Don't Get Angry

31- Otis: Death Wish

I sat on Dalta's bedroom with folded arms staring at her as she tried to explain what had happened on her way to school. I cringed at the amount of pink she'd had; pink bed sheets, pink pillows, pink walls pink stuffed toys. It looked like a painter had just dumped the color pink in her room. I looked at her. Her nose was plugged with cotton and her face was all bruised up. "There was someone in the car with this mask on," she said extremely calmly, staring blankly at nothing. "She had a rifle..." She sighed and shut her eyes. "But now that I think about it...I'm not even sure that's what it was."

I looked at Todd. His eyes were wide. He seemed to believe her fully, but I couldn't wrap my head around the rifle part. If that part were true, then Taylor couldn't have set it up. "Was it the usual sheep mask?"

She shook her head. "A rabbit."

I sighed and put my hands on my face leaning back on the computer chair. "This needs to stop."

Dalta looked at me and nodded. "Yeah."

"We need to find Betty, bring her back home and then leave that fratentity alone-"

"Are you kidding me!" Dalta's voice grew. "They're trying to kill me to shut me up! Who says they haven't done this before?"

"It sounded to me like they were just trying to scare you," Todd said, folding his arms.

"They were inches away from my leg!" She leaned closer to us and widened her eyes. Crazy Eyes! "Inches-"

"So," I leaned over and pointed at her, "you thought fighting Taylor would send Chad a message?"

She sat back and bowed her head in shame. "I was mad. I wasn't thinking-"

"Of course, you were." I threw my hands up, sitting back. "You were thinking. You thought you could use almost getting hit by some maniac as an excuse to fight my girlfriend-" "Crap!"

Dalta jerked her head back. "Oh." She lifted her brows. "She's your girlfriend now?" She mocked me.

"No," I looked down. "That came out wrong-"

"Did it? Did it really?" She squinted at me.

"Yes... You know that's not what I meant-"

"Do you ever mean anything?"

I furrowed my brows. "What are you talking about-"

"Does Angela use Lavender body wash?"

I held my breath. "Wha...what?"

"Lavender." Dalta folded her arms. "Does any of the women in your house use Lavender soap?"

"Dalta-"

"Answer the question."

I looked at Todd.

He shrugged. "Do they? I'm curious too."

I rolled my eyes and looked at the ceiling. "Dalta, what is this even about?" I already knew.

"Yesterday, when we...," she looked at Todd.

"I'll give you guys some space." He walked out of the room and shut the door.

I sighed and looked around the pink room. As much as I hated the color, being stuck in it with Dalta made me realize that in order to be around her for the things I liked about her, I had to tolerate the little things about her I didn't. I stood and walked over to her, sitting on her bed beside her. "Look...I smelled like lavender yesterday because-"

"Be honest with me." She looked me in the eyes.

I frowned. "I get so mad, you know?" I looked down. "I...I got upset because I thought you didn't like me and...I didn't do anything because all I could think about was you." I looked at her. "I'm sorry."