make-believe | jason newsted

xxii

chapter twenty two: live forever

After they left the carnival, Jason offered to drive Valencia home. The energy in the air was still full of joy as they sat in the car making jokes and thinking back on their night together.

She was practically glowing with happiness, talking about what she thought were the best rides, and how happy she was that Jason won her the teddy bear she was holding.

It was a better night than Jason expected it to be. It was fun, it was romantic, and it was the perfect night for them to grow closer to each other. It felt like a dream.

While at a red light, Jason leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss on Valencia's cheek, exchanging glances with her. The radio was playing softly, acting as the backdrop to their blooming love story.

Jason smiled as he put his focus back onto the road ahead once the light turned green. Valencia looked out the window on her side, suddenly screaming. "Jason, watch out!"

Jason tried his best to hit the brakes and swerve away from the car barreling towards them, but it was too late. The other car had smashed into the passenger side, causing them to spin out.

The driver of the other car was careless, backing out and driving away before police could arrive. The same couldn't be said for Jason and Valencia, the impact of the crash had been brutal.

Jason opened his eyes, his vision blurry as he tried to gain awareness of his surroundings. He felt dizzy, and there was a shooting pain in his side that let him know something was seriously wrong.

The only thing he could remember leading up to that moment was the sight of bright headlights and swerving. Any memory after that had been gone, but the worst hadn't even begun yet.

When he finally managed to regain focus in his vision, he looked over to check on Valencia. He felt his heart drop into his stomach as he saw her sitting there unconscious and barely breathing.

"Valencia." He said weakly, trying to see if maybe she would wake up soon. He tried to gently shake her awake, wanting to make sure she was okay. "Valencia, come on..."

The more he tried to call out her name, the more his heart started pounding against his chest. She wasn't even making a sound, the worry turning into panic as he kept watching her remain still.

"Val, please, come on, this isn't funny anymore." He said louder, the panic starting to build within him. She still hadn't managed to wake up, and Jason didn't know what to do.

The sound of the police could be heard in the distance, which meant help was coming, but how much would they be able to do? What if she needed to go to the emergency room and she didn't make it?

Jason tried not to think the worst, but her condition wasn't helping matters. "Valencia, please!" He shouted, his voice full of desperation as red and blue lights flashed in the distance.

When there wasn't any answer or sign of consciousness, he started to spiral. Too many emotions were hitting him at once, and his panicked state was starting to drive him into hysterics.

While bystanders were trying to help Jason out of the car, his eyes never left Valencia once. It felt like the world was closing in on him, his body acting on autopilot to make sure she was okay.

His ears were ringing as they helped him out of the car. He couldn't even hear himself calling out her name, but it was no use. She still wasn't waking up, even with strangers checking on her too.

He was starting to fear the worst. Paramedics had to make sure he stood on the sidewalk to check on him and leave the professionals to help her out of the car.

The police arrived and started to try and calm Jason down. They needed to start asking him questions about the accident, but his mind was elsewhere. He didn't want to explain anything.

All he wanted was a sign of life from her, even if it was something as simple as moving her hand or making a noise. He would have peace of mind knowing she wasn't seriously injured.

The paramedics could sense his anxiety and reassured him that she would be fine. It was more important that they check up on him and make sure he wasn't seriously injured either.

While Jason was being checked on, he watched as they put Valencia onto a stretcher and put her inside the ambulance. He wanted to go with her and stay by her side, but he knew that he had to stay behind.

One of the officers had come over, holding a familiar blue stuffed animal. "Is this yours by any chance?" He asks as he holds it out to Jason. "We found it on your girlfriend's lap."

Jason nodded and took the teddy bear into his hands. The bear was unscathed, with barely any damage being done to it as a result of the accident. That had to account for something.

He sighed and held the teddy bear close to him, trying to give himself comfort and peace of mind that Valencia would be okay. He never wanted something like this to happen to her.

The policeman had cleared his throat, trying his best to be sensitive during the situation. "Do you want to file a report about the accident?"

Jason didn't even bother to answer, watching as the ambulance doors closed with her inside. In just a matter of minutes, the ambulance drove away.