The Writers' Circle

They missed out one meaning of explosion in the dictionary. I know, because my aunt bought me a dictionary for my eleventh birthday and explosion was the first word I looked up. If I could rewrite the dictionary I would add another definition:

Something that is produced by someone who is a freak.

I figured out pretty quickly that I didn't belong. This was because whenever my emotions spiralled out of control something around me blew up. My parents abandoned me pretty quickly after I blew up the couch, the bookshelf and the kitchen table. They dropped me like a bomb. I do not think I am gifted. I think I am a freak.

I lived in the orphanage for a long time. When my parents abandoned me (I was six at the time) the whole family couldn't bear to step within a twenty meter radius of me from fear of exploding, though I'm not sure I can blow up people - and I don't really want to find out. The dictionary my aunt bought me for my eleventh birthday was received by post and was the only present I got except from the person who ran the orphanage - Alice Dunne. She bought me two things - a book about myths and legends and a really nice fountain pen. 

Alice bought me presents for Christmas and my birthday. She was the closest thing I had to a mother. Alice must have been pretty rich, because she bought presents for everybody at the orphanage, and there were a lot of us. Alice was the only person that wasn't scared of me at that place. All the other kids - young and old, stayed the hell away from me. It was like when you're seven and a girl touches a boy by accident and they think they have germs or cooties. That's exactly like what it was for me. I lived at the orphanage for seven years. Apparently people don't like little girls who explode things prior to their emotions. Who knew?

A few days after my thirteenth birthday everything changed for me. I was adopted. The person who adopted me told me to call her Lisha. I told her to call me my name - Destiny. 

She laughed a lot, but not in a mean way, in a motherly sort of way. I soon forgot about the orphanage (but not Alice - I never forgot Alice), and adjusted to my life as Destiny Kingston. Lisha was nice, I liked her straight away. How could I not? She was willing to adopt a thirteen year old with serious issues. And not just your typical teenager issues either. Oh no, an exploding issue. But anyway, my name is Destiny, and this is my story.

For the first time in my life I was truly happy. I loved waking up in the morning to a nice breakfast and to Lisha, the third motherly figure I'd have in my life. She was more like a mother then both Alice and Poppy (Poppy is - was- my real mum), and I loved that she concentrated on just me, unlike Alice who had to concentrate on twenty other kids. I loved Alice as a mother, but not as much as Lisha. Lisha took me out almost every day, she bought my clothes and shoes (even though I despised shopping for anything with the exception of books and games, I liked shopping with Lisha) and many other things, and I felt truly at home. Within two weeks I felt closer to Lisha then I felt to Alice from the seven years at the orphanage, which I felt guilty about but did not dwell on for long.

Lisha, it seemed, liked me for . well, me. She didn't care that I blew things up, but when I was around Lisha, I never blew anything up anyway. Not once. And, after a while, I forgot I even had the freak gift, and this made me feel even better. She was the mother I felt I should have. The mother I deserved.

It wasn't until about two months later, in the middle of July, that things took a turn for the worst. That was when I met Faith.

***

"Destiny?"
I heard Lisha call me from downstairs and rolled sideways out of bed, wincing as my body came into contact with the floor. 
"Coming, just hold on a second!" I yelled back, dressing in record time and running downstairs to meet Lisha.
"What is it?" I questioned, forcing my arm through a new jumper that had been bought yesterday.
Lisha smiled at me and we went to the living room and sat down. 
"Good Morning!" She smiled pleasantly and I returned the greeting. 
"I'm having a few people over today to talk about work." She started, and I immediately knew where this was heading. "I was wondering if you could go out for the day. I'll give you some money and you can be back around four. I'm so sorry, I would have given you a warning but I had no idea and only found out today."
I smiled and nodded, even though I was a little disappointed. "Sure, I'll head out now." I declined her offer of money twice, but in the end I left with fifteen pounds anyway, and took an immediate left out of the house to town.

