The Boy in the Blue Flannel

Journal Entry 6

Today I called Luke and asked him if he wanted to come over to work on our project. My mom was out of town, probably partying with some friends. "Sure." he said. "I'll be there in a few." "Okay." I said, and hung up. He arrived about 10 minutes later with a bag of stuff. I had just about everything I needed at home already. I opened the door and let him in. "Hey." I said, smiling. "Hi." he said. We went into my room and continued working on the project. We made small talk and hung out like we always do. We're almost done with our city, all it needs is a few touch-ups here and there.

After about an hour of us working on it, I got a call from an unknown number. I didn't think much of it. I picked up my cellphone. "I have to take this. I'll be right back, Luke." "Okay, no problem." said Luke.

I went into my bedroom, closing the door behind me. "Hello?" I said. "Hi. Is this Alli?" said the other person on the line. It sounded like a middle-aged woman. "Yeah. Who is this?" I asked, starting to wonder why this stranger knew my name. "I'm Martha. I'm friends with your mother." I suddenly got a little worried. Something must have happened to my mom. "Okay...so why did you call me?" I asked. "Well, Alli..." Her voice started to sound very serious and earnest. "Your mother...she..." 'Get to the point!' I thought. The suspense was killing me. "She got into an accident." she finally said. "What?!" I said. "What kind of accident?" I asked. "A CAR accident." The lady said. "Oh, no..." I said. I felt panic and anxiety taking over my body. I started sweating and breathing heavily. "Is-is she okay?" I stuttered. "Well, that's what we're trying to figure out now. We're in the ambulance right now, on our way to the hospital." she told me. "Oh my god...what happened?" "She was drunk driving and smashed her car into the curb." "Oh my...god." was all I could say. "I'm so sorry, Alli." she said. "Listen, I have to go. I'll tell you what happens." she said, and hung up without another word. I put down my phone, and burst into tears, thoughts racing through my head. If my mom got hurt, I would have no one. I guess I never realized how dependent I became on my mom when my dad left. She may be an alcoholic, but I know that deep inside she loves me and has done all she can to support me. I started to feel awful about the way I've treated my mother lately. I should have been more grateful for all the things she has done for me. I should have respected her more. I should have tried to get her to stop drinking, not made her feel bad for it. I couldn't take all the regret anymore.

I ran into my bathroom, staring at the razor on the counter. I picked it up. In that moment, all I could feel was the cold metal in my sweaty, shaking hand. I raised my left wrist, ready to take away all the pain. Suddenly I felt a hand on my arm.

"Don't do it." I heard. I looked up and saw Luke standing by me, with a concerned look on his face. 'Oh my god...Luke...' I got so worried about my mom that I had totally forgotten that he was there. He must have gotten worried while I was gone. I dropped the razor and started bawling, looking into his big blue eyes. I don't know why, but I found myself crying harder than I ever have. "Luke!" He wrapped his arms around me. Normally I would push him away, but it just felt so right. He was just what I needed. I fell into his arms and buried my face into his hoodie, wetting it with tears. "Are you okay?" he asked. I shook my head. "Tell me what happened. You can tell me anything." he said. I knew I could trust him. We went into the living room. I took a deep breath and explained everything to him. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be alright." he said. His words were so comforting. I knew he meant what he said. "Thanks." I said, my voice cracking again. I couldn't help it. I burst into tears once again. He held me close, and whispered in my ears, "I'm here for you, Alli. Cry as much as you need."