Chokehold {h.s}

two

*i remember it all too well*

t/w car crash

Adelaide Gilbert

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Adelaide?" His voice hisses through the speaker, muffled by the pelting rain. My eyes squint as I attempt to look through the window of my car. My rain wipers broke a few days ago, I meant to get them fixed but never actually came around to getting it done, guess this is karma coming back around.

"Look Aaron, I can't do this again. I know what you did, and I can't forgive you for it. So, I'm sorry, but we're done. Don't call me again." I press the end call button and throw my phone into the passenger seat, listening as my music resumes and the song comes crackily pelting through the speakers.

My foot is down to the floor as I speed through the quiet roads of Bradford, praying that my parents haven't touched a hair on Freddie's head. My lack of clear vision and the horrific rain leads me to swerve down most roads. Luckily, nobody's on the roads in these weather conditions.

The sheer volume of the music must be enough to wake the sleeping beauty in the backseat, as I soon hear her voice. My eyes shift to the rear view mirror, where I can just barely see her mop of blonde hair.

"Music too loud." My baby sister grumbles, still half asleep.

"Sorry Vega." I softly speak to the three year old as I turn the intense music down, I quickly glance back at her to notice her staring out the window.

"Which star is Vega's?" She asks me, pure curiosity laced in her tone.

"Do you see the wonky square?" I ask her, and she hums a yes, "The brightest star in that square, is yours angel."

"I want to be with my star!" She giggles as she continues looking at it. I don't quite understand what she means, but I'm sure it makes perfect sense in her head.

My eyes shift to her, she's cuddled up in her carseat, her pink long-sleeved leotard clearly a little big on her where it's rolled up around her wrists. Two little tufts of hair sit atop her hair, making her look extra angelic.

She was an angel.

I look back to the road, to see traffic lights approaching, turned red. I almost stop at them, when my eyes scan the area.

Not a single car in sight.

My foot returns back to the gas, and I press down on it as we drive through the empty cross section.

Until it isn't so empty.

Suddenly, a vehicle I know all too well comes into view, bolting towards my car. I slam my foot on the accelerator, desperate to get us across this section safely. My car cannot move fast enough, and pretty soon something comes crashing into the side of my car, and we go spinning up into the air.

The last thing I hear is my baby sisters' shrieks as everything goes black.

I shoot up in my bed, already knowing that's the maximum amount of sleep I'll be able to get tonight. I glance at the clock to read the time.

12:43am.

My vision shifts to the clean tracksuit that sits folded at the end of my bed, surprisingly not strewn aside whilst I was sleeping. Reluctantly, I get out of bed, and when the cold air hits me, I'm quick to throw the clothes on, feeling content with the cozy material that rests on my skin.

I realise how sleep-deprived my body is as I trudge towards the door, practically dragging my feet behind me. I throw my converse on before making sure to grab a pack of marlboro reds and my lighter, shoving them into my pockets before heading out the door, locking it behind me.