Love At Last Sight (Short Story) [Watty Awards 2012]

"Love and Death are the two great hinges on which all human sympathies turn." - B. R. Hayden.

Birds chirped up ahead, completing the image of a perfect summer's day in June. The sun was high in the sky, beating down on the bonnet of the car, as I peered through the window to my left. Children were playing with their families in the park, their screams and squeals of delight filling the crystal clear air, with smiles stretching wide across their faces.The picture started to blur before our eyes as we drove on by.

It was one of those days where everyone was calm and relaxed. They just couldn't help the feeling of happiness that filled their entire bodies. It was like there was something in the air, making them all forget their troubles and have fun. Or was it was the sun, bringing out the best in everyone? Whatever it was, it was contagious. Well, that is, to everybody but us.

I looked towards the boy on my right, whose hands were firmly around the steering wheel, avoiding my gaze. His knuckles had gone white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly, which made the faint smudge of blood stand out more than it should have. In the past few minutes, the air between us had grown cold. We were immune to whatever the people outside had caught. There was a whole world between us and them. It was tense, and the silence was becoming more and more awkward. We'd abandoned all attempts at small talk, and were now trying to avoid addressing the situation. But of course, that was only wishful thinking, and we couldn't avoid it much longer.

"So-"  he began.

"How could you do that?" The boy on my right was my good friend, Declan. I had known him for about six months. We'd met at a concert for one of my favourite bands, and had hit it off right away. He was such a sweet guy, one of the nicest I had ever met, which made it even harder to believe what he had just done.

"Well what was I meant to do? He was out of order!" Declan shouted, turning to face me for the first time since it happened.

"Yes, he was, but it was my problem, and I had it under control! I didn't need you to come in and 'save' me! I can look after myself!" I hadn't realised how annoyed it had made me until then, but I was shocked to realise that I was furious. Why couldn't he have just backed off. It was none of his business after all.

"You may not have needed me, but that doesn't mean I can't help! I'm your friend, that's what friends do." He was beginning to calm down, his eyes starting to look sad as he realised just how annoyed I really was. He wasn't prepared to let this go just yet though. But then again, neither was I.

"I had it under control," I repeated, quieter. "There was no need for you to hit him. Yeah, he was acting like a jerk, but what good did that do? What did you think was going to happen?"

"It's not that bad, you're blowing things way out of proportion, Sam-"

"Oh, I'm the one blowing things out of proportion?! What about you, you punched a guy who didn't even hurt me-"

"He should have left you alone, I only made him do so!"

"Couldn't you have just spoken to him like a normal, decent person?!"

"Sammie-"

"Save it."

Declan glanced from the windscreen back to me, looking like he wanted to say something, but had thought better of it. I couldn't bring myself to say anything either, so we resumed our awkward silence for the time being.

We had never really fought over anything like this before. It didn't even seem like anything worth fighting over, I mean, he stood up for me, right? But I had never liked waiting for other people to get me out of a bad situation. If something happened, I could solve it. And besides, it was Declan. Sweet, down to earth Declan, who wouldn't harm a fly. Why had he acted like that? What had made him change? I looked back to the boy on my right, trying to work him out.

But all I noticed was how his copper coloured hair shone in the fading sunlight. How his green eyes sparkled as he tried to concentrate on the road ahead. How, even though he knew I was looking at him, he kept his eyes on the road. And I couldn't do it. I couldn't stay mad at the boy who made me laugh, who always knew what I was thinking, and how to cheer me up. I'd known him for six months, and already he knew more about me than most people. I trusted him with my life, along with my secrets. I knew that he would always be there for me, and I would always be there for him. He was only trying to protect me, and for that, I couldn't stay mad.

"Declan, I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't mean it." His bright green eyes met mine, and he sighed.

"I know Sammie, it's okay. I shouldn't have taken things so far." I smiled weakly, feeling bad for yelling at him. He put his hand on my knee, and smiled at me. "What are we like?" he said, laughing.

I put my hand over his, glad that I hadn't lost him over something so silly. I sighed. The warmth was returning, and the happieness was starting to spread untill we were laughing again, singing along to the radio, just like usual. This could be a great summer's day yet - what was left of it.

Another song finished, and Declan turned to look at me. His smiled began to fade, a serious look taking it's place. "Sammie, I-" He said after a pause, but I never heard the end of that sentence . . .

                                            *************************************

I could say how, at that moment, a deer walked out onto the other side of the road. How, at that same moment, a car came speeding round the corner, heading straight towards it. Or how everything turned to slow motion when the car swerved to avoid the confused creature, instead putting the vehicle right in our path. How the driver struggled to regain control of his vehicle, but  it wasn't enough.

I could go on to describe how glass cracked and shattered all around us as we hit the windscreen, the sound of the crash deafening, causing a painful ringing in my ears. I could go on to say how much blood covered our surroundings, as everything went deathly silent.

I could tell you all that. But it wouldn't matter,

The most important thing, the only thing you need to know, is that I would already be dead before the ambulance finally arrived .

As for Declan?

I never found out . . .