The Complication

~Chapter 19~

Leslie POV

She hated birthdays. Every year her friends would go overboard with a party for her. Leslie was walking down her street kicking at pebbles when she heard Drake calling her name. 

“Leslie, hey!” he waved from across the street.

“Hey Drake!” she yelled back.

“We are all going over to Bridgette’s to watch some movies. Want to come?” he asked.

“Sure!” Leslie exclaimed. At least they weren’t doing anything big this time.

“Oh and h-“Suddenly, a black challenger came out of nowhere. Its tires screeching as it skid across the road. It spun towards Drake. His eyes widened as looked over at the car. It came towards him and that was it. He was thrown across the ground and landed with a thud on the pavement.

“Drake!” Leslie screamed through tears.

Drake POV

          Drake heard Leslie scream. He was breathing heavily but not much air was getting through. Leslie ran up and knelt beside him tears streaming down her face.

          “Happy Birthday,” he managed to cough out.

She cried harder. Drake reached up wincing at the pain that shot up his spine and brushed a tear off her face, “don’t cry, it’s your birthday.”

          He coughed again, aware of the blood that gurgled at the back of his throat. “Reach in my pocket.”

          Leslie carefully pulled out the little box that Drake had wrapped specially for her.

“Open it.”

Leslie took the top off and gently lifted out the diamond necklace in the shape of an L. She gasped and admired it, watching as it twinkled in the sunlight.

          “Drake, it’s beautiful.”

          “There’s more,” blackness was closing in on his line of vision but he wouldn’t give in he needed to be conscious for this moment.

          Leslie grasped the small piece of paper and read, “Leslie, I love you... Drake you don’t know how long I’ve waited for you to say that.” She leant down and gently kissed him on the lips.

          All the pain wiped away. It was only him and Leslie, her lips, her touch. He wished it would never end. But it did and not a moment too soon.  He coughed up blood, watching the red sticky liquid hit the pavement.  Drake leaned his head onto Leslie’s knees and she lightly caressed his hair. She was crying again.

          “I’ve loved you since the moment I first saw you, “he said pausing before adding, “not to come on to strong.”

          Leslie giggled, and then stopped herself. Drake took her hand, “Don’t stop being happy because of me, if I don’t make it-“

          Leslie opened her mouth to interrupt but Drake talked over her, “If I don’t make it, I want you to remember the good times we had together not the bad, please don’t be sad because of me.”

          “I’ll try my best.”

          “That’s all I can ever ask.”

          “And Drake,” she said, he looked up at her for the last time, “I love you too.”

          Drake closed his eyes and let the darkness swallow him.

Jay POV

        Drake was dead. Drake was dead. That’s all that ran through Jays mind as he bolted down the road. He had a queasy sensation in his stomach. Turning towards the ditch, Jay vomited. He wiped his mouth and ran back down the road. Sirens were wailing, lights were flashing and people were crowding as he reached the scene. Leslie was sitting on the ground, wrapped in a blanket. She ran over to hug Jay. Tears stained his coat as she cried on Jay’s shoulder.

        “I’m so sorry,” he whispered in her ear. Tears welled up in Jay’s eyes and the two of them stood there in silence, crying.

Sadie POV

Oh my god. I ran up to the scene of the crash with Brendon, Bridgette, Lucas and Madison following close behind. Leslie and Jay were sitting on the curb crying. Breathing heavily, I sat down next to them, more than a little shocked that Jay was crying. I’d never seen him cry before, ever.

        I saw the paramedics rush by, rolling a cart with a blanket in the shape of a human body. A Drake sized body. It hit me, head on. Drake was dead; we would never see him again. Tears rolled down my face, making large tracks on my cheeks.

        I sat next to Jay and hugged him. He hugged back, burying his face in my hair. I couldn’t even imagine what he was going through. Drake had not only been his best friend, but also his safe beacon. Drake was the person Jay would go to when he had family issues or just needed someone to talk to. Now that Drake was gone, I was worried about what Jay might do.

        I held him like he was the only thing left in the world. He smelled good, like pine and freshly cut grass. I inhaled deeply, closed my eyes and pretended that everything was alright.

Leslie POV

        This wasn’t happening. She had to tell herself that, because she didn’t think she could handle the truth. Drake is in the hospital, he’ll recover, she kept screaming in her head over and over.

        She saw Jay and Sadie hugging, and knew that she didn’t have anyone to hug that way. A lump formed in her throat. Desperately, she tried to swallow it, refusing to cry. She’d cried enough tonight, and she knew Drake wouldn’t want to see her unhappy.

        She closed her eyes and lay down on the cool grass. She needed an escape from all of this, and sleep was the only way to get it. But sleep didn’t come easily, images flashed in her mind, showing up even clearer under her closed eyelids. When her and Drake first met, when they first hung out alone, when they first kissed...  her eyes snapped open. It was too much. Swallowing fresh tears, she made her way to the ambulance and choked out a pitiful excuse of a sentence, “can I have a sleeping pill?”