~°~Chapter Ten~°~

His hand reach out to trace the dark hand shaped bruise around my slender neck and I freeze, my eyes going wide.

He mutters a slew of colorful swear words underneath his breath which makes my ears bleed, he snatches his hand back like I'd burned him, veins straining in his neck.

I'm worried now and reaching for him but he quickly steps back, muttering a vague excuse me and stumbling out. #(excerpt from previous chapter#

Shana is glaring suspiciously at him and I wonder why, I don't think about it too much though, I'm suddenly bone tired.

"If you two are done fan-girling, can you help me get a soak before those two crazy people find their way back?" I ask.

"I've already set a bath for you baby, come on." My mom says sweetly, motioning me over.

"I'll just set up the snacks." Shana says walking away.

My mom is silent beside me as she washes my thick hair, my head tilted back so that the shampoo doesn't get in my eyes. I breathe a sigh of relief as I slip into the almost too hot water, feeling it soothe my aches immediately.

Well today was horrible.

I mean I've done worse - like the time I was sent to bring extra equipment for chemistry class and ended up tripping in front of the jocks and cheerleaders with an armful of glass.

Maybe it might not have been so horrible if I wasn't slowly bleeding to death on the ground in front of them with glass shards embedded in my skin, so yeah, I've definitely done worse but it's still way off what I expected.

My sexuality has never been something to worry about, cause my mom is asexual and very supportive of every other type so it wasn't about being accepted.

I guess I just really didn't think about it - I'm pretty sure the only reason I've never dated or kissed anyone is because I never had a crush - Except Virgil of course and I'd rather eat a bowl of hair than let him know.

Now Dale is here and I'm just confused - whoa! See me acting like some love struck main character of a paper back novel, besides, I know he's only asking me on a date to piss Virgil off, their open rivalry is well --- very open. You know what I really don't need all this right now and... Apple!

"Mom!" I call suddenly, jerking up, finally remembering my baby cat.

"Oy! You don't want vanila scented shampoo in your eyes right? Then stay put." She applies pressure on my shoulder blades.

I ignore her but squeeze my eyes shut. "Mom! Where's Apple?"

"Huh?" I can almost imagine her look of confusion. "You want an Apple?"

Oh crap! - I didn't tell her I named my cat. "No! No! My kitten, I named her Apple." I say quickly, panicking now.

"Aww, that's adorable. Calm down baby." She stops me when I'm about to jump out of the tub, vanila scented shampoo be damned.

"B-But..."

"Don't worry your Apple is fine, she slept almost through the day and went through the huge plate of milk." She sighs at this point. "If only you ate that much."

I throw her a look. "Says the one who likes me mini sized."

"I love you no matter what you look like." She says seriously, cupping my wet jaw.

I blow out a breath, flustered by her frank adoration. "Thanks." I mutter almost inaudibly going silent again.

"So you're finally going on a date." She tries to say nonchalantly as she rinsed off my hair but it just came out like she was choking on a coconut.

It really hit me then what I had accepted. "My first date." I mumble.

"Is a boy!" She exclaims and I just roll my eyes, not so easy to do when you're taking a bath.

"I might be pansexual mom besides you're the one who keeps on campaigning for the LGBTQ+ Movement."

"Yes, yes whatever." She says dismissively, "I am so going to be the one to dress you up on that day."

"Not happening." I say shortly, drying myself up as I walk out the bathroom with her in tow. "It isn't even up for discussion." I wrap a towel around my waist, another one around my dripping hair.

"I remember you tying your towel around your chest when you were younger." She sighs nostalgically and I wonder if I'm too old for a foster home.

"That's because you decided to buy only extra large sized towels." I fire at her, going straight to my room. "It was either that or they trailed on the ground." I pause to look at her. "Why are you following me?" I demand.

She averts her face, at least having the decency to look guilty. "My baby is hurt, I just want to take care of you." She says with puppy eyes.

I roll my eyes at her. "Fine but close your eyes, let me get dressed first." I walk up to my closet.

She gives me a look of disbelief. "I just literally bathed you."

"Doesn't mean you have to dress me up." I say stubbornly. "Besides if you're going to stay, you'll have to follow my rules."

"Ugh! Fine." She agrees, closing her eyes as I put on lose shorts.

"I'm done now, you can do the rest." I say cheerily, eyeing my sleeping kitten.

She quickly rifles through my closet, bringing out one of her old sweaters that I might have stolen - in my defense - it's comfy, swallows me up and smells like mommy.

