manic pixie dream girl | self
( continuation of this drabble / @willemdriscoll )
Denna remained seated, frozen in place, for more than five minutes after Lem left. Hands clenched, jaw stiff, eyes burning with tears that refused to spill; she couldn’t exactly pinpoint what she was feeling. There was frustration, on one hand. She couldn’t believe she had just stood there, letting him lash out at her, without being able to say a word in response. There was sadness, of course, at the realisation that he truly didn’t like her at all and that maybe there was no turning back on that. But most of all there was anger, a dark fury that threatened to consume her and blind her to rationality. She was angry with him, obviously, because of everything he had said, everything he had just assumed; and she was also angry with herself - because she knew deep down that he was right. She had confronted Heath, demanding honesty like the entitled little brat she was while keeping her biggest secret to herself.
That was who she was, truth be told. She was a keeper of secrets, she guarded everyone’s truths so she wouldn’t have to confront hers; she was indeed a hypocrite.
By the time she was actually able to leave the diner and walk home, the tears had already long started to fall. Her mom asked her immediately what had happened when she opened the door, looking like a mess; but she couldn’t say. What was she supposed to explain? That she had been lying all this time? Keeping things from her? That she was falling for someone like never before but everything around them being together was way too complicated? That she was starting to believe she wasn’t sure she was going to be capable of handling it? Or maybe she could come clean and tell her about the illegal business she had set up all on her own, that was going to make her proud. No, the only thing she could say was “It’s nothing mom, don’t worry, just a stupid thing that happened today at college.” before nearly storming out of the house to take her dog for an evening walk.
Once at the lighthouse, with McCree laying by her side, she felt like she could truly breath again. She screamed, she cried; she wanted to find a way to leave her own body, at least for a moment. She wanted to break, to destroy Willem as much as she wanted to destroy her self doubt and the voices that haunted her, the judgement, every single word he had spat her way. Was she proud of those feelings? Absolutely not. They were there, all the same.
The screams, the tears, and the anger subdued, like everything in life, that too went by; but Denna still felt like she needed to say something; anything to at least try to save what had happened somehow. Perhaps it was too late, perhaps the moment had passed, but she had the urgency to get it out of her chest. She picked up her phone and searched for his contact. A voice note.
“I should have said something before, you took me by surprise. I didn’t think you were going to show up, and even less with those things to say to me. You called me a hypocrite, you insulted me in every way possible, and all I need to say to you is that you’re right. I am a hypocrite, but I was never fake with you. I never claimed to be anything else. Whatever pristine innocent flower you thought I was before you saw me there, I never was it. I’m not a fantasy silly girl that just appears in someone’s life to brighten their brooding existence. That’s not real, and I’m real. I’m a person, Lem, I’m just as fucked up as every other person in the world. I’m capable of doing great things, and terrible things to people, I know that. But whatever you think of me, I also need you to know that I would never- ever do something to hurt Heath. I care about them so much, probably way more than you imagine. I agree, they deserve the truth, and I am going to tell them in my own time, and whatever happens after that, I will face the consequences. You can do whatever you want with what you know. And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about your involvement in Cerberus, because believe it or not, I don’t want to hurt you either. And it’s not because you’re Heath’s friend, or Zac’s friend, it’s because I genuinely like you, even though you don’t feel the same way about me. So that’s all.”











