Her Miracle

CHAPTER 21

It’s the happiest day of my life. 

We ran out to get out of the house and went straight to the car. I giggled at our situation as I sat in the front seat. The truck was polished and did shine at night. He turned the engine on and drove away leaving our driveway behind. 

This moment made me feel giddy. We were breaking the rules. 

I got my head out my window and my platinum blonde hair waved with the strength of the air as it brushed towards us. I scream from the top of my lungs. It was my day anyway. The faster we went, the louder the bustling of trees was from our speed. 

The headlights of the car led us from the darkness meeting us. This was something we usually did. Escape and grab an ice cream. One of the things I look forward to almost every week. 

We reached the middle of the time in a short while. Lights filled the center of Castle Rock. He had his eyes fixed at the convenience store and parked swiftly curving the steering wheel. To the right was, Eleanor’s, the old coffee shop is in sight preserving its classiness. 

He got out of the car. “Stay there, Andy. I got you.” And he winks at me.

I nodded shifting at my seat comfortably and continued to absorb the beauty of this small town. 14 years of living in this town and I’ve never felt this amazed by it. The town hall has been rebuilt like it was some palace a greek god owned. There were parks and the hospital my mom worked. A town hospital whose hero was my mom. But I’m grateful that she had dinner with us today, my birthday. 

He got back inside the car carrying both our ice creams in one hand. I gently took my cone and licked the twirled vanilla soft serve. 

“Want to drive for a while instead of going back home? We can cross over Sandy Hill and come back. You have to learn how to drive anyway. Here, take the wheel.” He said with a huge smile on his face. 

“Are you sure?” I answered back hesitantly. 

“Yes, Andy! We only live once,”

He got out of the door and switched places with me. The ice cream was never the dessert for this town because of how chilly it gets but it does make our days better. I hurry in finishing my soft serve so I can get my hands on the steering wheel. 

The sugar cone is one of the best parts. I took the last bite with the oozing chocolate that lived at the bottom of the cone. It invaded every inch of my taste buds. Finally able to get my composure in taking all the time in eating the cone. 

I wiped my hands with the tissue and positioned both my hands at the steering wheel and faced him. “Ready?”

“I’m ready once you are.”

I cleared my throat with the remnants of the chocolate that spiked my throat with how sweet it was. My palms sweat with the pressure but I inhaled, letting myself step on the gas. The engine roared like a lion that startled me. 

I laughed it out with excitement. Sandy Hill was no less than a 20-minute ride from here. It’s going to be easy. 

The steering wheel was not hard to turn. I imagined it to be like bumper cars. Bumped cars had this slippery steering wheels that made it easier to turn but as I thought it through, I knew it had its downsides if wheels were too easy to turn like a knob. 

I pulled away from the convenience store parking. A loud thud could be heard from how my heartbeat at this point. 

“I can do this!” I thought to myself. 

“Don’t be so tense, Andy. Go easy on yourself. Loosen up and you’ll be alright.” He stated as he had his eyes on the road.

There were no trucks that passed by. Everything seemed quiet while I maneuvered on the wheel. I repeated a tune in my head to calm myself down. 

The sign of exiting Castle Rock could be seen with the bridge that connected to Sandy Hill. A huge mark of Sandy Hill plastered on the other end of the bridge. It’s a steel bridge that has a river beneath that’s connected to the beach where Kai lives. 

“Come on, Andy! Time to cross!” He yelled with excitement in his tone. 

As I gripped on the steering wheel, the car got crazy. It was moving in all directions.

Left.

Right.

Into different patterns. 

I held onto it to steady it but we were not crossing the bridge. We were crashing unto the steel bridge’s entrance. 

“Dad!” I screamed.

“Hold on tight, my little girl.” 

“Dad, I can’t control it!” I scream for him. 

Everything began to blur. 

I scream and scream. And then a loud bang corrupted the air as we collided to the steel bridge. 

I screamed more not knowing if something did get out of my mouth. An agonizing pain struck my entire body and I couldn’t move. I was frozen. 

“Andy!” 

Someone was calling my name. Faint but I could hear someone calling and asking for me. I know it’s my dad. He’s in pain. It’s my fault. 

“Andy!” 

