{"id":3190,"date":"2017-12-07T06:04:52","date_gmt":"2017-12-07T06:04:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/?p=3190"},"modified":"2023-02-15T02:11:43","modified_gmt":"2023-02-15T07:11:43","slug":"doctor-patient-confidentiality-chapter-fifty-six","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/doctor-patient-confidentiality-chapter-fifty-six\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor-Patient Confidentiality: Chapter Fifty-Six"},"content":{"rendered":"
Day 19<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/pre>\n
 <\/p>\n
I pull open my locker door with way more force than it requires, and its slightly rusty metal hinges squeak loudly in response, protesting against my harsh actions. But I don\u2019t give a damn. The stupid thing can fall right off and crumble to dust for all I care. I\u2019m far too upset to be bothered about it. In fact, I\u2019m upset, pissed off, disappointed, irritated, annoyed, and every other fucking word in the dictionary that\u2019s synonymous with being angry.<\/span><\/p>\n
Vito has just replaced me permanently for the rest of the semester. And she did it in front of the entire class, no less.<\/span><\/p>\n
I think I\u2019m still in shock, to be honest. I haven\u2019t had time to fully process any of it yet. I haven\u2019t had time to accept the fact that I\u2019m officially taking the back seat for all the other seven performances we have left. It hasn\u2019t even been ten whole minutes since the venomous words left her thin, taut lips, and I can still hear them clearly in my head again and again and again, as if she\u2019s still speaking them to me.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cYou have proven yourself unfit and incompetent to continue to carry out your position as a primary vocalist<\/em>-a privilege you no longer seem to not take seriously, Miss Gallo.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
My face scrunches up in a frown at the memory and the all gut-wrenching humiliation that went with it.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u092e\u0948\u0902 \u0939\u0942\u0901 <\/em>unfit and incompetent? \u092e\u0948\u0902<\/em> don\u2019t take music seriously? How dare <\/em>she?<\/span><\/p>\n
I\u2019ve always known Vito to be a fairly rigid and unforgiving woman, but I didn\u2019t realize she was \u092f\u0939 <\/em>cold and merciless.<\/span><\/p>\n
She doesn\u2019t care that the reason I haven\u2019t been at my best is because of something I don\u2019t understand and can\u2019t control.<\/span><\/p>\n
She doesn\u2019t care that I don\u2019t have the money to figure out what it is and fix it.<\/span><\/p>\n
She doesn\u2019t care that less than two weeks ago, my grandmother\u2014the only person left in the world who I can call my family and who truly gives a damn about me\u2014just had a major stress-related stroke and is still lying in a hospital bed as we speak.<\/span><\/p>\n
She doesn\u2019t care that I\u2019ve barely slept or haven\u2019t eaten a proper meal since it happened.<\/span><\/p>\n
She doesn\u2019t care that I\u2019ve become this empty, animated shell of my former self; a walking, barely talking bundle of mental, emotional, and physical chaos, or about any of the depressing events that led me here.<\/span><\/p>\n
She doesn\u2019t care that practically every aspect of my life is crashing and crumbling around me, and I\u2019m helpless to stop any of it.<\/span><\/p>\n
She. Just. Doesn\u2019t. Care.<\/span><\/p>\n
I reach inside the locker for my bag, and as soon as I do, I feel hot tears from behind my eyes rushing to the surface, their saltiness slightly stinging as they blur my vision.<\/span><\/p>\n
I\u2019ve never once felt so demoralized about music the way I do now. When everything else in my life has been shit, my music was the one thing I could count on, the one thing that would never let me down, the one thing I could find solace and peace in. And now, that\u2019s falling to shit, too.<\/span><\/p>\n
I angrily wipe at my eyes with my sleeve, trying to compose myself before anyone else sees me, especially my classmates. I really don\u2019t want to give any of those sons of bitches something else to gloat about at my own expense today.<\/span><\/p>\n
I let out a deep sigh, slowly shaking my head in disbelief in silence at what my life has come to be.<\/span><\/p>\n
As far as being a Rainbow girl, Mindy has made it clear\u2014in not so many words, of course\u2014that she wants me to agree to Frost\u2019s contract. If she\u2019s this insistent about the matter, then it\u2019s obvious he\u2019s incredibly valuable to her. I\u2019m just not sure whether that value extends beyond his bank account or not.<\/span><\/p>\n
Right now, I want nothing more than to head back to my apartment, fall face-first into my bed, and cry my heart out in the privacy of my apartment, but I have piano in less than an hour, and that requires focus, so I need to cut this pity-party short and pull myself together.<\/span><\/p>\n
But just then, my phone vibrates loudly from inside my bag, forcing my attention to the buzzing sound. I reluctantly fish it out, wondering who could be calling me at this time. I really don’t feel like talking to anyone right now, but I decide to check who it is, anyway. I figure it\u2019s most likely Trixie, but it could also very well be Theodore calling about Gran, and after the last call I got from him, I don’t want to take any chances.<\/span><\/p>\n
However, when I look down at the lit screen, I’m more than a bit surprised to see Drake’s name showing up as the caller ID.<\/span><\/p>\n
Trixie and I may talk on the phone all the time, but it’s pretty rare for her brother to call me. If anything, he’ll usually just shoot me a quick text or relay any information he has for me through Trixie, and even then, that’s not something that happens often.<\/span><\/p>\n
I slightly hesitate before I hit the answer button.<\/span><\/p>\n
“Hello?” My voice is a bit hoarse from my ‘almost crying’ episode just a moment ago, and I hope he doesn’t notice.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cRoni, hey,\u201d his voice comes through the speaker, cool and friendly as always. \u201cIt\u2019s Drake.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
