Chapter 37: Chapter 37
3 weeks later
9:00 p.m.
"I'm headed there now. Alright. Okay. I love you too, bye." I hung up, dropping my phone into the cup holder. All the windows in the car were rolled down, and intense music was filling the atmosphere. The volume of my BlessTheFall cd was on full blast, which would probably make any other person go deaf.
I turned left onto old McCreary road; I was headed to the old bridge. Shane had called me, just because he wanted to assure me that he's not going to get wasted at Gage's party tonight. He said, "I'll have one or two beers. That's all." I don't believe him, but that's all right. Gage and Vincent will push beer after beer on him all night, that's just what they do. But hey, they do have a reputation to uphold.
"WATCHING YOUR EMPIRE FALL," I screamed along with the beginning of the song. Nodding my head back and forth. "Did it ever cross your mind, I'm the man you'll never be. Think about me when you're all alone, without someone to love." I hummed the lyrics to You Wear A Crown But You're No King. Tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, I looked by towards the road.
I was surrounded by trees, which is normal for the area I live in. Wildlife filled my surroundings as I sped down the road. I went to go turn my music down, taking my eyes off the road for literally two seconds, and I was not aware of the thing that blocked the path before me.
I looked back up, a huge tree limb was blocking the road. Both lanes were blocked. The tree limb was a foot in diameter, give or take a few inches, and there was no way it wouldn't dent my little Ford Fusion. I looked down at my speedometer, going ninety in a thirty, there's no way I would be able to fully stop. I glanced at the field of grass next to me, and had an idea. If I could stop in that field of grass I would be able to get back on the road, without damaging the car.
I slammed my foot down on the brakes, sharply turning to the right, and hoping for the best. The car missed the tree limb, but did not come to a stop. Instead of stopping, the car started sliding in the mud; I had lost control of the car.
There was nothing I could do, everything happened so quickly I couldn't even pull the emergency brake. My little red car smashed into a large tree, causing my forehead to smack the steering wheel. My body bounced back against the seat. The car had hit the tree with such force that the windshield shattered. Large pieces of glass cut my arms, stabbed my back, and scraped my face.. I wanted to scream out loud, but I couldn't. My consciousness was slipping away, and I was soon engulfed in a sea of black.
Shane's POV
Midnight
"C'mon man, drink up!" Vincent thrust a beer into my hands. I shook my head and Vincent started whining. "Honestly Shane, you're pretty boring right now. All you've been doing all night is sit on this damn rock and watch the party go on. It's kind of creepy."
I glanced at the bundles of sweaty, drunk boys and girls before me. They were all dancing to Of Mice and Men. Girls were swaying their arms around and the boys were grinding on those girls, holding their beer bottles up. That's what my life used to be. Partying every Friday night, not being committed to anything, but now I have to be responsible because I'm not going to hurt Kaelyn ever again.
I just wish she would've showed up.
I could pick three people I knew out of the crowd: Grace, Gage, and Kyle. Everyone else was just randomly invited by Gage. He probably doesn't know the people here anymore than I do. Kyle was dancing with his girlfriend, Samantha Clearwater. Gage was sitting in his car, taking small sips of beer, and probably texting Sierra because she's home all alone, with the baby about to come any day now. Grace was in the midst of the crowd, with a group of jocks surrounding her. She was dancing wildly, and obviously she had too much to drink. The boys had their phones out and they were filming her. That cannot be good.
I stood up from the rock, grabbing Vincent's arm.
"We better go get Grace before she makes a big mistake." I pointed to the intoxicated girl, lifting her shirt up, showing her belly button ring off to the boys. Vincent balled his hands into fists, he was beyond pissed off.
Vincent pushed through the crowd, almost running, towards Grace. I was following close behind him. Vincent's face was red with anger when he reached Grace. Even when he's wasted he's protective. Vincent grabbed the bottle of beer out of her hands and threw it on the ground.
"What the fuck, Johnson," Grace yelled at Vincent, using his last name. "You ruined my fun!" she slurred. She was beyond wasted; I've never seen her like this. Vincent pulled the hem of her shirt back down over her torso and he nodded towards me. I put my hand on Grace's shoulder dragging her behind my back so she wouldn't do or say something stupid. "Let go of me!" she whined.
Vincent stood in the middle of the group of boys. Reaching for each of their phones. He threw each and every one of their phones into the river behind him. He said, "Have some fucking dignity, you pigs disgust me." Vincent looked at me, and walked away, taking Grace with him. I went back to the rock, glancing at my phone on the way. I had two missed calls from an unknown number... it kind of looked like the town's Hospital's phone number.
But, who could be in the... oh my god. I rapidly dialed Kaelyn's number, my heart was pounding inside my chest.
No answer.
I called again, still no answer. I set the phone down on the rock and put my hand on my forehead, trying to calm myself down. My phone's screen lit up, the same unknown number was there. I snatched the phone up and answered the number.
"Hello?" I hesitantly asked.
"This is Mr. Collins. Correct?" A woman's voice filled my ear.
"Yes, who is this?"
"This is the Glenwood hospital. We have your partner, Kaelyn Green, here. She was involved in a car accident earlier tonight. She's been falling in and out of consciousness for the past hour, she hit her head pretty hard. She's been mumbling your name and telling the nurses to call you." It felt like my heart stopped. My fingers started shaking and it was hard to keep the phone to my ear.
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Not bothering to hear the rest of what the woman had to say, I hit the end call button and shoved my phone into my pocket. I ran towards Gage's car, he was my ride to the party. Whereas Vincent had his own car. When I reached Gage, he was on his phone, nonchalantly texting Sierra.
I stood in front of him. He glanced at me and then quickly put his phone in his pocket.
"Not having fun Shaney boo." Gage laughed. I rolled my eyes.
"We need to go. Now. Kaelyn's in the hospital," I shook my head. "She was in an accident and I need to see her. Now."
"Alright all right." Gage started his car. "I guess this party's over."
Gage was not wasted, he had only had a few beers, but he's still fit to drive. Unlike me, who's freaking out and unstable at the moment. I went around to the other side of Gage's car, and found Vincent and Grace sitting down, holding hands.
"Get up! Get up! Kaelyn's in the hospital. We have to go. NOW!" I yelled. Grace looked up at me. Vincent grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up. Grace couldn't even stand upright, she had to lean on Vincent to balance.
Vincent looked at Grace and then turned to me.
"I think it'd be better if I took this one home and let her sober up a little before we head to the hospital... so she- we- don't get arrested for underage drinking." Vincent sighed. I rolled my eyes, my fists were clenched. This isn't about him right now.
"Whatever. I don't care what you do. Kaelyn is hurt, I need to see her. Do whatever you like with your girlfriend- or whatever she means to you- and get out of the way before we run you over." The words that came out of my mouth were harsh, Vincent was speechless.
"Look, Shane, I care about Kaelyn too. But getting us all arrested for underage drinking? Grace won't be the only one to get arrested if we all show up. The doctors will be able to smell the alcohol. It can land us in a position we don't want to be in." Vincent warned.
"Move out of my way." I said bitterly.
"Shane-"
I couldn't take this delay anymore. I pushed Vincent out of the way, which caused him to stumble backwards, with Grace in his arms. I climbed into Gage's car, leaving Vincent and Grace in the dirt. Gage put the car in reverse and back up into the street. I took a stick of gum out of my pocket, handed on to him and we were on our way.
In my head I was praying that my girl would be alright when I got there.