𝙳𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝙼𝚎 ||𝙴𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝙼𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚘𝚗

001

"DANI! COME ON DANI, I DON'T WANT TO BE LATE."

"DUSTIN, HOLD YOUR HORSES. I'M ALMOST DONE." I grabbed my bookbag off my chair and ran down the stairs. I grabbed my keys as Dustin anxiously sat waiting for me.

"Finally," He stated standing up.

"Hey, you chose to stay here last night. You could have gotten a ride with 'steve'." I mocked his Steve voice and used air quotes. "Or mom would have taken you."

We walked towards the door as dad came out of his office. 

"Eat something please, I didn't make waffles for you two to go to school hungry."

I grabbed a paper towel and waffle and hugged dad. 

"I'll be home after the basketball game tonight, it should be around 10."

"I will be working late tonight, so I'll see you in the morning. Dustin, thanks for staying last night, tell your mom hi for me..."

"See ya next week, Dad." Dustin waved to dad as I walked out the door. I started my car as Dustin shuffled in. We drove to school as he spoke to Mike on his walkie about some club they had recently joined. I haven't heard the end of how awesome the group is and this Eddie guy. Dustin sees him as a male figure in his like just like Steve. I dropped Dustin off near the school doors with Mike, so I could go park. 

I grabbed my bag out of the back seat as well as my caridgan to put over my cheer uniform. 

"Hey Dani," Chrissy, one of my close friends walked over to me with her boyfriend Jason, an absolute trash human.

"Hey Chrissy!"Before I could even start a greeting to Jason he started.

"Not even a hi to me, it's almost like you don't like your basketball caption." 

"Almost," I said quietly under my breath. "Hi Jason, are you so pumped for the game tonight?" 

"Oh yea, so excited. It's too bad Billy isn't here to win the game for use. We reallly need to win to honor our fallen player." I winced at the name. He knew he hit a nerve, a heart crushing nerve.

"Anyway, us cheerleaders were going to practice before the rally. Chrissy, wanna walk with me?" I forced my tears back, and acted like it didn't bother me. 

"Sure! Jason, I'll see you before the pep rally." I turned towards the school as she gave Jason a kiss, which he tried to pull her in for more. "Bye." 

We started for the school as I saw Steve drop Robin off in her band uniform. 

"Hey Robin," I greeted her as she started down the sidewalk.

"Hi Dani, are you guys so ready for the pep rally?" She asked in her goofy and sarcastic voice.

"Absolutely!" Chrissy responded.

"I'm pretty excited also," I added, "How about you?"

"Oh yea," Robin said awkwardly. "Well band is meeting now, so I'll see you guys later."

"See ya!" I waved as she jogged away.

"I have something to tell you, D." Chrissy stopped and turned to me.

"Oh my god, tell me you didn't sleep with Jason and now you're pregnant?!" 

She shushed me and pulled me close. 

"No, absolutely not. You know how I've been having those really bad headaches?"

"Yea?" 

"Well, I'm buying pot after school to see if it helps with my stress and the headaches."

"From who?!" I half had a heart attack, "Do we know and trust this person?" 

"That Hellfire guy."

"Eddie?"

"Yea that's his name." She awkwardly scratched her arm. "I didn't think you'd be mad. You know since last year you and Billy-" I stopped her.

"I'm not mad, I'm glad you told me. I just want to make sure you are safe. Do you want me to go with you?" 

"I told him it would just be me, so I probably should just go alone." I shook my head, then looked at my watch. 

"We should probably get over to the gym so we can run through the number."

After we preformed our cheer number, the basketball team was introduced. Jason gave a speech  that winning tonights game will be for all those who we lost in the "mall fire". Nobody knows loss like we do. The ones who know the truth have lost more than anyone. Nancy lost Barb, Joyce and El lost Jim, and Max and I lost Billy.

After the pep rally we all returned to class. Chrissy and I had history together first, which was a test. I then had English, which we were finishing our editorials which would be edited and chosen by Nancy to put in the school paper for a senior highlight. With all the talk of how Dungons and Dragons is satanic and a cult, I decided to write against that narrative. How could a fantasy game turn kids to worship Satan? How does that even make sense? 

"Miss Henderson, a word." Mr Andrews, called me up to his desk. I walked up to his desk from my seat in the back. I couldn't possibly be in trouble, but I could feel my cheeks getting hot.

"Yes, Mr Andrews?" I asked. He had a copy of my editorial on his desk. 

"Your paper, it's quite different from the rest of your class. What made you choose this topic?"

"Oh, it's my brother and his friends. They have been playing D & D since they were in middle school and I know for sure they are not crazy Satan worshipers. Nerds, yes. Cult followers, no." 

"This is a great start you have, but could you dig deeper? Get some first hand experiences of D&D, I recommended asking some of the guys in Hellfire if you can interview them." 

"That's a great idea, Mr Andrews. Thank you for your input." I began to walk away. 

"Miss Henderson," I turned to face him, "Be sure to interview the club leader to, he is sure to have some information and stories for you to include." 

The bell rang and hurried to grab my stuff from my desk. I stepped out of the classroom and ran into Dustin and Mike. 

"I am so sorry, Dani, I didn't see you." Mike apologised as he helped me grab my stuff off the ground. 

"Oh, Mike, it's fine. I wasn't watching where I was going." I stood up again. "Wait, you guys have Hellfire tonight right?"

"Yea, why?" Dustin asked. "You wanna fill in for Lucas tonight?"

"First of all, ew, second of all, I can't because Lucas and I both have the game to be at tonight."

"Then why did you ask?" 

"I need to interview some of you guys for this paper I'm working on. But I don't want to just like show up at your table later, that's social suicide." 

"I mean, we can ask some of the guys, who all did you want to interview?" Mike asked. 

"I don't know anyone in the club so I'm not sure, the only person I'm required to have is the leader."

"Eddie?! Whoa, good luck sis. Eddie takes D &D really seriously, tell us you aren't writing something to destory it?" Dustin asked with a worried face. 

"No, it should help destroy the whole 'oh Dungons and dragons are Satan worshipers.' Anyway, I gotta go grab Chrissy then I can come and talk to you guys at lunch." I responded starting to walk away.

"Yea. We will see you in there."