This actually just happened to me yesterday. I had an ending for my memoir project all planned out, but this event really polarized me and made me think, so this is replacing what I already had as the last chapter of my memoir project. This one is a bit grittier than the last.. and concerns a darker subject. Sorry these are in no particular order, I post em as I finalize each XD so here is the end, Untitled Finale ~
Untitled Finale.
26 Mar 2008.
She fell down right in the middle of the street. Simply fell down, hit the pavement, and lay flat, facing upwards. We had just gotten off the bus, and I had just reached my porch. I turned around in time to see her fall. The other students dragged her into the middle of the road, towards the side of the street they were walking to. Several cars blew right by her. Even from a distance, I knew who the girl was. It was Leah, my childhood friend. I knew the other students who were surrounding her. I hang out with them sometimes. I call out to one of them. “Breaja! What the f**k?” “Bryan! Get down here and help us!” she yells back. Do you have a car, another asks. Yes, I do, hold on a minute.
I drive my car out of my garage a minute later. The other students have dragged her across the street, and are looking after her by the sidewalk. I pull up next to them. Two of them help Leah into the back seat. “What the hell happened?” I don’t know why I asked, it was obvious she was on drugs. She’s tripped out on something, one replies. He says she took 5 does of Robitussin. All but one of the students disperse. The one who asked me if I had a car stays behind to show me where she lives. He is wearing a beige Old Navy hoodie, with the hood up. I can see that his hair is short. Judging by his physique, he looks like he may he a sophomore. “I already know where she lives” I reply. I hadn’t been to her house in many years, but I still remember where she lives. Just south of Cora & Arthur, a few blocks from my house.
Old Navy hops into the passenger seat, and we take off. Bullet For My Valentine starts playing in my iPod’s radio tuner. As we start to drive, Leah manages to pull herself up and rest against the back of the passenger seat. She stares at her surroundings weakly, not opening her eyes much. She is wearing a gray t-shirt, covered with pink nautical stars. She is wearing two metal necklaces made up of huge interconnected metal balls. I’ve seen those for sale at Hot Topic in the past. Her clearly dyed black hair is in nicely done pigtails. Her gothic makeup eyes are bloodshot. “Dude, she’s f*****g wasted” Old Navy says to me. “No s**t”, I reply. It doesn’t take a medical professional to figure that out. Leah stares at me with a strange look on her face. I wonder if she remembers me, from the years we spent together as kids.
I pull up on the curb the opposite side of her house. Old Navy and I step out of the car. Leah falls out. She seems exhausted, as she lies down on the grass. Her legs are under the car, touching the right rear tire. “We need to get her into the house without her mom knowing about this” Old Navy announces. “Something tells me that’s not gonna happen” I say as I stare over her, looking right into her barely open eyes. I can see her pupils staring back at me. “Just get me to my room. That’ll be fine” she says rather weakly, as she tries to pull herself up. I knew she would need a hand, so I stand up behind her and take both of her hands in mine. I pull herself up on my own. Once on her feet, she seems a bit more coherent, being able to walk now. I hold onto her shoulders as I walk her across the street to her house. About halfway across, she says she’s fine, she can walk on her own now. “Are you sure?” I ask. “Yeah”, she replies. And so I let go, and she continues walking without missing a beat.
Leah walks up to her house, with Old Navy and I following closely behind. “Leah!” a woman’s voice calls. We look around simultaneously, wondering where the voice came from. “It came from the car”, Old Navy realizes. There is a steel colored car a little ways to the left of the house. Leah’s mother is inside it. I haven’t seen her in many years, it takes me a moment to confirm it is her. Leah walks to the passenger side window and starts explaining. I had a bad day at school today. My stomach hurts. I feel sick, nauseated. Just let me lie down for a few minutes, I can do my chores in a bit. I told you, my stomach hurts. Yeah, I took an ibuprofen. I’m not on anything, I just feel a bit nauseous. That’s all.
Leah walks up to us. “Thanks” she says to me, and she hugs me. “See you tomorrow Joe” she says to Old Navy, and she hugs him too. She turns and walks toward her house again. Joe and I are left out on the curb. “I can walk home from here, it’s not far” Joe says. “Right, see you around.”
I climb back into my car. As I’m about to turn the ignition I stop and think on all this. I wonder if Leah remembers me. I wonder if she cares at all. I wonder if she was too shitfaced to remember or care. I wonder if I’ll be like her in a few weeks.
I start the car and drive away.
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