Had a Bad Day; Novalee

[River Dexter]

Bad Day

River was not having a good day. It all started with waking up late, just generally sucking during classes, and then he had made his phone spazz out because his technopathy had gotten out of control. And when he finally got it working again, he had five missed calls from his little sister, one from his mom and two from his best friend Mark.

Upon checking the messages, he found out that his father had flipped the night before and locked his little sister in her room. Mark had called because River had asked him to keep an eye out for his sister and he was worried when she didn't show up for school that day. His sister's messages had been mostly a jumble of crying and apologies. His mother's was the only one that told him the full story.

He had called Skye immediately and found her in much better condition. His father had let her out and was going on a church retreat. Which meant his sister and mother would be without him for the next week or so, calming River's worries.

Pacing in his room, River turned the football over in his hands. He knew he should go back. He had to look out for his sister and mother. And it ripped him apart from the inside that he had just left them to handle his father. But he couldn't take it any more. He really couldn't. He was right to leave. He had to get out of the situation... Right?

Swallowing, he tossed the football on his bed, flopping down on it as well. With a sigh, he reached for his phone. He knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to call Novalee. She was the only one he wanted to talk to at that moment (what did that mean?). He hesitated though, sliding the top half of his phone forward and back several times. Finally, he broke. Sliding the phone open again, he created a new message.

hey. can you talk?

He sent the message to Novalee and then checked the time. Nearly midnight. He winced and hoped that he didn't wake her up. But he hoped that she was already awake, because he really wanted to talk to her...

[Novalee]

Could you possibly...just maybe...Be my hero?

Take it off by Ke$ha blarred through her speakers as she sat on her bed painting her toe nails the brightest color she could find. Yellow.

Grinning she bobbed her head back and forth to the beat. Today had been...relaxing. Her agent sent out for a spa day, and well she used it wisely. Taking a deep breath she blew on her big toe trying to dry the nail polish.

Looking up she giggled. The Dark Knight was her all time favorite movie and she happened to be watching it for atleast the 60th time. Still bobbing her head she grabbed her phone checking for messages. She sighed. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Well she was soooo loved. Not even anything from her agent.

Nova tossed the phone to the side of her on her bed. She could hear her mother in the back of her head whining about milk. 'Nova go get the milk sweetie...' Nova shuddered. The milk was not the diary product. It was a type of cocaine that you drank. Nova found that out the hard way. Instantly, she stopped bobbing her head. What had made her think of that?

Another chill ran down her spine, but she refused to let it down her mood. Taking a calming breath she went back to painting. The song had changed to another Ke$ha song she didn't know, nor did she care. Ke$ha's beats made for good dancing. She bobbed her head this time swirling her head in a circle.

Almost like she had felt it coming she stopped moving completely and
listened. Next thing she heard was I'll be by Edwin McCain blare from the speakers of her phone. She grinned spazztically. It was River. She took a deep breath to keep her from sqealing. Why was she acting like a little school girl?

She shook the thought, and read the text.

hey. can you talk?

Nova shrugged pondering the thought. She looked over at her clock.
Why not? Clicking the reply button she replied as quick as she could.

Of course ! Call me?

Containing the squeal from before she clicked send and waited for a reply or either a call from River. Either sent her on edge. They were best friends....afterall.

[River Dexter]

River had taken up his football again, tapping his fingers against the rubber. Staring at the ceiling, he tried to keep his blind blank. He didn't want to think about anything. Not until he talked to Novalee. Then he could get everything out.

Whoa. Guess he had just decided to tell Nova about his family... His dad... He let out a sigh. Well, he guessed it was about time. They had gotten really, really close. It was only fair that he told her. Plus, he needed someone to talk to about this. Couldn't bear to hold it in any longer...

The phone vibrated against his bare collarbone and he gave a little jump. Dropping the ball, he opened his phone and accepted the text message. Breathing a sigh at her reply in the positive, he started tapping out a reply. He quickly cleared it though and closed his phone.

