I closed my eyes and waited for the car to hit me. I didn’t have to pull too much into the direction of the car because the bike took on a life of its own once I let the handles go. In less than a second, I was already completely in the wrong lane.
Smiling for the first time in a long time, I embraced the last moment I would feel the wind on my face. The last moment of my life.
My eyes popped open at the sound of tires screeching across the graveled road. But they weren’t my tires. The sight of the black car sliding across the road and stopping a few feet away from me dragged a hint of regret to the pit of my stomach.
When the car came to a complete stop, I turned my focus back to the road, but it was too late.
The road was curving and I tried to turn with it at the last minute. I panicked and all at once, I yanked the handle and pressed the grips. The bike leaned too far right and I began to slide across the road. Somehow my body separated from the bike and I rolled into the grass, right against a tree.
The world was silent for a while. Then I heard a muffled voice say something as I struggled to keep my eyes open.
“What? …What did you say?” I asked the guy standing over me. Flashes of short wavy black hair and big hands were all my eyes could see. Those same hands were touching my arms, head, and back.
“Are you okay?” His voice was a little clearer this time but my vision was still blurry.
“Yes. I think I’m okay.” I tried to sit up while forcing the words out of my mouth. “What happened?”
The guy’s hands paused from touching my body. Instead of answering me, he began spouting information. “Yes, we are on Lake Road at mile two. Send an ambulance and a tow truck to carry a motorcycle.”
Oh no! the motorcycle. I looked around and caught a blurry glimpse of the bike. It seemed to be in pieces against a large oak tree.
“Oh no!” I said aloud. “My dad is going to kill me.”
The last thing I heard him say before completely blacking out was “Your dad?”
I awoke to bright lights and the smell of chlorine. I moaned as I tried to shield my eyes from the stinging sensation from the lights above me.
It took a while for my senses to focus. My ears felt like they were underwater and my vision was a little blurry.
“Are you the girl’s brother?” I heard a man ask. I looked around to see where the voices were coming from and could see two men outside the room I was laying in. One had a white coat and I knew then that I was in the hospital.
The guy without a coat answered. “No. I was in the other vehicle.”
“Oh. There was another vehicle? Are you hurt? Do you need medical…”
“I’m fine. I just came with the girl and I’m waiting on the police.”
‘Did he just say the police?’ I thought to myself. ‘And was he talking about me?’
“Doctor.” I heard a woman say. “We need you in room three twenty. Mrs. Randall is asking…” The woman’s voice trailed off as she and the doctor walked away from the area near my door.
I looked around the room, it was plain. No flowers or get-well cards. Not that I expected any, but I wondered how long I had been out of it. I pulled the cover back to see my clothes. I was still wearing my shorts and tank top. But my boots had been removed and there were a few bandages on my legs and arms.
Seconds later the guy who was just speaking to the doctor entered my room. He walked over to a chair that sat against the far corner, but he didn’t sit down. I watched as he just stood there staring out the window for a few minutes.
‘Henry Cavill!’ I thought after pondering who he reminded me of. It was the actor Henry Cavill. He looked like a younger version. His strong jawline was dressed in a 5 o’clock shadow. It was strange how quickly I started imagining him without it. Just like the actor when he played Superman. All he needed was a red cape and he’d transform from Clark Kent to the flying alien.
I almost smiled at his similar messy hair. It was dark with short, big curls. Even with the 5 o’clock shadow adding to his age, that hair would probably keep him looking boyishly young forever.
I stopped analyzing his handsome face long enough to narrow in on his deep grey eyes. They were staring back at me. Whatever pleasure I gained from staring at him, quickly subsided in my gut.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
I nodded my head. “Are you okay? Were you hurt in the accident?” I found myself asking him the same questions as the doctor.
“I’m not the one who went barreling toward a tree at sixty miles per hour.”
He had a point. Before the bike began sliding, I noticed the car swerve a few times. But that was it. It came to a complete stop without hitting anything.
“You could have a neck injury or something like that.”
“And, what? You will somehow help me with that injury.” He spoke with so much sarcasm.
This guy was an asshole. “I was simply asking if you were okay.”
With his arms crossed over his chest, he asked, “Are you going to tell me how you end up with my bike?”
The guy before me couldn’t have been more than a few years older than me. And yet, at that moment, he made me feel like a little girl who just stole a cookie. I panicked. “You’re bike?”“Yes. The black bike that you just crashed.” He reminded me.“Where is she!” Rick’s voice boomed through the halls of the hospital. I didn’t have to guess that he was angry. Everyone on this floor knew he was angry.I squeezed my eyes together. There was no way this could end well. Soon I would be trapped in a room with some random guy and my raging, probably drunk father.“Sir. Can you please keep it down?” I heard a woman say from the hall.“There the little brat is.” Rick stumped inside my room. He commenced yelling. “Do you know how much trouble you are in? And the damage you caused? I am not paying for this. Do you hear me?” He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not paying for this.”I kept my eyes closed and prayed he would stay by the door. That he wouldn’t come near me. And also, that he would calm down.
