The Tire Swing

Chapter 3

---\Annie's POV/---

Dear diary,I'm starting my first day of high school tomorrow. It's been 2 months since the accident, Grace is still in her coma. Mama cried for two weeks straight but two weeks ago she said she was pregnant! It's like Grace is completely, gone. She is growing up in a hospital without her family. I visit her every Wednesday at 4, but only me. No one ever goes to see her anymore. Mama and Papa always say, "Annie, that was 2 months ago. Grow up." But sometimes I hear Jason cry at night. Even though sometimes it's about different things, once it was about Mama and Papa arguing, another he missed my Aunt and Uncle. He came into my room and made a pallet on the floor. He told me it was to "keep me safe" but he had tears in his eyes. Sometimes, I leave the house to go sit by the dock. One time I thought about going, jumping, leaving, never seeing the world again. But as I put my foot over I felt a soft warm hand grasp mine. A boy, breathing hard. He was skinny, had shaggy brown hair, beautiful green eyes, and a soft but confident voice. "What do you think you're doing?" His voice trembling like he ran 20 miles to reach me. I know this wasn't a moment of love but my heart started to race, and my face felt hot. I didn't know what to say. He completely pulled me up and I cried we fell to the ground on our knees. He pulled me into an embrace. "Please, don't do this. It's not-." I remember leaning my head on his chest and crying some more, "Hey, I'm sorry I just, couldn't stand there, waiting for you to go. My name's Dillen, what's yours?" I answered and we talked for 5 more minutes before he took me to a local coffee shop and got us some drinks. Ever since Dillen and I have become great friends. He started calling me Anna, which is funny because that's what my granny used to call me.