Deliver Me To Evil

Stranger Danger!!

After school, I meet up with Danny and Le-Ann at the bus circle to wait for Le's bus. I usually walk and Dan's mom comes to pick him up, but I wait for Le's bus to come first. We stand in a circle, with Le facing the school. As we are chatting about, of course, Le's crush, she glances behind me and trails off. She and Dan both roll their eyes. That should have been clue enough for me to know someone annoying is coming, but i'm an idiot, so i don't. I feel my hair being touched and whip around, and who else but the girls from the bathroom are standing behind me. The one in the middle, I guess their leader, is pulling her hand away from my hair.

"What do you want, Miranda?" Danny says. He knows her?

"Oh, I am hurt, I'm just here to chat," She says with mock shock. She turns her attention to me.

"You need to touch up your roots, the red is coming through. And maybe you should wash it, too, it's a bit greasy." She reached up to touch my hair again and I slap her hand away. She scoffs at me.

"That was really rude!" She said harshly.

"I don't care. So is touching me when I don't want you to." I reply calmly.

"I was just being nice."

"And?? Don't touch me." I bark.

"Go to Hell!" Miranda shouts and saunters off. One of the girls jogs behind her, but the other stays behind and stares at me.

"What's your name?" She asks.

 "What's it to you?" I snap back. The girl flinches and says, "Well I just wanted to apologize for what happened in the bathroom earlier. It wasn't cool..."

"Well your friend is a bitch." I say.

"Yeah, well... Sorry..." The girl turns and runs to catch up with the other two.

I turn back to the other two. "Who the hell are they to say anything about me? Who is she? God, I swear if she says anything else..." 

Danny can't keep his mouth shut when I'm annoyed, and remarks, "I thought you didn't believe in God."

"Shut up. And how do you know her? I have never even seen her." I say.

"Well, B, everyone knows her, she's like, the hottest girl in school. " Le answers.

"Really? I have seen hotter girls here." I reply. Le shrugs her shoulders.

Someone honks a car horn and we all look. It's Dan's mom. He gives a small smile and waves. I nod at him and Le waves back. Then we just wait for Le's bus to get here. When it finally does, about five minutes later, Le gives me a hug and says, "Have a safe walk. See ya tomorrow."

"What 'chu talkin' about, i'm coming home with you." I say and we climb on the bus.

X X X X X X

After dinner, Le'ann's mom, Diana, offered to drive me home. I text my mom, letting her know i am on my way home. She won't get off until another twenty minutes, but I might as well. We pull into the driveway and all of the lights are out. Luke must still be at wrestling practice. I unbuckle my seat belt and say to Diana, "Thanks for the ride. I might be over tomorrow, but my mom will be able to pick me up, she gets off early, so..."

She smiles and says, "Oh it's no problem at all. And, tell your mom that I have those knitting patterns for her whenever she wants them!"

"Okay, I will, and thanks again," I say as I open the door. She nods and I walk to my front door. I know she wont leave until i'm inside, so i unlock the door and step in. As I close and lock the door, I see Diana's headlights sweep the room as she is backing out, and something they illuminate for a split second catches my eye. I look up in that direction but I don't see anything but shadows. I move to flip on the light, keeping my eyes on the area. The shadows move. I reach under the table for the pocket knife my mom taped under the table three weeks ago, but it's not there. I reach to unlock the door, and, like any stupid girl in those horror movies, I say "Who's there?" Just in case Luke might have come home early.

"Damn..." I heard the shadow figure mutter. Someone is in my house! A man! There is a man in my house!

And then the shadow rushes towards me. Before I can get the door open, the man has me around my ribs and off the floor. I scream and thrash and hit and kick but the intruder is very strong.

"Let me go! Get out!" I scream. But he yells at me, too. "Shut up! Just stop!"

"Help me! Help!"

"Bix! Billi, Just calm down!" That stopped me cold. Only one other person calls me Bix.

"Hu- D- Dad?" I push out of his arms, and he let me go. I turn to look at him and it really is him. "Dad!" I exclaim and hug him. "You're back! Where were you! Why were you gone so long?" I pull back from the hug and look up at his face.

"All in good time." He said and wiped the tears from my eyes, which probably just made my eyeliner smear.

"Why were you standing in the dark? Wh- why did you attack me? And where is your car?" I question him. He clears his throat.

 "Well, I just got here about two minutes before you did. I didn't know that you were, well.. you. And my car was stolen. Wicked story, but later." I process all of this.

"Since when do you say wicked?"

"Uh, well, i was gone for a while. Probably picked it up... Wait- why is that the only thing you took from this?" He smiles.

 I missed him. I give him another quick hug. "Are you gonna tell me where you were?" I know it's a long shot. And he shakes his head.

"My business isn't for kids ears." I smile at him.

"Well, dad, i'm seventeen, not exactly a kid." I see his eyebrows furrow. "Seventeen? When did that happen?"

Ouch. I sigh at him. "Four weeks ago, dad." I watch as his face hardened into a cold glare and transform into sorrow, anger, and the back into his own face in two seconds. What's his problem? He should have known this. He has never missed a birthday. He set his hands on my shoulders "I'm sorry, Bix." He says.

Just as I open my mouth to yell at him, the door opens and my mother walks in.

"Daniel?!"