control • theo raeken [1]

three. midnight cleaning

Theo.

I PULL INTO MY driveway, not hearing the music blasting from the house next door until I cut the engine. All the lights on the first floor are on, and all of the curtains are pulled open so I can see inside. From the angle I'm sitting at, I can only see Luna's blue hair and, occasionally, her hands as if she were dancing.

Last night, after running into Luna, I had realized it was pretty moronic of me to move in next to her, especially since my parents weren't my parents. The only person who could have definite remembrance of my parents and who they were, and I chose to move in next to her. Now, if someone remembered that we used to be best friends, they could easily go to her to ask. So, after handling the situation of different signatures Stiles has figured out, I made sure to hide my substitute parents so Luna wouldn't see them by accident.

The clock on the dashboard reads 11:36PM and I'm wondering what she's still doing up. The reason I'm just now getting home is because I went down to the crime scene where Tracy Stewart maimed and killed the guards and her father so the Dread Doctors could get Donavon. I was there long enough to hear the police found him and figured out it was Tracy.

I climb out of my truck with my keys in hand and walk over to Luna's house. When the music keeps playing as I step up onto the porch, I know she can't hear me.

Hey, hey, you, you, I don't like your girlfriend.
No way, no way, I think you need a new one.
Hey, hey, you, you, I could be your girlfriend.

I chuckle at the song choice and knock on the door. The music continues to play which makes me think she's really into the song and has put all her focus on it. I knock once more to make sure she can't hear me. I shake my head laughing and open the door when she doesn't.

The first thing I see is Luna, holding a broom as if it were a guitar, in a T-shirt with no pants. Her back is turned towards me so she hasn't noticed me yet, but it's hard for me not to notice the black, lace underwear she's wearing that peaks out every time she raises her hands -- which is often. Then, I hear it. She's singing along with the music and I don't know how I didn't hear it from my truck. She's basically screaming the lyrics and it sounds absolutely terrible.

"IN A SECOND YOU'LL BE WRAPPED AROUND MY FINGER. 'CAUSE I CAN, 'CAUSE I CAN DO IT BETTER. THERE'S NO OTHER SO WHEN'S IT GONNA SINK IN? SHE'S SO STUPID. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" Her hair is whipping this way and that, and the broom is now being used as a mic. The sweat built up on her forehead is prominent as she steps toward an imaginary audience. She's about to sing the verse again, but I can't control the laughter bubbling out of my mouth.

The broom lands on the floor with a smack and she's hurrying to turn the music off. My laughter retires to a small chuckle once the silence replaces the music. Luna tries to pull her shirt down to cover herself but it's useless since it covers her just fine with her hands down.

"W-What are you doing?" She asks. I lean against the doorway and cross my arms over my chest.

"I knocked, but, uh, I guess you didn't hear me." Her face flushes red and I smile. "What are you doing?" She looks down at the broom and scrambles to pick it up.

"Cleaning." I nod my head in amusement.

"At," I pause to look at my watch, "11:43 at night? On a school night?" Her eyes flicker to the clock on the wall and back to me.