The One Who Lived

Chapter Six - Vanderbilt's POV

We won the game — 30 points Camdenton and 28 points Lebanon. We won with five seconds and a two-point conversion.

Fuck Leb.

Lebanon is our rival. Lebanon is the town you hate purely for its atrocious people and bumblebee water tower. They have not won against us in years, and I doubt they ever will again purely because of their coaches and their team.

I was hyped because we won on our own turf, and when that happens Clinton throws the best parties, but that hype quickly disappeared when Isla came rushing over to me through the crowd. She didn't look as happy as everyone else — she actually looked kind of scared.

"I need your help." Isla yells over the screams of happy players and high schoolers.

I raise an eyebrow as I take my helmet off. "What's up?" I ask but I know there is not much I would ever do for Isla.

Isla isn't a bad person — she just hangs out with bad people. She is too nice to say no, and even though you know she is innocent, you can't help but hold her accountable because at the end of the day, she still did it. You also can't help but kind of judge her choice in men — I mean, she is in love with Clinton Rough...Clinton Rough.

"It is Ada," Isla immediately gets all of my attention. "It is really bad this time, Ander." Isla says making my stomach and heart plummet to the center of the earth.

"What happened? Where is she?" I demand too loudly, and I can tell because of how she flinches.

Lately, Ada has been going down quickly. It is like sometimes she can fight her demons and others they just eat her alive.

It is almost like when those demons come out, Ada is only worried about one thing and that is destroying everything worth keeping.

"She is in the stands." Isla jerks her head towards where the high schoolers usually are, but they are not right now since they are currently on the field. "She can't stand, and she is barely making any sense. I would usually just grab Hawkins, but I have a feeling she really needs you."

I nod my head as my eyes zone in on the laying form that I assume is Ada. "On it." I say starting to walk away but stopping for one more second. "Thanks, Isla." I point toward the other high schoolers. "Go enjoy this, okay? We beat Leb. I've got her from here." I smile making Isla nod before she heads to her friends who are all staring at us.

I jump over the rails to get to her, and while all the parents are congratulating me, the only person I am looking at is Ada. To everyone else, she probably just looks like she is sleeping or even staring at the stars, but I know better. I know she is imagining Anni's face or the night of the accident, or maybe the alcohol actually knocked her out this time, but I know it probably didn't.

"Vahn-dur-belt." Ada slurs once she sees my face. "Andy, Andy, Andy."

I get down to her level so I can see deep into her blue pooling eyes. "Hey, baby. What is wrong? Why did you do this?" I ask in a small whisper.

Ada points to her heart. "It hurts. Hurts bad." She sounds like a two-year-old who is just learning how to speak full sentences.

I nod, pulling her into a seated position. "Let's go home, Ade. Do you want to go to your home or mine?" I ask putting my hand out for her to grab when she is ready.

"You home." Ada says reaching out from my hand but falling short.

I quickly catch her and pick her up before she can hit her head or do something worse.

As I carry her to my car, I ignore all the looks from the parents and my own peers because I just don't care what they think anymore.

Everyone in this town knows about how bad Ada is. Every parent is talking about it and every friend is worried, but there is nothing any of them can do.

You can't talk to Ada's parents because they are just as bad — if not worse. You can't talk to Ada because she will shut down or it might break her if you do. No one knows how or what to say so they just don't — they simply judge.

I am almost to my car when I hear cleats and my name being yelled. "Isla told me, so Coach gave me your keys and I made sure to catch you." Hawkins says putting the bag on Ada who is almost asleep in my arms, and using the key to pop open the doors.

I nod to him. "Thanks, Hawk. I don't know what I would have done." I say genuinely because I didn't think through the fact that I was keyless and without my extra set of clothes.

Hawkins nods looking at Ada and then back at the stadium. "Take care of her. She needs you." Hawkins says and with that he is running back towards the happy cheers of the stadium.

Normally, I would be pissed.

Normally, I would be so angry that I am missing this celebration, but for some reason, I just don't care.

My only thought is getting Ada to my home and safe.

I start to slide Ada into my car and that is when her mumbling starts. "Don't. Home. No home. Vodka." She says making absolutely no sense.

I put the seatbelt on her and grab her hand. "We are going to get you home, Ade. You just need to breathe and sleep." I say before letting go of her hand and quickly running over to my side of the car.

I don't think that I have ever gotten my shoulder pads and cleats off so quickly in my life.

The whole drive to my house is just as illegal as the night Anni died.

I am going 90 mph when the speed limit is 55 mph. I know that I should slow down but having Ada in my car — this messed up — is terrifying. Slowing down just doesn't seem like an option. It also doesn't help that I know that most of the town cops are at the game, and the ones that aren't know my car and know better.

"Adan." I warn feeling the burn of her name on my tongue.

I can still remember the first time I saw her freshman year after we fell out.

Ada was wearing this blue summer dress and my stomach immediately flipped. She wasn't simply gorgeous, but she was the true definition of the word stunning. I remember how hard I tried to remain calm because I had to be the cool Ander that everyone knew, but then she laughed.

Ada smiled her perfect smile and then laughed her signature laugh. Ada has this laugh that fills your soul with nothing but happiness, and I think that's what I miss the most. I miss her gorgeous smile and her soul filling laugh. Don't get me wrong, Ada is still gorgeous today, but her brokenness stops her from those big smiles and deep laughs.

So, I won't give up on her. I refuse to give up on her.

I can still see her in those deep blue eyes.

I see the old Ada just dying to get out. I see old Ada clawing inside of there, fighting to come back and feel alive, and that's why I hold on. That's why I stay.

Ada is still in there. She just needs a little bit of help getting out.