My Sweetest Downfall

Chapter 3

"Scarlet, wait!"

I was practically running down the halls, hurrying to get out of the school, and head straight home.

Time check, 3:35.

I can still make it there within 5 minutes if I run fast enough.

My heart was pounding hard. I still could not believe it until that moment. After all these years...

'I promise.'

Suddenly, I felt a hand grabbing my arm.

"Scarlet, I told you to wait!"

I turned my head to see Laura.

"I know you're excited, and I swear, Ivan and I both fucking shocked about it, as well."

My smile was so cracked from the surprise of the text, "I just can't believe it. All this time... he never forgot..."

"Are you sure that's what he came for? What if he just wants to visit you, 'cause after all, your dad and his were friends? What if it was just about that?"

"No way. He wouldn't forget about that."

"But what if he did, Scarlet? You made that promise with him 8 years ago when you were fucking nine! No one would take promises seriously at that stage," Laura would not let go of my arm.

"What if he threw it all away in the past? It was a childish promise. You think he'd hold on to something like that?" Ivan had his arms crossed, with his eyebrows frowned.

I shook my arm to escape from Laura's grip, "Let go of me. You don't know anything, alright? So, you have no right to judge it like that."

"Well, how are you supposed to remind him of that, huh? Hi, remember that promise we made when we were kids and if you just haven't left, we would've ended up as lovers?"

"You know what, go mind your own Goddamn business."

"We're just worried about you, Scarlet. We've told you about that since the start, right? There's like only 1% guarantee."

"You might just get hurt."

"Fuck off."

I walked away hurriedly, with my head almost burning from being furious with what they said.

No, Ansel would never forget about something that important. We may have just been kids then but what we had was definitely strong. Maybe he just thought of me as a best friend or something, but it doesn't matter; him, visiting me is everything.

"Is that Scarlet?"

I have so many things to ask him. Do you still remember our hangouts before? How has your 8 years been? Why visit only now? Why didn't you write back? How's your dad? I just can't think of enough questions. I wonder how he looks like. It's been so long.

I was running so fast that I could feel my legs go numb; my reflexes were as quicker than ever. I did not even care to notice anything around me. All I knew was that I had to get home.

I can finally tell him how I felt eversince, and this time, it would not seem like play-time, like a thought of a child that changes every now and then. I've come to realize that even at that young age, I've always felt it, until now. And that's why I need to see him, rejected or not, I want to tell him this one time.

"CARLY!!"

I froze instantly. That just triggered every nerve in my body.

I slowly turned around.

"God, I've been calling you since you left the school gates!" Caleb was running towards me, breathing heavily from exhaustion.

It's just him. And I thought...

Caleb bent down, with his hands on his knees, catching his breath, and then looking back at me, "What was that all about? You seemed troubled back there."

"It's..." I was also catching my breath, "It's nothing. I just..."

Caleb just looked at me, waiting for my answer.

"... My childhood friend... Ansel. My mom texted me and said he's gonna be at our home by 4."

Caleb chuckled, "Oh, and is this Ansel that close to you for you to run home?"

"Yeah, well... it's been 8 years since we've last seen each other," I smiled, shaking my head in the disbelief that it has actually been 8 years.

Caleb scratched the back of his head, "I don't think you have to be that excited, though. Calm down. I mean, you get caught in an accident or something."

I tittered lightly, still trying to catch my breath, "Yeah, I guess so."

"Your friends were chasing after you before me. What happened?"

I rolled my eyes, "Long story, bruh."

"Well, I can spare some time," Caleb smiled.

For this once, I found Caleb's smile aggravating to the core, "Well, I don't."

"Did Ivan & Laura tell you to come after me?! 'cause I swear..." I was just so pissed with them at that moment that the second Caleb mentioned them, my head boiled up again.

"Wait, they di--..."

"God, what am I doing talking to you, anyway? I need to get home now!"

I turned my back on him and crossed the street recklessly.

3:55. There's still some more time.

"Carly--..."

I took hurried steps, failing to acknowledge anything around me as I stared at my watch. I could hear Caleb calling out my name, but I only faced to him when he screamed my name for one more time. He was running towards me and looking pale, as if he was seeing a ghost and running towards it. Suddenly, I felt the heat of some kind of light from my side and heard a sudden blast of a truck and the breaks scratching on the road. My body suddenly froze, unknowing of what do and I just closed my eyes, accepting my fate and what would happen at that moment. I could see everything as if time slowed down, everything happened so fast but I saw every little bit clearly in a slow pace.

I felt Caleb grabbing my shoulders, and pushing me away. I could feel myself falling, and for a moment I was almost convinced that I was going to be able to avoid it. I was slightly falling down backwards, making my head hit the side mirrors of the truck and my body getting bruised by the wheels, feeling the pain of the broken glass cutting through my skin. And before I hit the ground, my whole bod was completely numb.

I could hear people freaking out and running towards us. There were screams, rapid footsteps, and the gasping of people. I could hear Patrick, Louis & Alvin's voices, but they were all a blur, as if something was clogging my ear. I could see the blood on my body, on the street, and on the broken mirrors of the truck, and on its front. I could see the others trying to grab for me, wanting to carry me or something, but the others tried to stop them, assuming that it might worsen my condition. I could barely keep my eyes open, but I had to use all of my remaining strength to keep them open. I turned my head to my left, and I saw Caleb. He was completely unconscious. It was horrible. Blood almost covered his whole face and body. I tried to reach out for him, but I was only able to move my fingers. My vision was starting to blur. I tried calling out his name, but I did not have the strength to make a single sound, at all. I stuttered his name roughly in almost a fainted whisper, before I could feel my head get so light. And with one intake of my breath, I closed my eyes and drifted away.