Random Ideas

Ann didn't meet his eyes for a tense moment. She finally placed her hands on his shoulders. "Dimitri, you are about to go on a date with a girl you have liked since high school. Be happy about that," she stated; she honestly couldn't care now if he knew that she knew. She then handed him an outfit she had picked out. "Put that on, and try to be happy." She sent a goofy grin up a him in hopes that it would at least make him feel a bit better. She knew this was all hard for him, but there wasn't much she could do to help besides making him laugh.

Dimitri thought about what she said for a moment, and then his eyes widened in shock. "It was that obvious? No wonder her boyfriend threatened to beat me up," he said with a small sigh, and he took the clothes. He noted her grin, and he managed a small smile. When his twin smiled, he couldn't help but smile along with her. He hugged her tightly and closed his eyes. "You are the best, Annie."

Ann shrugged sheepishly. "Maybe just a bit," she murmured, but it was more than just a bit. She wouldn't tell him that, however. She returned the hug before she plopped down onto her bed. "I know I am," she said with a cheeky grin. "Now let's see how handsome my older brother can be huh?" she insisted, before she nudged him towards her door so he could go change in the bathroom.

Dimitri smiled, and he took the clothes before going into the bathroom. He came out a few moments later, and he bit his lip. "How do I look? Do you think Lindi will like it?" he asked her nervously. "Oh, wait!" he said, and he looked for his bag. "Ugh, I left it downstairs. It has my gasses in it. I'll be back in a jiffy!" he said, but he paused at the door. "No one says jiffy anymore, do they?"

Ann leaned against the wall and busied herself by playing on her phone while she waited for Dimitri to come out. When he did, she stood upright and gave a satisfied smile. "I always knew I had good taste," she said as she patted his arm. "Lindi will like it, trust me," she agreed. She arched a brow when he seemed to be looking for something, and then she laughed softly as he continued. "No, not anyone in this country anyway. It may still be a hit in England."

Dimitri laughed, and he rolled his eyes. "I'll make sure to move there," he said, and he quickly ran down the stairs. He found where he left his satchel, and he grabbed his glasses out of them. He cleaned them off before putting them on. "I guess this looks okay," he said to himself, and he bit his lip. Maybe he could get back upstairs without his dad seeing him.

Drake rounded the corner but came to a stop when he saw Dimitri. He paused and let out a long sigh. "Dimitri, look can we talk?" he asked. Instead of waiting until he responded, he took a seat on the couch and motioned for Dimitri to sit down. "I know I am hard on you. I expect a lot from you, and I know you are a good kid. But I get genuinely concerned about you, and then I blow my top," he said, resting his elbows on his thighs. "I know I should be better about how I go about it."

Dimitri was about to head up the stairs. He was close. Oh so close, but it was short lived when he heard his father. "Yeah, sure," he said, knowing that he didn't have a choice in the matter anyway. He sat down beside him, and he listened to him for a moment or two. "Why are you hard in me but not Ann? You always have been. Do you realize how I feel? Do you realize what high school was like for me? What life is right now for me? People say it gets better, but it doesn't. I'm not sure if that's just life or my life," he said, and he ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, you don't get so mad with Ann, but I make one step out of line then it's a total sin."

Drake let that sink in before he answered. He clasped his hands and rubbed them together. "Ann is stubborn. You already know this," he began, sorting out his thoughts. "And different kids react to different discipline. Ann is going to do what she wants whether I want her to or not, so raising my voice isn't going to phase her. In her case, actions do speak louder than words. With you...well you have always been the kid with a good head on his shoulders, and when you do something wrong, yelling just works better," he explained. "Does it make sense? It isn't that I don't like you. I mean, Dimitri I love you. You are my son no matter how old you are," he continued, patting him on the back.

Dimitri listened to him. He didn't tune him out or anything, but he hated every word that he said. "No, Dad, it doesn't make sense. Ann does what she wants but then I get yelled at. Yeah, sure does sound like you love me," he said with an eye roll. "You know, someone told me that I should start bonding with you, and I was up for it. I thought it would be good for us, but now I'm not so sure. I have realized that we are two different people. It just doesn't mix," he said.

Drake's face fell as Dimitri spoke. He was at a momentary loss for words before he shook his head. He was hurt but he did his best not to let it show. It was hard to believe that Dimitri didn't actually believe that he loved him. He leaned forward and let out a long sigh. "All right, then...if that is how you feel," he said as he stood. "I will just back off, and you won't have to worry about me worrying about you anymore." He nodded once before he walked off.

Dimitri sighed, and he got up before looking at the time. He was ten minutes late! "Ann, I have to go! I'll see you later," he said before he rushed out of the door. He was going to have to get there fast and have some explaining to do. He started his car and then drove as quickly as he could. He was still being really careful though. Suddenly, a car swerved in front of him. He hit it head on at his high speed. He was jolted forward, hitting his head on the steering wheel and knocking him out, leaving a trail of blood to run down his face.

