Disappeared [ Dylan Sprayberry Fanfic ]

Chapter 6

Daniel's POV
I rung the doorbell, and quickly crammed my hands back into my pockets. I didn't know what I was thinking at the time, the only mind set I had, was keeping Bridget busy. I figured if she was doing something, she wouldn't think of him so much. Bridget  had enough to deal with without missing that guy, she'd been tolerating the verbal beatings from nearly everyone who passed her by at school.
It seemed so repetitive, even when they weren't a thing, Bridget got attacked for hanging with their family. Now that Dylan had left her, she was being cornered for false pretenses.
I couldn't do anything to help her or risk making the bullying worse or giving her the wrong idea, more often than not Crystal had to stand up for her. It couldn't have been more humiliating, standing there, letting a girl as tiny as Crystal protect the girl I liked or, to put it bluntly, loved.
I ruffled my hair nervously, letting it fall over my eyes.

Or maybe I just needed to keep myself busy. My thoughts ran away much to often; frequently, my feet ran with those thoughts, and the next thing I know i'm standing on Bridget's front porch. The door swung open haphazardly, banging against the door-stop, bouncing back and nearly hitting the little girl standing in front of me in the face. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes--her purple tu-tu almost looked silly, compared to the skulls, swords, and tigers tattooed all up her arms. Bridget's little sister. My heart dropped to my feet, just staring into her unknowing dark eyes reminded me so much of Jade. Jade didn't know she was going to die, she didn't know anything. Stop it, I eased my hands from out of the fists i'd formed, Stop.
"Hey, you're that guy from the beach aren't you?" Her sister cocked her head, as she pressed a new tattoo onto her hand. By the outline showing through the paper, I could tell it was a tiara. My mind flashed back to the plastic gold tiara lying in the middle of the road. The dented truck, her crippled little body-- I shook my head violently, Stop.
I forced a smile,
"Yeah. Is your mom home?"
As if on cue, Mrs. Holt appeared behind the little sister who's name I couldn't remember. Mrs. Holt was dressed in a thick black overcoat, a leather purse swung over one shoulder--she looked tired, really tired.
"Olivia," Mrs. Holt looked down at the little girl, resting a hand on the top of her head,
"Why don't you go back into the kitchen and get those brownies out of the oven? I'll be on the porch."
Olivia stuck her tongue out at me, then pranced off, leaving sequins and glitter in her wake.

Mrs. Holt quickly stepped out of the house and pulled the door up behind her.
"I'm sorry for coming at such a bad time," I struggled for words, Jade's lifeless eyes still tucked into the back of my head,
"I'll leave."
"Oh no!" She laughed, shaking her head at me,
"I was just leaving. You're looking for Bridget, right? Perfect timing." I tried not to look confused.
"You know she hasn't been herself," Mrs. Holt's dark eyes lifted to the cloudless sky,
"Since Dylan left. I hate leaving her, even with Olivia in the house, sometimes I get so scared she might just lose it or--" She was rambling. I had a feeling Mrs. Holt didn't have much of anyone to talk too after her husband died, especially now more than ever with Bridget so--detached.
Mrs. Holt took a shallow breath and looked up at me, tilting her head slightly,
"I'm just glad she has someone like you to rely on."
"Thank you, ma'am." I nodded, though I didn't feel all that reliable. I didn't feel all that sane either, but no one's scared I might "just lose it." No one worries about me, really at all now that I thought about it. I turned towards the door, and reached for the handle. Mrs. Holt's hand shot out and snatched up my arm. She looked me in the eyes.
"Something wrong, Mrs. Holt?" I questioned, forcing another phony smile.
"Everything seems to be wrong, doesn't it?" She released my arm, and rubbed her eyes with her fingers.
"Bridget's in the backyard, she's been out there ever since she got home from school. Maybe you'll get her to talk." With that, Mrs. Holt stumbled off, half-asleep, as she hopped into the silver Subaru.
She waved at me, and I waved back--then, I watched the car until it disappeared out of the neighbourhood.