Dark Waters (Warriors S1B5)

Chapter 2

Earth date: 01/03/2012, 06:30

"Daphne, it's time to wake up." Aunt Rory was discomposing me.

I got up out of bed and went to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. I have long russet hair, the kind of red that made me think of copper. My eyes are ample and kelly green. I think they're my best feature. I have some freckles, but I'm lucky in that regard. My mother and Aunt Rory almost never leave the house without putting on a hat or sunscreen, they freckle so easily. "You get your complexion from your da'," Aunt Rory sometimes said.

"Earth to Daphne. We're losing you, Daphne. You're breaking up!" Saoirse laughed as she came into the bathroom. She stood next to me in the bathroom and combed her hair.

"Ready to be back in school?" she catechized.

I genuflected. The first two quarters had been largely uneventful. I'd been fortunate in meeting my teammates before the year started, so I wasn't insinuating into a sea of strangers. Kristi and Margaret introduced me to their friends, and Max, Jay and Frazz to theirs. Joey, our leader who was also new to the school, would stop to broach to me in the hallways whenever he saw me. People were nice. The first few weeks, I'd had people canvassing me about my accent or what I thought of the US or to tell them something about Ireland, but as people got used to me, those questions tapered off.

I put my school uniform on and went downstairs for breakfast. Even from my room, I could smell the bacon rashers and eggs cooking. Uncle Ryan handed me a plate as I came into the kitchen. "I can drive you to school, Daphne," he rumbled. "It's cold."

I wanted to walk with my friends. I masticated my eggs in silence.

"Let her go, Ryan," Aunt Rory said from the fridge. "She's made friends, she'll be safe." Uncle Ryan gave a nod of relent and started spooning bacon and eggs onto Saoirse's plate.

I wanted to walk with Kristi and Margaret and to get used to Midwest weather. Ireland isn't a warm country. Even in the summers, it only got to about 15 degrees.

60. They use Fahrenheit in America, you stupid girl.

But even with eleven years of tepid temperatures, the cold of a Midwest December had still blindsided me. I'd seen snow before, but in Ireland, snow might stay on the ground maybe three days before melting. On those days, shops would close and Mother would refuse to drive because she knew traffic would be at a crawl until the snow melted.

I ate quickly, went to the coat closet and took down my parka. I threw it on and went out the side door and down the street.

Riding with Uncle Ryan probably meant carpooling. He would drop me at school and then take Aunt Rory to work. Aunt Rory would be in the passenger seat, where the driver sat in Ireland. And every time she'd turn to look at me or glance at me in the rearview, I'd involuntarily cringe away, expecting her to start screaming at me that I was going to Hell.

As I ambulated down the street, I saw Kristi from a distance. She and her older brother were taking Grayson for a walk before school. Peter was walking behind Kristi, who was holding Grayson's leash. Grayson perked up as he saw me. "Hi, Daphne!" Kristi called. I gave a small wave in response.

As soon as I was close enough, Grayson scudded to the end of his leash and sniffed at my legs. "Down, Grayson!" Peter debarred. Grayson obeyed, reducing his nasal examination of my shins to looking up at me with a wagging tail.