Moving to his speed dials, he selected Novalee's icon and waited through the rings. When she picked up, her warm "Hey!" calmed him a little. Just the sound of her voice...

"Hey. Sorry to call so late..." He ran a hand over his hair before letting it drop to his stomach. He sounded...out of it. He could tell; his voice was shot through with exhaustion and barren of most emotion from him trying to repress it all. He let his eyes slip closed a little settling further against his pillows.

[Novalee]

Nova instantly noticed the strain and her voice went from the hyper joyful 'Hey!' to the serious and caring Novalee. "River..." She paused turning down the volume on everything to focus all her attention on him. "What's wrong? You sound upset?" Her face scrunched slightly as she tried to pick up anything through her empathic connection. They were too far away. As hard as she tried she got nothing.

The sound of his voice, so strained and emotional, made her think of things that made her sound that way. Those few things were messing up at a shoot, and her family. From what she knew River never had to be in a Photo Shoot. She was sure something was wrong....something family wise. It was time to grab the tissues and clear her head.

She had been honest with him with everything except her past nad her family. But of course.....he wasn't so honest about his past or his family either. They were close, but she was sure there were things both of them did not know about one another.

Taking a deep breath that couldn't be heard on the other end she closed her eyes. It was time. After all he was her best friend...and they had kissed....before. If he was ready to tell her what was wrong she was ready to let him know about all her dirty little secrets....including her mom.


{{Sorry kinda Shitty!}}

[River Dexter]

"River... What's wrong? You sound upset?"

He exhaled softly and ran a hand over his face. "Uhm. I just...had a really bad day. And I wanted t' talk to you." He licked his lips as he thought over how to word it. He couldn't very well just come out and announce all his familial baggage. He wouldn't shock her suddenly with that...

"On top of everythin' else that went wrong, I got a few calls from back home. Seems like somethin' bad went down at that end; with my dad." Realizing that sounded as if his father was ill, River added on to clarify. He didn't want her offering sympathy for his father, not even for a second. "See, my dad isn' the best of men... He isn't even a good man at all, actually."

Admitting that, he released his clenched hand. He hadn't realized he had been holding it in a tight fist until he actually spoke. He would give her the rest of the story soon. He just wanted her to have a chance to adjust.

[Novalee]

Nova listened intently. Before he ever spoke of his father she had known that he wasn't a good man. After all the awkward times of mentioning their past she had picked up a few emotions. The one she remembered the most was the uneasiness she felt when he pushed off the thoughts of his father.

Taking a small breath she put her fingernail polish down. "River..." She said softly. "You know you can tell me anythng hun." She said softly into the phone. She wished she could be there with him. That she could hold his hand and tell him everything will be okay.

She never liked to see River upset. He was one of the only people he knew that could be happy all the time. Nova wanted her happy best friend back. "Tell me whats on your mind...I'm the last person to judge anyone about family...Trust me." She said with a small sigh.

[River Dexter]

He nodded softly. He knew he could trust her, he did. It was just...hard to get it all out. He licked his lips and sighed softly. "Yeah, I know." In his emotional distress, his accent thickened.

"Tell me whats on your mind...I'm the last person to judge anyone about family...Trust me."

His head perked a little at that. So she had family problems too? He was interested to hear... But he needed to get through his story first. Just because if he didn't do it now, he wasn't sure he ever would.

"All right. I... Well, he -my father, I mean- is really...religious. And he likes for me an' my sister an' my ma to be there same. Only we can' always...please him, y'know? And he got...mad when that happens. Still does, 'pparently. And he got mad at my sister last night and locked her in her room.... And it was bad. But it's better. For now, at least.

"And I guess I'm feelin' a little guilty? 'Cause I just left them to deal with him. And I knew what that meant for 'em..." He sighed, rubbing a hand through his hair. Ashamed. That's what he was.