𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐌𝐄, deena johnson

𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

❝AROUND THE KIDS?❞

DAISY WAS AT DEENA'S PLACE, as she often was, enjoying the comfort and familiarity of her girlfriend's room. The two of them were napping, nestled together under the covers, when Daisy felt the gentle shift of Deena getting up. Blinking her eyes open, she saw Josh standing in the doorway, looking somewhat exasperated. Daisy sat up as well, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she offered him a sleepy smile. Josh gave a small wave in return.

"Hey, Dais," Josh greeted her casually before turning his attention back to his sister. His expression shifted to one of mild concern mixed with frustration. "Dad's gonna murder you, Deena. You know the cops called him about an accident last night?"

Deena groaned, clearly not in the mood for her brother's scolding. "Please get out of my room," she muttered, burying her face in the pillow as if that could make him disappear.

Josh, however, was undeterred. "You get out of your room!" he shot back, his tone playful yet pointed. "You haven't left it all day. I'm surprised Daisy was able to get in." He smirked, knowing how reclusive Deena could be when she was upset.

Deena huffed in irritation before grabbing a pillow and launching it at Josh, who easily pushed it away with a laugh. Daisy, sensing the tension easing, scooted up on the bed, trying to stifle her amusement.

"Get up!" Josh commanded, still grinning as he backed out of the room, leaving Deena and Daisy to follow at their own pace.

As they left the room, Daisy grabbed her jacket from where it had been tossed earlier. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you mind if I wash this here? My washer is shit right now." She glanced at Deena, hoping she wouldn't mind.

Deena let out a tired sigh, clearly still preoccupied with everything that had happened. "Uh... yeah, you can leave it here. I'll wash it tomorrow," she said, her voice distant as she gestured for Daisy to put the jacket down.

Daisy nodded, placing the jacket on a nearby chair, and turned to see Deena moving around the living room, beginning to clean up the remnants of the previous night's chaos. Empty beer cans littered the floor, and Daisy could tell that Deena was trying to distract herself from the weight of the situation by tidying up.

Meanwhile, Daisy's attention was drawn to the TV, where the news was playing. The anchor's voice was grave as he reported, "--as mall employee Ryan Torres has been identified as the killer. A recent graduate of Shadyside High, as those who knew him attest, seemed to s—." Before Daisy could hear more, the screen went black as Deena switched off the TV, her expression unreadable.

"Hey! I was watching that," Daisy protested, her curiosity piqued by the news report.

Deena turned away from the TV, her frown deepening. "Well, I really don't wanna hear it," she replied, her voice edged with tension as she moved away.