I walked for a few minutes before I reached the edge of town and I looked at my watch. I had five hours before I was due back home. I sighed and kicked the ground. I started to walk, keeping my eyes firmly glued on the ground. I didn't want to be here by myself, alone. I kept walking, not once looking up until I felt my body come into contact with someone else. I fell to the ground, and winced as my head bumped the concrete. 
"Oh. I'm sorry; here let me help you up." A hand was extended and I took it, pulling myself up. A wave of dizziness passed over me and I held onto the nearby wall to steady myself before looking at the person I'd collided with. My mouth fell open unattractively and I gawped at the girl, who must have been the same age as me. She looked the mirror image of me, except for her eyes and the highlights in her hair. Her eyes were aqua blue, while mine were a fiery mix of orange and red. My eye colour showed a lot about me - apparently. Her hair was the same as mine too - the colour and the length, except her hair was in low bunches, (while mine was let loose) showing off her highlights, that happened to be the exact same colour of her eyes - I'm not even joking. I closed my mouth after I'd let my brain process, though my surprise was obviously still apparent. She was in the same state of shock as me, and we stared at each other for a long time, not uttering a word, or moving at all, not even a movement of our shoes. It could have been three minutes, or it could have been thirty before I finally found my voice.
"Thanks for helping me up." I offered a small smile, though it seemed so long ago that she's pulled me from the ground.
"That's okay." She smiled too, and I couldn't stop the nagging feeling in my mind. I knew her from somewhere.
"I'm Destiny." I introduced myself, but didn't stick out a hand for her to shake, I just watched her, a little freaked out at her appearance. 
"You've got to be kidding me." She whispered, and I frowned.
"What?"
"I'm Faith." She said, and my eyes widened.
This was not happening. Not only did she look like me, but now we were Destiny and Faith.
"Right." I nodded before adding, a little quieter: "this is freaking me out a little." 
Faith agreed and we stood in another silence, though this one was a little shorter.
"So, where'd you live?" She broke the silence first this time, and I stood a little straighter, casting an eye over her again, as if I was inspecting her to see if she was worthy for the information I was about to give. 
"Number seven, Millbrook Lane. It's down there." I indicated behind me with a hand, in case she didn't know where Millbrook Lane was, but she nodded.
"Number thirteen." Faith admitted, and I laughed.
"What else do we have alike?" I said, finding the funny side of things. I paused before adding "I bet you are an only child."
Faith laughed with me. "Yeah, I'm an only child, though by the look of you, I think we're good enough to be twins."
"We'd make quite a pair, huh?" I was really strange. I'd only just met Faith, yet we were talking and acting like we'd know each other for years. 

It was a few minutes later, after we exchanged a few parts of our lives, (though I didn't mention Alice or the blowing up part, but I did say a little bit about Lisha, though I said that she was my mum and my real dad had walked out on me when I was little, because I didn't want Faith to put on the sympathy act), that we went into a few shops together, and I spent my money on books, while Faith bought shoes (I guess we do differ in some ways).  I felt like I'd made my first ever friend, but I knew that when I told her (or she found out) about my exploding problem she'd drop me like my parents did, but for now that part could be left unattended. 

When it got to four I said goodbye to Faith (though I knew I'd be seeing a lot more of her) and headed home, but apparently Lisha was still in her meeting. I heard voices from the kitchen when I came in and froze when I heard my name. I shut the door as soft as I could and relief flooded through me when they didn't hear.
"What about the girl? Denny or whatever." A male voice I didn't recognize made me peer curiously into the kitchen, but not so much as so they could see me. I saw Lisha, three men and another woman, all around Lisha's age, crowding around the kitchen table, and I sucked in my breath when Lisha spoke.
"Her name is Destiny, Warren. How many times do I have to tell you?" I felt myself smile when it sounded as if Lisha was sticking up for me, but at her next words I felt a stab in my heart. "That good for nothing girl will be gone soon enough. She's such a nuisance, it's a wonder I haven't abandoned her yet. You better hurry up with your rubbish; she's getting on my last nerve." I couldn't control myself. The rage I felt almost made my blood boil. I didn't know what happened until two seconds later. The fridge blew up, exploding meat and eggs all over the walls and the people sitting at the table. A few seconds later the fridge was followed by the kitchen cabinet and all the occupants of the table stood up as Lisha said a whole range of colourful swear words. She knew I was there. How could she not? So I did the only thing I could. I ran.