Enemies Without a Limit

Chapter 11

"You won't believe this! You're gonna be thrilled!" his father exclaimed. Darryl was curious as to what it was, since it seemed to include him too.

"Thrilled with what?" Darryl asked, just as Tameeka's arms encircled his stomach from behind him. He tried, quietly, to squirm out of her reach but she tightened her grip. He turned and flashed her a long, hard glare to which she smiled innocently and continued her playing.

"I found this great place in Brooklyn for us." his father started energetically, "It's got two bedrooms a bathroom and its has such great space. The neighborhood is quiet and friendly and the schools here are just as great over there..."

"So, what's the problem with staying here?" he asked just as Tameeka pinched at his skin, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Are you alright?" his dad asked concerned.

"Yea, hold on dad for a minute. Don't go anywhere." he said quickly, placing his hand over the speaker, before turning to face Tameeka with a sneer devilish glare.

 "Tameeka, get the hell out. Now!" he ordered almost murderously. I swear sometimes I feel like I'm dealing with a child.

"But..." she started finally stepping back from him. 

"Get out! I thought of all people you would understand what's going on." 

She sheepishly nodded her head as she turned to the floor, gathered her clothes and threw them on in a haste. He waited until she was out the door and out of her sight before he went back to his dad.

 "Dad?"

"Yeah, I'm here." he replied with a tired sigh.

"We can't just up and leave our home to move to Brooklyn. I...I mean we have bills to pay here, and what about school? I'm in my junior year." Darryl started to argue, wasting no time to get back to the subject.

"Look, boy, you can find a good school here too, and as for the bills...It'll take—"

"Take care of themselves." Darryl finished deflated. His dad always said that and lately his motto hasn't been working in either of their favors. "But, how can you afford a home over there if we barely make it by over here?" he asked incredulously.   

 "Darryl, why don't you ever support anything I ever want to do. To perfect our lives." his dad started. Darryl could detect the sudden loudness of his father's voice, anger. "I thought if we could move here we could have a fresh start, forget about all the other horrible things and leave them behind." Darryl could hear hurt as well the sobs that stuck in his throat. It was a process with his dad. First he would get emotional usaully weeping, then he would become enraged and lastily would he indulge in his ritual with alcohol. And judginig from the anger and hurt he heard now, Darryl knew his father wasn't far from the final stage of his cycle.

"Dad..." he started, hoping not to set him off, "We just can't. I know you're doing the best you can, but I can't say I like the idea." Darryl barely got the last word out, when he was met with the dial tone. His father hung up.

He clenched his jaw in anger as he slammed the phone back in it's socket. He didn't know what to do or think, but he found himself wishing that he hadn't kicked Tameeka out, wishing that he had friends. He didn't want to spend the night alone in the quiet and empty home. His home didn't even feel like home. It wasn't been his home for three years, and now more than ever he realized he was alone.

                           —————————————————————————————

Naomi couldn't stop the tears of laughter falling down her cheeks. It was nearing dark out as she and Miles walked back to her house, hand in hand, from their double-date with Jazzy and Nathan at Regiero's, an Italian restaurant just a couple of blocks away from their school, where most kids went to dine. The night had been remarkable starting with their upscale three-course meal all the way down to the entertainment. The restaurant had a classy yet homey feel to it with its wooden walls, floors and ceilings—which lights hung from to give the dining area a soft, dim glow, and its olive green, plush booths and seats and red linen clothes over the round tables to tie in the flag colors. They ate, they laughed, and she was almost sad when the fun had to end. 

"Miles!" she whined, lightly swatting at his arm with her free hand, "You're making me cry." He leaned into to kiss her cheek before joining along with her hysterical laughter. Naomi quickly swiped the tears from her face, but her face still hurt from the smiling and laughing. 

"But seriously, you'd rather a cold, stone guy, who sparkles and stalks helpless humans as opposed to me?" he joked, mocking hurt. 

"I don't know, Edward has some winning qualities that maybe you can't quite live up to." she joked, as far as he knew, she thought Miles was perfect. She found herself silently thanking the heavens that Darryl hadn't disrupted the evening. She somehow knew they both needed a little time to breathe. 

"Oh, now you're askin' for it!" he growled playfully before he dropped her hand and pounced at her neck. A stream of giggles escaped from her lips as he softly planted a kiss where he threatened to bite her, keeping up his role as a vampire. She wiggled her way free from his grasp and bolted down the block, her hair flowing through the brisk breeze of the night on either sides of her face and her laughter echoing through the quiet neighborhood. She could hear his laughter too, along with his quickened footsteps behind her as she ran around the corner, dodging the pedestrians that came in her way. She was a fast runner, and was thankful that her track skills back in junior high, kept her in shape. 

She paused, heavily breathing trying to make out his footsteps, but she heard nothing. He had disappeared and she kind of felt amused as well as frightful as she swerved her head in every direction to find him. It was like playing hide-and-go-seek where it was fun and scary waiting for someone to jump out and find you. She had realized that she had turned onto her street and that her house was only a block away, when someone grabbed her from behind and screamed a blood-curling scream. 

"Miles!!" she shouted in shock as she turned and placed her hand over his mouth. He laughed as he kissed her palm before he moved them from his lips and held it with his hand instead.

"Sooo..." he drawled with smug expression, waiting at her expectantly. Naomi rolled her eyes, "Fine, you're better than a vampire. In fact I think you might be one." she laughed as they continued their stroll. They were in the middle of talking about their weekend plans when they finally reached her door. 

"I know this might sound cliche and all," Naomi chuckled as she rummaged through her bag for her keys, keeping her eyes on him, "But I really had a lot of fun tonight." He laughed, "Me too, we should do this again." he said with his hands tucked into his front pockets of his pants, bring himself a step closer to her. 

She smiled at his cliche before she closed the gap between them, "We should. But definitely without Nathan and Jazzy." He nodded his head in agreement, slipping his arms from pockets and around her waist, dipping his head to hers, meeting her lips for the first time since that rainy day and it was just was breath-taking. After they said their good-nights and kissed again, she went into her house, smiling.

She wasn't surprised as she met her parents in the living room, but was more surprised at their stern faces set at her. "Hey mom, dad." she said walking into the room cautiously, "Is there something wrong?"

"Um, no sweetheart." Mr. Marks said, his expression never changing.

"How was your night?" her mom chimed in, in the same expression as her husband. 

"It was fine, I had fun." Naomi answered shrugging off her parents attitudes. Ehhh, they're weird sometimes, she thought as she plopped on the couch next to them. As she reached for the remote that rested on the coffee table, she caught sight of a pink piece of paper. It was her detention slip. She looked back at her parents who were staring back at her again. 

She opened her mouth to explain but no words came out. "I was doing the laundry today, and remember how I always tell you to check your pockets before you throw things in the laundry basket?" her mom asked, but Naomi knew better to know that it was just a rhetorical question so she didn't respond, "I found it in your jeans."

Note to self: Always clear my pockets. Now it was her father's turn to speak, "Naomi, you're grounded. For a week. Not only because you got detention but you lied to both your mother and I. You are not to leave this house unless it is school related, no phones after school..." he dictated, reaching his palm out for her phone. She powered it off and handed it to him reluctantly. "And no T.V, so you can forget about your plans to lie here and watch."

When he was done, Naomi wanted to cry. How was she supposed to go out with Miles now, or keep up her end of the deal with Darryl. In the next she was going to lose her social life she thought as she defeatedly marched up the stairs to her room and collasped onto her bed as she let the tears flow. My life sucks.