Halloween Night

  Andrew sat on the stairs of his house staring into the face of the plastic pumpkin he held. Its dark triangle eyes looked back at him and its mouth curled up in a frightening grin.
  "Why did anyone ever decide to carve faces into pumpkins anyway?" Andrew asked his older sister Rachel who had just walked out the front door.
  "Well the legend says a long time ago an old Irishman named Jack tricked the devil into not taking his soul. But he led such an evil life, when he died St. Peter would not let him into heaven. So Jack's soul had no choice but to wander the world of the dead with nothing but a burning ember from the devil to light his way. He carved out a gourd to hold the ember and now as a tradition we carve out our own gourds and put little lights in them."
  "That's a dumb story," Andrew scoffed.
  "And that's a dumb costume," Rachel shot back, looking down at her brother. "Like way to be original and dress like a pirate. No one ever thought of that before. And besides I wasn't done with the story. There are rumors that old Jack's soul roams around on Halloween night looking for a child's body to inhabit so he can leave the netherworld and have another chance at life."
  "Great story, Rachel. You really think I'm going to be scared by that?"
   Rachel shrugged. "I don't care if you're scared or not. You asked a question so I answered. I'm just out here waiting for Grant to pick me up so we can go to Mallory's party."
   "Why would you pick a party over candy?" Andrew asked, incredulous. Rachel flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder.
    "Maybe cause I am not ten anymore. Anyway, Grant is here now so I'll see you later. Be safe. Mom and Dad trust you enough to let you go out on your own. Don't let them down."
   "Whatever, go enjoy your lame party," Andrew told his sister as she walked down the driveway to Grant's idling car.
   "By the way," Rachel said, pausing with the handle of the car door in her hand, "The only way to save yourself from Jack is to put his light out so he can't find you."
   "Thanks, sis. I'll keep that in mind when I see him later," Andrew called back, rolling his eyes.
 
    An hour later the sun was setting and Andrew was walking down the sidewalk clutching the handle of his pumpkin shaped candy basket. He had visited three houses and already had enough candy to cover the entire bottom of the pumpkin. He passed kids dressed as firemen, princesses, ghosts and witches but despite Rachel's comments he was convinced his pirate costume was the best there was.
   "What does Rachel know anyway?" he thought to himself. "She doesn't even dress up anymore."
    Looking up, he realized he had reached the end of the street he was on. The only thing in front of him was a culdesac that lead into the woods. He was about to turn around and head to a new street with more candy when he saw a faint light coming from the woods.
  "Is someone there?" he called out. "Are you lost? Where are your parents?"
  There was no answer. Andrew took a couple steps closer to the trees.
  "Do you need help?" Still silence.
  Andrew sighed. He knew his parents wouldn't like him going off into the woods by himself but someone could be in trouble. Feeling nervous, he clasped his candy bucket held his head high and walked confidently toward the light. As he kept walking the light seemed to move from place to place and try as he might Andrew could not keep track of it. Discouraged, he was about to turn around when he heard a voice.
 "Well, laddy it's about time you showed up," it said, in a strong Irish accent. "I've been here a-waitin for ye."
  Andrew looked up to see an old man in front of him wearing a dirty blue button up shirt with thick black slacks and suspenders that were tight across his beer belly. In his hand he held a carved out gourd with a tiny light shining inside of it.
  "That's a sweet costume," Andrew said, his eyes lighting up. "You're the guy from the story my sister told me. The guy who tricked the devil."
  "Aye, that I did, my boy. I tricked and swindled many in my day and it cost me my place inside the pearly gates." 
  "I'm sorry to hear that," Andrew said with a smile, impressed at how dedicated this man was to his character.
  "Oh that's alright, laddy. You are here now to give me a second chance."
  "Wh-what do you mean?" the boy asked, feeling chills on the back of his neck as a wide evil grin like the one on his pumpkin bucket spread over the old man's wrinkled face.
  "I mean, I'll be taking that body of yours for my soul if you don't mind."
  The old man lunged for Andrew and the boy jumped back, his basket flying out of his hand, candy spilling everywhere.
  "What's the matter, lad? Are ye scared of a tired old man?" Jack cackled, as Andrew got to his feet and began to run. He could hear footsteps behind him getting closer and felt the rapid beating of his heart. Sweat dripped down his face from under the pirate bandana wrapped around his head.
  "You can't get away from me, boy. I am a dead man, I never tire." Jack let forth a loud evil laugh and Andrew pushed himself to run even faster.
   Suddenly he saw remembered Rachel standing by the car and the last thing she said before driving away. 
  "The only way to save yourself from Jack is to put his light out so he can't find you."
  Andrew dove behind a row of bushes onto his hands and knees feeling all over the ground for a rock heavy enough to throw at Jack's fiery gourd. Finally his hand ran across something cold and smooth. He grabbed it and stood up just as the old man reached the bushes.
 "It seems ye have figured out my one weakness," Jack surmised, watching Andrew's eyes focus in on the gourd he held in his withered old hand. Andrew nodded but did not speak.
 "Well ye have one shot," Jack told him. "Make it count."

