Everything (12 page)

Chapter 5

I awoke from a deep, full sleep to find that I had overslept and was running fifteen minutes later than normal. I rushed through my normal morning routine and threw on my clothes and was out the door in fifteen minutes. I was already headed to Opal’s house before I realized I’d left my cellphone, and I needed to call Trevor.

“Shitshitshit,” I cursed under my breath, turning back around. As I pulled up and threw my car in park, hopping out, I was so focused on running in and grabbing my phone that I didn’t even notice Trevor coming out the dorm door and ran smack into his chest.

“Umph.” He caught me before I went down.

“Whoa, babe, careful!” He steadied me.

“Thanks. What are you doing here?” I said as I realized what time it was. If I was late, then he was really late because he should have been at work already.

“I...I’m going in late this morning.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from fidgeting. “I was going to leave you a note, for when you got back. But then I thought that would be lame so I was going to go to Opal’s to find you.” He looked me in the eyes.

“Leave me a note for what?” I asked guardedly.

“To apologize, babe. I’m sorry. I was a jerk last night,” he hurried. “I was being a jealous asshole, and I really don’t want to know that my boss is doing your aunt Opal.” He shuddered playfully. “I just want you to talk to me more and remember that I’m here for you as well.”

I hugged him, and he squeezed me to him with a strong, warm grip.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t think you want to hear all the girly stuff I talk about with Tina and my sister and the crazy stuff that goes on with Opal. That part of my life is always so crazy, and
you’re
the part that’s totally sane. You’re my island of sanity in a sea of crazy!” I looked up at him, pleading with my eyes for him to understand me.

“Wow, that was kind of poetic,” he breathed. “I like being your island, babe.” He leaned down and kissed me. This kiss had the potential of being the kind of kiss that would have put me in a puddle on the floor. As he wound his hand up the nape of my neck and began massaging there, I let out a soft sigh.

“Isn’t that what your room is for?” asked a voice as we were shoved out of the way with the door.

We broke apart, and I recognized the girl from my floor, Kelly, who had snuck Trevor in the other day, looking at us with a grin.

“Sorry,” I blushed.

“Kidding. I totally don’t care if you have sex on the steps.” She laughed. “Later, pizza boy,” she called as she bounced down the stairs and went to a blue Neon and sped off.

“New friend?” Trevor raised an eyebrow at me.

“I could ask you the same thing, ‘pizza boy,’” I said, raising my eyebrows back.

He laughed and kissed my forehead.

“She’s right—that’s what rooms are for. I told work I was going to be two hours late.” He gave me a suggestive look.

“I have to check on Opal, Trevor.” I gave him a pained look as he followed me back inside to my room to grab my cellphone. Once inside, he grabbed me and twisted me around to face him.

“I used to be a swimmer. I know how to be
fast
,” he said, holding me to him with a knowing smirk.

“Fast isn’t always better,” I joked, breathlessly.

“Trust me, you won’t complain.”

“I never do, but I really can’t today,” I said, stopping his exploring hands from going farther under my shirt.

“Pre-pre-show?” He looked hopeful.

I laughed. “How about a double feature later?”

“I can manage that.” He let me go, and we walked back out. I had to really rush now. I was almost an hour behind schedule.

He kissed me good-bye and apologized again for being an ass before getting in his truck and heading to work, while I headed to Opal’s at breakneck speed. She hadn’t called, but that could be a good or a bad thing, in Opal’s case.
 

When I got to Opal’s, I was about to use my key and go in when I saw a sign on the door that stated, “PEOPLE WITH KEYS OUGHT TO KNOCK.”

Clearly, this note was meant for me. Shaking my head, I knocked. And knocked. And knocked.

I was about to use my key when on the fourth knock I heard the latch click and she opened the door, shielding her eyes as if she had just woken up.

“Chile?” she mumbled. “Whassa’ all that bangin’ for?” She opened the door wider so I could come in.

“Well, you told me to knock, so I did. What took you so long? Why are you still in bed?” I fired.

“What happen to your belly?”

“What are you talking about, Auntie? My stomach is fine!” I said, looking down and touching my stomach.

“It ain’t. It was big as a house yesterday. Where’s that baby at?” She looked at me, eyes wide.

