Glitz and Glam

Chapter Nineteen: Waking Horror

Chapter Nineteen: Waking Horror

Isabelle peeled out of the studio parking lot. Miss Annie had worked us all very hard, on the group and our solos.

“Can you believe it? We both got solos!” I said happily. Isabelle smiled. This was no where’s near her first solo.

“I can’t believe you’ve never done a solo before.” She said turning a corner. Isabelle was a fast driver. It used to scare me, but I’m used to it now.

“I wasn’t the best at my old studio. I was one of the worst dancers actually.”

“Or you were just kept in the back.” Isabelle said with a shrug. I stuck my tongue out at her. It was dark; Miss Annie had kept us late today. But that was normal.

“Will it be weird going back?” Isabelle asked me. She was the only girl on the team who I had told about my parents.

I shrugged my shoulders, “I don’t know. Maybe. I think it will be weird competing there again.”

“Your old company seemed rude in Pittsburg.” Isabelle noted.

“We used to be. If we didn’t win, we were terrible. I don’t miss it. Now that I know things can be different. I like Miss Annie better. I like being nice.” I smiled. Isabelle laughed.

“I guess if it works for you. It doesn’t normally for me.”

I narrowed my eyes, “What do you mean?”

“Sometimes you have to be mean to get what you want.” Is all she said, “Where’s the turn for your road again?” she asked. She did every night.

“A little farther up.” I said and turned up the volume, “It’s my song!” I said happily and Isabelle let out a chuckle. “You’re like a kid sometimes.”

I stuck my tongue out at her again. Then I saw the headlights coming from my right.

“There’s a car.” I said nonchalant. Isabelle nodded her head, “He’s got the stop sign.” She said and kept driving, except the other car didn’t stop. It was getting closer, and it was going fast.

“Isabelle!” I said my voice close to a yell.

“What?” she asked and turned to look at me just as the other car hit us. It hit my side of the car, and we went spinning. There was a stabbing pain in my leg, and I heard a snap. My head whipped into the window and then everything went black.

***

I wasn’t out for very long. My head hurt, and so did my leg. And my abdomen. There were flashing lights. And sirens. I turned my head.  That hurt. For a minute black dots danced across my vision. Then I heard my name.

“Victoria?” It was Isabelle, and she sounded upset. I tried to find her, but it hurt to move my head. What happened?

The sirens and lights grew closer. And finally I located Isabelle. Her nose was bleeding. I tried to tell her but I couldn’t remember how to make my mouth work.

“Don’t worry.” She said, there were tears in her eyes, “You’re going to be okay. The ambulance is here. Don’t worry.” It was almost like she was trying to calm herself down. There was a noise to my right and I turned my head again. I realized we were in Isabelle’s car when I saw the broken window next to me. How’d it break?

“Don’t worry,” said the firefighter on the other side of the door, “we’re going to get you out.” He said assuredly. Isabelle was already out of the car. There was no damage on her side.

The firefighter pulled on my door. It came open reluctantly. I tried to swing my leg out, but it hurt to move. Then I looked down at it, and saw the blood. There was a lot of it. And then everything was dark again.