   Moments later, a young boy dressed as a pirate emerged from the woods at the end of the culdesac. He pulled at the frilly collar that was tight around his neck. In his other hand he clasped an empty candy bucket shaped like a pumpkin. All the candy had been lost in the woods and now he would have to start over. It felt like an eternity since he had eaten anything. Thankfully he was coming up to a house now which meant candy was close at hand.
   With his free hand he knocked twice on the door and waited. The door was opened by a blonde middle aged lady wearing a white blouse with a pink skirt that had a poodle on the side. She smiled down at the pirate and he looked back up at her. He had seen this done a million times, it couldn't be that hard.
   "Trick or treat," he said, surprising himself with the high pitch of his voice. He held out the candy bucket in his short little arms.
   "You're quite the adorable pirate," the lady said, her bright red lips curving into a smile as she dropped a handful of candy into the pumpkin.
   "Thank ye, ma'am," the adorable pirate answered.
   "Oh and so polite too," the woman praised. "What a nice young man." She waved goodbye to the pirate and closed the door.
    "I am a nice young man," the pirate thought to himself as he walked away from the house. "Maybe this time I have a chance at heaven after all."

Bailey Second Guesses

"Is it going to hurt? Bailey asked, skipping a step to catch up with Darby's fast pace."How long will it take? Are the fangs like normal teeth?"
 Darby let out an exasperated sigh.
"Are you going to do this the whole way there?"
"We are talking about changing my life here. I think I should know a little more about what I am in for before I make a decision."
 "You already made a decision," Darby reminded her, her thick dark eyebrows creasing into a confused frown.
 Bailey bit her lip and looked down at the sidewalk.
 "I know what I said but now that I have had time to think about it, I am getting nervous."
 Bailey waited a minute for Darby to say something and when she didn't, Bailey sidled up to her and looked up expectantly.
"Do you want me to tell you it's all roses and sunshine? That you will wake up feeling like a superhero and all your problems will be solved?"
  Bailey cocked her head to the side thoughtfully.
 "Well no, not that exactly. But you did imply that my quality of life would be significantly better. I guess I was hoping for proof."
 "That's not something I can give you," Darby admitted, using a softer voice than Bailey had ever heard. "I can tell you it was a big adjustment for me but then again, I didn't get the option of deciding for myself like you have."
  Bailey's eyes went wide.
"You mean you didn't even want to be this way?"
"What do you mean "this way?" Darby snapped, the softness in her voice instantly gone. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned on Bailey glaring at her with a ferocity that made the timid girl take several steps back.
 "I...I didn't mean anything by it," she whimpered. "I just meant this isn't something that should be forced on anyone."
 "Sometimes things happen that we didn't choose," Darby said simply. "And we have to adjust to it."
