Falling Into Step

The Final Day - Ch. 1

I still remember that day. 6 months ago I had lost all hope. I didn't know where to turn or who to turn to. It was hard. I lost all I knew in the matter of a phone call...

*6 months ago*

"Aribella! Come downstairs! You need to get ready for school! Your father and I have a flight to catch!"

"Okay, mom! I am coming! Just give me five minutes!"

I hate it when I can't just sleep in. I wish I could have more time in my beloved bed. Too bad my parents have no intention of letting me stay home from school.

Finally feeling energized, I got up and began getting ready. I wasn't feeling up to the whole presentability thing today. What should I wear?

Leggings and a T-Shirt it is!

I knew that my outfit was against school regulations but honestly who cares? No one follows the regulations anyways.

I just couldn't wait until I turned 18 and could move to somewhere else. I thought I would miss my school and everyone there but I needed to get out of there for college. Something was just pulling me away. Luckily I only had 2 more months.

As I thought this, I finished getting ready and went downstairs. As I descended the stairs, I could hear my mom and dad giggling softly. They were so lovey dovey. I could only hope that one day I meet someone I fit with as well as they fit together.

As I walked into the kitchen they stopped and handed me a plate of eggs. I ate quickly. I knew I was running late for school.

As I finished breakfast I washed my plate and put it into the sink, grabbed my Vera Bradley backpack, and ran outside. I knew my parents would follow suit.

Once we were all in the car, it only took about 10 minutes to drive to school. I rushed out of the car, yelling a quick "love you" and went into the school to my locker.

Only now do I wish I had said something more.

After going to my locker I hurried to first period. Choir. It didn't matter how late I was to that class.

I was only in that class for five minutes before my phone began blaring. Usually it wasn't a big deal, so I answered it. Hearing who was there, my heart stopped.

The police were calling me to tell me that my parents had died in a car crash on their way to the airport. The other driver was on their phone, and hit them in a head-on collision, killing himself as well as my parents on impact.

I broke down then and there. I remember collapsing. Falling into nothing. No one thought anything of it. I remember feeling nothing. I thought it was a bad dream. I had all the friends a girl could ask for, but at that moment, none of them were there. No one reached, no one caught me.

I fell into a pit then and there. My teacher asked what was, wrong and had someone take me to the hospital. I was in such a blank space that I didn't know who it was. It ended up being a police officer.

As soon as we arrived, I rushed out of the car and into the building. I remember everyone thinking I was crazy. I NEEDED to see where they were. What they looked like. I couldn't believe it all.

When I finally got to their room, I saw them in separate beds, bloody, battered, cut, broken. It made me sick, yet I couldn't look away from the people who had mattered the most to me. I immediately began shaking and crying. Nurses and doctors hurried me out of the room, and into another room, calming me down and making sure I was okay.

I remember a black sheath falling over me. When I woke up it was revealed that I had been asleep for two solid days. Doctors were worried about me, but they knew it was all part of my grieving. My aunt was called. She took me back to my house, forced me to pack up, and dress nice. My family had already planned the funeral. We were going there then across the country.

I had used to live in Detroit, Michigan. She lived in San Diego, California. My entire life was left behind in that week.

The funeral is more blurry than the day they died. All I remembered was throwing a rose onto their caskets and laying next to their headstones for hours before my aunt finally forced me to go with her.

We got into the car and all I could do was sleep off the dehydration which came from crying so much.