Those words finally got his attention. “And how do you plan on doing that?” He turned his head to look back at me.I didn’t answer.“Do you have money?”I shook my head.“Do you have a job?”I shook my head.“Then how do you plan on paying for the damages you caused.”The pretty nurse appeared in the doorway to say. “Times up sir. Visitation hours are over.”Mr. Hardin took one more look at me. “Get some rest, Danica.”I closed my eyes just as he walked out of my room. Finally leaving me alone.The next morning brought a mixture of unwanted thoughts. But the biggest one was regret. Regret that I took the bike. Regret that I didn’t try to crash that bike into a tree instead of a car. Regret that I woke from this accident.But I also woke with something else inside my head. Thoughts of him. Mr. Hardin. I wondered what he saw when his dark grey eyes stared back at me.“Morning.” I heard a man call from my door.I sat up to see the doctor come in with a clipboard.“My name is Dr. Willard.
I sit back and relax as Mr. Hardin makes his way to my house. He takes the road that runs through the downtown area instead of Lake Road. I can’t help but wonder if that was on purpose. Perhaps he wanted to steer clear of the place where I almost died.Death by a motorcycle crash.I caught a glimpse of the coffee shop I applied to yesterday and began checking my phone for missed calls. It was dead.“Do you need to charge your phone?” This was the first thing he asked me since I jumped in the car.“Yes. Do you have an iPhone charger?”“No. I have an android.”I smiled a little. “Thanks anyway.”The car veered toward the parking lot where the coffee shop sat. “I hope you don’t mind. I’m starving.” He said.“No. Go right ahead.”He jumped out of the car. “I’ll be right back.” Before he could close the door, he popped his head back in. “Do you want anything?”I had no money. Rick never gave me an allowance. In fact, the only thing my tiny wallet carried was the city-sponsored bus card I a
We rode in silence for the first mile. I would like to think we both wanted to avoid the elephant in the car. That thin piece of paper in his lap that had the ability to weigh me down. I could tell from the eagerness in his voice that he was far from wanting to avoid the subject. “I bring a thirty thousand dollar bike to a shop for a two hundred dollar tune up and now I’m out seven thousand dollars.” I almost chock on the last bit of coffee I just swallowed. “Seven… thousand… dollars?” I asked while trying to keep my breakfast down. How was I supposed to pay back seven thousand dollars and save to move out of Ricks house? Suddenly I felt the sir around me disappear. Every goal I set seemed to be getting further and further away by the second. “That’s right. Your father just gave me an estimate of seven grand.” “That’s no problem,” I said pushing the words out. “I have a job or two lines up. And soon, I should be able to pay you back.” I spoke aloud, trying to convince myself more
Dmitry pulled away as I trotted up the sidewalk. His car clock read 9:10 am. The courtyard was practically empty now, as everyone before made their way to class. I thought about skipping this class altogether. By the time I make it to my locker to gather my English book, English class would be over.My next class was chemistry. I weighed the option of skipping that class too. I had too much on my mind to safely mix chemicals today.I should be happy that I had a job. Though happiness isn’t what I felt when he offered the job. I would be practically working to pay off a debt. Not to save money for an apartment. Not to save money to get out of town. I need another job.Lost in my thoughts I was stunned when a pair of hands grabbed me when I entered the hall where my locker was stationed. I was pinned against a corner wall. My head nearly bounced off the wall from the sudden movement. I closed my eyes from the pain and when I opened them, I wasn’t surprised to see Lucas. He was the onl
“Get in.” Dmitry demanded.“What are you doing here?” I asked grasping my chest, still shocked by his cars sudden stop.He put his car in park. “I was trying to catch you when you first got out of school, but I was held up in a meeting. You and I have unfinished business. Now get in.”I knew what he meant but I still found myself asking the question. “Like what?”“Just get in the car.” He said while hitting the button to unlock the door.I hesitated for a second before getting in. “Are you taking me home?” I asked as soon as I was inside the car. ‘Rick will be expecting me to arrive soon.”I tried to hold my fear but for a moment I relived the day I came home later than usual. It wasn’t a pretty conversation between me and my father.“No worries. I will have you home soon enough.”Dmitry continued down the same road I walked every day going home. Soon we found ourselves turning on Lake Road. The same road our lives collided even though our vehicles did not.I kept my eyes on the road
Sensing there was nothing else he needed to show me, I turned on my heels and quickly walked downstairs. I wasn’t sure how serious he was about me familiarizing myself with his house.Now that the tour was over I began noticing the small things. Like how there weren’t many personal photographs in his house. The walls in the foyer and living room were full of overbearing paintings but not one photo. Not even of himself.There was also no television or radio. If he did entertain in this room, it didn’t seem like it would be much fun.When he didn’t come right down, I found myself checking my phone. It was only five. I still had a little time to get home. I knew Rick would be expecting me sometime before five-thirty.Panicking, I stepped out of the living room to find and tell him I was going to walk home if he wasn’t ready. The sound of his footsteps hitting the last step brought me a little relief. I didn’t know what I would find in his room.“There you are. I need to get going so if t
Danica POV I figured if I had to show my face at least three times a week, Monday would be a great start. I could come Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Dmitry let me know if he needed me on the weekend, he would let me know. I didn’t tell Rick about our little arrangement. However he assumed the repair cost was being repaid was being paid for, he kept to himself. I half expected to see Dmitry’s fancy car along the road as I walked home from school. That one day of being chauffeured around had me wanting more. Though thinking about him all day, I wasn’t sure if it was the ride or him that I wanted to see. I made sure to walk really fast to my house. I needed to change from my blue jeans and graphic tee into something I didn’t mind getting dirty. Walking fast cut about twenty minutes from my walk home. Luckily it was a cooler day so sweat wasn’t really a problem. It was the middle of March and most days the high weather was in the mid-sixties. Those were the days I wore shorts and en