My body was shaking. I felt lifeless. 

“Andy! Wake up!”

My eyes shot wide open as I startled myself out of my sheets. Holy s**t. This is what I’ve been talking about. Those vivid dreams of the night of the accidents haunt me like it was my best friend from another time. But it isn’t. 

It was my reality I have to live. 

Aiden had his hand on my arm. He sat on my bed like he was the one shaking me for me to wake me up. My blurred eyesight was clear and looked around to see Zachary at the door watching the scene I’ve caused. Sweat trickled down my forehead. 

“That must be such a bad dream…” Aiden trailed still keeping his hand on my arm trying to soothe me from the horrible nightmare. 

“Oh, yeah. It’s the nightmare I’m living with every single day. This is what I’m telling you. You're lucky cause aren’t the ones who suffered from the accident and think I’ve got my s**t together. I’m the one haunted by it.” I sassed at my brother, remembering that I’m still pissed at him for lying. 

“Girl! Jeez, woman! Calm the hell down?” Zach interrupted crossing his arms, leaning at the door jam.

Aiden glared at me. He still knew I was mad at him. 

“Come on, guys! Nothing new… Get out of my room. Now!” I shrieked with anger in my tone. “I don’t need you!”

The bright light coming from the window didn’t do me justice, making me squint harder. I checked my clock at my nightstand to see it was 8:30 in the morning. I had a great night with Titus the past few days and this is what welcomes me? I don’t need this. Not right now. 

“What’s wrong with her? You really do have PMS problems…” Zach hissed at Aiden like I wasn’t in the room with them. 

Zach is really a total asshole when you want him to be. 

“You know what’s wrong?” I questioned facing them alternately throwing my hands in the air in frustration. “When you thought things were going to be good between you two and the reason why he’s been good to you is that he’s dating or getting laid with your best friend! More lies and bullshit!” 

I didn’t realize I had a runny nose and did my best to keep it together. 

“I’m really sorry, Andy. I didn’t mean to. I tried to explain but-” Aiden stared at me with his apologetic eyes paired with a sad voice. 

Zach came rushing inside the room with confusion on his face. “What is going on? What best friend? Who’s getting laid?”

“Aiden is what happened. Aiden is what’s going on!” I snapped at Zach who had the balls to get too obscene. I fixed my eyes at Aiden waiting for him to answer us. 

Zach didn’t even know? I thought he should even know in the first place of him being gay or dating my best friend. Zach turned his head to Aiden also waiting for an answer. His eyes were on a brim of tears. He was never used to being lied to. Most especially, not from his twin.

“I...lied to you...Zach…” Aiden finally gave in. 

“What!?” Zach paced back and forth with both his hands on the side of his head. 

Aiden cleared his throat mustering the courage to speak up for himself. “The other night… you thought a girl I was dating was coming over… The person who came over was Kai… “ 

“You did what? You’re dating our little sister’s boy best friend? Are you nuts? You also never told me you were gay! I thought you were hitting on the blondie, Izzy!” Zach yelled at him with his jaws tightening as he pursed his lips. 

Before they kill themselves, I have to get them out of the room. I clench my fist on my sheets. “If you wanna discuss your issues, kindly get out of my room. I’m still pissed and I don't know how to process all this. Get out!”

Aiden being the obedient one fled out of the room first. They’ll deal with it their way. I don’t know if it was the right time to meddle but at least Zach should know of all people. He did have to. 

Pain struck my chest, I hugged myself but it was hard for me to breathe. This hasn’t happened in a long time. I don’t even understand what’s wrong with me. Chest pains always happen because of my injury. I stepped foot on the cold hardwood floor and ran to my medicine cabinet inside my bathroom to get the pills that I had to take when I had body pains. 

It didn’t help so I grabbed the paper bag and breathed in and out. I realized I haven’t gone to the hospital since. One thing the hospital reminds me of his mother and those terrible memories. 

I kept chasing my breath, placing a palm on my chest, silently wishing the pain would be gone. That this wouldn’t be something serious complication or something worse. 

And I could hear my brother’s voice slamming the door that thundered inside the house. “Yes, Zach! I am gay!” 

I pressed my eyes shut with their noise, it’s better if I died anyway.