Chapter 34

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So right after I stopped updating, my friend passed away in a horrible car accident. They said it was a miracle she made it alive to the hospital, but she went brain dead 2 days later. I literally still can't believe she won't be graduating with us. Just 3 weeks ago today, my friend committed suicide. I was hoping this year would be the best, but it hasn't quite gone that way. Idk I kind of just want to finish this book so the ending probably won't be as good as the rest of the book and I'm really sorry about that. I've just really been missing my friends, Koby and Taylor. Today will be the 6 month mark Tay has been gone. And I hope you guys don't mind, but I'm going to write this chapter about her. She was truly a huge influence in my life, from when I went from private to public school, and then I was ditched by my best friend of 7 years. That's how I met her and she literally welcomed me into her group so fast. I have so much to owe to her. She's my guardian angel.

Chapter 34

I wake up to a frantic sounding phone buzzing. I can't quite find my phone and the call ends. Right away, it is buzzing again. I find it and answer.

"Hello?" God my voice is so groggy. It's literally noon, the person is going to think I'm a freak for sleeping this late.

"Lizzy? This is Taylor's mom. I know you haven't talked too much the past few years but-" she broke out crying.

"Miss Llewelyn? Is everything okay? What's going on?" I'm suddenly wide awake.

"There's been an accident. If you want to, you can come to the hospital." She gave me the information and I rushed out of bed and got ready. What day is it even? I look at the date on my phone. February 22 (it actually happened on October 22, but I changed the month to go with the storyline).

As I rushed out the door, I run into a Jack, who has a look of shock when I run into him.

"Whoooaaa baby! Slow down! Don't upset my little peanuts!" He has no idea.

I can't keep my cool when I see him. I break down and beg him to take me to the hospital.

"What happened? Are they okay? Oh my god please don't tell me you're having a miscarriage. Holy shit Liz-"

"IT'S NOT ME ITS TAY!" I scream, in hysterics. He gets me in his car while I calm down. We drive in silence and I look through my Twitter. No one says anything about her so not too many people know probably. We get to the hospital and I try to run in but it's more of an awkward waddle. Jack runs up by me and grabs my arm, walking with me. I'm so out of breath I have to wait a few seconds before we walk in.

Jack walks to the front desks and asks where to go. We are directed towards the ICU. When we get there, the door is closed but when her brother saw us, he came to open it up. We walked down to her room, where the curtain is hiding her.

"Oh Lizzy!" Her mom hugs me.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"I called you to say goodbyes."

Goodbyes? No, that's not possible. She's going to be fine. She is a fighter. She's too young. She's not ready.

We were all silent while we waited. When they told us we could come in, I grabbed Jack's hand and squeezed.

She was still the same beautiful Taylor I always knew. With that long thick lock of hair and her gorgeous face. But her eyes were what killed me. One was closed, the other 3/4ths closed. Her skin was so pale and cold, and her body was swollen everywhere. Dried blood was on her. I was afraid to touch her, in fear of breaking her.

"You can touch her, she can't feel anything." Her mom is so calm about it all.

I grabbed her hand, squeezing gently. I thought of all of our memories together from freshman, sophomore and junior year. We weren't as close sophomore or junior year because she was on the poms team and always went out to lunch with them while I stayed at school. But we were always friends. That never went away.

I broke down crying. "Oh Tay. Please don't leave me. Please don't leave when we're so close to graduating and living our lives. Please please please Tay. Don't do this Tater!" I feel like I'm screaming, but it's really just a whisper, like I'm only talking to her. It's just us two. I gently pulled her hand up to my face and kissed it softly, my tears falling on her ice cold hand.

"I brushed her hair when she got out of surgery. She would have killed me if I touched it," her mom says and we all start laughing. It's so true. We began exchanging funny memories of the precious girl laying there beside us.

"What about how much she loves her freaking Starbucks. Coming into class late every day."

"Not to mention her Chick-Fil-A. She literally applied to be the cow mascot because of how much she loved it."

"We can't forget her hate for math!"

"She told me 'Mom, I'm a dancer, I only need to know 5, 6, 7, 8 when I saw she was failing math last year. Could argue on that one!"

"God what would she be saying if she knew we were seeing her like this?" I added.

"She said when she was younger that if she ever died, she was going to be God's personal Poms dancer." Her strong mother's voice cracked. "Oh baby, go be that dancer!"

"Taylor! Please don't leave us!" I started saying over and over again. Her mom knew she was ready. I was being selfish and telling her to stay.

When I left, I told myself I needed to come back tomorrow. When I got there, more people were there. Her mother was grateful to see me. I stayed with her family for a while, and saw Taylor. The Poms team came to see her and they had picture frames of her. It felt like stabbing pain all over. I left around 8.

At around 9 that night, I got the call I had been dreading to hear.

She went brain dead.

The next day, they harvested her body. Her eyes got to stay in Colorado, where she would always get to see those beautiful Colorado skies and Rocky Mountains. Her lungs were also kept in Colorado where she would breathe the fresh air forever. Her heart would beat love and compassion in Arizona.

Her kidneys, those were the real miracle though. Taylor's rare combination of blood type and antibodies made her kidneys a match for two people who had been told their prospects for new organs were almost non-existent.

She saved 75-100 more people with her tissues.

Her most beautiful dance was her last dance. This dance where she danced all the way up the stairs to heaven.

Thanks for reading this chapter. It was truly the hardest thing to write. But to get to tell her story to so many people is the most incredible thing ever. The Poms team won state. I would appreciate it if you guys would go watch the performance. (The video is Chaparral Poms Varsity State). Maybe listen to it while I tell about her harvesting. It broke my heart to lose her. But I will #StandTAL for her (Taylor Autumn Llewelyn). I miss you TaterTot. ❤️
This chapter is dedicated to her.

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