Teenagers, Love and Pregnancy

Chapter 23

Before I even knew what was happening, I unbuckled my seatbelt, threw open my car door, and threw my feet onto the pavement. I couldn't hear the sirens and people around me, I couldn't feel the biting cold or driving snow, all I could do was see. See the people rushing around, the barriers set up to keep traffic out of the area. I sprinted toward them as fast as I could, not even feeling my feet moving, just knowing I was getting closer to Joey.

"Joey! Joey!" I felt my lips form his name, but I didn't know I had screamed it until there were two cops on me, one holding one of my arms and one standing in front of me.

"Let me go!" I screamed, trying to jerk my arm away. I wasn't even thinking anymore. Looking back on it, I probably could've been arrested for it, but I didn't care. I had to know if my best friend was okay.

"Ma'am, you can't go any closer to the wreck," the police officer in front of me said. "It's very dangerous." The officer behind me tightened her grip on my arm.

"But he's my best friend!"

The policeman replied, but I didn't listen. I couldn't hear anything but the beating of my own heart.

And that's when I saw it, just behind the policeman's back, what he had failed to block from my view.

Rolling on top of a stretcher.

A bodybag.

Zipped up.

Full.

There was only one car involved in the accident, and only one person in that car. That could only mean one thing.

Joey was dead.

I didn't know why my line of view was sinking until I hit the ground. Both of my knees collided hard with the icy asphalt as a heavy sob racked my body. I never said goodbye. I never even said I was sorry. I thought about the beautiful boy who once-upon-a-time I had kissed in the rain and held hands with at baseball games. The boy who brought me flowers and told me I was beautiful. The boy who took care of me when I was pregnant, even though we weren't together anymore, and laughed with me when I ate crazy foods. The boy who massaged my feet and froze to death to make me happy. The godfather of my unborn son. My best friend. And he was dead. He died with sadness in his heart, all because aof me.

I was aware that the cops were trying to pull me up, but I didn't care. I wanted to die right there on that asphalt and be with Joey again, not even thinking about my baby or tomorrow. I knew I was screaming, and screaming loud, but it didn't even begin to amount to the pain I was feeling inside. Joey was dead. He was never coming back. And it was all my fault.

***

When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the humming. A constant, steady humming and bright, white lights. As everything came into focus, I realized the bright light came from fluorescent panels in the ceiling. But the humming. . .

I felt something squeeze my hand.

"Cameron? Honey?" A distant voice called.

"Mom?"

"Yes, honey. How do you feel?"

I blinked groggily, still staring at the ceiling, and quickly assessed myself. I felt fine. Sleepy, but fine. I wiggled my toes. Fine. I flexed my ankles. Fine. I bent my knees.

NOT fine.

"Jeez!" I hissed. "What happened to my knees?"

"You-you fell honey, and landed on your knees. Don't you remember?" Mom replied.

I racked my brain, but everything felt fuzzy. I dug through the recesses of my mind, and suddenly, everything came rushing back, hitting me hard like an eighteen-wheeler.