Chaos in the Basement

Chapter 9

When Danny woke up she had realized that she had never been in Louis' room. There was nothing special about it but it was just something he seemed to keep more private, not off limits just more personal. She also realized that she hadn't been physical at all with Louis, not even a hug until last night. Those thoughts distracted her for a moment until reality hit her and put an almost unbearable weight on her. She felt like sinking into the bed, not knowing how she could function like normal again.

Louis was sitting at the foot of the bed on her side, he placed his hand on her leg, "We should talk about what happened last night," he said. 

She straightened out, propping herself on her elbows. "Okay," she said. 

"If anyone asks you about his whereabouts you say you left the party early."

She nodded her head. 

"What were you doing outside? It was freezing last night," he said, his was voice was stern. 

"I just got tired of the party," her mind felt foggy. 

"Do you remember what time you went outside?" 

"I think probably after twelve thirty. How did you find me?" 

He hesitated, "I followed you there." 

"Why?"

"I knew something was going to happen to you." 

"How did you know it was me in the field?" 

"I heard you calling out. I'm sorry it had to happen like this." 

"People are going to be everywhere searching for Jared. What if they find him?"

"They wont," he said.

"How do you know that?" she was starting to tear up again. 

"It's going to be alright."

Danny didn't believe him. How could anything be alright? Jared was dead and Louis had killed him and she was tied into this. 

"It's going to be okay," he reassured her again. "I will never let anyone hurt you, Danny."

What he said made Danny uncomfortable. It felt like he was trying to tie Danny down and keep her there. It felt like something was starting to make sense and come together. Was he going to use this to make sure Danny stayed with him? 

"Louis, do you remember my friend who went missing last year?" She couldn't believe she was asking him this, but at this point what did she have to lose?

He looked at her, confusion filling his face. "Yes I do," he said. 

"Do you know anything about that?" she asked. 

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you know anything about it?" she said again. 

"No, Danny. Of course not. Who do you think I am?" he was starting to get angry. 

"You just killed someone. I have no idea who you are." 

"I was protecting you. I saved you," he raised his voice. "I have no idea what happened to Shannon." 

"Why don't I believe you?" 

He laughed coldly. "Shannon got into other business. She probably crossed the wrong person."

Danny was stunned. She was trying to register what he just said. She narrowed her eyebrows, the anger was filling every part of her body. "You did have something to do with it."

"I did not!" he yelled. "I never hurt her." 

"You must have done something," Danny's voice had no emotion in it. 

He shook his head, he let out an unfeeling laugh. "I may have scared her before she disappeared. But I didn't hurt her." 

"What did you do?" Danny was getting more angrier by the second, her expression was stiff. 

He laughed coldly again. "Do you remember when you came in with her, it must have been during your spring break two years ago. You came in for your fathers prescriptions, she stood behind you and glared at me. Her expression didn't change until you looked back at her," he raised his eyebrows. "You left to wait in the car and she held back, she lied and said she was going to use the bathroom. He told me that if I ever laid a finger on you she'd kill me. I was so surprised that I couldn't even say anything to defend myself. So I followed you both, you went into town to go to the movies."

Danny was trying to remember what happened and then it clicked. "You were the one who wrote on her car windows." 

He nodded his head. "I'm not proud of it. But I saw the way she looked at you, I knew. Because it's the same way I look at you."

Danny recalled the day. Louis was spot on on the timeline, it was during their spring break of sophomore year, they had decided to go to the movies in a town an hour away. They had stopped at the pharmacy, Danny got the medicine and Shannon said that she needed to use the bathroom and for Danny to go ahead and wait in the car. Danny waited and Shannon came back in, "Ready?" Shannon said, she seemed kinda flustered but Danny didn't pay much attention to it. They saw the movie, which turned out to be a lot longer than they had thought it would be. When they went outside it was already dark. Walking up to the car the girls say the vandalism down to the vehicle. It read "DYKE" in red paint. 

"Oh my gosh," Danny said in awe of seeing the paint on the windshield. 

"Who did this? Oh my gosh, oh no," Shannon was starting to panic. "Who did this Danny? Who did you tell? You're the only person I've told," Shannon was angry and about to cry.

"I promise I didn't tell anyone Shannon," Danny was getting scared and doe-eyed. 

"Help me get this off." They scrubbed the paint off the window with left over napkins and water they had in the car. Eventually it came off, but it definitely needed to get a proper wash. 

Shannon was so scared someone was going to know it was her car and that someone knew her secret. She trusted Danny when she said she hadn't told anyone, because really who else did Danny have to tell. But that left the question of who knew. 

It made some sense now that Louis was involved. Danny just starred at him, enraged. She didn't have words for him, not really knowing how to respond. 

"But don't you see, it's suppose to be you and me," Louis said. 

"How am I suppose to see that?" Danny said, genuinely confused. 

"I'll work and you can stay here and we can build a life together. I promise to give you everything, Danny. I love you."

This felt like nails on a chalkboard to her. She hated this, she wanted to run away, crawl out of her skin and leave. "No Louis, no way. This- that is not happening," she said. 

"What do you mean?" he was hurt. 

"I don't want to stay here. I don't want to live here and be you're wife. I- I don't even know what to say to that."

"You can't leave," he said. 

"I have to leave after I graduate. There's no way I'm getting to let myself get sucked into the small town life of getting married immediately after high school and popping out three kids," Danny was starting to yell too. 

"If I can't have no one can," he was frighteningly calm. 

Danny just starred at him. She felt empty, the feelings of rage and being scared left her only leaving a void.