The Difference Between Fate and Destiny

She was despicable to me in every aspect. The way her bottom lip protruded past her top in a pout that screamed 'FUCK ME'. All I could think was 'who hasn't?' Her eyes the softest blue you can imagine, deceiving in their very nature. She was 13, maybe 14, when I met her. A Newport clenched tightly between her long fingers like her life depended on it. She reeked of Newport's and stale tequila. The tips of her fingers stained black drawing the eye to her crappy dye job. Her hair was black like her finger tips, and it was obvious that she spent hours in front of the mirror making it look like she didn't care. Makeup was usually caked on her face trying to hide something, but no one knows what, no one except me. She held out her cigarette, 'Want a drag?' she said; the filter stained with lip gloss. 'No, thank you' I said. 'Come on' she said, 'Live a little.' She took a long drag and blew the smoke right in my face. I took the Newport from her 'Don't you mean die a little?' I asked, and with that I drew in the smokey nectar from her Newport. I coughed a little as the smoke entered my lungs and she giggled. 'What's your name?' she asked. I replied with some lie; I don't remember which fake name I gave her. She took her cigarette from my hand. 'Come closer' she demanded. I complied with no resistance. She took another drag and stepped even closer to me. She put her arms around my neck and our lips met. She parted her lips slightly, and mine followed suite. She blew the smoke into my mouth. I took the smoke into my lungs once again and she pulled away. This time I kept myself from coughing in order to impress her. 'I'm Hope' she said. 'Is that a fake name?' I asked. I took note of the hypocrisy of accusing someone of giving me a fake name when I gave her one. 'It could be.' she said a sarcastic tone in her soft voice. She took another drag and flicked the cigarette to the ground. She pulled a pack from her purse and took out another one. She lit it, the flame from her lighter lit up her silhouette. I could see bruises and scrapes riddled across her face. This was the only time I ever saw her without make up. 'What happened?' I asked. I tried to say it as casually as I could; she wasn't the type of person to take light of someone caring about her. 'Like you fuckin' care' she answered with a snarl in her voice, and I could tell she was getting annoyed. Her name wasn't Hope, though I have always found it ironic that it was the first name she could come up with. Her name wasn't Grace, Faith, or even Serenity. She had none of these. Her name was Destiny, something she didn't believe in. 'I do fucking care' I said to her. I stepped closer once again, not to kiss her. I wrapped her in a warm embrace, and she nuzzled her head into my neck. There was the slightest smell of vanilla in her hair almost drown out by the smell of vodka. I pulled her down with me to the cold cement ground and sat or laid there for hours with her talking about everything, nothing. She told me all about her life, I felt like in the few hours I got to know her better than I had known anyone before, but at the same time I knew next to nothing about her. She talked about how dissatisfied she was, and it was like everything she said I was thinking but was too scared to say because I didn't think anyone would understand, she understood. Everything she said to me that night seemed so profound, but now I realize it was just adolescent ideals that could never be realized. I never told her my real name, she never asked. I do not recall her ever calling me by any name. Though it didn't seem like a big deal at the time. In retrospect I don't think she cared, or at least didn't want to show she did. 'I don't care about anything but myself' she said matter of factly. She went on to say 'If I don't no one else will.' That was one of the many things she said that night. 'I will' I said, truly convinced that I would. I could have been stroking her fake black hair hardened with hairspray while I said this, or playing with her fingers her nails covered in black sharpie ink. We could have leaned against that old building, its cold bricks making us shiver and clutch each other for warmth, but I do not recall. She didn't believe me, she took another drag. 'Sure you will.', she never said what she meant, which was the only way she was like anyone I have ever met before. She said what she needed to say in her tone. One second the fire of her words could fill you with warmth and give you hope, the next she could fill your soul with cold venom freezing out your very essence. Chain smoking in alley ways, fucking in abandoned buildings. Not normal activities for any 13 year old, they were common place for her. There was so much about her I did not find out till after she was gone. She might have had cancer and slowly died, or got an STD from a lover of hers. She may have been shot for trespassing, or just fucking left. No mater what happened, she is gone. I am left here to pick up the pieces, find out who Destiny really was. Her dad was an abusive alcoholic. She often stayed out till 3 or 4 o' clock in the morning just so she wouldn't have to go home. Her first taste of Vodka, her favorite drink, was at the age of 9. She had a bottle of it thrown at her. Her first cigarette was at age 11 when she stole a pack of Newports from her mother while she had a 'friend' over.