Leave Mary Jane Alone

Chapter Fourteen.

When it registered in my brain that he was here, I had to force myself to think. The first thing I did was push his face away a little rudely. Mornings were fuzzy for me sometimes. I might have screamed moo in the manner of a cow. Danny stopped and stared at me for like five seconds before shouting again. Was he speaking Spanish? I didn't know any Spanish! Finally he started making sense and I nodded a little in understanding.

"Fire in the kitchen! I set the kitchen on fire! Fire in the kitchen! Mary Jane help me!" I jumped from the bed and into my firefighter suit!

No I'm lying I jumped disgracefully off of Danny Donovan's bed and banged against the floor realizing I was tangled in the blankets. Then I stood and ran to his kitchen looking at the fire. I started to think about my mother and how she used to set things on fire with no problem at all. Tears brimmed in my eyes, but then I looked at Danny Donovan trying to fan it out with a sock? Yes a sock. Hell, we'd burn to death if his smoke alarm hadn't gone off. Oh wait! It didn't! Danny screamed like a girl as his sock caught a flame and began to burn in his hand. Just as he stopped screaming and threw his sock into the sink the front door jingles before banging open. I look over to see a man. He looked exactly like Danny Donovan, except his hair had a salt and pepper theme and he was more professionally attired. I don't study him long as I can feel the heat biting my skin which Danny slaps multiple times to remove. I assumed it was Danny Donovan's father to the rescue because he didn't do anything before slapping Danny right on the forehead. Then he calmly called nine one one. Danny Donovan's father sighed as the fire department could be heard down the street.

"Damn it Danny! One night! Every morning I come home to some crazy scenario!" He laughed but it had nothing but a bit of anger behind it. Its true that sometimes people have to laugh to keep from yelling. "You keep me on my toes son. You truly do." He smiled genuinely as the firefighters came in. Luckily the fire only hit the microwave and the cabinets leaving everything else in good condition. The firefighter handled the fire easily I guess and went to talk to Danny's dad.

"Your shirt caught on fire for like six seconds. You didn't even flinch or notice. Just saying." Danny pointed at me as his dad walked into the room. I pushed his forehead laughing as I remember the look of shock and fake betrayal when his dad did it. I go to do it again and he grabs my wrist. He looks at his dad like, 'I got this.' What he doesn't expect is my other hand which I use to push his forehead again. I laugh loudly as he tries to grab at my free hand. He finally gets it when I can't bend backwards anymore. He's looking at me and I can feel his breath on my neck under my chin.

I wink as he loses his grip and frees both of my hands. I loved playing around like this and I couldn't believe I'd never done it before. Oliver was probably great at this. Each time he'd attempt to grab a hand I'd hit him with the other one. He defeated me by catching my left hand with his right one and grabbing my right hand with his left. He twirled me and my hands ended up tangled on my stomach.

"I guess you lose Mary Jane. Nod if you give." I shivered at his breath tickling my ear, but I bobbed my head in affirmation. As soon as he dropped my hands I poked him, hard, right in the stomach and ran for cover. I'd never been this childish but it wasn't a bad thing in my eyes. I'd only ever played this much with my dad. I ran behind Danny's dad hoping he'd bop Danny Donovan's forehead again for the sake of being hilarious. My finger actually hurt from poking his stomach, but he wouldn't know.

"Danny. We don't bully girls in this house." He said in a deep cough voice. He sounded like he used to smoke or maybe he still did. Danny stopped and looked into his dad's eyes whining.

"But dad she-" He was hit on the forehead lightly by his dad making me laugh again. "You bullied me just now!" Danny whined.

"Are you saying you're a girl? That wasn't how it was in the hospital." I made goofy revenge faces at Danny as he went to the couch.