The Abandoned Sister | Jasper Hale | New Moon | Book Two

Chapter Twelve: The Games Over

    That next day, after Charlie's threat of sending them both back to their mother, Dani hitched a ride with Bella and Jessica to the city. The night before Alex and Cobe had told Dani to meet them at their spot as usual, but instead of showing up after midnight she would be their earlier in the night. They had told her that they would 'terrorize the town' or in other words walk around, get high and possibly sneak into a club or two where there was a promise of live music.

    It ended up being about six in the afternoon when they made it to town. Dani grabbed her bag and jumped out of the bed of the truck the second it came to a stop. She grabbed her backpack and put it on on shoulder as she made her way to the sidewalk.

"Hey! I'll text you when we're about to leave okay?" Bella called over to her sister. Dani sighed and raised a thumbs up, not bothering to turn around to address her sister or the annoying brunette friend beside her.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't wait up. I know my way home." Daniella said as she turned a the corner, avoiding bumping into the people around her.

    Bella sighed as she watched her sister leave. The worry she felt was new; it being the only thing other then sadness that she had felt over the past three months.

    Daniella, on the other hand, navigated her way expertly through the streets until she finally made it to the familiar alleyway she had grown so fond of over the course of the last three months. As she reached the end she saw her two friends sitting on the dingy couch they called their "spot".

"Hey." Daniella said, her tone dull as she dropped her bag down on the ground and plopped herself down next to Cobe.

"Damn, that's probably the worst greeting you have ever given us in the three months we've known you." Alex said, her voice filled with friendly sarcasm as she lead forward slightly to see Dani's face.

"Yeah, well, usually I'm buzzed by the time I greet you, but I figured six-thirty in the afternoon was a bit to early of a start for my drinking." Daniella replied bitterly as she looked over and her two friends. She saw the pity growing in their eyes at her attitude and sighed as she looked back up to the sky from her slouched position on the couch. "God, stop with the pity. Besides, I'd rather be high and partying around town with my friends then being drunk and putting myself at risk for one night. I mean, honestly, if I come stumbling home again my dad is probably gonna ship me off to my mother."

"Wait, what? You never said anything about that last night!" Cobe said, turning in his seat to face me like Alex had. The worry about the whole thing was clear on their faces as Daniella groaned sitting up to face them as well.

"Guys, it's fine. He won't actually do it. He just got us back. He wouldn't send us away because were a little...messed up right now. " Dani shrugged as she ran a hand through her hair, her flannel falling off one of her shoulders in the process.

"Dee, you have to stop this. Please. It's not good for you. Plus, if you leave we'll probably never get to see each other again. Honestly, that's not really something that I want to experience." Alex said. The sadness that laced her words hit Dani hard. She hadn't thought of what it would mean for them if she just suddenly disappeared from their lives.

    It caused her to remember the pain that was coursing through her the moment she had gotten herself to walk away from...him. That feeling when she knew that she would never see him again; knowing there was nothing she could have done to stop it.

"What am I supposed to do?" Daniella's voice cracked as her tear filled eyes looked into the two pair across from her. "If I stop the games and the drinking, then I'll just be tortured by my memories of him. I can't stand to see him anymore. I just can't. It-it hurts." Daniella confessed. She had never talked about this with Alex and Cobe. Well, sober anyway.