"Axel here turned heads, even with the ladies," James Crown commented. They were all known to be former bad boys, and they still acted like it.

I wasn't interested in the whole conversation, as my eyes darted to Destiny and Jade on the couch. It was around ten p.m., and she had placed her head on her best friend's shoulder. I could only see their heads from behind, but it looked like Destiny had dozed off on Jade.

"Give me some praise here. I helped my man," Brady whined as he slapped my neck. I cursed him as I shoved him; he laughed at the red spot that formed on my neck.

"You didn't do shit," I joked, and he placed a hand on his heart in front of the guys.

"You wound me, dear brother," he sighed, and the guys laughed at us.

The party was packed with people in the hallways and around the lounge. Brady had set up colored strobe lights that swayed through the lounge. Brady's parents were never around, as they traveled for business trips daily. I felt bad for Brady, but he was used to it since he was a kid.

One thing was for sure: Brady had locked all the rooms, so there would be no action upstairs.

Most of the group went to the bar area, while others danced to the loud remixes or gathered in groups. That was the most typical scene through high school.

My head throbbed with a persistent ache, each pulse a reminder of how much I'd pushed myself. I watched my friends bounce around with their usual energy, feeling like a spectator rather than a participant. The vibrant lights and loud conversations felt distant, as though I was observing everything through a haze. I could barely muster the strength to keep my eyes open, and my usually sharp movements had become slow and deliberate.

I stepped away from the crowd to check on Jade and Destiny. As I approached, I saw that Destiny was gently snoring on Jade's shoulder, causing Jade to chuckle when she noticed me looking.

"She's not exactly the party animal," Jade muttered.

"It must be a talent to sleep through Drake's music," Brady said as he chuckled.

"I have my car keys. I'll drop her home," I informed both of them, opting for the back door to avoid snide comments and side eyes.

Brady opened the door for me, and the gust of wind made Destiny stir, her eyes fluttering open. She gazed at me in a dazed, sleepy haze.

"Not again," she whispered breathlessly as she clutched her head.

"Go back to sleep," I told her, my firm grip loosening as I helped her into the passenger seat, which Jade had opened for me.

"Thanks. I'll take it from here."

"Good luck with that," Jade snickered as she walked back to Brady.

Destiny ignored my words, letting out a weary huff with her droopy eyes. There was something unusual about her, but I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

I closed the car door, started the engine, and navigated carefully out of the parking lot, heading towards her house.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she mumbled sleepily. "I mean, about the cheating with other girls. I know it's not my business, but I really feel bad." She continued to rant with her eyes closed.

  I was distracted by how she opened her eyes again and looked out the window.

  "Violet and Brooke—who else should I know about?" She asked.

That caught my attention. I pulled up in front of her house, stopped the car, and turned to face her. She looked at me with a pout, and I gently took her hand to kiss her palm.

"Listen, nothing happened. We'll talk about it once you've had some rest," I said. It was pointless to discuss things while she was so exhausted, especially with the meeting she needed to prepare for tomorrow.

How the hell did she know about Violet?

I'd have to find out later. I could ask Jade since they were basically joined at the hip.

I carried her inside, and she instinctively nestled against my chest, drifting back to sleep. Her hand rested gently on my heart, and she snored softly, her cheeks flushed and mascara smudged beneath her eyes. She hadn't worn much makeup; she didn't need to. I watched her as I rang the doorbell.

"Hey, it's you again," her dad said with a cheerful tone. Then he glanced at his daughter, shaking his head with a chuckle. "History repeats itself, twice now, doesn't it?" He had a slight country accent.

"Guess so. I'm going to lay her down before she catches a cold," I said. I wasn't great at interacting with families since mine was seldom around. My dad was the only one present for most of my life.

Her father nodded in understanding and stepped aside to let me go upstairs. I gently placed her on the bed, and she instinctively turned onto her side. After removing her boots, I covered her bare legs with a purple quilt. As I stood up, I noticed the array of framed photos on her dresser: pictures of her and Jade as children in puffy skirts and sunglasses, and one of her and her dad with fishing rods. But one particular photo caught my eye.

It was of her and a woman with the same eyes, both looking into the camera with cute smiles and flowers in their hands. I could tell Destiny was in her early teens in the photo.

"That's her mother," her dad said, addressing my unspoken question as he stood in the doorway. "She was the love of my life, ever since we were in high school."

I smiled at him. "They're literally twins," I said, looking back at the photo. "I'm really sorry for your loss." My eyes met his, now glistening with tears.

"She had the biggest heart; she was an innocent soul. She died in a car crash on a bright Sunday morning." Her dad's deep love for her mother was evident, and it resonated with me, making my eyes water as I reflected on the love my own dad had never received from my mom—not even an ounce of it.