DAMAGED

chapter28 ☪

tiny little author's note :-)
This is the second update.. DIFRUTA!
(That means "enjoy" in spanish) :-)
•••
Kassie's POV

I knocked on Jarett's door and waited. It was already five o'clock. You'd be surprised at how fast time flies when you're at a garden with your boyfriend and your long-lost little sister.
I laughed at the thought just as the door was opened by a stranger. "I'm sorry. And you are?" She asked me with a thick spanish accent.
"Um...I'm Kassie. I-Is Jarett here?" I asked. "You're Kassandra?" She scoffed, chuckling to herself.
I nodded. "Yes."
What is she laughing about?
Her face returned to the same expressionless look as before. "My name's Bertha. I'm just the housekeeper. He hired me to tend things while he stayed at the hospital."
"Hospital?" I said in a small voice.
"Where else would he take his sick daughter? To the petting zoo?" She replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
I frowned. "Okay... Thanks... I guess?"
"Listen, sweetheart. He's not going to keep you. Don't be so pesadita." She told me. Did she just call me a meanie in Spanish?
"I wanted to tell him about an orphanage, actually." I explained.
The lady nodded, looking back to the TV. "Well, bye. My show's back on. I'm coming, Juaníto!"
I blinked, unsure of why she named the TV.
"Shoo!" She pushed me out and slammed the door in my face. "Thanks for the loving door-slam." I said to no one in particular, running my fingers through my hair.
Reluctantly, I made my way over to Albert's. Phineas opened the door, much to my surprise.
He was crying. "What's wrong?" I asked immediately. "That son of a - he ruined everything!" He replied, breaking out into angry, pain-filled sobs.
"Phin, you don't have to - It-it's okay." I said calmly.
"That bastard! Why are you even friends with him? You want to be on his team, don't you?" He shouted, knocking out all the pictures and frames that stood on the table.
I heard shattering sounds fill the room. Now I'm officially scared...
"Phineas! Stop!" Alex cried, running downstairs.
I took a step back, looking at all my unpacked bags lined neatly against the wall.
"He's threatening our mother!" Phineas yelled at her, and I could honestly say, in that moment, I've never seen him like that.
"With good reason!" Alex wailed desperately. "Phineas, please, just listen-"
"You hate your family, don't you?" He fired at her, and I could see the hurt and panic flashing through her face.
"No! He's actually a nice guy, I swear. Phineas-" Alex began.
"You told him you loved him. You kissed him. You're seeing him. How long has this been going on, huh?" Phineas raged.
Alex is seeing Jerry? Poor Lucy is going to be heartbroken...
Ashton's words flashed through my mind in an instant. "Don't get involved in dramas that aren't yours."
I quietly walked over to my bags and took out all the necessary things to clean myself up. "I'm just going to shower..." I whispered, heading to the bathroom and locking the door.
~~~
I'd just finished untangling my hair and was about to decide on which hairstyle when someone began frantically knocking.
"Hurry up, Kassie! Quick!" I heard Albert say quickly.
I decided on leaving my hair loose and got out of the bathroom, glad to be in nice, clean clothes after wearing the ones from yesterday for so long.
"What took you so long?" He almost yelled. "Jarett wants you in the hospital right now!"
"Okay, let me just get my keys, and I'll-" I started, a bit afraid about this sudden rush.
"No time! Phineas is in his car already! Go!" He pushed me all the way out the door and slammed it in my face.
"Is that some sort of gesture reserved just for me?" I muttered, going inside the car.
"Tuvi isn't agreeing to go through some sort of process unless you go see her." He explained, starting the car and rushing into the street carelessly.
"Phin, please calm down... I-I can't ride in a car with you like this." I said uncomfortably as he randomly got in front of another car and missed a red light. Everybody was beeping.
"I know you have family drama, but please don't be like this. You're not the Phineas I know." I continued, hoping it would work.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you only liked one jerk, and he's your boyfriend!" He shouted at me.
"Phin, look out!" I yelled, watching him go around a car he almost rammed into.
He sighed. "I'm sorry, Kassie, this just has me stressed out. I mean, I-I don't know what to do. My sister's dating Jerry, and my mom is..." He stopped, probably crying again.
I breathed deeply several times, trying not to have a heart attack due to his driving. "Focus on the street, please." I pleaded, my hands shaking as I grasped my seat.
He skidded to a halt immediately right when someone was crossing the street.
"It's a red light." I breathed, mostly to comfort myself. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! I'm not dead yet!
I felt someone banging on the car door. "What?" Phineas opened the door, and I was immediately forever grateful to find Ashton.
"Oh. Hey, Wolfie." Phineas said casually.
"It's Ashton." Ashton replied (obviously).
"You changed it? Why?"
"I felt like it. Now cut to the chase. Why are you driving my girlfriend around like a deranged mental patient?"
"There's no time. We have to go to the hospital."
"No. You're not driving Kassie like that. Are you trying to get her killed? Move. I'll drive." Ashton ordered, and Phineas went to the back seat.
I silently thanked the Lord.
And then a new era of silence began.

