The Loony Garden (StemxStud)

11

I went through my work day the best I could between checking up on Danitha as she gave me the cold shoulder and staring boredly out of my office window. My phone rung.

"Hey, dis Laila?"

I paused. Damn, so this is what my step sister sounded like now. A sex addict. Or either a stereotypical stripper.

"Yea, das me," I answered.

"Oh.....it's D."

Silence.

"Did cuzzo contact you?"

"Yeah. He said you'd lemme stay wit chu."

"Yeah, I heard about what you been goin through."

"I'm sorry about....before."

"We can talk about it when I pick you up. Just send yo location and I'll catch you after work."

"Oh ight," she said and my phone buzzed. She had pinged me her location.

"So we got an iPhone noww," I laughed.

"You already know sis. It's an 8 Max doh."

"Das whatever, still relevant enough," I laughed.

I heard someone walking to my door, "I gotta go. Call you later. Bye."

I hung up and busted myself as my boss walked in.

"How's handling Ms. Rosemary been?" he asked, his hands folded properly behind his back like an old fashioned choir kid.

"It's actually been great. I think more social interaction would benefit her," I told him neutrally  and pulled out a file. "I made this for her, I already know she has a file, but this is what I've recorded of how she performed socially during her trial." I had actually spent one night doing that so it could seem like I was doing something here. Boy, I could not wait until we got Danitha's shit handled. If she even wanted to talk to me anymore.

The doctor leaned against my the wall on a bus back, studying the file. "I agree and I'm sure the scare with Sally didn't improve much."

He dropped the file on my desk and winked, "Thank you, this will be well appreciated once we consider Ms. Rosemary's therapy and treatments."

As soon as my boss left I text D that I'd see her in twenty minutes, counting down until the time work would be over with.

Work was finally over and as I made my way out of my office I ran into Dan sulking around. "What's wrong" I asked, moving my binder under my arm and cupping her cheek. "Nothing," she snatched my hand away, walking around in a wispy night gown looking like a horror movie character. "Obviously something is up, Danitha. Talk to me."

"No," she pouted, folding her arms.

I stalked up to her, eyes burning into her weariness. "Do you wanna try me again?"

"Ian realize you wuzza sample," she snickered and I snatched up that throat. "Daddy, I'm sorry," she squealed out and I took one long look down the halls both ways and let her down. "Come talk to me," I told her, knowing I could spare a minute or two before I talked with my sister.

I led her peacefully through the garden into the overcrowded pathway and finally safely to the other side. A large, empty field filled with tall weeds and wild rabbits and frogs. I led her to a stump I would ponder on and sat her on my lap so so she wouldn't get dirty. Never mind that she could change her clothes here but I couldn't.

"Tell me what I need to do and I will help. I'm sorry for coming off as crazy as times. I really am. That's what....I guess happens when you care. I've never cared like this before, Danitha," I said all of this to her lap until I looked into her eyes. She felt the same way. My stomach churned with butterflies but this felt like more than a crush.

Danitha looked away and stared down, seemingly frustrated. "I need you to find out who Mia Trinidad is. I don't know nearly enough about her but you need to do some diggin, Laila. If you care. I have nothing to offer in return, either. This is all your free will," she told me calmly. I wanted to lean closer and say that there was always the option of herself, but I shut my mouth, told her to write the name down on a sheet of paper and carried her back to the dry part of the pathway until I deemed it safe for her to walk. It probably looked like I had shit from the back of my black jeans, but that was fine. I had long ago stopped caring why the world spun.