I looked at her and smiled.
Sometimes it still shocked me that she wanted to be friends with me. We had met in the spring of last year. I was running late for my history class, when I saw her. She was standing by the water fountain, eating a hotdog. I almost missed her. We crashed, and ketchup and coffee went flying everywhere. Like I said, I am surprised she is still my friend.
Right now we are both taking our final exams. She seemed as if she was struggling. She must have been up too late studying.
I wasn't having too much trouble. At least for now. Math was one of my favorite subjects, so it wasn't too hard.
A few minutes later the bell rang. School's out.
~ ~ ~
As we walked outside she told me some vital information.
" My parents were in a car accident, yesterday." she explained. "The police don't know how it happened. They think they had slipped on black ice. They said my father should survive, but they don't think my mother will make it."
She collapsed into me, and I held her as she cried. I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't sign up for this. I don't know how to comfort a girl!
" Tell your father I hope his leg feels better. " I whispered.
" I will. "
She started walking away, then seemed to pause for a moment. She looked as if she was tossing around an idea, but then decided against it.
---------------------------------------------------------
His words rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but it wasn't right.
As I continued on to my car, it struck me
I never mentioned my father breaking his leg.
---------------------------------------------------------
I realized my slip-up as I turned off the ignition. Hopefully she didn't notice.
The next day I saw her as I walked into school. She smiled and waved at me as if nothing was wrong.
Good.
---------------------------------------------------------
I pretended as if nothing was wrong. I've seen enough movies to know that a mistake like that is never innocent. I may be paranoid, but better safe than sorry.
He caught up to me in a few seconds. I gave him a crooked smile. He grinned back.
~ ~ ~
I was able to see my dad for the first time since the accident today. He had just gotten out of surgery, and it looks like he is going to make it. The doctors had to remove a few pieces of glass embedded in his skin from the windshield breaking.
My mom was still in critical condition and wasn't allowed visitors, so it was nice to at least see my dad. I was only allowed five minutes so I had to make it quick.
As I walked in he was staring out the window.
"It wasn't an accident." He whispered.
"What?"
"I saw the road, there was no ice or anything. There is no plausible reason why we crashed." He sighed. " I don't know, and its killing me."
I had never seen my dad so distraught. My strong dad, who never worried about anything, reduced to what lay in front of me. It was a terrifying sight.
If my dad thought that there wasn't something right, then there wasn't something right.
---------------------------------------------------------
She walked up to me the next day with an air of superiority. There was purpose in her step as she came closer.
" You know something. " she said. I gave her a quizzical look. " You know something, and I want to know why. "
" I don't know what you're talking about. " I replied.
" Two days ago you said you hoped my father's leg felt better, but I had never told you he broke it. Then when I visited my father in the hospital he told me it wasn't an accident and he didn't know what went wrong. I think you have something to do with it and it scares me." She started tearing up and her voice was cracking. " It scares me that I thought I knew you but everything I think I know right now is so twisted, and my whole world just flipped upside down and I'm terrified that it might be your fault." As she finished her phone started ringing.
The longer the conversation went the more she started crying.
" My-my mom..." Her body was shaking with the force of her crying. "She didn't make it"
I looked at her and smiled.