“Auntie,” I spoke slowly, “I wasn’t pregnant yesterday.”

“Oh, pshh, Susan. What game you playin’, chile? ’Course you was.” She clicked her tongue.

Then it clicked. Opal thought I was my mom.

I shook my head slowly. “I’m Dacey, Aunt Opal, Susan’s
daughter
. Remember?” I pleaded to her with my eyes.

“Oh, chile.” She laughed, going to the refrigerator. “You need some juice? You feelin’ all righ’?” She eyed me.

“Do I?” I went to her and looked her in the face. “Auntie, it’s
me
,” I stressed.

She stared at me as if I was the one who was losing her mind, then all of a sudden her face changed, and she said, “Dacey, when did you get her’? And didn’t I tell you to knock befo’ you come bargin’ into someone house like that?”

“You let me in, Auntie. Don’t you...?” I sighed, giving up. She was not going to remember. “You’re right. I just forgot.”

“You’ll do well to remember, I done got me a special friend now,” she stated boastfully and walked into the living room, leaving me shell-shocked. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, I found myself wondering what just happened.

I had to talk to Tina, to see if she talked to her dad about those doctors yet. This was getting worrisome. Shaking off my concern, I followed Opal into the living room to talk about her “special friend,” even though I knew all about him.

“What special friend?”

“Now neva you mind. Just know that you don’t have to check on me so often,” she proclaimed.

“Auntie,” I said calmly, “I don’t mind checking on you.” Frankly, I had been doing it so long it was part of my routine. It would feel weird not to.

“Well, Euge—” she stopped suddenly. “My special friend says he’ll check on me.” She tried to hide her smile.

“Well, since I don’t know your special friend yet, I’m going to still come over.” I held up my hand as she started to protest. “At least until I know that you’re okay for me to stop,” I rephrased.

“That’s fine. I’ll ask him ova for dinner, and you can cook it.”

“Uh, sure.”

“Tonight.”

“Oh, Aunt Opal, I don’t know. I had plans tonight.” I was thinking already of my own special friend and our double feature.

“Nope, it’s gotta be tonight. If it’s not tonight, then neva you mind, chile.”
 

“Okay, okay. It’s tonight, Auntie. Can I bring Aria?” I was thinking this night would go by faster if I didn’t have to endure it alone.

“’Course, chile. It’s betta if he met both my girls anyhow. Get it outta the way now.” She winked at me.

“Okay. I guess we will get here after school since we have to cook too. Do you want anything in particular for dinner?” I was mentally going over the five things I knew how to cook well in my head.

“Surprise me, chile.” She got up and was shooing me out. Again.

Once again I sat in my car two houses down and watched as she said good-bye to Mr. Davis in a way that no one should ever have to see her almost seventy-year-old
anything
say good-bye to someone. And this time, I went home instead of texting Tina. I needed to talk to Mom about what happened with Opal this morning, plus I wanted to make sure Aria would come with me tonight. Before starting my car, I needed to break the news to Trevor that the double feature would be put on hold. He took it better than I thought after promising me that the double feature would be even better because it was delayed.

I put my phone away and drove over to my parents’ house with a smile, knowing that my night wouldn’t be that bad if I had the double feature to look forward to. When I got there, I used my old key and let myself in and went to my old room, as I knew my mom wasn’t up yet but Aria would be.

When I heard pop music coming from the bathroom, I went to her room to wait for her to come out. When she did, she had her hair wrapped in a towel and was dressed in jeans and a hot pink and green tank top. Her color choice was almost as outrageous as Opal’s. Almost.

“Hey,” she said, not at all surprised to see me.

“Hey, so what are you doing tonight after school?”

“Apparently, whatever you have planned for me.” She grinned.

“Dinner with Opal and her new special friend.” I wagged my eyebrows at the implication of tonight’s dinner.

“Well, well, well.” She danced out the words. “Opal’s found herself a man.” She growled out the word “man.”

“Want to know a secret?”

“Ohhh, you Nancy Drew’d him didn’t you?” She came closer. “Who is it, Dac? Wait. Let me guess... No, no... I’ll never guess. Tell me.”

“Are you sure? This is kind of fun to watch—your little brain trying to figure it out. I can see smoke.” I pointed to her head.

