Darcy’s POV
I had arrived for another useless practice on a foggy Saturday morning. I was lucky I had been able to drag myself out of bed after what’s been happening for the past week. I must be losing my mind because when Cade called me this morning (I finally gave him my number after Ms. Lilith got tired of playing messenger and told me to act my age) I actually walked to the studio. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t walk so it was a big step for me metaphorically and physically.
I walked through the snow my boots crunching it under my feet up to the gravel drive that led to the studio. Point blank in front of the door was a large red sign that read Private Property Do Not Enter! I wanted to rip the sign off and throw it into the trash but I refrained, getting arrested myself was the last thing I needed although I could check on Harvey if I was. He couldn’t make more than his one call and Ms. Lilith was having no luck finding a place that could help. She thought if we found a rehab center that deals with prisoners they could work out a deal and transfer him there, but the thought of Harvey locked up in a government mandated facility made me cringe. It wasn’t where he belonged.
The beep of a horn took me back to reality as I turned around to find the source of the noise. Across the street was Cade sitting in the back of his pickup waving me over from the gas station parking lot. Of course he wouldn’t take the chance and trespass into his father’s building, what made me think he would? I took one last look at my second home that I was no longer allowed to step foot in and I could’ve cried. A building with so many memories shouldn’t be left to rot alone, or be turned into a fancy shining new building. New wood floors wouldn’t creek under me when I moved like the ones now did, and a fresh coat of paint wouldn’t cover up the markings from the old ballet bar in the corner.
I walked over the threshold of caution tape and grabbed the first piece of glass from the broken window I could find in the snow. I slipped into my pocket; if this didn’t work at least I would still have a piece of this place with me forever. I grabbed another piece for Cade too and another two for Ms. Lilith and Harvey. I turned back around and quickly slid under the tape and across the desolate road to the gas station which was missing something without Harvey and his cloud of smoke around it. Cade was still sitting in the back of his truck when he saw me come forward and he maneuvered himself to be able to flip the back down without having to fully get up. He held out his hand but I ignored it hoisting myself onto the bed of the truck with the heel of my boot and my hands.
I plopped down next to him and grabbed at the bag he was fiddling with. “Bugles and donut holes?” I said laughing. “Isn’t that against some kind of jock diet?”
“It’s called stress eating.” He said stuffing his face with bugles.
I grabbed some out of his outstretched hand and settled myself, leaning on the back of the truck’s window my breath showing in the cold Colorado air. I crunched the bugles in my hand and threw them into my mouth staring at the sky.
“You think will figure this all out?” Cade said swallowing a donut hole.
“Doubt it, I can barely even think about it without getting a giant headache.”
“I might be able to solve one of the many problems on your list.”
“Spill it.” I said turning to him.
“Finn’s inside there working, you want the full story go talk to him, but actually let him talk.”
“Did you set this up.” I said looking around.
“No just worked out that way.” He said grinning
Of course it did I thought to myself. I went to hop off the side of the truck when the doorbell above the station store rang through the air.
“What does this text mean dude?” said Finn walking out of the empty store and in front of the truck.
“Not planned huh.”
I felt like throwing my head against the side of the truck a few times and getting myself out of this impending conversation when Finn noticed me next to Cade.
“Darcy?”
“You actually know my name? I thought I was just Addie’s loud friend.”
“Ever since Patrick Swayze over here divulged his dancing past he hasn’t shut up about you.”
“You told him? Seriously?”
“He guessed actually.” Cade said shrugging and stuffing another bugle into his mouth.
I ignored the double meaning of Finn’s comment and continued on the thoughts in my brain rattling into one incoherent line of garbage. Finn was smarter than I originally thought and that over everything else was actually throwing me for a loop the most. I wasn’t going to beat around the bush with him since I was pretty sure that would actually amuse him.
“You weren’t at the party everyone said you were at meaning you didn’t cheat on Darcy like everyone said.”
“Right.”
“Then why the hell would you break up with her? How dumb are you? Because a bunch of your buddies think she’s weird that means you have to go along with them, ever heard of free speech or I don’t know thinking for yourself! She was painting black clouds for three weeks after that because you were too scared your friends would drop you if you actually continued to show interest in a girl that wasn’t a part of your lame crowd.”
“I’m an idiot I know ok.”
“Why the sudden need to get her back? Why the sudden change of heart?”
“You two actually.”
I almost spit out the bugle in my mouth right on the spot. Cade’s shocked powdered donut covered face was also priceless.
“When I figured out what Cade was doing with you at that studio it made me think maybe if I wasn’t the only person that was afraid of something that was hiding something then maybe bringing that thing to light wouldn’t be so hard. It’s easier to walk with a friend then walk alone.”
“Aw buddy!” Cade said mocking his friend’s emotion and putting his hand over his heart and wiping away a fake tear.
“Oh shut up.” Finn said throwing a stray bugle at him.
“We’re so inspirational.” I said giggling.
“I wanted her back anyways Cade and you deciding to break the social hierarchy was just the cherry on top.”
“At least something good might come of this idea.” I said.
“Yeah I met get my girl back!” he said high fiving Cade.
“First off the word my indicates possession, and second of all if she has any brains whatsoever she’ll lay you out to dry so fast your head will spin.” I said eyeing them both.
Cade just looked like he was disappointed in himself and Finn wiped the smirk off his face real fast.
“So you still think I’m an asshole?” he asked me.
“Eh you’re growing on me slowly, but hurt her again and I’ll break your skull into tiny pieces with one hit of my steel toed boot got it?”
“Yes ma’am” he said saluting me jumping over the back of the truck and sitting on the side next to Cade.
“Does this mean I get snacks?” he asked giddy.
“Sure buddy.” Cade said chuckling handing him the bag of Bugles and sliding over the remnants of the donut holes we had scarfed down in stress.
“By the way I might be able to help you guys out with the outfits for your little dance parade. I found some of my mom and dad’s old clothes from high school the other day in the attic when I was looking for some old comics and it turns out they went to a masquerade ball back then for some dinner banquet.”
“They wouldn’t miss them or I don’t know kill you for stealing them?” I said.
“They have ten more boxes of old clothes where those came from so trust me they won’t.”
“Vintage outfits from the time period in which the studio was still open? “
“With 80’s puffy sleeves to match.” He said smiling at me.
“Masks included?”
“Masks included.”
“This might me the beginning of a tentative friendship Finn.” I said beaming.
“Tentative?”
“Yeah I still think you’re a weasel, just maybe less of one now.”
“I can take that.” He said nodding his head.
One thing down and one thousand more to go, not to mention actually pulling off this whole thing without tripping or falling or vomiting in pure fear. We had outfits now all we needed was Harvey out of jail, Ms. Lilith with the deed to the studio in her hands, a solid place to finish practicing, Darcy to actually speak to me, oh and an absolute miracle or genie that could somehow make all of these things happen in the next week and a half. Time flies when you’re not having fun.
I groaned and hit my head against the side of the truck in frustration. One step forward and ten more backwards always seemed to be the way these days. The fact that Cade or I haven’t lost our minds by now is a total miracle, in fact him more than me. At least I had a supportive mother and a somewhat stable life. His father practically threw him to the dogs as soon as he was able to walk on his own two feet. I looked over at him smiling with no remnants of pain in his eyes.
He really was good at hiding everything. That was one thing I was slowly starting to envy about Cade no matter what he never faltered and it made me never want to either.