"You're a fan of 50 Cent and Eminem, right?" Julie commented, scrolling through the music list on the screen.
"Snoop Dogg too," Daniel replied. The metallic sound of a pot being placed on the stove echoed through the space, followed by the hiss of water beginning to heat.
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" She gave a sideways smile without taking her eyes off the screen.
"And you? What kind of music do you listen to?" Daniel's voice came slightly muffled by the sound of the faucet. He was washing his hands at the sink, his back to her.
"A bit of everything. Hip hop, rock." Julie shrugged. "But what I really like is pop." Suddenly, a specific folder caught her attention. "Wait. You like classical music too?"
Daniel dried his hands on a dish towel and opened the refrigerator, pulling out a generous piece of fresh meat. "No. It came like that already. There's a lot of stuff downloaded there that I don't even know what it is."
Julie nodded, and her gaze went straight to the cutting board. Her mouth watered almost automatically. "My God. It's been days since I've had meat."
"I can't live without it." He clamped the manual grinder to the counter with precise movements, the metal fitting making a dry click. "If I go more than two days with nothing but canned food and beans, my mood goes from questionable straight to unbearable."
"Is that why you went to set traps in the forest?" Julie selected In the End, by Linkin Park, which soon began to play, filling the motorhome with a nostalgic melody.
"Exactly." He turned the crank steadily, and the meat was processed into reddish strands. "When the stock runs out, I'll have to get protein from somewhere."
"People here should have nutrient deficiencies from going so long without meat." Julie looked out the window for a moment. "But looking at them, it doesn't seem like it. Donna, for example, is like a rock."
"It probably has something to do with the place itself." Daniel dropped the ground meat into the frying pan. The sizzle was immediate, and the smell filled the space like a wave. "Injuries heal faster here. Conventional biology doesn't apply one hundred percent."
The comment sparked something in Julie's mind. The nerdy side she rarely showed came to the surface.
"Wait, if injuries heal faster here... imagine if Wolverine or Deadpool were in the town. How fast would their regeneration be? Would it be instant?"
Daniel stopped stirring the pan for a second, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't think it would be instant. But maybe two or three times faster."
Julie immediately agreed.
"Wolverine has an adamantium skeleton. The metal constantly poisons him. Maybe the town would heal that toxicity so fast that his healing factor would double in efficiency."
As they talked, Julie watched Daniel's profile while he focused on mixing the pasta into the boiling water. Gradually, her mind began to drift back to the conversation she had earlier that same day.
* * *
Julie was sitting in a chair at the Colony House, talking with Fatima about the party that night.
That was when Trudy approached and stopped beside them, wearing a curious smile while her eyes wandered around the room.
"Hey, Julie. Do you know where Daniel is?"
"I don't know." The answer came out a bit sharper than she had intended.
Trudy shrugged and walked away. Julie kept staring at the girl's back until she left through the door, unconsciously biting her thumbnail.
Fatima let out a soft sigh. "You know, when Trudy first arrived in town, she acted exactly like that with Ellis."
Julie turned to her friend, curious and slightly uneasy. "And how did she stop?"
"Only after I started dating him. Trudy has that bold kind of personality, but she respects it when someone is in a serious relationship. Until then... it's no man's land."
Julie didn't respond. She just sat there, thinking.
"You're thinking about making the first move, aren't you?" Fatima whispered.
Julie paused for a long moment. Her heart beat a little faster. "I don't know... What if he doesn't like it? You saw how he treated Trudy. He cuts people off really fast. And... what if he already has someone out there?"
"You'll only find out if you ask," Fatima said carefully. "Look around. There are plenty of girls here keeping an eye on him. New people attract attention, especially someone who looks like he's not afraid of anything. They're just waiting for the right opportunity to get closer."
Julie had already noticed that. The glances thrown toward the motorhome, the whispers. The idea of making the first move had been circling her mind, but the fear of rejection kept her frozen.
What if he only saw her as a friend?
If she tried something and got rejected, things between them could become awkward.
But the other side of the coin was just as unbearable. Imagining Daniel with someone else made her throat tighten, like she was suffocating.
Julie had never imagined that in such a short time she would become so attached to someone. But with Daniel, she could be herself.
"When we're alone... I'll talk to him," Julie said to Fatima, finally letting determination win.
The sound of a fork hitting the edge of the pot brought her back.
Daniel was facing her. His blue, analytical eyes examined the girl's face in silent attention. He had noticed the sudden silence.
"Something wrong?"
"No." The words came out too quickly. "Can I use the bathroom?"
"Go ahead." He gestured toward the door with a slight nod without asking anything else.
Julie stood up faster than necessary and walked to the small room. She locked the door and leaned her back against the cold surface, releasing a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding.
She turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face. In the mirror, her cheeks had that color she hated.
"Calm down," she murmured to herself.
