Chapter21. Point
I was sick. Dying. The doctors told me I wouldn't live that long. Maybe just a couple of days left.
It came as a shock. There were no precursors to it. Suddenly, I was out of breath, couldn't sleep, shaking, devoid of appetite, pale, and most importantly, in pain. All the classic signs in Webmd that I was about to keel over and die soon. I told dad that, except maybe he had a different opinion.
"Get up and go to school. It's almost eight."
"No. I'm dying."
A sigh from him. This exchange has gone on for ten minutes or so. He should probably go to his shop and leave me alone. If only he wasn't stubborn. "You're not dying, Destiny."
"I'm immortal then?"
He rolled his eyes. "Of course not. But you're not going to skip school either." His eyes flitted to my messy room. "Is this part of the teenager stuff you told me about yesterday? Part of the you hate the world and everything?" He made quotation marks in the air before staring at me. He looked tired and confused. Same as me. "Believe me, I've been there."
That made me laugh real hard.
"See? You're not sick or dying," he accused.
I continued laughing. The sound started high and bubbly. It made him smile too. And then something broke. Something I couldn't quite latch my fingers on. The high turned to low. The bubbly to choking.
Dad rushed to my bed, and for some reason embraced me. I didn't want to be touched by him or anyone. I wanted Genesis.
"I'm sorry." He rocked us back and forth, but the tears kept coming. They wouldn't stop. "I was wrong to assume. Did something happen?"
"I'm dying," I rasped. "I'm dying, daddy."
"Aww, honey. . ." His hold on me tightened. "Did someone break your heart? Did—" He shook his head and continued hugging me.
I didn't say anything. He could have taken that as a yes.
Eventually, he leaned back and wiped the tears on my cheek. His own eyes were red. "It gets easier," he murmured. "You get stronger. You live your life. Then you move on."
"You don't know what you're talking about, dad."
"I know more than you do." He stood and breathed out. He looked twice as tired than before. "I've had my fair share of heartbreaks before your mom and I got married."
I looked at him quizzically. "I thought mom was your first and last."
"I never said she isn't." He turned around to face the door, but I could see the ghost of a smile playing on his cheek. "Only your biggest love can be your biggest heartbreak. That's when you know that it's true." He started for the exit. "I'll call your school to tell them you have a fever. Breakfast is on the table in case you're hungry."
He left for work after that without so much as a goodbye. He wanted to give me space. Something I needed.
I stayed in bed most of the day, dizzy, thirsty, staring at the wall. What was wrong with me? Since yesterday, since I saw them—
I covered my head with a pillow, but the flashbacks still came. Her. Him. Them. What were they doing? Did he actually had his. . . Did she actually enjoy it?
Her moans filtered my ears, low, needy, torturing. I rolled over the bed and twisted the covers on me. Beads of sweat trickled down my throat. It was so uncomfortable. I wanted to scream. Why? Why?
"WHY, GODDAMMIT?!"
Why did it hurt?
It was afternoon when my eyes opened next. The room was bathed in orange, but despite that, the fall weather made it chilly inside.
I would have happily stayed in bed if it weren't for the hunger. Literal, gnawing pain, that made me want to puke if I didn't supply myself with food. I stumbled down the stairs.
Breakfast was laid on the table just as dad promised. I didn't care if the eggs were dried or the bread tasted like Styrofoam. I ate them all.
When those were gone, I ransacked the fridge. I drank water and juice till I was drowning. I ate dad's stash of chocolates. Going back to my room, I stripped my clothes off and changed. There was something I had to do.
Every place in Bear Creek was considered walking distance if you loved to walk. But some parts, specifically the part that I was going to, was one of the hardest places to reach if you didn't have patience or was lacking time. I was short on both today, so I took dad's truck without telling him.
The scenery changed the more I progressed. The nicer homes became shaggier. The wider roads more constricted. Gun shops were spotted more often. And the abandoned feeling wasn't lost in me.
I stopped the truck outside a graffiti-infested building. It was my destination for today.
No tickling sound was heard when I opened the door leading inside. I had to constantly remind myself that this wasn't Bertha's. No nice ladies would greet me with their sweet-smelling cinnamon rolls. Only stares of interest, the pungent scent of beer, and cigarette smoke. I tried not to cough as I went further in.
The guy behind the counter looked me up and down when I came forward. His fashion sense didn't totally register to me, aside from how he had too many piercings and didn't look amused to see me. "Whaddaya need?" he asked, his words mashing together.
My expression didn't change. "I'm looking for Gaby."
"No Gaby 'ere."
I took the Blackberry from my back pocket. "Okay. I'll tell the Governor that now."
"W-wait!" Fear flashed on the guy's face, quickly replaced by newfound respect. "I'm just jokin' aight? Gaby is out back playing pool."
"Thank you." I tucked my phone where it came from and gave him a small salute. "Nice piercings by the way."
"I can refer you to my artist." His voice followed me.
"I'll think about it."
Gaby was on the corner most part of the back room. She was playing with two other guys, both of which were too busy staring at her low-cut top than actually hitting the ball. Maybe she was enjoying the attention. Maybe the jukebox playing on the side was too loud. I had to repeat myself three times before I was finally noticed.
"Gabrielle! Gabrielle Morgan!"
"Gaby, I think that girl is calling you."
The two guys pointed at me, making her turn around. Gabrielle's expression changed from annoyance to surprise, all in two seconds. "Destiny? Destiny fucking Jones?" She glanced behind me to see if I've brought an entourage. Seeing none, her eyes darted back to my face. "What are you doing here?"
"It's just Destiny Jones," I mumbled. "And I want to talk to you privately."
"Privately?" one of the guys said. "Mind if we tag along?"
Their hyena laughter stopped when Gabrielle flung her pool stick to the chair. The guys who were standing in front of it scampered out of the way. She might or might not have done it intentionally.
Staring back at me, Gaby tilted her head to the front. "You want to talk. Let's talk."
Outside, I was surprised when Gaby took my hand without a word and started dragging me to the parking lot. I haven't noticed it before, but now that she had taken me, her convertible shone like a beacon to thieves. Good thing everyone knew who her father was, or it would have been gone long time ago.