Lindi was beginning to get a bit worried that Dimitri wasn't going to come. Maybe he had changed his mind about her completely. She hesitated before she tried to call him. When he didn't answer, she frowned. He wouldn't just ignore her call, would he? She tried again before she called Ann. "Hey, where is Dimitri?" she asked. Ann frowned and pressed the phone to her ear in confusion. "He was going to meet you, what do you mean where is he?" Lindi frowned slightly at that. "He isn't here...." Ann's eyes widened at that, and she hung up without replying. "Dad!" she said as she raced down the steps. "I think something happened to Dimitri." Although Drake was upset with what Dimitri had said, he didn't wait a second as he grabbed his keys and motioned for her to follow. He drove and soon reached the crash sight. "Dimitri," he said, racing to his car.

Dimitri was still in his car. He looked horrible. His face was bloodied, and he looked fragile. He wanted nothing more than to apologize to his father. He was such a jerk to him, and if he died, he would never get to say that he was sorry. He would hate himself forever. He wanted to live more than anything. He just needed to say that he was sorry. If that didn't happen, his life was pointless. He just couldn't believe that he was so stupid to think that his father didn't care. His kids were all he had left after his mother.

"Ann, call the ambulance. I am going to try to get him out of here," Drake stated before he opened Dimitri's car door and unbuckled him. He gave his son a worried once over. He couldn't lose his son. The ambulance arrived a few minutes later. Drake stepped off to the side so the medics could take Dimitri to the ambulance van. He got in the back with Ann following after him. Ann bit her lip as she texted Lindi to tell her what happened.

Dimitri lied limply in his father's arms. As he started to wait for the ambulance, but started to mumble incoherently and jitter. After a bit, the words became clear. "Daddy," he would say, and then after a few more moments, he would speak again. "Sorry." He was starting to sweat, and he was looking worse. "Mistake," he muttered in his unconscious state. "Stupid," he said lastly before going completely limp. He was starting to get worse, and he needed medical assistance right then.

Drake listened to what he had to say and stared down at his hands. He pieced the sentence together and sighed softly. "It's okay," he whispered under his breath, even though Drake wouldn't hear him. Once they reached the hospital, Drake stepped out of the way as the medics rushed Drake into the ER. With Ann following closely behind him, he went inside and waited impatiently in the waiting room. "This is my fault," he muttered under his breath. He should have been a better father. He was just never good enough.

The wait seemed to take forever. It could have been really only five minutes. Or it could have been the five hours that it felt like, but finally, a doctor came out of the room. "Dimitri Sherwood?" he said, calling on anyone that was there for the young boy. When they came over, he looked down at his clipboard. "He is awake now, but he is in a lot of pain. I have him on some pain medication. He is lucky to be in this good of condition, let alone alive," he said before he guided them to his room.

Drake was trying to be patient, but he was not one to take things like this lightly. He paced the waiting room as he waited for the doctor. When he did come, he sagged with relief. The news was unsettling, and he was more than a little worried, but he followed the doctor nonetheless with Ann trudging behind him. Drake stepped into the room and took a seat by Dimitri's bedside. "Are you okay?" he asked. Of course he wasn't okay, but he was alive. And that was all that could possibly matter.

Dimitri was lying in his hospital bed. There was a bandage wrapped around his head and a few needles sticking into him, one giving him blood. "Hey Dad. Hey Ann," he said with a weak smile. It all hurt, but at least he was alive. He looked over at his dad. "I-I'm so sorry for what I said earlier. It was stupid and foolish," he said, and he looked over at Ann after a moment. "Is Lindi here?" he asked. He didn't want her to think that he stood her up.

Drake tried not to overthink the situation. Dimitri was fine; he was talking, and he was alive. That was all that mattered. Bottom line. "Don't mention it. It is past us," he said, reaching out and placing a hand carefully on his arm. Ann took the seat beside her father and shook her head. "Not that I know of. I told her what happened, though," she told him, smiling sadly over at him. If it hadn't been for Lindi, she might not have worried until it was too late.

Dimitri smiled down at his father. He was just glad that they were good and everything was behind them. He hated them fighting. It was bad enough before, but it just got worse after his mom passed away. When Ann answered, he tried not to show his sadness. "Thanks, Ann. It means a lot," he said. He just wanted to see Lindi and apologize for being late and well...never showing up. He probably seemed like a jerk now. Just perfect. She probably also saw his boss yell at him this morning too.

Drake offered a small smile in return. It had been hard ever since his wife died. He was doing his bed to be there for his kids, but it just was a rocky road the entire time. He hated that he couldn't change it. Ann reached out and placed a hand on Dimitri's shoulder. "Hey, I am sure she understands," she said with a hint of a smile. "Besides, there are always other dates."

Dimitri sighed, and he looked down at the ground. "I know, but it's just that I really like her, and I already miss the first date. Great first impression, right?" he ran a hand through his hair, but he instantly regretted it. He cried out in pain. He really needed to pay attention to what he did. Just thinking about Lindi made him crazy. He needed to calm down.

"D, you were in a car wreck. Do you really think she is going to hold that against you the rest of your life?" Ann stated, shaking her head. She knew where Dimitri was coming from; but at the end of the day, she knew it would be fine. Lindi had to understand. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "Might want to be careful," she said. Suddenly, the doors burst open and a frantic Lindi was hurrying in. "Sorry, I know this is a family thing and all, but I just, er, wanted to be sure that you were okay," she told Dimitri sheepishly as she moved to stand by his bed side.