One More Summer

Chapter 6

-Leah-

Ice cream was a good decision. Before the night was over, Michael and I were laughing. I couldn't decide whether to be happy or mad at myself. This was Michael Clifford. He'd hurt Emma. But I really enjoyed just being with him.

"I'll-I guess I'll see you later?" Michael asked, a boyish expression of hope on his face.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Yeah. That would be good." I smiled as Michael pulled me into a hug, but frowned when he quickly pushed me away.

"Sorry. That-that was uncalled for," he blushed, and I laughed softly.

"It's okay, Michael. I'll see you later."

"Bye," he said, turning around to walk away. I looked after him for a minute before turning and walking to my car. I got in and turned up the volume to one of my favorite songs, "The Ballad of Mona Lisa," by Panic! At The Disco. I sang along as I drove, thinking about the day. I noticed the car swerving into my lane but there was nothing I could do. There was broken glass in my face. Blood. Burning. And I screamed.

-Michael-

It was almost midnight when I got a call from Casey.

"Hello?" I asked, wondering why the hell she would be calling me.

"Michael! I'm sorry-I forgot to tell you," she said, a frenzied, panicked tone to her voice.

"Forgot to tell me what?" I asked, confused and beginning to grow nervous.

"Leah got into a car crash." I didn't hear Casey finish the question. The phone fell from my hands, shattering on the floor. "Michael?" Casey's small voice came from the phone on the floor. "Michael, please answer," came sobbing from the other end of the phone line. I bent over to pick up the phone.

"Is she okay?"

"They-they don't know. Nobody knows anything."

"Where is she?" I asked. Casey answered and hung up, pulling on a pair of shoes and throwing on a jacket. I ran out to my car and drove as fast as I could to the hospital. When I got into the waiting room, there were lots of grim faces and puffy red eyes. Ashton, Casey, Luke, Calum, a boy who looked exactly like Leah, and a woman I guessed was Leah's mom raised their heads to look at me. I sat next to Ashton, who was letting a distraught Casey lay her head on his shoulder. I opened my mouth to say something just as a nurse walked up to us.

"You're here for Leah Chance?" she asked, a grim look on her face. We nodded, and Leah's mom dissolved into more tears. I couldn't help but wonder where her husband was. Shouldn't Leah's father be here? The nurse took a deep breath before opening her mouth to speak.