Three Shades of Blue (UNEDITED VERSION)

Chapter 4: Staying a bit

Daniel:'

I followed her back downstairs.

"So... are you going to stay for a bit?" She asked, stepping down from the last stair and turning to face me.

"Ah, no." I was caught off guard by her question. Did she want me to stay? "I should probably get home. My family is probably wondering where I am. I'm not usually out... you know."

"Yeah, yeah, no totally, that's fine," she exclaimed hurriedly. "I'll walk you to your car."

She flicked on the light outside and walked beside me as I went to my car. I lingered outside the door for an awkward moment, Everleigh shifting her feet next to me.

"Um, bye, I guess," she murmured.

"Bye." My voice came out hoarse. I got into my car, but paused. "Hey, um, I should probably get your number for emergencies. You know, just in case?" I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. I was lying through my teeth. What emergencies, Daniel? Her lips quirked up and she raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah, um, right. I forgot. Hold on a sec." She flew into the house and came back, at what I swear to God was the speed of light. We exchanged numbers and she gave me a small smile.

"Bye then."

----------------------------------------------------

"I'm home!" I yelled over the chaotic noise that was painfully flooding my ears. My brother, Justin, pounced and tackled me to the ground. I let him 'win'. "Hey, buddy." He grinned widely, showing the gap between his teeth.

"Yep, it's you." He got off and teasingly added, "Just making sure."

"Sweetie? Where have you been?" My mother called to me.

"Just..." I hesitated. "At a friend's house." It wasn't a lie. Not exactly.

"Which friend?" she asked casually. "I checked in with all of them and they said you weren't with them." I gritted my teeth. Of course she checked with all of my friends, how could my mother stay out of her 20 year-old son's business? "Just a friend I had to check in with. She was–"

"Oooh..." Ema walked into the room. "Enlighten me. You have a girlfriend?"

"No, stop asking questions." I snapped. "Otherwise I just might eat out tonight."

"Um, no. You are staying right here tonight, young man." My mother scolded. "You are not allowed to leave the house every day, just because you want to."

"Yep, I'm eating out." I grabbed my backpack and stalked out the door.

"Daniel! You can't just leave! Stay and–" My mothers words immediately faded out as my phone chimed.

Everleigh. She had sent 'Hey, are you busy?' My heart skipped a beat, but I texted her that I wasn't.

'Cool. Do you want to come for dinner? I tripled the recipe instead of doubling it, and Gloria insists on asking you. I'm rolling my eyes, you just can't see it through the screen.' I smiled to myself unintentionally.

'Sure. Give me five min?'

Beep.

'It's not like i'm going to say no, dork,' came her sarcastic reply.

'oh, are you allergic to meat? just asking' I didn't reply, she knew the answer.

When I got to her house, Everleigh pulled open the door in exaggerated welcome. I raised my eyebrows at her. "Are you kidding me? Did you ask a guy if he's allergic to meat?" She shrugged, amusement glinting in her eyes.

"Maybe I was kidding. Anyway, welcome into my house for the second time in one hour." She nodded to an empty chair at the table with a plate of food in front of it. "That's your seat."

"Oh, really? I thought it was for the ghosts who like to stop by occasionally," I replied sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and I side-hugged Gloria, who gave me one of her award-winning smiles.

"Nice to see you, Amore."

"You too, nonna."

The dinner was nice. Less comments of criticism or pinching of cheeks. Gloria was a no-nonsense woman, and loved to talk about Ev when she was young. Shoot, did I just call her Ev?

"There was once a time," Gloria said, leaning in, her eyes twinkling. "When Evly tried to run away for five days."

"Oh, gosh, Gloria, please don't." Ev's eyes squeezed shut and then opened again.

Gloria chuckled. "She came back in an hour, complaining how she was so hungry, she was going to die."

I snickered and glanced at Everleigh, whose face was buried in her hands.

"I have a question, why does Ev call you Gloria?" I could see Everleigh tilt her head at my nickname, but she didn't make a comment.

Gloria burst out laughing. "Oh, dear. Let Evly tell you that story." She wiped her eyes, still giggling.

"Well, when I was two, and just beginning to talk, I started calling her nonna, which means grandma in Italian," Everleigh explained. "But when she heard it for the first time, she looked me straight in the eye and said, and I quote, 'It's Gloria to you, little munchkin'. My parents were horrified. And Gloria stuck." She shrugged. "A lot of people think it's weird for me to call her by her first name."

"I don't think it's weird," Gloria huffed.

We finished eating, and Gloria stood up. "Well, I should probably go to bed now, right, Missus Everleigh?"

Everleigh rolled her eyes. "I'm not married, mia nonna."

"Not yet, anyway." She winked at me and Everleigh groaned in embarrassment. "Goodnight miei cari."

"Goodnight. Do you need help?" I asked, trying not to make her offended.

"Pshaw, with what? No, I'm alright, thank you, darling." She walked upstairs, taking breaks in between.

"So..." Everleigh started nervously. The awkward silence lingered for a moment, and then dissipated. "Um, weren't you going home to eat?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I was, but my family's pretty... messy."

"As in...?" She winced and silently swore under her breath. "Sorry."

"No, not–" I stopped before I could say 'not your kind of messy'. "More like chaotic. I have a mom who can't let me go somewhere without trying to track me down, I have a sister who's pretty nosy, and I have a brother who attacks me every time I open the door." I cringed at the memory. "He's really into the 'protecting the house from intruders' kind of thing."

"Ah." She nodded. "Yeah, I remember my brother used to stare out the windows for hours, watching for robbers. That was when I was born, but he got out of that phase. I'm sure your brother will too."

"You should become a child psychologist," I joked. I did not get the reaction I had hoped for. She began fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Um, I'm not really good near kids," she mumbled. "I just kind of freeze up and panic whenever I'm around them."

"Why?" I tipped my head.

"Never mind," she rushed through her words. "It's not relevant."

I continued to stare at her, hoping for an answer, but she avoided my gaze.

"What are you doing for the rest of the night?" Everleigh asked.

"I don't know. Depends on what you're doing tonight," I teased. "So, what are you doing tonight?"

"I don't really know. Most nights I go to sleep early or watch something."

"Okay, then, let's do that."

"Go to sleep early?" Her brows furrowed in confusion.

"No. Unless you're suggest–"

"Nope, let's watch something."