Jubilance

Chapter 1

Juliette Mae Renyn lay lifelessly in her hospital bed. Her best friend, Molli, studied her dear friend seven years.

If there was any way Molli would describe Jules, it would be jubilant. Jubilant, joyful, crazy, loving, compassionate- the list could go on. But Molli didn't know if Jules could.

Jules spent all of her sixteen years of life loving people and loving The Lord. Jules didn't waste a second on hatred or negativity. Jules spent her life trying to build people up after they'd been torn down. And whenever Jules felt torn down, she fell to her knees and brought it to God. But this time she was incapable of falling on her knees and crying out to God, so Molli would do it for her.

"God," Molli prayed, "I really love my friend. Jules is one of the greatest blessings you've ever given me. Lord, I don't want to lose her. God, maybe you want her now, and I guess I can't fight it...but I just want to ask that you might heal her. Make her healthy and whole. I need Jules, she was a miracle for me. I love you, Lord. Amen."

It was Molli's second hour being in the hospital, and Jules' fourth. Molli rushed to the hospital as soon as she received the news, which was a half hour after it happened. The other hour and a half was how long it took to get to the hospital.

Molli revisited the terrible, sinking feeling she got in her stomach when she got the call. She remembered back a couple of hours ago.

Molli was doing her late-afternoon yoga when she got a call from Mr. Renyn. Huh, Molli thought, that's weird. Jules' parents never call me. Why wouldn't she just text me? I guess I better answer it.

"Hello?" Answered Molli.

"Molli, we have terrible news...about Juliette," informed Mr. Renyn frantically. "I am on my way to the Children's Hospital in Columbus, and I suggest you come too. Mrs. Renyn is with Juliette in the helicopter almost to the hospital."

Molli almost dropped her phone. "What..wait..what- what happened?"

Mr. Renyn sounded distressed, "Juliette was riding with Alex, her boyfriend. They were on their way to the school to watch the basketball game. They were almost there when at the last intersection Alex ran the stop sign, thinking no cars were coming and knowing that they were in a hurry. But...he was wrong. A pickup truck t-boned them into Juliette's side."

Molli started crying. "What? How is she? How bad is it?"

Mr. Renyn sighed. "They put her on life support. She is unconscious. The paramedics told us that she most likely had a head injury and some brain damage."

"Oh my gosh," Molli barely managed to say. "I'm on my way. I'll keep praying."

"Thank you, Juliette needs it." Ended Mr. Renyn as they both hung up.

A single tear slid down Molli's cheek. She felt devastated and defeated. Jules' parents were out in the hallway talking to the doctor, so Molli got some time to be with Jules alone.

"Jules..." Molli started. "Come back...Jules, I've never had a friend like you. I need you. I love you. Jules, please, come back. Please wake up. Let me know if you can hear me," begged Molli.

Even unconscious Jules wore an expression of joy and peace on her face. Even though everything else seemed lifeless, Jules' expression was still the happy expression it's always been.

Molli loved her beautiful friend. Jules was not only beautiful on the inside, she radiated beauty on the outside. Chocolate brown hair framed her glowing face. She had bright blue eyes that shone. She had full, pink lips that never failed to smile. Jules always claimed to have envied Molli's thin, straight, dirty blonde hair. Molli never understood why and thought of her hair as plain. If anything, she definitely would've preferred to look like Jules.

Jules also claimed to have envied Molli's full name, Molli Marie Maurine. "I love the organization of the M's," Jules would always say. "My initials are JMR. I mean, what's neat about that?"

"Jules," Molli would always respond, "I love your name. It is beautiful. Juliette Mae is the most beautiful name I've ever heard. I don't know why you don't prefer to go by your full name."

"Because," Jules would say, "it's too formal for me. It's a very elegant name, and you know how far from elegant I am," she would giggle. "Jules suits me more."

"I can agree with that," Molli would say, "but I still love Juliette."

Molli missed those days. There was nothing she wished more than to see her bright eyed friend up and moving as energetic as she'd always been. Molli prayed so hard that Jules would pull through.