“I know, right?” she admitted. “It hurts,” she said in a feeble voice.

“If it had not been for Opal acting all weird, weirder than normal, I would have never found out. I think it just started, actually.” I began to tell her the story of how I had come to find out about Opal and Mr. Davis, but Aria was impatient.

“Just tell me already!” she blared.

“Okay, okay,” I said, laughing at her eagerness for gossip. “It’s Mr. Davis,” I said dramatically.

“Animal clinic Mr. Davis?” she asked skeptically.

I simply nodded and smiled.

“Shit,” she breathed out, then quickly said, “I’m sorry, that slipped out.”

“Apparently, it’s the normal response in this situation,” I smirked.

“Well, way to catch a man. He’s loaded.” She let out a little whistle.

“Well, that didn’t sound like a gold digger
at all
,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Oh, don’t tell me you weren’t thinking it too.” She cut her eyes at me petulantly.

“Okay, maybe a little,” I conceded. “Anyway, she wants us to cook dinner for them tonight.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Okay, sure. What are you cooking?”

“You mean what are
we
cooking. You’re helping.”

“Dac, I burnt water,” she deadpanned.

“Technically, you burnt the pot the water was in, but I see your point.” I laughed. “Then you can just be my kitchen aide.”

“Okay.” She clapped.

I rolled my eyes again and left her to finish getting dressed while I went to go and talk to Mom about my other Opal drama.

I waited this time at the kitchen table instead of knocking on the bedroom door, so as not to suffer Wally’s not-so-warm welcome again. She came out a little while later, dressed and ready for work.

“What brings you by this morning, honey?” She leaned over, placing a kiss on my cheek.

I sighed considerably before replying, “Opal.”

“Oh, dear.” Giving me a grave look, she sat down, and I began telling her about this morning’s events, holding off on telling her about Mr. Davis—that could wait until later.

“I think it’s time that she saw someone, Dacey,” Mom said, distressed.

“I know. I do too. But how can I convince her? I just know she’s going to put up a fight. This is Opal we are talking about here.” She once relocated her own shoulder because she was too stubborn to go to the hospital when she fell out of a tree while picking oranges and dislocated it.

“You don’t give her a choice, Dacey,” Mom started. “Remember when you wanted a new car and I said that if you could pay for the insurance then we would get you a used one?”

“Yeah, it took me forever to find a job that I could do after school that would work with my schedule. But I did odds and ends for neighbors and babysat to save up,” I related, remembering those grueling days.

“Exactly. You found a way. If you dangle a fish on a hook in front of a bear...” She gave me an appreciative look.

“Who’s a bear?” Aria interrupted, getting her usual morning juice from the fridge.

“Mom-ism,” I muttered. “But I got it. Mom was telling me I had to dangle a fish in front of Opal.”

Aria shrugged her shoulders and chimed in, “Soooo...” she drew out. “Did Dac tell you she and I are going to Opal’s tonight for dinner to meet her special friend?” She put air quotes around “special friend.”

Brows raised, Mom looked at me. “No, she didn’t.”

“I was getting to that.” I looked at her sheepishly.

“Who is the lucky gentleman?” Mom questioned.

“Ummm...” I hesitated. “Mr. Davis.”

“
Nooo
!” Mom screamed, scandalized.

Aria giggled and hopped up and down. “Right! That’s what I said.”

I shot her a dubious look, and she stuck her tongue out at me.

“Well, that’s a turn of events,” said Mom, getting up from her seat at the table.
 

“Yeah, this changes things. She no longer wants me to check on her, and I told her not until I know she is okay, so she set up the dinner so I could meet the man who would be looking after her. A dinner that I have to cook,” I added, remembering.

“That I’m helping with,” Aria added eagerly.

“Yeah, helping,” I muttered, while she shot me a look.

“Well, what are you going to cook?” Mom turned to me expectantly.

“Mom, I know how to cook like five things. I don’t know,” I said hopelessly.

She went to the box on the counter where she kept her recipes and shuffled through a few, then came back with a card and handed it to me.
 

“Here, this is easy to make and good.”

“Rice chicken potpie?” I crinkled my nose. I had never heard of rice chicken potpie.

“
Rice
chicken potpie?” Aria voiced, along with my suspicion.