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Chloe slammed the apartment door open, lips pulled into a fierce scowl. She dropped her keys onto the counter, shoved open the fridge, and angrily popped open a can of soda. Then she plopped down on the couch with her eyes narrowed, aggressively sipping her Dr. Pepper.
"Rough day?" asked Timmy from her right, eyeing her warily. Chloe didn't get angry very easily, but when she did it was best to tread carefully. He had learned that the hard way a few months ago when he had put his foot in his mouth. He knew better than to get on her bad side. Still, he wondered what had gotten her so riled up.
Chloe took a long sip of her soda. She swallowed, breathing in deeply through flared nostrils, before turning to look at him. Her blue eyes burned with vengeance. "I'm going to kill Dale Dimmadome," she told him resolutely.
Ah, that explained things.
Timmy had watched Hazel and Dev for years, but not even he had been prepared for just how awful Dale was. He treated Dev like a nuisance he couldn't be bothered with, ignoring him until the very minute he needed him. And even then, he still didn't bother to at least pretend to care. It was unsettling for anyone to witness.
And it wasn't like he didn't know shitty parents. His own had been similar. But his parents had been more careless, still telling him they loved him but always having something better to do.
Dale was just indifferent. Timmy really thought that was worse. "What happened?" he asked.
Chloe clenched her teeth. "Dev had a parent-teacher conference today," she recalled. "Dale was a complete no-show. His drones were there, but for some reason that asshole didn't factor in that no teacher would let them to take his place." She massaged her temples. "Peri's away for training, so Dev called me instead."
Timmy didn't comment on how close her and Dev had gotten lately. It both did and didn't surprise him. Chloe drew people in without realizing it. Not even Dev was immune.
But still, to actually call her for help? That was huge for the kid. Dev didn't trust easily.
"How did it go?" asked Timmy. He was curious. Hazel had asked him to go to hers just last week; not because her parents bailed, but because she had completely forgotten about it until the morning of and didn't want to bother them at work. He had agreed, then signed her out of school and took her out for ice-cream because why not? She deserved it.
"His grades are great," Chloe told him, fondness and pride cutting through the anger for a second. "He's captain of the debate team and vice president of the student council. His teachers are sure he'll have no problem getting into any college he wants." Her face soured again. "But Dev doesn't think any of it matters because his piss poor excuse of a father just doesn't care."
She ended her whole rant with an angry, frustrated huff and pouted. And if he was being honest, it was a cute expression on her freckled face.
"Okay, I'm convinced," agreed Timmy. "Let's kill him."