 "How long does it take to-" Bailey started to ask another question but stopped when she caught the annoyed glint in Darby's eye.
 "Do you want to make a pros and cons list? Should I flip a coin?"
 "No, but you could stop being a bitch," Bailey snapped. Darby looked down at her with a hint of an amused smile.
 "Oh really? A minute ago you were cringing away from me and now I'm getting sass?"
 "I couldn't stop you if you decided to hurt me. But I still wanna go down swinging."
 "I don't want to hurt you, I want to help you. But you are going to have to decide for yourself what you want. If you want to back out, you should decide now," Darby told her, stopping and gesturing to the ivy covered house that towered in front of them.
  "I used to drive past this house when I worked at the supermarket down the street. Is this where you live?"
  "It is. Would you like to go in?"
   Bailey stared at the house for a moment. It was imposing and mysterious in the growing darkness. She knew if she went in there with Darby right now there was no turning back. She would be a vampire with the ability to defend herself and control the weak minds of arrogant pizza delivery guys or self centered bosses. Darby would teach her to be confident and stand up for herself and maybe they would actually become real friends.
  "I would like to go in," Bailey told her. "I'm ready to be like you."
  "Very well," Darby answered. She led the way to the large wooden front door, turned the brass handle and pushed till it creaked open. The two girls stepped into the entryway and Darby shut the door behind them.
  "I should tell you I don't live here alone. The man who owns this house is named-"
  "Stephen," hissed a voice in the darkness. Bailey screamed as she felt the sensation of someone coming up right behind her.
  Darby rolled her eyes.
 "Do you always have to be so dramatic, Stephen?" she complained.
 "Forgive my manners," the vampire said, stepping around the still trembling Bailey so she could see his face in the dim light of the candle he held.
 "I am not used to having visitors that I do not eat," he admitted. Bailey nodded and extended her hand.
 "Hello, Stephen. I am Bailey. It's nice to meet you."
 "The pleasure is mine, I am sure," Stephen said, taking Bailey's pale hand in his paler one and giving it a gentle kiss. "Darby has spoken quite highly of you. We both expect great things."
  "Stephen will you back off?" Darby snapped. "She just got here, I am trying to make her feel comfortable."
  All of a sudden, a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the house sending shivers up and down Bailey's spine. She yelped and squeezed Stephen's hand.
  "Make her comfortable you say? You might want to start by silencing your guests," Stephen mused with a wry smile.
  "Wh...what is he talking about?" Bailey asked, still clinging to Stephen's hand. Darby looked down at her uncomfortably, saying nothing. How was she supposed to explain why Thomas, one of Bailey's neighbors, was chained up in a room to be used for the girl's first meal as a vampire?
   "Darby!" Bailey said again, more insistently this time. "What is Stephen talking about? Who is that?"









