Change of Heart (NaNoWriMo 2011)

Chapter 9

            They were back at Dawn’s apartment now. Dawn was making lunch, Michelangelo was looming over Dawn’s shoulder hoping to get something, and Jariel was just sitting in the living room, once again, watching the news. He didn’t really know why he watched the news. He despised it, truthfully. He hated seeing the pain and evil in the world spread across the Television screen for the whole wide world to stare at. He didn’t see why people would watch it, much less like watching the news. What good ever came out of seeing someone else’s pain? Wait a minute, he thought. He forgot. He forgot that was how human beings, mortals, were. They loved watching the pain of others because it made them feel good about themselves. Someone else is hurting, they thought. If someone else was hurting then that meant that they were, at least, better off than them. It made Jariel sick. It made Jariel sick because he couldn’t see how seeing someone else in pain like that could bring someone so much joy. Jariel shut off the Television, tired of hearing about today’s latest tragedy, a serial killer they thought was on the loose. He wasn’t like humans; he didn’t take pleasure in seeing other people hurting. He didn’t take pleasure in seeing other people in desperate need of help. Jariel just couldn’t understand why in the world people would kill, rob, rape, and do other evil acts to other humans. They were all the same, why was there so much hate? They should love one another, not calling each other names. They should be helping one another, not turning a blind eye. If people did that, then maybe their crime rate would go down, or disappear completely.

            Jariel turned the Television back on and flipped through the few channels that Dawn had. The News was on most of the channels, which disgusted Jariel and he just ended up turning it back off. He got up off the couch and went over to the book shelf in the far corner of the living room. If he couldn’t watch something, he thought, maybe he would read something. However, most of the books on the shelf were detective mysteries, romance, or some rock star autobiography. None, of which, interested Jariel. Letting out a sigh he decided to go back to the couch and just listen to the commotion going on in the kitchen. He could hear dishes clanging against each other, the oven timer going off, Dawn yelling at Michelangelo for doing something Jariel guessed he wasn’t supposed to do and so on. Who knew one person could make so much noise? However, the smell of barbeque chicken made Jariel smile.

He could really get use to this.

*     *       *     *

            Dawn had tried everything to help get Jariel a job, but every single store that they looked at; Jariel refused, or said that he wasn’t cut out for the job. It was as if he was trying his best not to get a job. What did he think he was going to do, lounge around her house being lazy? Not in her lifetime. If he wanted to live here with her, he was going to have to help pay the bills. Maybe in getting a job and learning how to pay bills, he would be better off when he moved out. Whenever that was going to happen, if ever. She shivered. She really didn’t want to think about it, to be honest. Having some stranger sleep on her couch for the rest of her life? No thank you. She hoped that it would return to just Annette and herself in due time. However, Annette had been spending a lot of time with Derek lately, so she may be losing her as well. The thought of it suddenly made Dawn quiver with anger. Annette deserved someone so much better! Already Dawn had caught Annette coming home with bruises on her skin. Annette had just waved it off and said that she had tripped and fell, or walked in to a wall. Dawn knew what must have really happened though. Derek. He had probably, okay most likely, become drunk again and took out his anger and frustration on Annette.  She had pleaded with, begged and asked over and over again for Annette to leave him, to seek some help, but every time Annette would tell her no, or tell her nothing was wrong; everything was all fine and dandy.  When was she going to see the truth, that her boyfriend beating the living daylights out her was not a good thing? In fact, it was the total opposite; it was a completely and utterly bad thing. Dawn just guessed she was going to have to let time do its thing and hope that Annette would see the light, and soon.