Squidward Is a F*ucking Mindreader

19. Sleeping

Daniel walked back into the room, Josh hot on his tail.

"JOSH," He said, spinning around violently, " STOP FOLLOWING ME!"

Josh frowned and shook his head. "Fine then." And with these final words, Josh stormed out like a hormonal teenage girl and slammed the door closed.

"Becca." Said Daniel softly, pulling me out of my trance. I looked up at him. He was, in some ways, unfamiliar. I frowned at him lightly. He smiled sadly and stepped closer, his warm breath fanning over my face.

"Let's get you to bed, huh?" He whispered, eyes reading my face innocently.

He pulled me towards the bed and gently lifted the sheets. He guided me under and lifted the duvet over my body. My eyes shuttered closed but I refused to fall asleep. I was not about to have another Hide and Wait dream.

"I'm going to sit here until you sleep, mkay?" Daniel said, his voice soft and light. I felt his weight rest at the end of my bed. The dip dropped my feet an inch towards the ground and I closed my eyes. If he thinks I'm asleep, he'll leave and I can lie awake in peace.

I moan lightly and snuggle in, evening out my breath and sighing. Then I stilled. I breathed evenly and lay there, hands under my ear, eyes closed softly.

I lay there silently. Daniel stood up after a while and I smiled in my mind. He's leaving.

"Becca I know you're awake."  He said. I groaned loudly and sat up.  I lifted myself off the bed and stood in front of Squidward. "Daniel, I don't want to go back to sleep. I had a bad dream where I remembered..." I trailed off and looked at the ground. I kicked an imaginary stone and my face felt wet. I looked up at Daniel, but the moment I saw his eyes I looked away. The door looked pretty interesting right now.

I drew my bottom lip in between my teeth and tried to hold the sharp frown that threatened to contort my face in sadness.

"Hey, Becca, relax." Daniel said quietly. He lifted my chin with two fingers. "You don't need to tell me what it was about, but I need you to at least attempt to sleep, Becca. It's important, baby" He frowned and I looked away from him.

"Becca. Please." He said, cupping my face in his large warm hands. I wanted to look away but he positioned my face towards him. I looked into his deep dark eyes and my vision blurred. Daniel frowned and I looked away from him, my face pushing out of Daniel's grip.

"I don't need you babying me, Daniel. So just drop it." I said, my voice coming out strained and angry. Why should I have to sleep merely because Daniel thinks it's a good idea? I don't want to sleep because I don't want to play another game of Hide and Wait.

"Becca, you know it's important to sleep, you're smart enough to understand that so just-"

"WOAH, HOLD UP." I said, cutting him off with a lift of my hand. Hot tears streamed down my face but I wiped them off furiously. "I'm smart enough? What, you think I'm just smart enough to understand that sleep is important? I know!" I screamed. I was angry.

"Becca, I'm just looking out for you!" Said Daniel, his tone matching my own enraged one.

"Well don't! I don't need you to look out for me I was doing fine on my own!" I yelled, at this point I didn't care how he felt. He was way out of line.

"BECCA! YOU DIDN'T SPEAK TO ANYONE! YOU SAT AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM, ALONE. YOU LIVED, ALONE. YOU SPENT LUCH, ALONE. YOU SPENT EVERY SINGLE HOLIDAY, ALONE. AND I WATCHED IT HAPPEN BECAUSE I KNEW YOU DIDN'T WANT TO SPEAK TO ANYONE. WELL I'M HERE NOW, TO BE THERE FOR YOU AND YOU'RE SHUTTING ME OUT!" He yelled, backing me into the wall and placing his hands behind my head.

I stood tall, facing him with power. It didn't matter that I was sandwiched between the wall and his body, I wasn't about to submit to him.

"WELL NO ONE ASKED YOU TO DID THEY?" I screamed. I saw hurt splash across his face like a slap but I couldn't stop. I let it all out.

"YOU THINK YOU'VE HAD IT HARD? ALWAYS GOING ON ABOUT YOUR DAD? WELL AT LEAST YOU HAVE A DAD! MY DAD DISAPPEARED AND MY MOTHER DIED ALL IN THE SPAN OF FOUR DAYS! AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE MY DAD IS, OR IF HE'S EVEN ALIVE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE WORST PART IS, DANIEL? IT'S THAT WHEN I FOUND MY MOTHER, LYING IN A POOL OF HER OWN BLOOD, WARM RED LIQUID OOZING OUT OF HER HEAD, I FELT NOTHING. I SAT IN MY OWN MOTHER'S BLOOD, ALONE, WAITING FOR THE EMERGENCY SERVICES TO REACH ME, AND I FELT NOTHING. SO MAYBE I DON'T LET PEOPLE IN BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I DID, ONE DIED AND THE OTHER ONE LEFT ME!" 

I stared up into his eyes and there was a moment, where I thought he was going to hit me. The glint in his eyes was angry and for just a millisecond I was terrified. But the worst of it, was that same glint had shone in my mother's eyes.

My mother had that same look and it scared me. Because suddenly I wasn't sure who was a hero and who was destined to die a bloody death.

But the look passed almost immediately and I collapsed into Daniel's arms. He held onto me and I smiled sadly to myself.

This wasn't weakness. It was strength. Because I wasn't weak or pathetic for going back to Daniel after what he said. I was strong enough to keep going. And he was right. I didn't know what he had gone through in the same way he didn't know what I had been through and I wasn't about to break off all connections with him because he hadn't understood. Neither had I.

People make mistakes, and things get ugly sometimes. But I know Daniel will be there for me. Just like he has been before.

Daniel...