The Freshman Tease ✓

32. Totaled

Katie

Anna apparently has the patience of a child, and basically grabs Jason and starts making out with him while he's trying to talk. It doesn't seem like he minds, as I notice him grab her butt.

I roll my eyes and stumble to the elevator. I'm sure I'm fine to drive. Everything is fuzzy but I'm fine. I try to comprehend what just happened.

Anna is his new girlfriend.

I was stupid to think I meant anything to him.

That's all my brain can understand right now.

I walk through the parking lot and manage to find my car. I carelessly toss my bag in the backseat and start the car. I feel like a complete idiot. I embarrassed myself, I was delusional, I was pathetic. I fumble with my keys and start the engine. I see the look of pain and desperation in myself as I adjust the rear view mirror.

Was the road always this wavy?

Why are so many people honking?

Is that light green? Red?

I hear a loud honking, the lights to my left get really really bright, and I hear a smash.

Everything goes black.

Lincoln

"Hey Tina, I'm gonna wait out in the hall OK? I'll drive you home whenever you're ready," I say, lightly touching her back.

She smiles. "Thanks Lincoln." Her grandpa smiles and nods to me as well before I leave the room and quietly shut the door behind me.

I turn on my phone and scroll through Facebook, I mostly just see pictures of people on vacation, or with their families wearing cheesy holiday outfits. Something catches my eye though, I see a post from one of the news pages I follow.

"T-bone accident downtown, two drivers in critical condition"

There's a picture. One car is an SUV, the other is a mini cooper. The mini cooper looks totaled, makes sense I guess.

Wait.

What does that license plate say?

I zoom into the picture to get a better view of the mini cooper's license plate.

I read it.

I read it again.

That's Katie's car.

"...critical condition"

Katie.

No.

My heart stops. The room is spinning. I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack.

A nurse walking by stops.

"Are you OK hon?" she asks, crouching down a bit and looking concerned.

I can't answer, I feel like I'm hyperventilating. I can't breathe.

I burst into the room, Tina takes one look at me and rushes to my side.

"Lincoln? What's wrong?" she asks, holding my arm to steady me.

I hand her my phone. "It's...Katie's car," I whisper as I collapse into a chair.

Her eyes go wide. "Holy shit...shit shit shit...OK, OK, stay here, they probably brought her to this hospital, let me go ask around," she quickly says as she runs out of the room.

I rest my head in my hands. I never even told her the truth about her birthday. My eyes start to tear up.

"She must be a special friend," a gentle voice says. I look up, I had completely forgotten Tina's grandpa was in here.