Page 20 of Driftwood Daffodil 3

Thank you Betty-Sue and your imagined illnesses.

Maw Maw was a stubborn woman. It wasn’t easy to get away with things. The trick was to make her think it was her idea. Not an easy task when it came to things like late night parties and other teenage activities. I had no idea what excuse I was going to use for my absence this weekend, but that was a later Nova’s problem.

“Are you going to be okay?” Maw Maw asked. “I can stay home if you need me too.”

“I’ll be fine Maw Maw. You go ahead.”

Even if I was sick, I’d pass on that option. In fact no sane person would want Maw Maw to take care of them. Her home remedies didn’t make people better because they worked. They worked because their body was terrified it would have to swallow more of that horrid goop. I would eat the crap I serve to people every day before swallowing one more mouthful of her concoction.

“Are you sure?”

Hell, yes I was sure. “I’m just going to sleep it off.”

That lie caused my eyes to go back to the bruise in my reflection. Pretty sure I couldn’t sleep that off, or chase away the look on Marty’s face, I was more than happy to try though.

“Alright.” Maw Maw sighed. “Call me if you need anything.”

“I will.” I said and tipped my ear towards the door to listen.

I’d only been able to successfully fake sick once before, and that was when I had a hangover. So, technically it wasn’t entirelyfake. And even that she questioned. Maw Maw was way too suspicious as far as I was concerned. Thankfully, this wasn’t one of her suspicious days, and I was able to relax when I heard her walk out the front door.

Finally, I was alone. Not sure if that was a good thing? I should’ve been celebrating my academy worthy performance. Instead I was going over the one I gave last night. Although, I didn’t think vacant and robotic qualified as a performance. It was more like a state of mind, or lack of thinking.

My mind shut off when Gio pulled the trigger. Everything after was kind of fuzzy. Time sped up for everyone but me. For me it slowed down.

I sat there listening to my heart thump away in my chest, while the world around me moved past in flashes of distorted images. I didn’t move or say anything. I just sat there completely numb, staring at nothing. I was there, but not at the same time.

There were a few things I remembered. At some point Gio’s dad told Romeo to take me home, and I was carried outside. There was a drive, and I briefly remembered walking past Maw Maw’s yard gnomes. But I couldn’t recall actually stepping through the door.

I had no idea how I got into bed, or when I changed my clothes. Hell, I wasn’t even certain that I had slept. It felt like I’d woken up from a dream. For half a second I thought I had. The whole thing seemed like a dream.

Gio shot someone for slapping me. Who did that? Yes, he was an asshole. But a response like that. Especially from him… It was all so surreal. Like some foggy nightmare that I couldn’t shake. Even now I could hear Marty's blood dripping on the floor.

Glop…

Glop…

Glop…

It was a faint sound in the distance, along with Gio’s voice.

“I don’t give a fuck if she cut your balls off and shoved them down your throat. You don’t fucking touch her unless I say so.”

I couldn’t figure out if he was mad that I was hit, or if it was because the order didn’t come from him. Was it his need to have control, or some fucked up version of protection? And why didn’t I hate him for it? Why didn’t I stop it?

The glops in the background were driving me crazy. They rang through the air with questions and guilt.

Glop…

Why was Gio mad?

Glop…

Was it my fault?

Glop…

Was Marty dead?

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