Kiss Me

PART II, chapter 3

- III -

January 6, 2005

__________________

Danny was pulling his book out of the backpack when somebody tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Danny," Jeff sat next to him. "Did you hear the news?"

"No," Danny said carefully. He didn't like the news lately. "What is it?"

"Tyler finally dumped that bony chick. Him and Laurie are back together."

"Really..." Danny said slowly, forgetting about his book, and Jeff nodded.

"Yeah. He said that the girl... What was her name?"

"Stephanie," Danny said automatically.

"Right, Stephanie... Anyway, Tyler said that she went totally psycho on him when he told her," Jeff laughed and shook his head. "Man," he sighed. "I am glad that I don't have a girlfriend..."

"You will never have a girlfriend, Jeff," Danny said absent-mindedly. "You will be living in your mother's basement until you are forty-five, fat, and bald."

"Go screw yourself, Jordan," Jeff said with dignity and walked away.

Danny shoved his book back in his backpack and left the classroom. He pulled out his cell phone a few minutes later, and dialed Stephanie's number.

"Hello," she said after a few minutes, and Danny winced at her dead voice.

"Palmer, it's me. Are you all right?"

"Oh, you heard..." She laughed, and he got chills hearing that laughter. "Making sure that I am not going to kill myself? Sweet, Danny, really sweet. I am fine."

"Where are you?"

"I don't know," she said slowly and sighed. "I think I am somewhere by the Third Street... Yeah," she said a few seconds later. "Third Street. I am tired, Danny, I gotta go," and she hung up.

"Goddammit!" he hissed through clenched teeth and almost ran to his car.

...He drove down Third Street for the fifth time, and finally, he saw her. He parked the car on the side of the road and walked up to the bench where she was sitting.

"Hey, Palmer," he said. "Come on, I'll buy you coffee..."

She didn't even move.

"Palmer?" he called again. "Stephanie!"

He grabbed her by the shoulders, and she just fell into his arms, her eyes closed.

"What the hell..." he muttered, and then a small empty pill bottle fell out of her fingers.

Danny stared at it for several seconds, and then cursed loudly and virtuosically. He picked her up and carried her to the car. He drove like a maniac, running red lights and ignoring angry honks. He was thankful to God that there were no police cars in sight.

He opened the door of his house, knowing that his parents were at work, and that they wouldn't come back until much later, and carried her inside. He pulled off her coat, threw it on the floor, dropped her on the couch, and ran to the kitchen. He came back a minute later with several bottles of water and a big bucket.

"Palmer..." He shook her. "Stephanie! Wake up, damn you!" He shook her harder, and she slightly moaned. "Wake up!!" He slapped her on the face, and her eyes slowly opened.

"Go aw... aw... away..." she muttered, and Danny slapped her again.

"Stop..." She protested weakly, and he sat her on the couch and forced a bottle of water into her mouth.

"Drink it," he said, and she shook her head. "Drink it!!" he exploded. "Drink!"

She slowly drank some and tried to push the bottle away. Danny growled and forced her mouth open.

"Drink it!!" He roared. "Or I swear to God, I will kill you myself!" He pushed her back and started pouring water down her throat.

She coughed and tried to push him away, but he just pushed her back again. He made her drink two full bottles of water when she suddenly made a small, gurgling sound. He threw the bottle on the floor and grabbed a bucket.

"Purge!" He barked, and she shook her head again. "Goddammit!!"

He opened her mouth and shoved a finger down her throat. Her body convulsed, and Danny pulled his hand away just in time. She threw up violently, coughing and crying.

"Drink," he ordered after she was done, and shoved another bottle of water in her hands.

This time, she drank it obediently and didn't wait for him to growl at her again, making herself purge into the bucket voluntarily. Danny was relieved to see that nothing but water and bile came out this time, and he took the bucket into the bathroom. He emptied it into the toilet and noticed that his hands were shaking. He pulled a towel out of the drawer and went back to the living room.

She was sitting on the couch, looking unbelievably small and helpless. She looked at him and started sobbing. He silently sat next to her and pulled her closer to himself. She buried her face in his chest and kept crying. Finally, she calmed down, and he carefully pulled off her wet shirt and wrapped her in the towel.

"Danny..." she muttered. "Oh, Danny..."

"Palmer," he said quietly. "You are completely out of your freaking mind."

"Danny..." she whispered, and he carried her into the bathroom.

"Now," he said patiently. "Don't even think trying something funny. Just wash your face and brush your teeth. I will be right outside the door, you hear me?"

"Okay," she said without looking at him.

He carefully closed the door and leaned on the wall. Now his entire body was shaking. He closed his eyes and thought about how much he would enjoy killing Tyler Blake. She came out of the bathroom and just stood there, looking at him, still wrapped in the towel. He silently picked her up in his arms and carried her upstairs into his bedroom.

"Try to sleep," he said softly, lowering her on the bed, and she silently grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him towards herself so forcefully that he lost his balance and fell on top of her.

"Palmer, what are you doing..." he muttered when she started kissing his face and neck. "Stop... Please, stop..." and then he just stopped talking and kissed her back with so much hunger and pain that she gasped.

"Palmer..." he muttered and looked at her. "Do you have a slightest idea..." He didn't finish the sentence and pulled off her towel.

...He listened to her very soft snoring and closed his eyes. Her head was lying on his bare chest, her arm wrapped firmly around him. He was thinking that this was probably how drug addicts would feel, after they lost all control and popped their pills or decided to shoot themselves up with another dosage after a long rehab. He felt insanely happy and madly miserable at the same time. He glanced at the clock and thought that he really needed to go downstairs and clean up the living room, and decided to wait just a little bit longer. He didn't notice how he dozed off.

...Danny woke up when he felt her fingers stroking his chest.

"What time is it?" he muttered.

"Almost seven," she said, and he jumped up.

"s**t," he muttered and pulled on his clothes.

"What?" She frowned.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "I just need to put some stuff away downstairs."

"I'll help you," she said with a small smile, and he nodded.

"Okay."

They cleaned up really quickly, and Danny looked at her.

"Come on," he sighed. "I'll take you home."

...He stopped the car and stared at his fingers that were wrapped around the steering wheel.

"Palmer," he said finally. "Do I need to babysit you, so you don't do anything stupid?"

"No," she whispered. "I won't do anything stupid."

"Now, that is really hard to believe," he looked at her with a half-smile, and was relieved when she smiled back.

"I am going to study my ass off now," she said thoughtfully, and he nodded. "I need to get my grades up."

"Let me know if you need help," Danny said softly, and she snorted. "With studying," he rolled his eyes. "I am smarter than I look, Palmer, believe me."

"I know," she said so tenderly that his body went rigid.

"Well, go home then," he said evenly and closed his eyes when she silently got out of the car.