Fight For Her

Chap 10: Honest To God Truth

"He said that?!" Dani yelled while we were on our way home from our last day at work until next Monday.

"Yeah, you woulda heard but you were too busy dancing on Lauren." I said, shaking my head.

"Lauren's sweet."

"Agreed."

"No, foreal. I vaguely remember her talking about you and saying that you were good for Mani." Dani said.

"Aww, Dan. You startin to accept it?" I asked her.

"No. Never." She said, leaning against the door.

"You're hiding something." I said, slowing down to stop at the red light.

"No, I'm not Chi."

"Yes, you are. I know you. What is it Dani?" I asked.

"You aren't going to stop asking me, are you?" She asked back.

"Not until you tell me the truth. You like Lauren and Mani, but not their lifestyle. It's nothing wrong with being rich-"

"Yeah, as long as you keep your humanity with it!" She snapped. I gave her a confused look and pulled over.

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked softly. She sighed and sat up in her seat.

"Okay Chi. It's something I never told you. You want the truth, right?" She asked me. I'd never heard her take this tone with me before. Of course, we'd spoken about serious things, she wasn't always a goofball. But, this was different.

"My parents aren't my parents. I'm adopted." She said.

"Really? You look just like them." I said, shocked.

"Right, that's the point, isn't it?" She said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Okay, so... what happened?" I asked.

"I was with my real parents until I was about three or turning three. They just... dropped me off, far as I knew. My parents told me two years ago when I turned 18. So of course, curiousity and all, I went to try and track them down. I couldn't remember much, like how they looked or anything. It was weird..." She said, looking outside, the light from the sun setting was shining on her face.

"You found them, didn't you?" I asked. She shook her head yes.

"Yeah, I did. You ever hear of Back 2 Basics Beauty?" She asked.

"I think I may have seen some of their products in the store before, some body wash, why?" I asked. She sighed and closed her eyes, putting her hand on her face.

"The two people who made that company, a multimillion dollar company, are my real parents." She said.

"Damn... really? Why would they give you up? They could obviously take care of you." I asked.

"They started the company in 2004. That makes me four years old, a year after dropping me off at the orphanage. They gave me up to become millionaires, China. And I know that because I found their home. I went and spoke to them. Well I tried to. Know what they said?" She asked me, her voice trembling. I could tell she was about to cry.

"What?" I said softly.

"That they didn't have a daughter named Danielle. That they didn't have a daughter at all. I peeked inside and their were two boys, looked to be twins, about 9 or 10 years old, sitting at the table, eating. They cast me out and started a new family altogether, like I never existed!" Dani said angrily. I didn't know what to say so I just looked at her. She turned and looked at me.

"China, you've always been stubborn. That's just how you are. But I'm telling you this for your own good, especially after that conversation you had with dear old pops." She said, then coughed into her hand, blood coming out of her mouth.

"What the fuck?" She said, then continued to hark up blood.

"Hold on Dan, I'm taking you to the hospital!" I said, turning the car on and hitting a u-turn toward the hospital.

"Chi- Chi, slow it down. Cops don- cops don't care that I'm-" She started coughing more violently now, her hands covered in blood.

"Dan, don't talk, okay? I'm gonna get you there, bo matter what, okay?" I said, my hands sweating so bad they were starting to slip off the wheel a little.

"Don't- don't do it. Leave- leave her, Chi-"

"Stop talking Dani!" I yelled.

"Leave her alone Chi! People like them- are ALL THE SAME!" She yelled, then started to cough so bad she began to wheeze.

"Just... hold on Dan, please!" I said. I slid around two more corners and the hospital came into view. I parked quickly and hopped out the car, going around to Dani's side. I opened the door and Dani had her eyes closed, her hand over her chest. I reached over and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"It's okay Dan. You're gonna be okay." I said, grabbing her and putting one of her long arms around my neck.

"Chi, I don't want you- to get hur-"

"Don't talk, just walk Dan." I said. I walked her into the emergency room and it was surprisingly empty, just one other person.

"HEY! HELP! SHE'S COUGHING UP BLOOD!" I yelled. I saw a nurse run to the back then about ten seconds later, two men with a gurney came out. They took Dani from me and put her on the bed.

"You're gonna be okay Dan! I'm gonna be right here! I promise!" I yelled to her as they took her back. As soon as the doors closed, I began to cry. What the hell was happening to my friend?
********