• “Shawna,” I had said, “Shawna I think I’m going to marry you.” We were sitting on top of my old beat up sedan. Shawna was in the drivers seat. A giggle sounding of bubbles popping came out of her full lips. I smiled. Kissing me she picked up the empty champagne bottle and threw it over the cliff into the distance.

    “Can I drive then?” She said with her shining smile. I nodded, mesmerized.

    As the scenery of our hometown whirled by, I took notice of how fast she was going.

    “Shawna! Slow down!” I was returned with a skeptical look.

    “Oh come on Chris where’s your sense of adventure! Don’t be such a tight a**.”

    And I not wanting to be a tight a**, piped down. But just when we turned the corner two blocks from her house, That’s when it happened, that’s when everything went black and the last sound I heard was a high pitched peeling bell, it was Shawna’s scream.

    Waking up all I saw was white. Blinking twice it all came into focus. I was in a hospital bed, my mother sleeping in the chair beside me. Her cheeks stained with tears. I raised my hand to ask what she was crying about and gasped in pain as a shock went through my entire body.

    “Chris!” My mother started sobbing again. Hugging me and then jumping back as I winced in pain. Then I remembered the sound.

    “Shawna” was all I said.

    My mother now had a look of remorse, looking paralyzed. The truth of what must have happened sunk in.

    “Shawna’s dead.” My mother sobbing harder answered my words.

    All I could do was nod. I felt empty.

    I was released from the hospital 3 months later. I caught up with my schoolwork, my friends, and got back to my routine, with one exception.

    I was doing fine. But four months later I got home from school to see my parents, unusually home before me.

    “Chris come here a minute” my mother patted the seat beside her on the couch while my father readjusted his collar.

    “Chris…” My mom started, “I know that Sh”

    I didn’t let her finish.

    “Sha- She’s dead mom I know, I’m fine, alright, I’m just fine!”

    “Chris did you even cr.”

    “No!”

    My dad got up from his seat and grabbed me by the collar.

    “Young Man! You will not speak to your mother that way!” he threw me down on the couch. My dad had never lost his cool once, never, and here he was, and I couldn’t move “Christopher Andrew Mackintosh! You have been like a crypt since you came back here. You are not fine. When is the last time you laughed, when is the last time you smiled! You didn’t even go to the funeral! Do you really think Sh-“

    “Shut up!” I sprang out from the couch.

    “No my son, I am your father. And I will not shut up. You won’t even let me say the girls name for Cripe’s sake!”

    I ran out of the room. Grabbing my new car keys and heading for the door. I drove fast and far away. I ended up at the cliff. Not knowing why, I tried to cry, I did. But I couldn’t not even at the last place I saw her.

    My parents were asleep. I crept back to my room. Opening the door, I laid on my bed thinking, of her.

    Another seven months past. It was September. The exact day the crash had happened. I lay in my bed. That’s when it hit me.

    I walked out to my car. It was a warm night. I drove. As I neared the street where the crash occurred I felt cold. Knowing it wasn’t the air conditioning. Something made me turn. I stopped at the dent in the ground beside the road. Pulling over I got out. Sitting down at the edge.

    “Sh-Shawna” I said weakly “I meant it. I meant it when I said I’d marry you Shawna. So… So… Why’d you have to go.”

    I felt something cold on my shoulder. Touching my cheek, my fingertips were drenched in a warm liquid. Tears, I thought, Tears, I’m really… crying…