The Change of Fate

Part One

"I am ashamed you are my daughter" my mom told me, and slapped me on the face.

She looked surprised at herself for slapping me, but marched off anyway.

I had told her that I did not want to go to college like everyone else in the family. Instead, I want to keep working at the LGBT center I am at now. I am not getting paid now, but the government is coming in. They are going to continue exactly what we do, except provide more money for the center and to pay us volunteers. They are expected to arrive in a week.

Lexi and I were at a large graduation party. My mom had brought me aside to chastise me on it. The yard is so big that no one would even see us, never mind hear us.

My ears are still ringing. I can't hear anything around me. I barely even heard what my mother said. Everyone is yelling now, but it's all muffled. I can't bear it anymore.

"Serenity!" I vaguely heard, and then realized I couldn't hear anything because I was crying.

"Serenity!" I heard again, and it was Raven's voice.

"Raven" I croaked out.

"Thank God. Are you okay?" she asked.

"No. I mean, yes. Mom just showed me how much of an evil person she is. She blames me for being so fucked up" I said.

"No. Serenity. She does not think that" Raven said.

"I just wanted to talk to her. I'm finally excited about something. For some reason, mom blames me, and I don't even know what I did. I can't do this anymore" I sobbed.

"What do you mean 'I can't do this anymore'? Can't do what anymore?" she asked.

"I just got off of probation. Some businesses don't want a 'delinquent' or a 'felony' to harm anyone. I'm turning eighteen tomorrow. That title is going to follow me for the rest of my life. To top it off, I finally express myself to my mom, and she denies me" I sobbed.

"Serenity, even before you got off of probation you were helping the LGBT community. She knows you are passionate about the center. You have made such an impact to children and adults alike in and out of the community. The kids love you" Raven said.

"Quite a good job I'm doing. Most of the people in the center don't have any families. They have no one to turn to, except each other. That can get lonely. If I had just ended it..." I said.

"Ended what? What were you ending?" There was a pause. "Serenity, you're not talking about the time you tried to kill yourself, are you?"

I stopped short. "How did you know I tried to kill myself?"

"When the guard found you hung in your prison cell, he notified the lead guard. You were unconscious, and barely alive. Your mom and myself were on our way to visit you when she got the call saying she was needed medically" Raven explained.

"That guard shouldn't have found me. He was asleep when I found the rope. I should be dead. I deserve it" I said, sobbing hard again.

"Serenity. Please stop. We need you. I need you. I already lost Quinn. I can't lose you either" she said, her voice strained.

"You hate me" I said.

"No. I don't. You did what was best for yourself. We both loved him. I was angry, yes. But then the guards started talking about what they would do to you if you didn't fess up. Quinn's life would've been ruined anyway. It would've been easier to say that he did murder someone. That's why you did it" she said.

I didn't reply. I was alone. No one would see me do this. I searched around. I had my small knife. The best part about walkie talkies is if you don't want the other person to hear anything, they won't.