Five Years Without You (HIATUS)

Chapter Four

~Marissa~

 "Marissa, do you know where my dictionary is?" Joshua asks, checking his supply list for any other missing books.

Josh's room is really messy, but I have good eyes. I find his dictionary on top of a shelf.

I walk over and hand the dictionary to him. "Damn, are all your books this heavy?" I ask rhetorically. But the dictionary was really heavy for a dictionary.

He sighs. "Dear Rissi, you will soon learn that university textbooks are awfully thick and therefore back-breakingly heavy."

I laugh. My brother is really a funny fellow.

"Marissa, will this be enough family pictures for my dorm?" he asks, revealing pictures from all eras of the Sullivan family. Pictures of mom and dad pre-us, pictures of mom and dad holding a tiny, just-born Joshua. A picture of mom, dad and Josh when he was an only child. A picture of mom, dad and an almost two-year-old Josh in the hospital, mom holding me as a newborn, Josh sitting on dad's lap. A few pictures of our family before the twins. Then a picture from when the twins were born. Josh and I were nine and seven by then. A few pictures of our completed family.

I smile. "It's perfect, Josh," I say.

"Great," he replies, then closes the suitcase.

"Josh, do you want to g-" I begin, but am cut off by the sound of a loud crash.

My brother exclaims, "what was that?" and walks over to the window. I follow him.

It's a car crash.

Wait.

I've seen that black Toyota on the neighbour's driveway before.

What if it's the blue-eyed girl next door?

"Josh, I've gotta go see if they're ok," I say, heading for the door.

Josh grabs my arm. His grip is strong. "Riss, where the hell do you think you're going?" he asks.

"To the, um," I say, "crash site. Just trust me, okay?"

Josh looks confused and concerned. "Marissa, no."

"I'll be fine, I promise," I assure him. I just really want to get outside.

Josh's face is stern. "You're staying here."

I yank my hand out from Josh's hold. He looks shocked, as he should. I almost never act like this. "Shut up, Josh. I'm going. You can't stop me."

I quickly put my shoes on and run outside. As I approach the crash site, I see there's a figure in the black car.

It is the girl.

Rae, I think. That's her name.

She's been knocked unconscious, and at first I don't see any big injuries other than a cut on her lip.

Then I see it. There's a big gash on her right arm. I gasp and dial 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" The call-taker asks.

"I've found a girl in a car crash. She's bleeding a lot through her arm," I say.

The operator says, "okay, about how old is she?"

"Sixteen or seventeen," I guess.

"Is she unconscious?"

"Yes, but she's still breathing."

"And where are you?" the operator asks.

"Ruby Wells Street, Claremont."

"We're on our way."

-

An ambulance arrives minutes later, taking the girl on a stretcher and replacing my makeshift cloth bandage with a real one. The EMT also lets me sit in the back with him and the girl.

"What's your name, girl?" he asks suddenly.

I'm a bit caught off guard. "Um, Marissa Sullivan," I say.

"Well, thank you Marissa. You probably saved this girl's life."

I smile a bit.

The rest of the ride is silent, and I look at the girl the whole time.

She's beautiful, actually. Since I first saw her across my driveway when I was twelve, I've always thought her hair was black. As I look down at her now, I can see that her hair is actually dark brown with black highlights. I know her eyes are sapphire blue, and I wish I could see them up close right now. She has a soft looking oval face, but a refined jawline. Her facial features are soft looking, too, like her soft nose and full lips.

I wish I had really met her in different circumstances, because her closeness makes me feel warm in a different way. Like a fireplace, almost, but it's more like I'm talking to her soul and exchanging energy and warmth with her as I stare at her. It's a weird sensation, but I oddly enjoy it. Whatever it is.