Paradox

The bell rang and Patty was among the first students to exit the classroom. She gladly left her books in her locker, freeing herself from the burden for the weekend. She rounded a corner and dashed out the front double doors. Instead of getting onto one of the school buses, Patty walked further down the sidewalk and spied Dante leaning against his red convertible.

She couldn't quite place when the tradition started, but she and Dante hung out just about every Friday. Sometimes, they'd go for a drive, taking the long way home. He would treat her to a diner and then they'd go to the movies. They had gone to amusement parks on a few occasions. Other times they took trips to area malls. He would attempt to remain calm while she tried to max out his credit cards. She even found herself looking forward to purchasing junk food and "vegging" out on the sofa with him and Netflix.

"Hey," she called. Patty jogged up to him. "Where to today?"

Dante shrugged as he opened the passenger door for her. "I'm thinking we get some food first. I'm starved!"

"You're always hungry," she giggled. "To Fredi's?"

"You read my mind," he said. He got into the driver seat and started the car.

Dante waited until they reached the main road before he spoke again. "How was school? Got any homework this weekend?"

"Looking at you being a responsible adult," she teased.

"Don't let word get out."

"I bet Lady would have a field day."

The two laughed. As the laughter died down, Patty turned her head towards the window and gazed out onto the landscape. A comfortable silence settled in the car.

"You never answered my question."

Patty gave a sigh. "School's fine and there's no homework this weekend."

"I thought you would be glad to forget school for a couple of days."

"I am. It's just…"

"A boy?"

"Wha— Dante! No!" Patty blushed.

"Did he upset you? Do I need to beat him up? Introduce him to Ebony and Ivory? What's his name? You know I'll find out."

"Stop it!" Her cheeks became even redder. "Please, the last thing I need is for you to show up at school and scare every last boy who comes within ten feet of me."

Dante gave a lopsided grin. "Look, whoever this guy you're pining for is—"

"I don't pine!"

"That look in your eyes says otherwise." She scoffed. "Whoever he is, he's a fool for not asking you out already. And whenever he gets his act together and realize how wonderful you are, I'll be there to make sure he knows how to respect you. Or he'll have to answer to one angry devil."

Patty's eyes softened and she smiled at Dante's sincerity. She always found it amazing that he could tease and be serious at the same time. In the same token, he could offer some very fatherly advice without seeming fatherly.

Dante was a true paradox. Where he would be expected to be a heartless demon, he'd proven to be more human than human.

"Thanks," she said.

"Anytime."

Dante pulled up in front Fredi's Diner.

"Patty, I'll park while you find a table."

She nodded and met a red haired woman on roller skates at the door. Moments later Dante seated himself at the booth Patty picked out. The waitress rolled to the table with a notepad ready and popping gum.

"Ready," she asked.

"Large Super Supreme pizza. No olives. And a beer," Dante answered, "Two strawberry sundaes for afterwards." He didn't bother to glance at the menu.

Patty could have laughed at how predictable his order was. Why do they even ask for his order? Lady, Trish, and she had long given up trying to change his diet. They used to tease him, telling him he'd wind up fat if he continued to eat that way. She thought some truth rang in their words all those years ago. Yet, despite his perceived inability to eat anything other than pizza and ice cream, he wasn't the obese mess she thought he'd turn out to be.

"How about you, sweetheart," the waitress asked.

"Water and a grilled chicken salad. Italian dressing on the side."

"C'mon, Patty, it's Friday. Go nuts, have some junk food," Dante goaded.

"Not all of us are lucky enough to have your metabolism."

"Suit yourself," he shrugged.

The waitress took the menus and skated away.

Dante spread his arms along the back of his side of the booth, tapping his fingers on the edges. He tilted his head back and gazed at the ceiling.

Patty watched him and wondered how he was able to relax so easily. Even after that heiress used her as demon bait, that cursed casino cruise, and the Abigail incident, Patty hadn't stopped watching her back. As she got older, Patty learned that Dante was born into legacy that placed the weight of the world on his shoulders. And yet Dante never seemed to be on his guard. Why wasn't he crazy with paranoia and fear?

Then again, Dante only seemed to drop his guard. A likely mask. She knew that she would probably never know what he thought in a given situation. Perhaps he was continually branching out his senses, feeling and listening for any encroaching danger, ready to leap at a moment's notice. Maybe he had become an expert at hiding behind that cocky grin.

"Hey, Dante?"

"Hmm?" He lazily made eye contact with her.

She wanted to ask him about himself, his past; how he became the man he is today. But, he rarely spoke about the subject. Her knowledge of his past was pieced together with random photographs she found in his shop and anecdotes from Lady and Trish. How would I begin that conversation without coming off as nosey? She thought one thing, while her voice settled on something else.