~~~

"Bye, Phineas." I waved half-heartedly, and Ashton grabbed my wrist and pulled me a safe distance away from the car as Phineas drove off.
"Why are we here?" Ashton asked me as we entered.
"Tuvi." I breathed.
As soon as we went inside, we found Jarett talking to a lady in the cafeteria.
"Finally. Wait, why is he here?" He asked me, looking at Ashton.
"Does it matter?" I replied. "What happened to Tuvi?"
"The nurses are insisting her hair be...You know... Cut off, and she doesn't want to do it until you visit her for a stroll outside, at the very least." Jarett sighed, pretending not to notice Ashton's death glare.
"Okay. I can walk with her." I agreed. This was easy. "By the way, I found an orphanage for me."
"I'll look into it later. Right now, please just-just help Tuvi."
I nodded, and he began walking. We followed him closely behind, my cold hand intertwining with Ashton's.
After the elevator ride, he led us into a room where Tuvi was sitting on the bed while a nurse patiently begged her to put on her hospital gown.
"Kassie!" She exclaimed, running to hug me. I hugged her back immediately. "Get me out of here!" She whispered rather loudly, and I nodded.
We went outside the hospital. "What's wrong?" I asked.
"Everything!" She pouted.
"They're just trying to help, Tuvs. You know your little situation here has a cure, right?" I told her softly.
"Whatever. Let's just talk."
"About?"
"About you. About all the gossip that's happened lately. You'd always tell me, remember?" She reminded me as we began to walk across the street. "Oh! I have an idea! How about you two put on a little romantic scene for me? Please?"
She gave us a puppy face with the quivering lip.
Ashton and I laughed. "I don't think we-" I began, but no more words seemed to escape my mouth, and I realized he'd crashed his lips against mine. Tuvi giggled. "Okay, that's it." I said, acting as if I wasn't out of breath.
"Can I ask you something?" Tuvi spoke to him. "Why is your name 'Wolfie?'"
"It's not anymore. I changed it. It's just Ashton." He explained.
Tuvi smiled. "Oh my freaking freak, you did that for Kassie!"
He nodded.
"Why did your parents name you Wolfie, though?" She continued.
Ashton looked at me for a few seconds before looking back at her. "Um...It's kind of a long story."
"But-"
"Tuvi, want to get ice cream? There's an ice cream parlor right across the street." I quickly said, trying to change the topic.
"Yes!" She squealed. "But I want to cross the street myself. It's one of my life goals."
"No way. It's already dark outside, and those cars are racing insanely fast."
"Please?"
"No."
"It's not fair; I hate being little." She complained, her glossy eyes welling up. "You don't understand how annoying it is to be the smallest one. The bigger kids get to have all the fun, and I was totally fine with it at first, because I knew that someday I'd be big, but now, I might never get to cross the street myself, or drive a car, or drink beer, or have my first kiss, or grow up."
"You'll do all of that, okay? I promise." I told her. Tuvi nodded, sniffling.
"Does my hair have to go?"
I bit my lip. I knew how much she loved her hair.
"You'll get to try on millions of different wigs with different hair colors." Ashton pointed out, and Tuvi's eyes lit up. "Oh my freaking freak. You're super-duper, absolutely, positively right!"
Ashton smirked and crossed his arms. "I know. When am I not?"
Tuvi laughed. "Kassie, is that why you're dating him?"
"What?" I frowned.
"The good girls always like the bad boys. It's a truly common fact." She stated.
"Yeah, she's an angel." Ashton replied, a hint of sarcasm and tease in his voice.
I rolled my eyes. "Let's go devour some ice cream."
"Ready, set, go!" Tuvi yelled suddenly, running into the street just as a truck was speeding forward.
Ashton's eyes widened. "Tuvi, get out of there!"
It was happening too quickly...
...Too soon.
The truck didn't even bother slowing down or stopping as he pushed her out of the street.
I tried to run to where they were, but the truck went speeding by, blocking my way, and my heart began pounding faster than the truck itself, hoping they'd made it to the other side.
A massive pang of fear struck through me.

The only one standing was Tuvi.