That was when she noticed the shower stall. Chrome finish, wide showerhead. Absurdly out of place for a vehicle. The thought of real hot water, without the rusty pressure from Colony House, was stronger than any sense of modesty.
Julie unlocked the door and stuck her head out.
"Daniel? Can I take a shower?"
"Go ahead."
She walked to the shelf where her things were, grabbed a change of clothes, a towel, soap, and shampoo.
Almost ten minutes later, Julie came out of the bathroom with the tips of her hair still dripping. She walked to the living area drying the ends with the towel, wearing a light dress that reached a little above her knees.
Daniel was leaning against the sink. When he saw her, his movement stopped. He looked at her for two seconds longer than necessary. His gaze dropped briefly before returning to her face.
"What?" Julie stopped rubbing her hair, feeling her face heat up again. "Why are you staring at me?"
"It's nothing." He cleared his throat and turned his back with a naturalness that was clearly forced. "Pick a movie for us to watch after we eat."
Julie's initial surprise quickly turned into a radiant smile. She practically jumped onto the couch, grabbing the remote with enthusiasm.
"The food's ready." Daniel placed the dish in the center of the table a few minutes later, steam rising in slow spirals. "I present my five-star dish: macaroni with cheese and ground beef."
He placed two plates on the table and opened the fridge. "Coke, juice, or water?"
"A Coke, please." Julie sat at the table while he grabbed two cans.
Daniel handed one to her and opened his own with a sharp pop. "Help yourself."
Still a little shy—and unsure about her own appetite because of her nerves—Julie only placed one spoonful on her plate.
Daniel rolled his eyes. "You don't need to be polite." He filled his own plate with a respectable mountain of pasta and served a bigger portion on hers before she could protest.
The first bite. Julie's eyes widened slightly. The cheese melted together with the well-seasoned meat, the spices perfectly balanced.
"My God. You're officially marriage material."
"I'll take that into consideration."
The conversation flowed easily during lunch. The food was so good that Julie, who had planned to eat only a little, had seconds without even realizing it.
When they finished, Daniel started storing the leftovers in containers. "Did you pick the movie yet?"
"Still deciding." Julie stood up with the dirty plates. "What do you want to watch?"
"You're the guest. The choice is yours." He took the plates and the cutlery from her hands and placed them in the dishwasher.
They sat side by side on the couch. Daniel picked up the remote and handed it to her. "It's all yours."
Julie browsed through the catalogs for a while until the cursor stopped on a movie cover with 50 Cent's face on it. Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
"You've definitely seen this one already, right?"
"Yeah. It's really good."
"What's it about?" She turned her face toward him.
Daniel looked at her with the expression of someone unsure whether he was being tested. "You're kidding. It's the life story of 50 Cent. How have you never seen this movie?"
"I saw the Eminem one, 8 Mile. But not this one." She shrugged and pressed the play button.
He didn't try to make her change her mind. In fact, he didn't mind watching it again.
The lights in the room dimmed as the movie began. For the next almost two hours, Julie's mind was a war zone. Her eyes were on the screen, following the shootings and the rap, but her brain was somewhere else, rehearsing lines that never sounded perfect.
She kept squeezing her own hands in her lap. Her heart sped up with every scene that hinted the movie was nearing its end.
The credits started rolling over a heavy beat.
"So? What did you think?" Daniel stretched his arms, cracking his back with a dry pop.
"It was good." Her voice came out on autopilot, slightly shaky. She hadn't followed anything from the last twenty minutes.
Daniel's clinical gaze immediately caught her body language. The short breaths. The tense shoulders.
"Is something wrong?"
Julie opened her mouth to speak... and stopped. Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress.
"Were you in a relationship before you came here?"
The words came out quickly, almost stumbling over each other.
Daniel blinked, processing.
A cynical smile—dangerously charming—appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Why?" he murmured, leaning his body slightly toward her, expecting the proximity to make her blush and pull away.
"Interested?"
To his surprise, Julie didn't pull back, nor did she avert her gaze. Her face was flushed, but her eyes shone with unexpected determination.
"What if I am?" she whispered.
Daniel stayed silent for a full second.
Bold, he thought, a spark of appreciation appearing in his eyes.
I like it.
"Then that makes two of us," he replied firmly.
He had planned to take things slowly. Mainly because of her situation with her family.
But if she wanted to speed things up, he definitely wasn't going to complain. Her direct honesty was almost magnetic.
Julie let out a breath. Not of disappointment, but relief. The weight crushing her chest simply evaporated, replaced by an unexpected happiness.
Gravity seemed to pull the two of them closer.
Daniel leaned in, his gaze briefly dropping to her lips.
Julie felt his breath brush against her skin. She slowly closed her eyes, her heart pounding.
Their faces were an inch apart.
"Julie!"
A female voice echoed from outside the motorhome, muffled by the metal walls.
Julie jumped up from the couch as if the seat had caught fire. "It's my mom," she murmured, looking at the door with an expression caught between panic and despair.