"Do you have any jobs this weekend?"

"Nope. Just you and me, kiddo. Trish and Lady are handling any emergency calls and Nero took my mission last night. He'll be back by tomorrow."

Quiet settled on them again. There were moments of only half-whispered conversations at the surrounding tables and the distant clanking of dishes in the kitchen. The waitress served Dante and Patty's drinks and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Nero's back in town," she asked.

"Yeah. For the next couple of weeks and then he'll head back to Fortuna. He probably'll wanna hang out before he goes back. I mean, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah. Sure. Of course. I haven't seen him in a long time. What's he been up to, other than you know, demon hunting?"

Dante shrugged and took a sip of his beer. "Getting ready to 'pop the question' to Kyrie. He won't admit it, but he's real nervous about it."

He took another sip and continued. "He reminds me more and more of his father every day."

"His father?"

"My brother, Vergil."

"You're Nero's uncle? I thought you two were somehow related, but I never thought this closely."

"Imagine my surprise when I found out Verge knocked someone up. You were too afraid to ask?"

"Well… not afraid, per se," Patty said sheepishly.

"Anything you want to know, just ask. I'm not some mysterious spy or something."

Their food arrived and they began eating.

After a few bites, Patty finally asked, "You haven't told me about your brother before."

"Yeah well, when your brother becomes homicidal, literally unleashes Hell on
Earth, and then you end up killing him, makes it kind of hard to sneak the subject into daily conversation."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's all right. You didn't know." He finished his first slice and began his second.

"Were you two close?"

"When we were kids we were inseparable. We did everything together. We each had our own rooms, but we couldn't sleep without the other. I remember sharing a bed more than a few times."

Patty watched him smile in reminiscence. "He was only two minutes older than me, but he always acted beyond his years. He would say, 'Dante, there's no need to be afraid of thunder. It's only noise.' Then, he dove under the covers, shaking like a leaf."

The two shared a laugh.

"Wow. So, you were twins?"

He nodded.

"Identical or fraternal?"

"Identical. I used to have some old pictures from when were babies. I can't even tell us apart in those."

"You miss him," she stated.

He gave a small, sad smile and sipped his beer. Patty saw the changes in his mood and decided that she no longer wanted to ask about his past if it would leave him depressed.

"Can't change the past," Dante shrugged, "There's no use in getting upset about it. I'm better off being grateful and happy with my present and hoping for future that's just as great."

Nodded in agreement and mildly impressed at his sage words.

He signaled to the waitress for another beer. She popped open the bottle and brought it to Dante.

"Ya'll need anything else," she asked.

Dante and Patty both shook their heads and thanked her.

Patty spoke, "We can stop if this is bringing up bad memories."

"It's no biggie."

"Who is the woman in the picture on your desk? At first, I thought she was Trish, but she looks different. Are they related?"

Dante finished his bite of pizza and answered. "She's my mother. Trish was made to look like her. I keep her on my desk to remind me why I became devil hunter."

"Remind you? How?"

"She died in a demon attack. Mundus sent demons to kill Verge and me. She protected us with her life. Some years back, Mundus sent Trish to get rid of me, but she had a change of heart and we became good friends. Mundus is no more, but there are still demons around that can just as easily destroy someone else's family. That's a fate that I want to prevent anyone else from enduring."

They both took more bites of their food. Patty neared the halfway point of her salad and Dante finishing his pizza.

"Where do you put it all," she asked.

He shrugged. "I'm about ready for those sundaes. You want one?"

She smiled and pushed her salad aside. "Sure."

The waitress brought the sundaes Dante ordered earlier and they dug in. Patty watched Dante savor each bite. She watched how he meticulously filled each spoonful with equal parts vanilla ice cream, strawberry syrup, whipped cream, and strawberry slices.

She observed his actions and words and mentally took in what she could about the man in front of her. He didn't force her give up the identity of her crush. He proved to be wise beyond his years. He trusted her enough to volunteer pieces of his past. He'd even risk his life for her on many occasions. Even the way he ate his frozen treat was food for thought. She realized that she can stand to be more like him. Like the ice cream, take life in stride and enjoy it more. That was always Dante's lesson on their visits. Relax and trust.

"Hey, Dante?"

"Yeah?" He turned his attention to her.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

He went back to his ice cream. And she began on hers.

"Jason."

"Huh?"

"The name of the boy I like at school is Jason. I don't think he knows I exist."

"Don't worry about it. Stay exactly the way you are. He'll figure out what he's missing." He smiled and she copied it.

"Thanks for that."

"That's what I'm here for." He gave a nonchalant shrug.

Always the paradox.

Thanks for enduring my idea vomit.