The car jolted to a stop. I guess I hadn't noticed we arrived because I was to busy looking at the city lights. It really was a beautiful night.
"Ready?" Ale asked. I looked over at him and smiled. He smiled, too, and got out of the car to open my door. He opened it, and I got out. He seems so perfect.
As I look at the location, I realize that I had worn the appropriate clothing. It was a nightclub, and my short dress allowed me to dance without it writhing up. Perfect.
And as he walks me in, the music is loud, there were so many people on the dance floor, but it felt like just me and him. It all seems so perfect. Like it was all planed. This didn't weird me out. It just seemed meant to be.
"Sky? You wanna dance?"
"Hm?" I say blankly and look over at him. He looks like he's waiting for an answer...
"Do you want to dance?" He repeats.
"Oh! Ya, totally." I laugh. "Sorry, I'm just a little dazed." I apologize as we walk into the crowd of dancing people. He seemed to know what "moves" were "cool" now. So I followed his lead as we "danced". And I use quotations because it's not really dancing, it's jumping up and down and occasionally pumping your fist. But it was really fun.
"I'm getting a little tired, can we take a break?" I ask. My feet were pounding, and it felt like my ankles were going to break from all the jumping.
"Sure," he grabs my wrist and we squeeze through the crowd until we get to a bench, where we sit down in silence. Then a man with drinks on a tray walks towards us.
"Want a drink?" Ale asks. I've never really drank alcohol before. But might as well try...
"Sure." I say before I change my mind. Ale snatches two drinks from the tray and sneaks back to our bench. I thank him and take a sip.
I held back my gagging as I tried to swallow the bitter drink. I ended up spitting it out into the plant that was next to me, and pouring the rest of the drink, too. I look back at Ale and give him a smile and a nod, as if to say, 'It tastes great!'. I can get away with faking to drink.
As the night went on, I faked to drink but Ale didn't. Every dink I had he had two, and drank it for real. I had to grab the next drink he had before he could finish. It was time to leave.
I pulled him out of the club. He said crazy things and I just nodded as I opened the passenger seat and shove him in. I climbed into the drivers seat and turned the car on.
"Can we get chips?" I hear Ale ask. I roll my eyes and say, "When we get to my house, you can eat all the chips you want."
"But I want them now."
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Yes!" I sigh and look across the street. A gas station. Thank god.
"Okay, we can drive to that gas station." I put the car in reverse, but a hand quickly grabs the wheel.
"No! Walk... we need to walk!" I roll my eyes. He's drunk. Completely wasted.
"Fine." I get out of the car and before Ale can walk anywhere I grab him by the wrist and pull him to the crosswalk. Car after car zoomed past, and we waited for a good time to cross.
"The lights are preeeetty." Ale points to the skyline and I laugh.
"Your right. They really are." The cars die down, but I could still see one racing toward us in the distance. But Ale yanked his wrist out of my grip. He walks into the middle of the road.
"It's beautiful!" He screams.
"Ale, come back!" I yell. But he stays. My mouth drops open. This can't be happening. I can see the car getting closer. I start to walk out, but I can't make myself move. My foot refuses to take the next step.
"Ale!" I scream. "Please, come back!" My breathing becomes heavy. I have to save him. I have to.
I WASNT DRUNK. I WAS COMPLETELY SOBER. BUT I HAD TO DO THIS. I HAD TO FINISH THE JOB.
I wish I didn't have to.
"ALE!" I scream. Tears stream down my face. It's to late. The car slams into him at full speed. My hand claps onto my mouth as the car pulls over. I drop to my knees.
"What have I done?" I whisper. This was all my fault. And now, now...
"Hey. Hey!" The girl in the car yells. "I'm calling 911, Okay? Don't worry." But I was worrying. For all I know he could be... could be...
I clear my mind. I need to call mom. I pull out my phone and tap on her contact. The phone rings and rings and rings.
"Hello?"
"Mom,"
"Sky! How's it going?"
"Mom, Ale got hit."
"Is he in a fight? Call the police!"
"No, by a car! Ale was drunk and got hit by a car." I sob. " The woman that was driving in the car called 911. But I need you to call Ale's parents and get them to come down here immediately. The address is on my desk."
"Okay. Stay calm, honey. I'll be their with his parents in a bit. Stay there, and stay calm." She hung up the phone right when I start to hear sirens.
"Go to him," I hear a voice. It was the woman that was in the car.
"I'll block the cars. Go to him." I nod and rush to Ale's side. I shake him and kiss him and tell him to stay with me. That he'll be fine. My tears stain his bloody clothes. He looks so bad. So, so bad.
The ambulance arrives, as well as the police and firemen. I scream as the police tear me away from Ale. I scream as they lift me up and carry me to the curb. They handcuff me to a pole to make sure I don't move. But that doesn't stop me from screaming.
When my mom arrives with Ale's parents, she rushes to me. Ale's parents run to the ambulance and climb in the back after talking to the doctors. But I watch the ambulance drive away as my mom runs to me, the policeman giving her a key. She unlocks my handcuffs and embraces me. I'm not screaming anymore. I'm slack-jawed and staring at the empty space where the ambulance use to be. Then I look at the stained black top that Ale used to lie.
What have I done?
"It's my fault," I sigh. "Mom, it's all my fault!" I exclaim.
"No. No it's not." She whispers. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"If I had refused to take him to that gas station. If I had just driven home." My head drops onto my moms shoulder.
"Shhh," she rubs my back. "Let's get you home." And that's what we do. She picks me up, carries me to the car, and we drive home. But even as I lay on my bed weeks later, I still think, it's all my fault. So many people told me otherwise, and yet the guilt just never went away.
So I started running.
