Loving Under the Influence

Six: "Static Minds in a Steamy Shower."

Dani was already awake when Leslie made an appearance in Rue's room, the yellow light spilling into the room from the window she had opened when it was still dark outside. Jules had made her escape earlier when Dani had first opened the window, promising to meet them at the front of the school when they eventually showed up before leaving down the street.

She rolled onto her side, facing her sleep dazed cousin, who was slowly blinking away her sleep to look at her. They both smiled, Dani shuffling off the bed to one side as Rue stood on the other. She clicked her mouth, both of them scrambling to grab their things and race out to the bathroom so they could get in the shower first. Dani left the room first, Rue right in her heels before they stood at the sides of the door. Gia flinched back when she turned into her sister, Dani moving into the bathroom and sticking her tongue out at Rue before shutting the door.

She stripped down after turning the water in so it would warm up. She stepped under the hot water, letting it run down the top of her head and down her face, trailing across her skin in rivers of scalding water. Her skin tinted into a red shade over the tanned skin, her body heating up as she zoned out, staring blankly at the off white colored floor with a devoid expression.

Her mind was blank as well, like a tv in a pitch black room turned onto a channel filled with static playing on the screen and illuminating the dark room. It castes a shadow over the girl sitting on the floor, the scratchy noise filling her ears and blurring with her thoughts until she was nothing but a hollow, staring shell with the unfocused attention on the screen.

A is for attitude, B is for broken, C is for closed, D is for drugs, E is for evacuate, F is for forgotten, G is for gone, H is for help, I is for isolate, J is for jumpy, K is for kicking, L is for Leslie who opened the door and sat down a cup, so C is actually for cup.

She mindlessly answered to Leslie, agreeing to fill the cup up as she shut the water off. The door closed back, Dani stepping out of the shower and into the hot clouds of air that fogged up the windows and encased her body instead of cold air. As agreed, she set up her drug test for Leslie, peeing into Rue's as well since she had promised to cover for her. She wrapped herself up in the towel she brought with her, leaving the room, only for Rue to take her spot, a quick thank you to her younger cousin once she saw the second cup, before she went down to the bedroom.

She sat on the edge of the bed after laying out her clothes, playing with her bottom lip nonchalantly as her eyes unfocused into nothingness again. She got to G before she came back to reality. Arson, Bats, Cutting, Dagger, Elbow, Fist, Grenade- Harmful things that align together into one. She pulled her plain shirt on, zipping up the her brothers hoodie over heir torso and letting it drop to stop around her thighs before she tugged on her pants, jumping around it a bit as she shimmied into the jeans. Her hair laid against her back slightly damp, not enough for her to tie it up but enough for her to push it to one side to keep it from directly laying on her back.

Rue bursts into the room, Dani looking at her phones as the older girl rushes around the fluttery room in search of a presentable enough outfit to hide under a hoodie and leave the house in. She finds one in four minutes, Dani having spent the time to through the alphabet twenty seven times until she stood beside her cousin and they left the room together, standing before Leslie for her small lecture before leaving the house as well in unison.

Dani walked alongside Rue, who was biking slowly to keep with Dani's walking, choosing to circle the girl a few times before rolling lazily. They both were in the pair own worlds on earth, looking at the same scenery but seeing different things as they strolled and biked to school. Rue seemed to come back down from her daze when she saw Rue, the soft coloring dressed girl talking to Calum as he locked his car and nodded at whatever she was saying to him. They walked up together, Rue locking her bike into the rack before Jules jumped onto her back with a laugh.

"Hey, crusty donut." Calum greeted, leaning on the car a bit as Dani rolled her eyes, crossing her arms before Rue spoke up.

"Um, excuse you, Hood, that's my nickname. Come up with your own drug fried brain nickname." She pointed a finger at him as she spoke, Jules lazily hanging off her neck, making Calum chuckle.

"I guess you'll have to call me Dani until further notice." Dani tightened her grip on her backpack strap, letting the bag hang off one shoulder as she rocked on her heels.

"I guess so, Dani."

She gave a crooked grin, clicking her mouth before the four decided to make their way into the school. Rue let Jules pull her one way, Dani giving a quick goodbye before falling behind Calum to find Carl and Kaylee. He made a path through the teens, Dani just tracing his steps as they walked in a short line until he stopped and pulled her from the current of pushing teens. Kaylee smiled at Dani, throwing her arm over the girl's shoulder after pushing away from Carl, leaving the boy to over dramatically pout at her abandonment until Calum replaced her and cuddle under Carl playfully, making the light haired boy laugh but keep his arm around the olive skinned teen leaned up against the lockers.

A, after. B, black hair. C, cuddling. D, Dani until further notice. E, even pairs. F, friends, aka Kaylee, Carl, Calum. The sound a C makes and the sound a K makes.