The Summer It All Changed

The Beginning

"For the remaining time of this summer, Clara Davis will work with the county's local community service group for minors. This verdict is final" Judge Martin slams his gavel down on its podium, dismissing the case, and my social life.

I guess I should give a little backstory to this moment right now. I was at a party, like any normal soon-to-be senior of Terrence High School would be. This wasn't just any party though, it was the beginning of summer party, thrown by our local party animal Peter Thorne. His parties are LEGENDARY – thus his name as Party Animal. Anyways, it was late, and my curfew was 2 a.m., and it was 1:45. I live at least 15 minutes away from Peter's house, so I went to find my boyfriend Sean who I came here with. I tried to sober up as much as possible, knowing if things were normal, Sean would be too drunk to even open the door handle. I found him next to the keg, sloppy drunk, as usual.

"Sean." He couldn't hear me over the pounding music. "Sean." Sean." "SEAN!" I finally yell.

"The hell? Why do you have to be so loud Clara?" he says to the guy standing next to me.

"Sean, I'm over here. And I need your car. It's almost curfew."

"Awe come on Clara. Live a little. The party is still going on!" He whoops, causing the people around him to holler too.

"I know that Sean, but I'm already on thin ice with them from the last time I stayed out too late." That night, the lecture I heard from my dad went on for maybe an hour, it happens so often I seriously think he should become a professor.

"Okay, just give me a minute." He walks up to some random guys I've never seen him with and says, "Later my dudes." I will never understand how Sean can make friends with the snap of a finger.

"Come onnnnnnnn." I've been trying to be a more patient person, but oh well, I'll work on that when I'm sober.

Walking up to the car, Sean hands me the keys. I sigh, not wanting to have the responsibility of driving. For some reason, Sean thinks I don't know the way to his house and keeps trying to tell me which way to go, jumping in front of my face - which is not helping considering I am still slightly tipsy - and pointing which way to go even though I could drive there with my eyes closed I've been there so many times. "Go left by that store," he says.

"Your house is to the right of here though," I say, getting very annoyed by this point.

"Yeah but I want some food," he whines.

"Sean, it's 1:53, I seriously have to get home." I say, getting more exasperated by the second.

"It'll be quick I promise." And with that, he grabs the wheel from my hands and turns it straight towards the gas station's ice compartments in the blink of an eye.

"Sean!"

That's the last thing I say before I hear the grotesque sound of my car colliding with the metal of the building. Scared to look up, I look to the side of me, where I see Sean blinking rapidly.

"What the hell did you just do?" I'm surprised to find myself not yelling, probably because I'm in too much shock.

Starring wide-eyed at me, Sean mumbles, "This isn't my fault." Slowly, he gets out of the car.

"Sean, where are you going? Aren't you going to help me??" I asked confused, my brain not registering what he is most likely about to do. At that same moment, a group of random kids, all drunk, pull up to the side of the road, and I instantly recognize them as Sean's new buddies from the party.

"Dudeeeee what happened?" They're definitely drunk.

"Do you need a ride?" Another one asks.

Completely shocked at their inability to help, I stare at Sean. "Can you please help me fix this? You're the one who caused it!"

"I did not!" he yells at me. Sean pulls at his hair, a sign he's thinking about something. "Let's go." With that, jumps into their car faster than I can breathe.

This must have been all within the span of a minute, or the universe hates me so much that right as they zoom away, one of the gas station's older looking employees comes running out.

"What the hell?" He screams. " What's your name? Come inside missy, I'm calling the cops." He rants out surprisingly all in one breathe. It takes a few seconds for the words "cops" to register in my mind. Once it does, I turn into a crying mess as he walks back into the store.

"Please, it wasn't me, it was my boyfriend!" I desperately yell.

"I don't see no boyfriend around here." He says. In the distance, we both hear the faint siren of the police. Sighing, he says, "Well, come inside at least, I'll get you a water."

Not being able to do anything else, I follow him inside. At least I won't be dehydrated while riding in the back of a cop car.