I can\u2019t help but smile slightly. \u201cI know it\u2019s you, silly. My phone screen just told me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
He chuckles. \u201cGotta love phones. Psychic little bastards, aren\u2019t they?\u201d My smile goes wider at hearing his ridiculous attempt at humor, but it\u2019s obviously making me feel a little better, so he must be doing something <\/em>right.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway,\u201d he continues, \u201cI\u2019m calling to see if you want to go to the Mary Higgins\u2019 Thanksgiving Dance this year. I hear it\u2019s gonna be the best one yet. And don\u2019t tell me you have to work because I know you have the night off,\u201d he adds with a knowing tone. Trixie definitely told him that. I have no doubt about it. Heck, I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if she wrote down my entire freaking schedule for the rest of my life and handed it to him.<\/span><\/p>\n
I can only sigh in response. \u201cIsn\u2019t that what everyone kept saying about it last year? That it was going to be the best one yet? Correct me if I\u2019m wrong, but if my memory still serves me well, that dance was quite the major flop. People wouldn\u2019t stop talking about how terrible it was for weeks<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
I\u2019m not even sure why, but there was so much hype about the dance last November, and it ended nothing short of disastrous\u2014with a bunch of wasted frat boys tossing around a live turkey as a makeshift football.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cI know, I know. But it\u2019s going to be different this year,\u201d he insists. \u201cI just know it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know, Drake,\u201d I say, the wariness in my voice clear as day.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cLook, Roni, they have new organizers and coordinators this year, and I know quite a few of \u2018em. Really cool people. They wouldn\u2019t be caught dead signing off on half the shit that got ok\u2019s from last year.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
He continues his attempts to convince me to go. I try to talk my way out of it, thinking of every excuse I can give him, but Drake can be pretty relentless and persuasive, and I know I\u2019m fighting a losing battle. I can\u2019t help but wonder why he\u2019s even asking me to go.<\/span><\/p>\n
His sister may be my best friend, but it\u2019s still kind of surprising, to be honest. Both Trixie and I know Drake and his reputation with the ladies, and that the truth of the matter is, he could have asked any other girl in the world to go with him\u2014as he\u2019s done many times before\u2014and they\u2019d say yes in a heartbeat.<\/span><\/p>\n
This has to be Trixie\u2019s idea. That\u2019s the only way it would make sense. She knows how stressed I\u2019ve been about Gran\u2019s situation, so maybe she asked Drake to take me to the dance this year. Of course, that\u2019s just speculation, but I\u2019m willing to bet Trixie\u2019s behind it. Whatever his reason is for asking, a part of me just wants to say no, but I have to admit that hanging out with Drake is always a good time, regardless of the occasion. Even if he\u2019s doing this out of pity, I figure going with him will help take my mind off things, at least for a little while, and I could certainly use a distraction right about now.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cAlright,\u201d I mutter, finally relenting. \u201cI\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cAtta girl,\u201d he says, his tone deep and cheery, and I can practically see the triumphant smile on his face.<\/span><\/p>\n
I just offer a small chuckle. I guess it wouldn\u2019t hurt to go. Besides, even if the dance turns out to be a complete bust like I\u2019m sure it will, at least it can provide me with a much needed distraction from all the craziness that\u2019s been going on in my life lately.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cAlright then, it\u2019s settled,\u201d he says. \u201cThe dance starts at eight as always. I\u2019ll pick you up around seven-thirty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\u201cOh, that\u2019s okay, you\u2014\u201d He hangs up before I can tell him that I can drive myself there and he shouldn\u2019t bother picking me up, but I let it go. I really don\u2019t even have the strength or desire to call back to tell him, especially when I know he\u2019ll just try to convince me to agree with him. Again.<\/span><\/p>\n
I let out another sigh, carelessly stuffing the phone back into my bag just before I close the locker door. As soon as I do though, a startled yelp escapes me as the image of the metal door is replaced by Gina\u2019s face.<\/span><\/p>\n
***<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Day 19   I pull open my locker door with way more force than it requires, and its slightly rusty metal hinges squeak loudly in response, protesting against my harsh actions. But I don\u2019t give a damn. The stupid thing can fall right off and crumble to dust for all I care. I\u2019m far too upset to be bothered about it. In fact, I\u2019m upset, pissed off, disappointed, irritated, annoyed, and every other fucking word in the dictionary that\u2019s synonymous with being angry. Vito has just replaced me permanently for… \u0905\u0927\u093f\u0915 \u092a\u0922\u093c\u0947\u0902<\/a><\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[96],"tags":[],"series":[99],"class_list":["post-3190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-contemporary-2","series-doctor-patient-confidentiality"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/DPC-Wattpad-Header-1024x341.jpg","blog_images":{"medium":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/DPC-Wattpad-Header-300x100.jpg","large":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/DPC-Wattpad-Header-1024x341.jpg"},"ams_acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3190"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emendedhearts.com\/hi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=3190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}