Jaime’s POV

I saw the car way before she did. It took me two and a half seconds to realize what was going to happen. By the time I turned around, I saw her face staring at me in fear. She turned, as if going to run to the store.

And then it hit her.

The man behind the wheel was fast asleep, I knew that for sure. His brown hair was slumped over the wheel, head pressed against the steering device. I gasped and the rest of the boys followed. Vic looked like he had seen a ghost.

As soon as the car hit her, the man was jolted awake and the tires stopped spinning. The car screeched to a halt, but the damage had been done. Willow was high in the air. She was there long enough for people to scream and wail at what had happened to the girl.

I ran out of the store to see where she had went. Tears were threatening to spill. Autumn was right on my heels for her best friend. I was outside quick enough to witness the worst part.

Her head hit a Stop sign with enough force to make the pole quake in the cement base. I gasped as she slumped to the ground. Blood spattered and slashed the already red sign, making it say SP instead of all four letters. Tony screamed behind me. A children began to cry.

Mothers hushed their children, pulling them away from the gross scene of my girlfriend laying limp on the sidewalk, blood pooling all around her. Her right arm was twisted at an odd angle. She shouldn’t look like this. She was so beautiful. She shouldn’t be like this.

“Call 911, someone!” I yelled. People were starting to crowd around, or puke in the bushes. Autumn rushed to Willow’s side, touching her arm. She was unresponsive to any calls.

“MD, please wake up!” I begged, feeling the tears pour down my cheek. Her sweatshirt was stained in red. I felt as if my own blood was leaking from my side and skull.

“We’re here! Over here!” Some bystanders called. Sirens were flaring like shots in bright summer day. Soon enough, some medics came over to her. I saw one shiver at the sight of my darling girl.

“What happened to her?” A woman asked Mike. I watched, completely helpless as they loaded her onto a stretcher, quickly pulling her into the ambulance.

“Well, she was standing there and then the silver car came swerving out of nowhere and she was hit…she flew ten feet at least…” Mike’s words disappeared to me as I followed the stretcher.

“Sir, we can’t have you on there.” A man stopped me as the doors closed. I felt the sadness choking up in my throat, like I couldn’t speak.

“No! Please! She needs me! She can’t talk! If she wakes up, we’re the only ones to understand her!” I begged him. He shook his head.

“Son, I wouldn’t bet on her waking up right now.” He told me softly before jumping into another car and quickly chasing down the ambulance. I was left numb as a crowd tried to console me.

“It’ll be alright.” Vic patted my arm. I shook away his touch and stormed back to the bus. The others yelled my name.

This was my fault. All my fault. If I hadn’t left her alone, it wouldn’t be her. If only I had her come with me, it wouldn’t be her. It never should’ve been. It should’ve been me. If I had stayed out there twelve seconds longer, MD wouldn’t be run over.

It should’ve been me.

I heard them weaving through the crowd, like a giant game of Frogger. I pushed my way through, but people thought better than to get in front of me. It seemed like my anger parted the sea of bystanders so that I could get to the bus.

I reached our vehicle well before them. I went to the door and realized it was locked. But then, a tiny glint caught my eyes.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, Turtle.

He left the keys in the door.

Pulling them out, I made a mental note to go stab this in his eye sometime for forgetting again. I opened the door, walked inside, and slammed it shut. Running to the driver’s seat, I turned on the bus and started to back out.

A couple minutes later, I hit the corner where police officers were at the truck’s side. That bastard man didn’t look even scratched up!

“Jaime! Jaime!” Mike and Vic were calling. Autumn yelled at them and pointed at the bus. I pulled up to the curb and opened the window, tears still staining my face.

“Get in, bitches! We gonna go for a ride!” I yelled at them. They all clapped and jumped on the bus. Tony slammed the door shut behind them. Gritting my teeth with a determined expression marring my features, I honked the horn for trucks to get out of the way.

Nothing was going to stop me.

Notes