She walks over and helps me inside the sweater. I quickly snatch up Apple before she can carry me to a chair to blow dry my hair.

"Let that poor thing sleep." She reprimands me, gingerly running her hands through my hair. I'm grateful she doesn't decide to comb it, my scalp is still tender from Tyrone earlier.

"She sleeping just fine on my lap." I say seriously, caught up in petting her soft fur.

"Do you like Dale?" She asks quietly and I'm just there struggling not to choke on air or at least choke quietly.

I think over it carefully. "I don't know mom." I say with same quiet tone. "I mean I just met him today."

"And yet you are going on a date with him." She gets started in my hair with the hair dryer.

"Mom!" I complain, cringing, I really didn't like to talk about mushy things. "It's just a way of saying thank you for saving me, its not like I could tell him no after he went up against Tyrone and his gang and Virgil too just for me." My hands go up to my ears again.

She just kisses my now dry curls. "Put Apple back in bed. Your two crazy people are back."

I put Apple back in her comfy makeshift bed and a ray of moonlight splashes on her, it's so aesthetic that I want to take a picture but my mom beats me to it.

"Definitely my wallpaper." She coos.

I pout, walking out of my room. "I'm not your wallpaper anymore?"

"You've been Virgil's and Shana's wallpaper ever since they met you, it isn't cute hogging all the attention." She whispers to me, steering me in the direction of the noisy room.

"You guys better not be eating all the snacks!" I announce as I'm pushed into the room.

Dale and Shana are discussing heatedly while Virgil is fiddling with the remote.

"So what are we watching?" Shana squeals, hopping on Virgil's lap.

"Ugh! Get off." He tries shoving her away but she doesn't budge. "You weigh like a hippo." He complains, still trying to push her off with no luck.

"Like you would know what a hippo weighs." She says absently, getting comfortable in his lap.

My mom sits on a cushion a little ways from them, her hand quickly finding the chips bowl.

"Renee, please help me." Virgil begs, dramatically wheezing.

"You're on your own, my love." She pats his cheek. "Come and sit on mommy's lap." She invites me, patting her lap, Dale takes the cushion next to her.

I grab my ears at the compromising and embarrassing situation, knowing that if I don't obey my mom she'll end up spilling some mortifying secret that isn't necessarily true. "I don't like you sometimes." I mumble under my breath, but get on her lap as she requested.

Virgil had stopped complaining and let Shana stay on him, it was usually like this most nights with me in my mom's arms and Shana bothering Virgil or, me in Shana's arms and my mom bothering Virgil or me in Virgil's arms and my mom and Shana gossiping together.

Strangely enough Dale's presence doesn't make things awkward as we quietly rewatch The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

We manage to make it to the scene when they get crowned Kings and Queens before Shana starts to mumble.

She sleep talks whenever she falls asleep in an uncomfortable position.

Virgil glares down at her. "It's good to know, you find me lumpy." He grumbles and we all laugh.

"It's getting pretty late now." My mom yawns. "I best be getting to my room. "Virgil please move Shana to the air-beds." She adds, getting up and depositing me on Dale's lap like I'm nothing but a pillow - I grab my ears.

Virgil grinds his teeth but obeys my mom, coming back very quickly to pick me up from Dale's hold.

"I can walk." I try to resist but my voice only comes out as a tiny squeak which he ignores.

"Come on Dale." My Mom steers him towards the joined air-beds. "Virgil, sleep beside Hayden so Shana doesn't climb over him in the night, he's still injured."

She pushes Dale to the edge of the bed, there are two pushed against the wall so there's enough space for everyone with Shana sleeping close to the wall, Virgil then me. "Dale you'll stay here so Hayden doesn't fall off." She says effectively putting me in between them.

"Goodnight now." She greets cheerily, dimming the lights, the door clicking shut behind her.

I gulp, getting comfortable in all the many blankets sprawled on the bed. I'm a big cuddler so I know when I'm deep in sleep I'm going to end up wrapped around somebody - I hope it's Virgil, I don't think I can risk aggravating him anymore.

The room is quiet and I start to slowly relax when the room is silent for a considerable while, I drag my blanket higher.

The night wasn't particularly cold but I've always slept with blankets for as long as I can remember, I don't think I could fall asleep without one. Even though I'll end up losing the blanket and using someone else as cover.

I'm very tired, everything that happened today starts to hit me hard and even though I'm uncomfortable sleeping in between Virgil and Dale, I soon fall asleep.