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Chapter 13

Chapter 13

       Dad asked if I could come over for dinner today and I thought it was going to be a simple family dinner. 

       It wasn't.

       Dad told me dinner would be ready around six, but of course I lost track of time and showed up fifteen minutes after six. My bad.

       Grandpa was thankfully there as well. He was the only person in my family who wasn't trying to control my life.

       "Daniel, you need to start s--" Dad began, but I cut him off.

       "Showing up on time, yeah, I know," I said. "Sorry, I was busy watching some really horrible movies. They are amazing."

       "I don't see the thrill in them," Dad said. "They're awful, the animations are poorly made, and the acting is subpar."

       I shrugged and sat down at the table. "They're amusing, seeing how bad the animations are. And sure, the storylines are cheesy, but I still love them."

       It wasn't long after I started eating that I was ready to leave this house. "Daniel, any chance we can talk about Courtney?" Mom asked.

       I nearly dropped my fork hearing her name. "No. I told you, nothing anyone says will make me give her another chance. She cheated on me, and you want me to get over it?"

       "But Daniel, you two have been dating since you were fourteen," Dad said. "Why are you throwing it all away?"

       "Because she slept with someone else!" I said. "I can't just forget that! Besides, our relationship was faltering before that. It was just the final straw. So please, just stop thinking you have a say in my relationships. I don't even love her anymore."

       "Of course you do," Dad said.

       "No, I don't!" I said. "You have no clue what I feel, even if you are my parents. I do not love Courtney anymore, nor will I love her again because of what she did to me."

       "Daniel, just give her an--"

       "I'm done here," I said, standing up from the table. "I am never giving her another chance and as my parents, you should accept that. You're really wanting her to get away with cheating on me and why? Because you want her to be your daughter-in-law? Because you probably love her more than me? This is exactly why I moved out in the first place."

       I walked out of the house, slamming the door behind me. I really needed to go for a walk and clear my mind.

       I didn't see why my parents were condoning being cheated on. Did they not understand how I felt because of it? How I felt betrayed? And they wanted me to get over it.

       While I was on a walk around the village, I noticed Destiny sitting on a bench, wiping some tears from her eyes. I immediately walked over at sat down beside her. "Hey...." I said. "Are you okay?"

       Destiny shook her head and without even telling me what was wrong, I pulled her into a hug and rested my chin on the top of her head, holding her tightly. I've never seen her cry like this before and because I liked her a whole lot, it was hurting me so much to see her like this.

       I didn't even say anything. I just hugged her the whole time while she cried it out.

       When I felt like she was done crying, for now at least, I spoke up. "You want to tell me what's wrong?"

       "Sorry," she said, pulling away wiping her tears from her cheeks. "It's just....It's my mom's birthday today and every year, my parents and I always did something different to celebrate whether it be going on a picnic or going to the amusement part or even skydiving. I was just sitting her, thinking about all of it, but then I kept seeing a bunch of families walk by with moms and dads and....It made me realize that I'll never have mine again."

       She started crying again, so I pulled her into another hug. "Destiny, I am so sorry what happened to your parents. I wish there was something I can do to make you feel better?"

       Destiny wiped more tears away and looked up at me. "Even taking me to the graveyard where they were buried? I know it's not even in the village and it's probably an hour drive, but I--"

       "I'll do it," I said. "I'll take you there. If you want to visit your parents' grave on your mom's birthday, then there's no reason why I can't take you."

       Destiny gave me a smile and hugged me tighter. "Thank you so much."

       "No problem," I said. "We should go tell your grandpa, though, so he doesn't worry."

       Destiny nodded and I stood up before lending her my hand and helping her up. I then wrapped my arm around her shoulder and kept it there as I led her to the direction of our houses.

       I went inside my house to get my car keys and a few snacks while Destiny went into hers to tell Enzo where we were going. By the time I was at my car, she was already there and told me Enzo was fine with it since it was me that was taking her and he trusted me.

       I didn't know why he trusted me because I was very irresponsible.

       Well, then again, I would never put Destiny in harm's way and it wasn't like I was an irresponsible driver. I was just irresponsible in general.

       We got into my car and I began the drive to the city were Destiny lived previously before moving here. I let her turn on the radio and she soon stopped on a station. "Yes! This is my favorite song!"

       "What, really?"

       "Uh, yeah. Don't tell me you hate it."

       "No, this is actually my favorite song too."

       Yet another reason to like her. 

       We had way too much in common.

       For the whole drive to the city, Destiny and I were singing along to songs and eating the snacks I brought. Five minutes to our destination was when she quieted down.

       I pulled into the parking lot of the graveyard and turned off the car. "You....want me to come or stay here?"

       "Can you....can you come with me?" she asked in a soft voice.

       "Yeah, of course," I said.

       We both got out of the car and she led me to where her parents' tombstones were. She didn't really say anything for a while. She just stared at them.

       "I was at my friend's house when I got the call," she suddenly spoke up. "It was a few days before school started, so a bunch of us got together as an end-of-summer party. I was having the time of my life talking, drinking, dancing. Then my phone rang and I answered it only to find out there was a fire at my parents' work and they didn't make it."

       "Is that why you don't drink?" I asked. "Because you were when you got the call?"

       Destiny nodded. "That and I'm still not the legal age to drink, so I thought I'd be more careful. You know what the last thing my parents said to me. Be safe. Those were the last words they ever said to me and....and they weren't the ones who...."

       Destiny started crying again, so I pulled her into a hug. She sobbed into my chest, hugging me tightly. 

       "I miss them so much," she said between sobs.

       "I know," I said, my voice cracking a bit. I didn't know her parents at all, but if they were anything like Enzo or Destiny, they were amazing people.

       I held Destiny as she cried. When she finished, she wiped her tears away. "Thank you so much for taking me here and for being here for me," she said. "I don't know what I would do without you."

       Trust me, I didn't know what I would do without you either.

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Ugh, now I got the lump in my throat. 

Lol, and I've been listening to Mama I'm a Big Girl Now from Hairspray Live because Dove Cameron, Ariana Grande, and even Maddie Baillio's voices together are just perfect.