 

Little Mermaid Pt. 1

 "She's never going to let you have it you know," Marissa said, swimming up behind her little sister. She was floating outside a large cave opening staring wistfully into the darkness beyond it.
 "It's not fair. It's not like she couldn't make more of it. All I need is one vial."
 "That's not the point, Ariel. Ursula is concerned about your safety. You don't know how to survive up there."
  "How much different can it be than down here? All that would change is that I would have feet instead of this old thing," Ariel said, flicking her tale and glaring at it.
  "And you don't know how to walk on feet, do you? Imagine the fool you would make of yourself."
  "You just want me to be stuck down here forever like you," Ariel said, folding her arms in a huff.
  Marissa shook her head.
  "I am not stuck down here, I want to be here. This is where I belong. And I can go wherever I please whenever I please and-"
  "Except to the outer reefs," Ariel interrupted. Marissa looked down and tread the water with her tail.
  "Remember how much trouble you were in when Richard caught you there?"
  "Yes well, I had no business being there. Richard was right to reprimand me."
  "He didn't reprimand you," Ariel said, her eyes wide. "He posted guards outside your room to keep you there for a week. It's like he has forgotten he is our brother."
  "Richard is our brother, yes. But he is also the king now. No one has ever been allowed to visit the outer reefs. He is just carrying on our father's rules."
  "Father never would have imprisoned you in your own room," Ariel insisted. "He was an adventurer like me."
  She smiled and lifted her head with a proud smile, her bright red hair floating gently behind her.
  "Yes and he also knew when to stop adventuring," Marissa told her little sister.
   Ariel's smile drooped slowly into a frown and her shoulders slumped.
  "No one here understands me. You think I'm foolish, Richard thinks I'm a troublemaker, Ursula thinks I'm mad and Sophia thinks I'm trying to get away from her and make better friends."
  "Sophia is a dolphin. You don't know what she thinks," Marissa argued. Ariel turned her frown on her sister.
  "I understand her fine. You would too if you just listened more carefully."
  "I can't imagine why anyone would think you're mad," Marissa mumbled.
  "I heard that," Ariel snapped. Marissa shrugged.
  "Well if you want to spend the rest of your day staring at Ursula's cave, be my guest. I have better things to do."
  With a flick of her pink tail Marissa was gone and Ariel once again floated outside the cave by herself.
  "I'm not mad," she said out loud to no one. "I just know where I belong. And it isn't here."
   "Well I can tell you it's not up there either," said a loud echoing voice. Ursula emerged from the darkness of the cave, her eight long black tentacles floating in all directions around her. She smiled at the little mermaid.
  "How is your brother doing? He has not visited the caves in quite some time."
  "He's too busy doing important king stuff now," Ariel said in an irritated tone. "He barely has time for me anymore. I turned sixteen last week and he did not even say happy birthday."
  "I'm sorry, darling," Ursula replied, comfortingly resting a tentacle around Ariel's shoulders. The mermaid grimaced and pushed it off.
  "I don't need your pity, octopus," she snapped. "There's only one thing I want from you." Ursula looked hurt by her brusque words but her voice was still chipper as she said,
  "You know I can't do that, little one. Even if I wanted to give you the vial, when your brother found out what I had done he would have my head."
  "So come with me," Ariel invited, though she could think of nothing worse than becoming human and having only Ursula as company.
  "I have no desire to be a land creature, my dear. I have lived in this cave my whole life and it is where I will spend the rest of my days. You have plenty of ocean to explore. Do not trouble yourself with what lies above the waves."
  "I give up," Ariel said, turning her back on Ursula. "What good is being a sea witch anyway if you're not going to use your magic to give people what they want?"
   Ursula smiled.
  "One day you will understand why I am refusing your request and you will thank me."
  "Ha," Ariel laughed mockingly. "Don't hold your breath."
   With that she flicked her long mint green tail and swam away from the cave leaving Ursula smiling at her and waving goodbye. Ariel headed in the direction of the palace all the while trying to think of the perfect words to convince Ursula to give her the vial of magical potion that would grant her legs.     She was so engulfed in thought she didn't notice the dolphin swimming next to her till it let out a loud squeak.
  "Oh hi, Sophia," Ariel said, not even looking at her friend. The dolphin squeaked again as it kept pace with the mermaid.
  "Just the same as always," Ariel answered. "Ursula refuses to give me the vial and tells me it's for my own good."
  Sophia opened her mouth but Ariel spoke before she could.
 "I know what you're going to say. You think I'm leaving because you're not good enough company for me. I've told you that's not true. You're my best friend, Sophia. But I need more. I want to see more than what's in this ocean. I want to be where the people are."
  The dolphin made another sound and flicked her tail.
  "You're right, I don't know how to walk with legs. But I will figure it out. It cannot be that hard. But nothing can happen until I get that potion from Ursula."
  "Squeak squeak squeeeaaak," Sophia answered. Ariel stopped swimming.
  "Maybe you can help me," she said, resting a finger against her cheek and looking thoughtfully into the distance. A clever smile crept over her face and she grasped Sophia's fin in her hand.
  "Come on let's go to Ursula's cave. I think I know the perfect way to get her out of it."

