CAUSE & EFFECT (Vol III)

Part 37-"Can I come in so I may bare my soul?"

Tapping her foot nervously, Daisy glanced over at the pregnancy test sitting beside her on the bathroom vanity.

The longest three minutes of her life passed torturously, praying that the second line wouldn't show. Counting down the final seconds in her head, she placed her hand on her chest in relief. Negative.

Standing up, she held the test to the light, making sure there wasn't even the faintest line.

The phone began to ring, taking Daisy's attention away temporarily from the stick in her hand.
Placing it down, she rushed into the living room and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Daisy?"

"Yes who's this?" The voice was familiar, soft and gentle, almost soothing.

"Michael" came a friendly melodic reply

"Jackson?!" Daisy's face scrunched at his name in disbelief. Why one earth would Michael Jackson be calling her of all people, at home, on a weekday.

"That's right, did I catch you at a bad time?" He asked quickly.

Just making sure my rapist didn't impregnate me

"No it's fine...uh....what's up?" Despite having now met him twice, Daisy still needed to focus on keeping her nerves while speaking to him.

Did I really just say "what's up?"

"I need a favour, I understand it's a little short notice but I was wondering if you would join me as my plus one for an event"

Daisy leaned against her couch, unable to speak.

"Are you there?" Michael asked slowly as he received no reply.

"Why?" Daisy blurted out without thought.

"I think you're nice and I don't know anyone in the UK, I thought it would be fun" Michael's innocent explanation was simple enough to be believable, despite Daisy knowing that if Michael Jackson needed a date, he could have one flown in from anywhere on the planet.

"Alright....I mean, if you really want me to then...sure" Daisy's skepticism was evident in her tone.

Michael giggled softly "don't worry there's nothing sinister about it, just friends"

I'm friends with Michael Jackson.

                                    **********

Diana and Roger sat opposite eachother at the kitchen table. As Roger read Viktor's confessions, Diana began to wonder about Daisy.

She had just discovered she was raped, Freddie was engaged to another woman, and now she would be finding out that her life was destroyed at the hands of a murderous psychopath.

Roger looked up. His face completely blank. Running both hands through his hair, he drew in a deep breath and held it in.

Diana watched Rogers reaction which impressively was better than her own"Fucked up huh?"

"Could say that" his voice broke as he spoke "we...do we tell Freddie?"

Diana thought over the question, having not even included Freddie into the equation.

"I think for now, we....." she stopped, unable to answer the question. There was no right way of handling any of what was happening "what do you think we should do?"

Roger was thrown off by being asked for an opinion. Trying desperately to not let his own emotion take priority he looked down at the papers in his hand.