Everyone experiences a bad day.I guess today is my day,you see my friend died instantly in a car crash.We were driving home from a party with a group of friends.
My squad if I'm being honest.The type of friends everyone wants,we all shared the same birthday month,lived in the same neigbourhood,went to the same school and our families knew each other from way back.
We had a touch of everything,the smart one,the jock,the instagram influencer,the rich one and then there was me,just average.When I mentioned this to my friends,they would always remind me that every group needs a glue to keep it together and that was me."The bro squad" as everyone called us, mainly consisted of five people.Alvin "The rich one", Valerie "The influencer",Giovanni "the jock", Rhona "The smart one" and I.Let me introduce myself,I'm Adrian, 17 years old,I live in Los Angeles,smartest kid in school, co-captain of the football team,I run my own business and have an average of half a million followers on the top social media plartforms.Twitter,Youtube,Instagram and Tik-tok.I have multiple online income streams,mostly affiliate marketing and E-commerce.I also have an internship at Vulcan Technologies which is run by Alvin's father.I'm pretty sure he only gave it to me because of my friendship with his son,he kinda adopted me after the crash.
Damn,now I'm back to thinking about that night.We were driving home from a party,passing time by having a carpool kareoke challenge that we streamed live.
"Like baby,baby ooohhh",Alvin who has the worst voice in the group was competing with Valerie,the influencer,who was also
a singer,actor,dancer,fashion guru and all the things that make someone famous.She had the voice of an angel and an attitude that came with it.
"According to the fans, Alvin should jump out of the car and end our misery" Giovanni, Alvin's boyfriend calls out from the back.
"You know you love me, it might not be for my singing"
"It's because of the Deeeeeeee" Rhona interrupts ,completely drunk af.Most of us were tipsy,but Rhona was a lightweight.One drink and she would turn into the opposite version of herself.Loud, care-free and fun.
"He'd give it to you,but he's taken.Unless Alvin's is down for a threesome?" Giovanni asks suggestively.
"Hell naw,I don't share and you all know know that ".Alvin states as he looks pointedly at Rhona.
Alvin has always been selfishly selfless, he wouldn't let you touch his food,clothes even drive his car.He would rather get you the exact copy of what you want.He once gave me his bike,and refused to take it back after I rode it around the neighborhood.He got a new one the next day and forbid me from ever touching it.Rich people problems ,where do they end ?
"Unless it's Giggy", Valerie whispers in a mocking way.We all chuckle because,Alvin was so in-love Giovanni he went out of his way to share everything with him.We all knew,only Giovanni gets to drive Alvin's car,no buts, ors or maybes.It was a rule,we all had them.Boundaries set in place to avoid conflicts,it was why we fit so well.
"Okay guys, what should we do next?" Valerie announces,since it was her plartform and she had over 2 million followers.
"Wait,someone just asked 'If everyone was to die and one person survives.What would your message to them be?"
"Damn, who asked that?"
"@therealjaketheman"
"@realjaketheman, we are kinda trying to have a good time here, next question!" Giovanni says in a hard tone in a slight Italian accent.Before moving to LA ,Giovanni lived in Italy,his mum died a few years back from cancer and death was a trigger for him.She was the definition of an Italian mum and wife ,she loved cooking pasta,pizza and the kind of dishes you only get at an Italian restaurant.She was a Roman at heart and wore it with pride. After the burial,Giovanni's father moved the both of them to America,his father had apparently asked him to pick a city and he would move them there for a fresh start.He says he chose LA because of the weather.A home away from home
"Wait,people are actually asking for an answer." Valerie responds as she scrolls through her comments.
"You good" Alvin mouths as he looks at Giovanni through the side mirror.
He turns and stares out of the window.
"Okay,I'll go first" He states without responding."I'd want a ring to be engraved on my tombstone because even in death,you're the one for me".He turns his head and stares at Alvin when he says this.
I unbuckled my seatbelt as I was about to ask Alvin to pull over so that I can take a piss.
"Awwwww"everyone goes.
"Oh shut it,youre just jealous of our love" Alvin smirks."I guess its my turn,I would want the person who is left alive to live all our lives for us.He or she should be "the bro squad in all in one."
It all happenned in a split second.A car drives onto our lane as we crossed the bridge,Alvin tried to swerve but hit the rail and the car went tumbling into the river. I went through the dashboard and out of the front mirror .
I remember waking up,blood gushing out of my face.Disoriented,I ran to the lake hoping to save my friends.Some pedestrians had rush out to help and some held me back as they jumped into the river hoping to save at least one.I passed out during the process only to wake up in the hospital.
They told me no-one had survived during the accident,including,the driver who had swerved into our lane.Turns out he was
drunk and had hit a pole a few meters from the bridge.
The only thing that survived was the recording of the Live video.It kept streaming even when the car was
submerged.You could see them struggling to get the restraints off but they were stuck.One by one they ran out of air
and died.Twenty thousand people had watched my friends die.The video quickly went viral and was picked up by national news.I watched it everyday in hospital as I tried to think of a way we could have avoided it all.When no solution came,I
tried committing suicide twice,which was unsuccessful.The second time it happenned I was taken to a mental health facility.It didn't help much,but I realized that the only way I was ever going to get out of there was by being a model citizen.
I got out after 3 months and threw myself into my studies and football as a way to cope.When that wasn't enough,I started
a business,then started to market my business.The funny thing was,Valerie's most loyal followers would send
motivational messages.Her followers supported me when I started posting content of my progress to convince the
world I wasn't a nut case and that I wasn't a threat to myself or others.Soon, I became a symbol of hope.My following started to increase and in a space of a month I went from.having two hundred followers to half a million.I did a couple of interviews about my journey,got hype around my products which were mainly the bro squad merchandise of our happiest memories.
What noone had figured out was that I was fulfilling Alvin's last wish.
Smartest in the school ("Rhona's life") - Check
Co-captain of the football team("Giovanni life") -Check
Half a million followers and growing("Valerie's life ") - Check
Enough money to pay for own college tuition three times over("Alvin's life") -Check .
The "bro squad all in one".
Alvin and I had grown up together.Our parents were best friends from college,did almost everything together.They were each others bestman and bridesmaid,his parents were my godparents and most people think we are brothers.We were always at each others house.At first,
it was just us,but as the years went by,the duo expanded to include, Val and Rhona,Giovanni being the last one after he transfered to our school during our sophmore year.
They had dated for years,and we'd constantly threaten them that if they were to break up, we'd fill their cars with fire ants,bees and wasps. During the party Alvin had low-key told me he was going to propose to Giovanni at our last graduation ceremony.
I watch the video as I stare at the ground from the top floor the parking lot Alvin and I used to chill at when we wanted to be away from the group.I looked down,daring
myself to jump wondering what it would feel like falling,knowing that death was about to come.
I push myself over the edge,ready for it to end.
YOU ARE READING
: Choice (Book 1 : The Nairda Series)
FantasyLiving is hard.At least this is what Adrian Alfween thinks.He has everything going for him, top marks in school,part of the football team, girls always seem to want him and a small yet profitable business for income.His life is perfect, yet he feel...