Bailey Decides

  Darby sat next to Bailey on her couch as they both stared at each other in silence. It had been a full two minutes since either of them had said a word. Bailey kept opening her mouth as if to speak but then immediately closed it and continued staring.
 "So do you have any questions about what I told you?" Darby asked finally.
 "Questions?" Bailey repeated. "You come to my office and hypnotize my boss into being nicer to me and giving me an office plant, which is lovely by the way, and then show up at my house out of nowhere, demand to be invited in, tell me that you are in fact a vampire and then ask me if I have any questions?"
  Darby nodded and smiled. "Yes."
 "Do you think I'm crazy?" Bailey asked. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
 "If I thought those things I wouldn't be here," Darby said, her face turning serious.
 "I am offering you a real opportunity to have a better life. You can be something more than a lowly office worker. You could be a-"
 "A demon that goes out at night and hunts people down to suck their blood?"
 Darby flinched slightly.
"You make it sound so terrible."
"It is terrible," Bailey insisted. "I have no problems being a lowly office worker and keeping my head down."
"Well you should have a problem with that," Darby snapped, balling her hand into a fist and slamming it into the pillow on her lap.
"I am offering you something far beyond that. I'm offering you power and confidence and the ability to bend people to your will. What could possibly be unappealing about that?"
 Bailey opened her mouth to reply but at that moment the doorbell rang.
"That'll be the pizza delivery guy," she said, grabbing a five dollar bill off the coffee table and walking to the door. She opened it and there stood a young man dressed in khakis and a dark green polo shirt with a pizza stitched on the breast pocket.
"I have a large pepperoni pizza here for Haley," he said, reading the side of the cardboard pizza box he balanced on one hand.
"It's Bailey," Bailey corrected, extending her hand with the five dollars.
"A beautiful name for a beautiful lady," the delivery guy said with a smile that showed his dazzling white teeth and lit up his baby blue eyes. Bailey smiled politely back as he took her money and handed her the pizza box.
"Thank you, I appreciate that."
"And I appreciate you," the delivery guy said, looking Bailey up and down. "I'd love to appreciate you this Friday after dinner and some drinks. What do you say?"
 Darby overheard from the couch and rolled her eyes.
"Oh that's very flattering," Bailey said, her pale skin blushing beneath her blonde hair. "But I don't think I am interested."
"Of course you are," the delivery guy countered. "Look at me. You think a guy like me comes around every day."
"I doubt one does and we are all a little better off for that," Darby said, walking up to the door and standing next to Bailey.
"My friend said she was not interested in your proposition so you should take your money and move along."
"Who is she? Your girlfriend or something?" he asked Bailey, frowning at the vampire.
"It's none of your business who I am," Darby cut in. "You've done your job and you need to move along."
 Bailey shifted her weight uncomfortably.
"I don't have to do anything you say," the young man insisted. "I can-"
 He stopped midsentence as Darby took a step closer and looked intensely into his eyes.
"You will do as I say," she commanded. "Now apologize to this lovely lady, turn around and go back to your car."
  The delivery guy looked up at Bailey his eyes wide as if he were in a trance.
"I'm sorry, miss. I'll be going now."
 With that he turned and walked briskly down the hall disappearing into the stairwell. Darby shut the door behind him and turned back to Bailey.
"That's what I'm offering you. The ability to do what I just did. To have power over your own life and the people in it. If that's not something you want well, I can't say I understand but that is your choice. And also your loss."
 Bailey stood in her doorway and stared up at Darby. After a few moments of this the vampire shrugged and opened the door.
"Ok I guess I was wrong. I thought there was more to you than a simple office drone but apparently that's all you hope for. I could have given you more."
 With that Darby left Bailey's apartment and walked down the hall toward the stairs. She dreaded returning to Steven and telling him he had been right all along and Bailey was a lost cause and a waste of time.
 "I will never hear the end of it," she muttered to herself.
  Bailey looked out in the hall and watched Darby walk away. She had to admit she admired the way Darby had stood up for her here and at her office. In fact it would have been helpful to have someone like Darby all through her life since so many people had no issue taking advantage of Bailey's shy and intimidated nature. Maybe things really would get better if she let the vampire help her.

  Darby trudged down the final flight of stairs, a hunger beginning to burn inside of her. Thomas had likely not recovered from the morning's feeding session so she would have to go hunting. The sun was setting and the parks would be closed. Perhaps she could pick off someone at a local club. Or maybe a pizza delivery guy.
  Opening the door at the bottom of the stairs, she stepped out into the lobby and then stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened with surprise and a slow smile formed on her lips.
  "You changed your mind then," she said calmly. "I hoped you would."
  Bailey looked up at her and nodded.
  "I've decided. I want to be like you. I want to be a vampire."

