Don't Get Angry

36- Dalta: Issues

I sat in Todd's car staring at the house. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

I looked at him. "I'm sure."

He nodded then turned away. "Otis will kill me if he finds out I brought you here."

I rolled my eyes. "Otis doesn't matter to me anymore, okay? Let's not talk about him."

Todd looked down at his hands. He shook his head. "Dalta, Otis is my best friend. I can't just drop him because you ask me to."

"I'm not asking you to drop him... Just don't talk about him around me."

Todd nodded.

I turned to the house, about to get out of the car.

"Otis wasn't always like this."

I held the door handle, but didn't move.

"When we were in middle school together, he was this ball of energy. He was always laughing... He cracked more jokes than I did." Todd chuckled. "He was never serious about anything...And he was always smiling...happy."

I sighed. "Todd," I mumbled, "I have to go-

"After his parents got divorced. He became this nervous wreck..."

I turned to Todd.

He shook his head and stared at his hands. "He would start crying in class over nothing... Kids obviously teased him for it...I know I did."

I frowned.

"I called him a chump. Told him parents got divorced all the time and that his dad was hardly there anyway since he was in the army... I was a kid and I wasn't thinking about what I was saying. After that, I guess he felt like I'd let him down or something. I mean...everyone had let him down in his eyes. His mom...his dad... He got so distant after that...like he was there but wasn't. I don't know if you get what I mean-"

"I do."

Todd looked at me.

"Is that why he's so angry?"

Todd shrugged. "No... His dad didn't hang around them a lot. But then he started to show up out of the blue. And Otis was beginning to become his old self again. Then..." Todd sighed. "Then his died just... died."

My brows fell. "Oh my goodness. I didn't...I didn't know that he...I thought he just left... He never told me... Never talks so me about anything that personal."

"Otis doesn't talk about it much. He doesn't talk about a lot of things. He just gets quiet...or upset. And now that you're friends... he's becoming more and more of himself again." Todd looked me in the eyes. "I know that you hate him right now-"

"I don't hate him. I just..."

"You're afraid of him?"

I shook my head. "I'm not... Not anymore." I turned to Chad's house, then looked at my hands. "I just...I'm not exactly the best person to date," I giggled. "I don't think, and when I do think, I overthink. And all Otis does is think."

"And shout at people for not thinking."

I snickered. "Yeah...I just wish...he didn't. You know? I wish he just talked about how he felt."

"I've wished he would for years... But he's doing that now. He's angrier now, after what happened with you guys at the gas station. But he's getting better...You should tell him that it's all over."

I shrugged. "If I do, he'll get happy and think it is when I'm about to change that."

"Then let it be over, Dalta." Todd grabbed my hand. "You don't have to do this."

I stared at him, then smiled. "I know." I pulled my hand away and got out of the car.

I walked down the sidewalk, then I walked up to the house and rang the doorbell. A blonde lady answered the door. She was dressed in a blue pants suit white blouse.

"Good afternoon," I greeted her, forcing the brightest smile on my face.

Her eyes danced around my face, then she sighed. "Chad sure has a type."

"Excuse m-"

"Chad!" She shouted, then she glared at me and walked past me holding her purse close.

Chad walked over to the door. He froze when he saw me. " What...what are you doing here?" He looked around outside then looked down at me.

"I... -uh." My jaw dropped. "I came by to -uh?"

"Not for Taylor, I'm guessing."

"No. Never."

Chad's eyes scanned me. "Do you wanna come inside?"

I shut my mouth and nodded. I followed Chad into the living room and sat on the couch beside him. "So...Why are you here?"

"I...I don't know- I, uh."

He squinted his eyes at me. "You're here to ask me about Sutton."

I shook my head. "I don't know who that is."

"Taylor's friend?... The girl who tried to hit you with her car?"

My brows shot up. I sulked. "I'm guessing you didn't set that up."

"No...I'd never do something that idiotic. My sister did. I overheard them."

I groaned and shook my head. "Of course, she did."

"Yeah. She's a bit of a nutcase. That's what happens when you got self esteem issues and friends that hype them up... I'm kinda glad you punched her."

I titled my head and nodded. "Yeah."

He laughed. "You're funny."

I pursed my lips and looked away, looking around the house massive house. I looked up at the chandelier dangling above us. "So...you're in college."

"Yeah...I'm in college," he repeated after me and chuckled.

"I've been meaning to ask you about what you said a few weeks ago... When I came by with Otis?"

He lowered his chin, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Remind me what I said again."

I stared at him, then swallowed the lump of anxiety in my throat. "I uh..." "That you have a safe of money in your closet with money I assume you never worked a day for that you're saving up to pay for college with. Remember saying that?"

He stared at me, waiting for me to say something. "Dalta, why are you really here? It seems to be about something else-"

"I really want you to take me somewhere... Like on a date," I blurted out, closing one eye and cringing.

Chad laughed again. "Amazing."

I opened my one closed eye and pouted. I thought he was laughing at me.

"Couldn't last a month without a girl trying to get with me."

I scoffed.

"Alright. Saturday night."

I grinned. "Mission accomplished."

"There's a party I have to going to. I'll take you."

I froze. One thing I didn't do was party. "I don't..." I had to go. Going to a party wasn't as bad as the reason why I would go. "Awesome." I smiled. "It's a date."

"A DATE!"

I flinched and quickly turned to the stairs. "Otis?" "Crap!"