My brother's best friend

Chapter two

My phone buzzes me awake. "Levi?" I ask, still half asleep. I try to make out what he's saying, but it's all jumbled. "Levi, calm down," I say slightly more alert now. "Can I talk to Will?" I ask when Levi's sobbing doesn't quiet down. "He's not here." I hear Levi say between more sobs. "Who is there?" I ask getting up and pulling on my shoes. I hear a rustle and then another familiar voice.

"Lindsey?" I hear Dwayne's voice on the other end. "Uncle Dwayne?" "Listen, kid, I think it's better if you hurry back." He says, sounding half distracted. "What? Why?" I pull on my coat and head out the door. "Just hurry." The line died and I'm baffled for a moment. Then I spring into action, getting into my car and start to drive.

All the reasons for Dwayne being there runs through my mind. Sure, it wasn't all that odd for him or the rest of his family to be with my parents. They went to school together and were pretty close. We all grew up with each other. Will, Levi and I together with the Greene kids- Daniel, Carter, Taylor and Tyler. We were together all the time. Why was this different? Maybe because Levi was sobbing. And Dwayne. He's never sounded so serious.

Maybe they've called for a Greene-Moore meeting, trying to convince me not to marry Leo. But why would Levi be crying then? Was it Will? Has he finally lost himself in his partying ways? Please let it not be that. Was it just a way to get everyone together? Again, why would Levi be crying?

When I arrive at the house, Dwayne and Carter are waiting for me across the street. I park in our driveway and head over to their house. "Get in, Lollipop," Dwayne says opening the car door for me. I get in, swallowing my questions. It was definitely not an intervention and it wasn't just a friendly get together. This was much more serious.

When the hospital comes into view my stomach turns violently and I feel nausea rising in me. I see images of Will on a hospital bed, pale as a sheet and a machine beeping in the background as the doctor tells us how close it was. How he was almost ripped from our lives too soon. Mom crying in dad's arms. My heart aches at the thought. Please, don't let it be Will.

I follow Dwayne and Carter into the hospital, down a large white hall. We arrive at a waiting area, everyone was there aside from Will and Daniel. I feel my heart clench, please don't let it be them. Amanda, Dwayne's wife, rushes over to me and pulls me into a hug. I look over her shoulder and see Tyler and Taylor sitting on the chairs, staring blankly at nothing. Levi is on the floor, in the corner, rocking himself back and forth. It's a horrible way he copes with stress that mom was trying to get him to stop doing.

I look around and try to find my parents. I pull away from Amanda, "Where are mom and dad?" I ask, in a daze. "Lollipop-" Amanda chokes. She pulls me into another hug. "Where are they?" I ask, pulling away again. She bites her lip, "Lollipop, they were in an accident." Her words sink in slowly, like a sponge that soaks up water. "They what?" My voice sounds far away and not like my own.

"Where's Will?" At first, I wasn't sure if it was me who was asking but then Amanda's voice came through like an echo, "The boys went to some party. I've tried to call, but I still haven't reached one of them." I blink a few times before focusing. My brain zones in on the one thing I can do at this moment. I can try to reach my brother. My brain can't take the news that was just delivered. But it can handle calling my brother, I've done it a thousand times. "I'll call him." Before Amanda can protest I pull out my phone and call my brother.

After an hour of calling, Carter came over and convinced me to sit down for a while. I tried to argue with him, but in the end, I was seated next to him, clutching my phone in case Will called. In the silence, my brain starts chewing on the information it was given. They were in an accident. I review the words over and over until I decide that the words hold no double meaning. I also come to the conclusion that they could still be alive. An accident is not the same as dead or killed. It just means it was an unforeseen event and was nobody's fault. It was a mistake.

They are still alive.

Will, on the other hand, was another matter. Where was he? Just like he's been practising his charm and arguing skills since he could talk, he also has the amazing ability to disappear at the worst times.

I watch as the sun comes up, slowly. The sky colours from a bright red to a soft blue, clouds dotting the blue. Finally, my brother calls me. I start at the vibration but quickly answer the phone.

"Where have you been?" I grumble. I can't ignore the wave of relief that washes over me. He's fine. Will is not the one I should be worried about. "What's the matter?" Will asks, he sounds like he's still on his party high. "Mom and dad were in an accident," I say, imagining him crashing down from his party cloud. "I suggest you head to the hospital," I add before hanging up. The doctor steps closer and clears his throat. I clench my jaw as I rise to my feet. Dwayne wraps an arm around me and Amanda grabs my hand, clenching tightly.

I feel the grief sink in before he even opened his mouth. His brown eyes were filled with sadness, a sadness he probably always has when he delivers sad news to families. The sound seems to disappear, my ears are filled with white noise. I feel Dwayne and Amanda hug me, but I feel numb. I feel Amanda loosening her grip. She's probably going to find Levi. Levi.

I push away from Dwayne, I blindly walk to the corner where Levi was still sitting. Amanda was sitting next to him. I join them and wrap my arms around my baby brother. The world; still mute and my body still numb.

I vaguely remember being picked up off the floor. Will was there. Everyone was still crying. My chest was tight but no tears. My eyes burn, but no tears. The drive home was quiet. To me, anyway. I saw Amanda's shoulders move, she's still crying. Carter was silent, but I could tell he was rattled. Levi's eyes are closed, he's not asleep. If he is, I don't know how he does it. I can't think of sleep.