[Classic family interruption. Statistically predictable occurrence. You should have scheduled that better.]
Daniel tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling.
"This is way too cliché. Seriously," he said under his breath, running a hand over his face.
He didn't rush to the door or panic.
Instead, he stood calmly and walked toward Julie, who was still standing in the middle of the room, eyes wide, trapped between shock and indecision.
He stopped in front of her. Without warning, his right hand rose to the back of her neck, his fingers threading into her still slightly damp hair. His other hand settled firmly on her waist.
With a gentle pull, he drew her against his chest.
Before Julie could process what was happening, he kissed her.
Daniel had always hated clichés.
If the universe wanted to ruin the moment like that, he was going to respond by giving it the middle finger.
The surprise froze Julie for a full second.
She didn't know where to put her hands, or how to react. But when their tongues intertwined, her mind erased whatever logical thoughts she still had left.
She closed her eyes.
For a moment, she forgot about her mother outside, the monsters, and even the town itself.
Nothing else existed.
Instinctively, her hands rose and grabbed the fabric of his shirt.
Daniel didn't prolong the moment. He still had enough self-control to know when to stop.
He slowly pulled away, breaking the kiss gently. He stepped back just enough to observe Julie's dazed eyes, now dilated, as she struggled to catch her breath.
A crooked smile appeared on his face.
Only then did he finally raise his voice to answer the woman outside.
"Coming."
So that's what a kiss from him is like, Julie thought, completely disoriented.
Daniel walked to the entrance and unlocked the heavy metal door.
Behind him, Julie was desperately trying to act as if nothing had happened.
Failing miserably.
When Daniel opened the door, he came face to face with Tabitha. Beside her were Jim and little Ethan. Behind them, he noticed a few people gathered on the porch of Colony House, watching the scene from afar and whispering to each other.
The town gossips had just found their entertainment for the afternoon.
Before Jim or Tabitha could question what the two of them were doing alone in there, Daniel's mind was already three steps ahead.
"You arrived at the perfect time," he said with a friendly, casual smile, opening the door wide. "We just finished watching a movie. I've got a lot of them downloaded on the TV. Want to come in and watch something?"
Ethan's eyes lit up. "Do you have Shrek?!"
"I sure do, buddy." Remembering the movies Julie had browsed earlier, smiled at the boy.
Without giving Jim or Tabitha time to form a sentence, Daniel gestured toward the kid. "Go on in. The remote's on the couch."
Nice one, kid, Daniel thought, watching Ethan run into the motorhome as if he were entering Disneyland.
Jim and Tabitha exchanged a quick glance, completely disarmed by the young man's tactic and their son's enthusiasm. With little choice, they climbed the steps and entered as well.
At the back of the room, Julie remained standing, her arms crossed awkwardly, watching the situation unfold in confusion.
When her parents' eyes landed on her, they noticed the deep blush rising from her cheeks all the way to her ears, and the way she immediately lowered her gaze to the floor, suddenly fascinated by the texture of the rug.
The two adults exchanged another silent glance.
They weren't stupid. They had been that age once.
"Are you hungry?" Daniel walked to the kitchen with the same naturalness of someone who had done nothing but cook all afternoon. "There's leftover mac and cheese with ground beef."
"I want some!" Ethan shouted from the couch before he even finished the sentence.
"Ethan." Tabitha scolded him softly. She looked at Daniel. "We don't want to bother you."
"It's no bother." He was already taking the containers out of the fridge. "Just needs a quick spin in the microwave."
Ethan clasped his hands together, looking at his parents with pleading eyes. "Please?"
Tabitha sighed and looked at Jim, who gave a slight nod. "Alright. But just give him a little, Daniel. We had lunch not too long ago."
"Deal."
"Julie, help Ethan put the movie on."
Tabitha approached while her daughter turned toward the couch. She got close enough to whisper. "We'll talk later."
Julie felt a shiver run down her spine. She nodded and went to sit beside her brother, grabbing the remote with more force than necessary.
Two minutes later, Daniel brought the warm plates and a few extra cans of soda, placing everything on the small retractable table he set up in the center of the space.
"Help yourselves."
Smelling the delicious seasoning, Tabitha's initial determination—she had intended to serve only a little for Ethan—quickly evaporated.
She ended up serving some for herself and Jim as well.
With Donkey's laughter from Shrek filling the motorhome and Ethan chatting between bites, the initial awkwardness slowly faded away. At some point, Tabitha let out a genuine laugh. Jim did too.
Daniel was sitting on a side chair, outside the family circle, observing. When Julie's parents had their eyes on the screen, he looked at her and gave her an ironic wink.
Julie rolled her eyes. She stuck her tongue out at him for half a second and turned her attention back to the movie before anyone noticed.
That afternoon, that small, ordinary moment managed to make everyone forget—if only for a short while—the bizarre and terrifying things that had happened over the past few days.
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