Keeping Secrets

Destiny opens her eyes slowly. Her entire body is numb and she gazes down to see that her leg is broken. She sighs softly, looking back up to see that she’s in the hospital. Not that she’s surprised. The last thing she can remember is Austin gazing at her in terror, and then nothing. Destiny reaches down and lifts her leg up, placing it on the floor and throwing her unbroken one down too. She lifts her body up, placing most of her weight on her good leg and flinching when pain shoots up her broken leg.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Her very familiar doctor asks.

His voice is soft, but a hint of anger bypasses his cool façade. Behind him are a nurse and then her dad. Destiny sits back down, meeting her doctor’s gaze evenly. She’s been here many times, most of them from her own choices, but this time she knows it’s not because of her.

“I’m going home.” Destiny responds coldly.

She’s not happy with the way things are playing out. She’s sick of living each time she’s got near death. Although she can’t really remember what got her into the hospital this time, she knows it wasn’t her because the doctor didn’t instantly start lecturing her.

“No you’re not.” He says as he comes towards her. “You have a broken leg and a concussion, which is why I assume you cannot remember anything from the night before, yes?”

Destiny rolls her eyes. “I remember a boy.”

“Who was the boy?” Her father asks; his gaze hard.

“Austin Star.” She snaps back, hoping they can press charges or something in order to punish him for whatever he did.

For a second, Destiny has to wonder what really happened. He was obviously frightened, but that’s all she can remember. His eyes were so bright and scared and gazing at her as if he couldn’t believe she was right there. It was the first time she ever saw him so vulnerable.

The nurse walks to the other side of Destiny and helps her bring her leg back onto the uncomfortable cot. She groans, not at all liking the fact that she’s being surrounded by all the people she dislikes. The nurse continues to help her situate herself, then pulls out a needle and takes some blood. All the while, Destiny’s eyes never leave the doctor’s.

“Do you recall how you got in here?” The doctor asks.

He grabs the clipboard from the end of Destiny’s cot, poising his pen over the paper and waiting her reply.

“Of course not or else I would have been demanding I get out of here already.” Destiny growls out.

The doctor sighs and writes something down. “Alright, this is what happened. Apparently, from the source, you were at the end of your driveway late last night during the storm and Austin was driving home. The rain was too hard so he swerved, and you were there. He saw you, but he couldn’t stop the car. He feels sorry about it.”

Destiny snorts, glaring at the doctor. “He’s not sorry.”

The doctor sighs and writes something else down. “You’ll be allowed to leave in two days.” He says and leaves.

Destiny’s father waits until the nurse leaves as well. Once the door is closed, he moves close to her, their faces inches apart. His breath is hot and disgusting.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Haven’t you caused enough trouble these last few months?” His tone of voice is angry.

Destiny holds his gaze. “I didn’t do it! Didn’t you hear the doctor?”

He scoffs. “That doctor could be lying through his teeth and the fact that he would believe you shows just how stupid he is. Tell me the truth, girl. You tried to off yourself again, didn’t you?”

Destiny presses her back against the cot, willing him to go away. She speaks softly, her head beginning to hurt. “Yes dad, I tried to off myself again.”

It’s not the truth and she knows it, but her father isn’t willing to listen to the truth.

He glowers at her and pulls away. “I don’t know why you don’t just make sure it happens. Why do you keep failing?”

Without waiting for an answer, he leaves the room. Destiny begins to breathe sharply, her breathing uneven as it dawns on her.

She is absolutely alone. No one wants her.