Polaroid

072

lex was too caught up in her own world  that she forgot an outside world existed.

but her phone ringing at 10 o clock that night didn't sit right with her. her gut telling her that it wasn't something she would want to hear. welcomed by the hoarse voice of luca, "it's quentin." she spoke. her mouth  suddenly going dry at the sound of one of her friends she had made as a child  and sophia's boyfriend, "he's been shot."

her stomach dropped to the floor, her face pale as everyone around her noticed her demeanor changed, "don't play like that." lex was able to muster, "don't play like that." she repeated again but luca assured her it was not a game and he was fighting for his life, "what happened."

"they were going for his brother." luca spoke as she paced back and forth, the sight of sophia covered in quentin's blood was enough for her to have nightmares for the rest of her life, "sophia watched it all unfold, lex." luca finished off as lex finally mustered the courage to move from her position.

"i'm on my way." she whispered as tears began to form in her eyes.

who would do that to quentin? the promising wide receiver at ucla who was to go into the nfl draft next spring because he was simply that good. the same person who had a personality bigger than life itself and lex always thought he was literally meant to be friends with anyone. he was the same guy who you just had to like. he made you feel right at home. she had never met someone who was so friendly, compassionate, kindhearted and passionate. he was the same person who knew how to make someone laugh or smile on their worst day possible.

haylee watched as lex stood motionless, tears falling freely from her eyes as she made eye contact with her best friend, "i have to go." she simply mustered, her movements static, as she didn't know how she was moving but she was. she was so thoughtless about it, "i have to go." she repeated again, but mostly to herself.

jonah looked at his wife. his concern growing as he was quick to follow lex who wasn't paying attention to what she was doing. her emotions clouding her brain, "alexia."
he called out after her, turning to look at him with a blank expression on her face  and eyes full of tears. the sight alone brought him to his knees. wanting nothing more than to take away her pain and have him carry it, "squirt, what's wrong. talk to me."

lex shook her head. she was still unable to process what she had just been told. almost as her brain didn't want to believe it, "it's about Q." she simply stated finally looking at jonah, "they shot him." she crumbled down, her tears finally coming down freely and her body shaking, "he's in critical condition. i need to go see him and sophs." she cried, feeling jonah hug her tightly.

"i'll take you." he responded, "you can't drive like this."

wiping her tears away, she shook her head. she needed to be with haylee who was close to making it to the finish line. they needed him, "no." she spoke, "you are a dad. i can drive myself. they need you here."

"moms here." he responded, "you can't drive like this. lemme drive you." he needed to take lex. she was in no condition to drive herself. and he wasn't going to lose his sister tonight either. his mind was now racing. he had seen quentin grow up with sophia and lex before she moved to colorado with nolan. who would want to harm him? he just couldn't think about it like that. he could only see the smiling quentin, who was as lanky as a twelve year old growing up but now was a promising beast on the field as a collegiate athlete.

"i'll be fine." she promised, "i gotta make it."

but she didn't. quentin was pronounced dead at three in the morning the following day and lex was barely half way to los angeles when luca called her again to let her know. lex had to pull over on the freeway to cry. she had to stop herself because the pain that she felt was so unbearable. she had just lost one of her childhood best friend over what? because he wanted to save the day like always? because quentin was that type of person. she thought of jalen and sophia. the only witness of  quentin's last moments in this world. jalen had lost his older brother and sophia had lost the love of her life.