Page 27 of Wicked Nasty

“Jesus fuck!” I interrupt him, the frustration and pain bubbling over. “Not everything is about Daisy! Daisy this and Daisy that. And it’s never even good shit!”

I start pacing around the kitchen, my dad patiently watching me, his own beer still in hand. “It’s always negative. Daisy fucking killed herself. She brought problem after problem into our family and now she’s gone. Can we all just fucking move on and stop making every single little fucking thing about her?!”

My dad calmly walks to the fridge and grabs another beer before handing it to me. “Sounds like you need one.”

A small half-smile tugs at the corners of my mouth as I take the beer from his outstretched hand and pop it open. Standing across from each other, there’s a tense silence for a few minutes before I finally let it all out.

“There’s this girl at school,” I say, shifting on the couch as my dad settles in next to me.

“Is she pretty?” he asks with a knowing smile.

I can’t help but chuckle, already anticipating his reaction. “Yeah. Yeah, she is. Becca is... wild. She’s got this fire in her eyes that makes you want to get closer and see what she’s made of. But then there are moments where she’s so cold, like ice running through her veins. And yet, I’ve seen her be the warmest person to others. It’s like she has all these different sides to her. One minute she’s smiling and laughing with me, the next she hates my guts.”

“What’s her last name?” my dad asks, taking a sip of his beer.

“Carney,” I answer, watching him closely for any reaction.

He nods thoughtfully. “Her dad, Theo, is a nice guy. Her mom, Hartley... well, she’s-”

“She’s a cunt, dad,” I interject, not mincing words. “Kicked Becca out of the house.”

My dad lets out a dramatic breath. “Wow. Does her father know about all of this?”

“No,” I reply firmly. “She’s hiding it from everyone, and I don’t know why. All I know is that she hates her mother, and she’s living in her car at the truck stop down the highway.”

“Well, that’s quite the predicament,” my dad remarks, shaking his head.

I take another sip of beer as I contemplate Becca’s situation. “I know. She wants me to keep it a secret until we graduate. But schools don’t start until August, September at the latest. She can’t live like that for months.”

My dad studies me carefully from across the kitchen table. “Do you like Becca? I mean, she comes from a good family.”

“Minus her mother,” I add in a bitter tone. “But no, I don’t like her in that way. I care about her well-being because I have a heart and would do the same for anyone.”

My dad raises an eyebrow. “Would you really care this much, though?”

I sigh and take another sip of my beer. “Dad, I’m just trying to be a decent human being. She’s going through a tough time and has nowhere else to turn.”

“Okay, okay,” he concedes with a chuckle. “So her mom just up and left? Where’s her dad in all of this?”

“I’m not sure,” I admit, feeling a twinge of guilt for not knowing more about Becca’s situation. “All I know is that her mom kicked her out and sold the house without telling anyone. And Becca doesn’t want her dad to know because she’s afraid of what he might say or do. So she sleeps in her car at night.”

My mom pops out from around the corner. Her face is lit up with a wide grin. “We can help!”

“Mom…”

But she continues on, her enthusiasm only growing. “I can help her. Oh my gosh, this is perfect. Your sister needs to get back to work and can’t be here with me all the time. It would be like having another daughter!”

My dad shakes his head and walks over to her, a look of concern on his face. “Louise...” he says in a warning tone.

But my mom is unstoppable now. “No, no, no! This is great. Becca can be like my project! I need a new model and-“

“Mom! No.” I cut her off, feeling frustration building inside me. “Drop it, okay? Pretend you never eavesdropped on this conversation and don’t bring up Becca again.”

She shakes her head stubbornly. “Danny, sweetheart...”

“No!” I explode, unable to contain my anger any longer. “You don’t understand. When will you ever stop and listen to us? Seriously? You steamroll over me and Del!”

My mom gasps, hurt evident in her eyes while my dad sighs and steps between us. He speaks calmly but firmly to me. “Danny, there is no excuse for speaking to your mother like that. Louise, this was a private conversation that you were not privy to.”

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