FicWad

Atlanta stormed the front the door, through the the living room, where Neil was chcking his reflection in his mirror on the couch, and flopped down at the counter with a final agonized groan. As she buried her face into her crossed arms onthe counter, Dani came in.

"Back so soon?" she still sounded slightly breathless.

Atlanta turned her head sidways so she could see Dani. She sat bolt upright when she saw her friends new 'look'.

"What the hell happened to you?" She asked in surprise.

"Uh, nothing. Why do you ask?"

Atlanta gestured up and down in Dani's direction. Her polo shirt collar was half un-buttoned and listing to the side of her shoulders, her hair was mussed so badly it resembled a rat's nest, and her mascara had smudged onto her eyelids. Otherwise she looked relatively normal.

Dani looked into the semi-reflective micro-wave and looked surprised. "Oops." She took thge elastic out of her hair and ran her fingers through a few times before putting it back up. She wet her finger under the tap and wiped up her mascara and straightened her shirt.

"So, what happened? Did I miss Cronus or something? Or did someone go postal?" Atlanta asked smirking.

"Uh, no. I was, um, practicing some moves for the show tomorrow. I can't let Neil show me up can I?" She asked shakily.

"No, I guess not." Atlanta responded. At this point in the conversation Odie dropped in. Oddly enough this visit made Dani's dancing excuse look like a croc. His hoodie was drooping off one shoulder and his glasses looked slightly smudged.

Dani looked behind herself and smiled to see him. "Hey, bud." She said simply looking back out the window.

Atlanta raised her eyebrows as Dani looked back over her shoulder at Odie. She fixed his hoodie for him and he smiled at her. Cute, I guess. was all Atlana could think.

The front door opened and several pairs of feet came in. There was muffled chatter and Theresa's voice came wafting in. "Move it Neil, other people want to use the couch." An 'ouch' followed the request and the sound of the TV issued soon after.

Archie and Sherrice came into the kitchen. Archie plunked himself down next to Atlanta and Sherrice went over to Dani. She mutered something in her ear and Dani nodded. The girls made their way upstairs and the three remaining teenagers sat in silence.

Archie spoke first. "Okay, what were you two doing?" He smirked at Odie and Odie just smiled in a lost-in-thought way. Archie laughed. "Nice, dude."

"Nothing happened." Odie said simply turning away from the window he was looking out of and leaning against the counter opposite the one at which Archie and Atlanta sat.

Archie just nodded and rose. "Hey, 'Lanta, we're gonna watch a slasher flick out here if you're interested."

"Who's we?" Atlanta replied with spite in her voice.

"Neil, Theresa and me." He said a definate decline in his cheerful tone.

"No, thanks. I'm just gonna go... read or something." She stood and brushed past him quickly. She heard him turn as though to go after her be he never came.

She passed by Dani's room only to see Sherrice and Dani chatting with a degree of civility that, in Atlanta's opinion, should not be used with Sherrice. She decided to stop and listen. She stood outside the door out of their sight. The distinct smell of nail polish wafted from the doorway.

"Do you think I'll do okay, tomorrow?" Dani asked worriedly.

"Of course! If you do anything like you did yesterday, you'll be great. And hey," Sherrice said in an apologetic tone, "I wanted to apologize for what I did."

"That's great, but it really won't help anything. You're patronizing the whole house. You're seriously ripping people apart." Dani replied flatly.

"I know. I have a problem alright? I crave attention from guys! I can't control myself sometimes..."

"Trust me I know." Dani replied.

"What's that bruise on your wrist?" Sherrice asked after a minute.

"Are you changing the subject?" Dani asked quickly.

"Yes, and I'm also concerned. What happened?" Dani was silent following Sherrice's question. "Does it have anything to do with why you were looking so disheveled?" Again silence on Dani's side. "Did you...?" Sherrice asked with amazment in her voice.

"Of course not! My God, unlike you I have control." Dani replied, finishing with a giggle.

"Well, obviously not as much control as you boast." Sherrice said jokingly. After a moment she continued. "That'll do it." It sounded like a cap was being screwed back on a bottle.

"Great, yours are looking great too. If you wanna go, that's cool. I have afeeling someone else wants to see me right now." Dani said.

"Well, alright, if you're sure." Sherrice got up to leave.

"And Sherri?" Dani said. Sherrice stopped in the door way. "Lay off." Sherrice looked at Atlanta and ran down the stairs.

Atlanta walked in and looked at Dani. "What are you doing? You actually think she'll listen to you?"

"Yes." Dani replied simply, admiring her freshly painted nails.

"Why? Why do you think she'll listen? Why do think she'll actually lay off?" Atlanta flopped into the swivle chair at Dani's desk and loked her right in the face.

"'Cause." She said. Seeing Atlanta's look of frustration she added, "I threatened to let you get her again."

Atlanta just nodded. "So she has an attention craving issue? I never would have guessed!" She said sarcastically.

"Yep." Dani said folding her legs in front of her. "You wanna know something else?"

"What now?"

"I promised I wouldn't tell anyone, but she has two boyfriends at home!" Dani replied.

"Do they know?" Atlanta said in complete shock.

"They will. I'll make sure of it. I know one of them and he knows the other one, it'll be easy. Maybe if they know she'll learn something."

"Is that moral?"

"Nope."

"Nice."

"It comes naturally to me." At this moment Odie knocked on the open door.

"Hey, Dani. Atlanta." He walked in and sat on Dani's bed next to her.

"What's up? You looked worried." Dani said putting a hand on his knee.

"I am. I'm worried about Herry. I think he's getting a little to involved with Sherrice." he said puting his head in his hands. "She's dangerous. I can tell."

"That's what I've been telling everybody! Did anyone listen? NO!" Atlanta threw her hands in the air and groaned.

Dani just laughed. "Don't worry! Just you two wait until tomorrow! All problems will be solved, I assure you!"

"Speaking of tomorrow," Odie said, a playful grin creeping across his face. "What are you wearing tomorrow?"

"You know how I told you once that I'd never let those guys dress me up?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, tomorrow is an exception." She grinned widely.

"Can I see?"

"Nope, it's a surprise!" Dani said getting up and wandering to her window.

"That's not fair!" Odie said leaning back on his hands.

"Nope. That's life!"