Darby Visits Bailey

  Darby could still hear Thomas's soft whimpering as she closed the door to his room. She licked the blood from her fangs and lips and smiled, satisfied. Thomas had proven to be an invaluable dinner companion for the past two weeks and was strangely resilient to being fed from every day. Darby wondered how long till his friends gave up looking for him and assumed he had been in some terrible accident.
  As she walked down the hall she could hear the soft sounds of classical music drifting from the parlor. Stephen was always listening to one composer or another as he read from his tall stack of old dusty books. Darby didn't understand how he could spend hour after hour in this dank musty house and never go out to experience the thrill of a hunt or the cool embrace of night air.
 "I know you were only forty when you turned, Stephen but I swear the man inside you was no less than eighty. Have you even left that chair in the last three days?" Darby asked, referring to the plush plum colored chair that Stephen sat in, his legs crossed, nose buried in a book.
 "You go out and bring me back money and blood. Why would I ever need to leave?" he asked her, not bothering to look up.
 "Well I guess you are lucky to have me then. Maybe I should get a raise." This got Stephen's attention and he gave her a stern look with a raised eyebrow.
 "You should be happy I'm not reaming you out over this Bailey nonsense. She is a complete waste of time and we both know that."
 Darby shook her head.
  "Usually I trust your judgment seeing as your two hundred years my senior. But you're wrong about this one, Stephen. She needs me and I can fix her."
 "She's not broken," Stephen insisted, slamming the book down on his lap and causing a cloud of dust to rise up into his face.
 "Bailey is just another pathetic weak little human girl with no backbone and no desire to assert herself in the adult world."
 "Yes and I am the complete opposite of that. Minus the human part. If I turn her and teach her everything I know we could bring you even more blood and more money. And she won't have to work for that appalling woman anymore," Darby said, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the memory of Bailey's boss.
  Stephen shook his head and picked up his old book.
"Do whatever you want, Darby," he relented. "But I'm warning you, it's a waste of your time."
"Thank you, Stephen," Darby said with a smile. She turned to leave and in an instant Stephen appeared in front of her, his eyes wide, his large pale hand on her throat.
"Make sure it's only your time you're wasting and not mine. You still work for me."
"Of course, Stephen," Darby choked. "I won't let you down."


   Bailey ran from her bedroom into the kitchen trying to hold up the towel wrapped around her chest. Smoke was filling the kitchen and she knew the alarm would go off any second. Grasping the knob she turned off the heat to the oven and opened its door. All that remained of the pizza was a charred circle of dough and round black chunks that she imagined had once been pepperoni. Bailey coughed as the smoke billowed up into her face and as she had anticipated, the smoke alarm began to loudly beep.
  Rushing across the kitchen she threw open the small window next to the fridge and began waving smoke out furiously with a kitchen towel. After a few minutes of this the alarm went silent and Bailey collapsed on the floor covered in sweat and smelling of smoke and burned pizza.
"I guess I'll have to shower again," she sighed, hanging the kitchen towel back on its hook and adjusting the blue fluffy one that she wore. She tossed the pizza int the trash and put the tray in the sink.
"Delivery it is."
 Bailey trudged back through her living room toward the bedroom but stopped short when there was a knock on the door. No doubt a neighbor who'd been annoyed by the alarm and come to yell at her. She rolled her eyes and sighed again as she reached for the doorknob.
"I know, I know the smoke alarm went off and it was loud but everything is ok now and I-" Bailey let her sentence trail off as she stared in shock and confusion at the figure standing before her. It was the crazy girl who had followed her into work this morning and chewed out her boss and demanded she be given an office plant. How had she found her?
"How did you find me?" Bailey asked, suddenly feeling very self conscious in a bath towel with wet dripping hair.
"I have my ways," Darby shrugged. "What's with all the noise?"
"I burned a pizza," Bailey said absentmindedly. "Why are you here?"
"Well that is going to take some explaining," Darby admitted. "Do you have a few minutes?"
"Uh. Sure," Bailey said, opening the door wider and taking a step back. Darby didn't move.
"Why aren't you coming in?"
"You didn't invite me," Darby said simply. Bailey frowned.
"I opened the door. That's the universal sign for "Come in"," she insisted. Darby stared at her.
"Do...do you need an engraved invitation?" Bailey asked, feeling more confused. This girl had been very assertive at the office this morning but now she stood in the hallway afraid to enter Bailey's apartment without explicit permission.
"Something like that, yes," Darby told her. "If you could just invite me to come in that'd be great."
"Won't you please come in?" Bailey invited with a flourish, gesturing to the couch in her living room. Darby felt a change of pressure in the air and smiled.
"I would love to," she said, and took a step into the room.
"Wait a minute," Bailey snapped suddenly, putting a hand against Darby's chest. She looked down at the hand and up at Bailey's face which had become a mixture of confidence and concern.
"You're not going to pull those weird mind tricks with me like you did with my boss, are you?"
 Darby smiled.
"Only if you want me to."
"I don't."
"Then you have nothing to fear. Honestly, Bailey, I just want to talk."
 Bailey looked her up and down and nodded.
"Ok then," she said, shutting the door behind Darby. "Sit down and I will order us some pizza."
 Darby sat down on the turquoise couch, put a pillow on her lap and smiled.
"Yeah. About that..."