Danielle moved into her grandparents house after they found out what her mother and stepfather had been doing to her for years. Her birth father, their son, died when she was 10, and her mother brought home a man she'd been cheating with since she w...
It had been a week since Danielle moved in with her grandparents, James 'Jim' and Esmerelda 'Esme' Hearth. She was normally found in their house, at Veronica and Kevin's house, or with Kev at the bar, working there. She might be underage, but she scored a job there anyways, especially since she was practically Kevin's niece, but they kept that a secret from everyone, except for Veronica, and her grandparents, who already knew. Kevin was best friends with Dani's father when they were kids, and her grandparents practically raised him. When Dani wasn't at work, home, or Kev and V's house, she was holed up in her treehouse in the backyard. She practically lived back there. She loved her grandparents, especially for getting her away from her mom and stepdad, but she needed a lot of space. She could be in a crowded room for only so long before needing to seclude herself in the treehouse to 'recharge'. Her grandparents understood, so they didn't try to stop her or force her to come inside for dinner. Her grandfather would simply bring out a tray of food and put it on the little wooden tray connected to ropes that would pull it up into the treehouse.
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It had been built when his son was a kid, and was a little old fashioned back then, but his son and Kevin had remodeled it for Dani when she was 10, before he had passed away. The place was like another house, where she could live on her own, with a sink, stove, mini fridge, and anything she could ask for, except a bathroom, but the house had two inside bathrooms on the second floor, and one on the first that had a door to the back yard, which was her bathroom.
Sometimes, to be able to spend time together, Jim and Esme would go into the treehouse, using the stairs, and hang out with their granddaughter, and sometimes eat dinner together. That was mostly on Dani's good days though, the days when she didn't have work. She doesn't go to school, being homeschooled by Esme while Jim goes to work as a teacher. Dani was in school when she lived with her mom, but missed a lot, due to what her mother and stepdad did, sometimes making her immobile, or forcing her to stay home to clean and cook for them. Dani didn't like to think back on those times, she lived in the present, unless she dwelled on the past when her father was alive. No one pushed her to talk about it either, which she liked.
Currently, she was wiping off the bar counter, listening to her uncle rant about the Gallagher family borrowing his things because Veronica let them.
"After work, I'm heading over there. Want to come?" Kev asked her.
"Sure, Uncle Kev." She said, putting the rag away and looking around. It was about time to close up, only Billy left in the bar, passed out.
"Lets lock up then." He grabbed his keys and jacket, handing hers to her.
She followed him out and into his car, buckling up as she waited for him to get in. They drove in silence, besides the radio playing quietly. When they got to his house, they parked the car and he lead her to the neighbors house, on the other side of his, opposite to her grandparents'. He stormed inside, leaving her to close the door behind him. She looked into the living room to see V on the couch with a brunette woman, and a few kids around too. Kev was ranting about how they always borrowed stuff, but never asked him, only V, who would let them.
"Who's she?" The brunette sitting with V asked, looking at me.
"That's Jim and Esme's granddaughter." V explained. "Dani, this is Fiona and her siblings. Thats Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and little Liam." She gestured to the baby bouncing in her lap. Dani cooed.
"Everyone, this is Dani." Kev mentioned before ranting again.
"Uh, I think I'm gonna head home now..." Dani said, eyes on her Uncle Kev as he gathered up stuff they borrowed from him. "Bye everyone, nice meeting you."
"Nice meeting you too!" They all chorus and she walks down the stairs. Dani glances to her right, the direction of her house, and goes the opposite way. On her way to look for some kind of part time job, other than the bar...
While looking around for hiring signs, she bumped into a woman, specifically Linda, a white muslim, mother of two sons, and owner of Kash & Grab. She had been locking up the store, Kash no where to be found. The result of Dani and Linda bumping into each other, a fallen purse which belonged to the older woman. Dani looked around.
"I am so sorry, I didn't watch where I was going. I was looking around for hiring signs, I am so sorry." Dani kept an eye out just in case someone took this opportunity to try to steal the womans fallen possessions.
"Its fine. You're looking for a job?" She looked up at the young ginger, who nodded. She picked up her things. "This is mine and my husband's shop, mostly mine though. Would you like a job here? We could use the extra help." She looked the girl over. "You got a backbone?"
"You mean am I a pushover? No." Dani. Chuckled before glancing around before lifting her pant leg a but, revealing a switchblade hidden in her boot. "Always keep a few on hand, real handy when scaring off unwanted attention." The two laughed at that and Dani smiled, genuine, which was rare. "I'm Danielle, Danielle Hearth."
"Linda. If you don't mind, you could start working tomorrow?" Dani nodded immediately. "How does 10-3 work for you? Just as a trial run, of course." Linda offered, and the two shook on it. "See you then."
"See you then, Linda." And with that, Dani went home and ate with her grandparents, in the house, instead of the treehouse, which made them happy. "I got another job, working at Kash and Grab, start tomorrow."
"Oh? What time, dear?" Esme asked as Jim stuffed his face.
"Between 10 and 3, its a trial run for now. I met the owner, Linda, before I came home and talked with her a bit." Dani explains, cutting her steak.
"Linda, oh yes, Linda is so nice. How has she been?" Jim asked.
"Uh, I only met her today, but she seemed rushed, I guess."
"Bound to be, with twins, and a husband she can't really rely on. Seems to disappear a lot, not to mention he has no backbone."
"Oh. That explains why she asked if I had one." Dani comments after Esme.
"Mickey Milkovich is the real problem with stealing from the store." Jim shakes his head. "Kid knows better than to steal from my house, or yours." He points to Dani at that. "I'd shove the barrel of my double barrel shotgun so far up his a–"
"James!" Esme scolds. He shakes his head and stands, taking any empty plates to the sink as Esme pats Dani's hand. "Don't worry about Mickey."
"Wasn't." Dani says, drinking the rest of her soda before gesturing to her pant leg. "I can handle myself, and if I can't, I still have my backup."
"Just be careful, sweetheart." She kisses the ginger's head before going to the kitchen and helping her husband wash dishes.
"Night Gramma, night pops." Dani says, heading out the back door.
"Night, don't stay up too late!" Jim called after her.
