RIVER→ Sodapop Curtis

03

"how do we fall apart, faster than a hairpin trigger?"

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I was watching closely at Bob as he caught the football midair, him running like lightning to get a touchdown. My hands were on the fence that separates the seats from the field and I was standing up, jumping up and down anxiously.

Everyone was cheering, but as soon as I finished screaming his name, someone crashed into him from the side, making him fall to the ground. Hushes filled the crowd and my eyes went wide, my heart beating rapidly.

"BOB!" I shrieked and ran on the field, his mother and father soon following me. I bent down beside him and put my hands on his chin, lifting it up to open his airways. "Where the hell is an ambulance?" I shouted, tears stinging my eyes.

My question was soon answered because the sound of sirens were the only thing that was keeping me sane at the moment. Help is on the way, Bob will be fine.

Finally, the ambulance arrived and took Bob away on a stretcher, his mom climbing in there with him. His dad and I hopped in the car and drove right behind the ambulance. I leaned my head against the window, my heart still pounding extremely hard.

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"Tell me my son is okay!" Bob's mom shouted, making the doctor sigh with slight irritation.

"Mrs. Sheldon, you need to calm down."

"Calm down?! My son is in there!"

The doctor gave all of us a sad smile and shook his head. "I'm sorry. We did everything we could. He had way too many concussions go undiagnosed and this one was his final."

"H-he's gone?" My voice cracked. I could feel my breath speed up and I felt as if I was going to pass out.

I didn't hear the doctor tell me to sit down, I didn't hear them talk about funeral expenses, I didn't hear the sobs of two parents who lost their only son. I didn't hear any of it because I ran.

I dashed out of the hospital doors, the cold fall breeze greeting me with a slap in the face. I glanced around and decided to run towards a random street, feeling something pull me towards it. My pale cheeks have already turned red and my nose made me look like Rudolph.

After a few minutes of running, I broke down in the middle of the street, crying every bit of water that was left in my frail body. Even worse, it started pouring down rain. I sat on the edge of the curb, burying my face between my knees as I continued crying.

I was shaking not only from crying, but from how cold it is and the fact that it's raining doesn't make it any better. I heard a voice speak from behind me, causing me to jump. "Dakota? Is that you?"

I wiped my tears away, but the rain made it look normal, so I turned around to face Sodapop. "Leave me alone, Cheerios." I replied in a monotone voice, turning back around to face the empty road.

"You know you're on our side, right?" He questioned. I could practically feel him crossing his arms from behind me.

"What are you going to do? Kill me?" I shrugged, not even caring if he did just that.