Danny and Riley: Childhood Stories-A Baby Daddy Fanfiction

Chapter 8: Age 13-Part 1

"Calling like oceans

falling like evil skies

you're messing with diamonds

messing with diamond eyes

oh how I wonder

oh how I wonder"

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'What did I do wrong?'

The thought rings through Danny's head a million times, like a broken alarm clock that won't stop going off. Actually, the thought has been torturing him ever since his world shattered into a million pieces.

Or to be less dramatic--and more specific--Riley told him that she liked Ben, his brother.

It has only been a week since Riley stopped him in the hallway and blurted out that she had feelings for his brother, which of course led him to fail his algebra test and act like a two year old on skates during his hockey practice.

The funny this is that Danny felt sick that day, but his Mom didn't let him stay home. He keeps wondering how different this very moment could have been if only he had stayed home. Would he know about Riley and Ben? Would she have waited even longer to tell him?

His thoughts are soon drowned out with the sound of the TV and loud shouts, which have to belong to Ben.

"I told you that was a stupid idea! And what did you do? Do it anyway!" Ben's shouts are crystal clear through the paper thin walls that separate the two boys' rooms.

Soon, Danny's self loathing turns to anger. 'It isn't my fault that she likes my stupid brother,' he thinks to himself. 'Actually, it's his fault. He's got the best girl in the world falling for him, and what? he doesn't even care.'

"Can you shut up for a single minute?" Danny shouts, his voice hoarse and cracking halfway through the word single.

To this day, he's never shouted at his brother for something serious. Sure, they'd always kicked and screamed when they were younger, when Ben got more ice cream or when Danny had to sit in the trunk of the car because there wasn't enough space--the only reason Ben wasn't there instead of him was because he was the younger sibling. But he'd never been this angry at his brother before.

Actually, it's terrifying.

Then, there's silence. No shouting from the other room. No screams from the tv. Only silence, which once Danny actually hears it, is so much worse than the noise.

It takes a couple seconds for noise to emerge, and even then it's just the squeak of a wooden floorboard.

The floorboard's squeak is replaced by a similar one, this time coming from Danny's white door. Once the door slowly swings open, it reveals a boy with a green baseball ca covering green hair behind it. The boy's face can hardly be described as young, as the expression of apathy makes his seem years beyond his age--in a bad way.

His eyes seem bland and his jaw keeps moving in slow circles as he chews his gum. Somehow, the sight of him makes Danny even more angry.

"What's the matter man?" Ben asks, chewing his gum loudly between each syllable.

Danny considers his next move very carefully, wondering if she should just slam the door in his face or punch his brother. Although images of his fist hitting his brother's face appear in his mind instantly, he knows he'd never do that to his brother.

Ben means something to him.

'Ha, kind of like he means something to Riley,' his mind taunts him.