Children of the Heir

Chapter 10 - The Drive

"Thanks for driving me home. The Uber would have been pretty expensive." Nathan said, staring out the windshield.

Danny nodded. He only did it because his sister gave him the look.

After another minute of silence, Danny turned on the radio. He kept turning to channels with static so he turned it off. "Still don't know any good stations in this city." He muttered.

"So," Nathan said, it was another twenty minutes until his house, he might as well just go for it, "what happened today? In the bathroom?"

"What are you talking about?" Danny gritted.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"No, I genuinely don't." He was getting really tired of this.

"When I went to get you from the bathroom, there was a blue light. Covering everything. It looked like it was coming from your stall."

"Why do you care so much?"

Nathan opened his mouth, then he closed it. Why did he care so much? "I guess I just... don't really have anything else going on in my life..."

Danny stopped at a red light, he used it as a chance to fully face Nathan. "So, you're bored. And you're just looking for something to distract you. Or someone. No thanks. I've dealt with people like you. I'm done being someone else plaything, their distraction." He turned back to face the light, praying it had turned green already. It had. He floored it.

They were outside of Nathan's house in ten minutes.

"Look," Nathan said, it was the first word he had said since Danny had decided to play racecar driver. "I don't have any bad intentions. Don't misunderstand me. I just like mysteries."

"Dude, your digging yourself into a bigger hole."

"No, that's not what I-" Nathan groaned. "What I meant was: Hi, I'm Nathan."

Danny stared at him. An eyebrow lifting up.

"You must be Danny. I heard you and your sister are new in town. I was a new kid once. I know how hard that can be. I just want to let you guys know that I'm here if you ever need anything. A friend. I'm pretty good at being a good friend. And helping people out with weird stuff, or things they're confused about. So, yeah. That's me. Just someone who cares. And likes helping. And meeting new people. And you know, adventures."

Danny stared some more. Is this guy for real?

Nathan wasn't sure if his little speech helped things or made them worse.

"Nice to meet you, Nathan. We're at your house. Wanna get out?"

Nathan pressed his lips. "Do you still hate me?"

"I never hated you." Danny let out a sigh. "I barely know you. You just... rub me the wrong way."

"Still?"

"To be determined."

"Okay well, let me know."

"Alright, now seriously." Danny nodded to the door, "I need to get back home."

"Right. Thanks again for the ride."

Danny watched him enter his house. Eyes remaining on the closed door. "What's his angle?"