The Beginning of Us (26 page)

Finally, bits and pieces start to come through. As I remember more and more about the accident and the events following, it’s almost as if a tidal wave hits my brain and all of the suppressed memories come through so vividly.

I found Danny lying on the side of the highway. He wasn’t moving. The closer I got, I couldn’t see his chest rising, taking breaths. The closer I got to him; I noticed that his breaths were shallow and short. I ran the rest of the way and scooped him up in my arms, while I was sitting on the shoulder that was polluted with trash, pieces of his bike and earth. I held him in my lap and rocked him back and forth, with tears streaming down my face. Danny looked at me and then shut his eyes.

“Danny, please. Please keep your eyes open,” I cried. I started slapping his face trying to keep him awake.

His clothes were ripped to shreds and he was bleeding almost everywhere. His helmet was still attached to his head but the visor that was meant to protect his eyes was missing and the inside lining was covered in Danny’s blood and pushed down across his face.

Danny started coughing and making strangling sounds. I reached in the helmet and pushed the lining as far up as I could, trying to relieve pressure from his mouth and nose.

I have watched enough medical drama shows on TV that I know this was not a good sign. Actually, this was a terrible sign, but I pushed that thought from my mind.

“Danny, I’m not fucking with you, stay with me bro. Come on. I called for help, just a little while longer,” I pleaded with him.

Danny slightly opened his eyes and looked right at me through his lashes. He gave me a small grin. Danny’s teeth were coated with thick red blood. I don’t know if he broke any teeth or if he was coughing up blood. By the sounds he was making a few moments ago, I tried not to think the worse, but I knew in my soul that he was not going to make it.

“Sky,” Danny choked out, “take care of Mira.”

“No bro, this is not the end. Just hang on,” I told him.

“HELP. HELP ME PLEASE. SOMEONE HELP ME,” I screamed out.

Cars kept driving past, nobody stopping to help me. Still holding Danny in my arms, he looked at me again and started talking, “Sky, you’re my best friend,” he started coughing again, this time dark red moisture oozed from his mouth, “my brother.”

Still coughing blood, I hugged him closer to my body. I whispered prayers for my friend to make it. Not to die and leave me alone

“I promise,” I whispered.

“Thank you,” Danny said showing a slight smile once again. The blood was spilling from his mouth even faster now.

Still holding him tightly to my chest, I wiped the wetness from my face; I started to pray out loud, “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.”

I looked back over to where the girls were and an ambulance had arrived. The medics were getting Mira loaded into the back on a gurney and Kylee was pointing in our direction. One of the medics finally saw us sitting on the opposite side of the highway. He grabbed his medical bag and started to run in my direction. Finally!

“Danny, help is here. Hold on man.”

I looked down at Danny with a smile on my face. This isn’t the end; I knew it.

“Danny,” I said. Nothing. “Danny,” I screamed while shaking him in my arms. He opened his eyes again and gave me another small grin and then the light in his eyes faded as they rolled back in his head. I felt his body go limp in my arms. More blood was trickling out of his mouth, landing on my clothes and the cement.

“Oh God, please no. Please God; take me instead. Please no,” I sobbed, praying for something that would never be granted.

By the time the medic made it over to us, Danny was dead. He tried to revive him on the spot with a portable defibrillator but it didn’t work. I sat there on the side of the highway while they wheeled him away on a gurney with a white sheet draped across his body. Covered in my best friend’s blood, I didn’t know exactly what to do. Where do I go? What do I do?

I started to walk towards the ambulance that Mira was in when I heard a gut-wrenching scream come from that direction. Kylee was sitting on the bumper of the ambulance with her head buried in her hands shaking uncontrollably. I assumed she was crying and then I knew. They had just told the girls that Danny didn’t make it.

I have to go to Mira. I have to take care of her. I have to be the support she needs. I guess that answers my questions.

“He wants me to take care of Mira,” I whisper to myself. I know I have been missing something. My best friend asked me while he was dying to take care of his fiancé and I have failed miserably.

“If anyone can do it, it’s you,” I reassure myself, knowing that if there was anyone out there that would love and cherish Mira, it was going to be me.

Chapter Eleven

Mira

Kylee and I get back to my parents really late, or really early, whichever way you want to look at it. My emotions are on high alert. Did I really almost have sex with Jacoby? Oh hell, I probably would have.

“Mi, go get some sleep. We have plans tonight,” Kylee whispers loudly as she walks past my bedroom towards the bathroom.

I probably should wash all my makeup off, but I just don’t have the energy. I take off my bar clothes and throw on an oversized tee shirt that is almost to my knees. I can’t remember who this shirt belongs to, but it looks like something Skylar would wear. Something about this shirt is very comforting to me, so I let the owner of said shirt remain unknown for the time being.

Kylee comes back into the bedroom with a clean face, changed into her cotton pants and tank top sleepwear... Even in pajamas, this girl is a knockout. She takes a hair tie from my nightstand and ties her red locks in a haphazard bun on the top of her head before climbing into bed with me.

“Do you remember when you had those bunk beds?” She asks.

Yes, oh God, do I remember.

“I remember the bunk beds very well. When we were ten and arguing over who was going to marry Joey from New Kids on the Block. I think I kicked you, you fell off the top bunk and broke your tailbone.” I say, laughing.

“Oh shit, you’re right. I never did win that argument did I?” Kylee asks and looks as if she was recalling the entire memory, then breaking into uncontrollable laughter

“Shhhhh Ky. You’re going to wake my parents,” I say and then start laughing as hard as her, but much quieter.

Remembering that Kylee told me we were going out again tonight, I roll on my side to face her. Her bun of auburn hair looks pretty comfortable so I take a hair tie and do the same thing to mine before I start to talk to her.

“Where are we going tonight? Did Marcus ask you on a date and I’m coming along for support?” I joke.

“No. I wish. He was a dead fish. Passed out before I could even get any. Imagine my surprise,” she says laughing. “But really, we’re going to some clubhouse. Sky sent me a text earlier, asking if I wanted to come hang out with him and see what he’s been up too.”

“Oh. Well do you mind if I skip the reunion? I really don’t want to go to a clubhouse,” I say, rolling back towards my side of the bed.

“Mi, come on. You guys haven’t even talked in like a year. He isn’t upset. I asked him if you could come too and he said yes, reluctantly, but he still said yes,” Kylee says.

“What do you mean reluctantly? Like he doesn’t want me to go?” I question, rolling
back
over to gauge her expression, offended at the thought of Skylar having the problem with me.

“Don’t read too much into it Mira. Please just come with me,” Kylee begs.

If he doesn’t want me there, I don’t want to be there. I personally never want to be in the same room with him ever again. Things are still too fresh and hurt too bad, but I can’t be a bad friend. Every time I needed something, Kylee has been there for me, and the least I can do is be there for her.

“Yeah, I guess I’ll go, but I’m drinking tonight and you’re driving. I don’t want to get stuck there.” I agree, begrudgingly.

Getting comfortable on my pillow, I shut my eyes and pray for sleep. Sleep doesn’t come for quite a while, too many thoughts running through my head. What’s Skylar doing right now? Who is he with? Is he possibly thinking about me? Does he miss me?

I don’t even know if I want the answers to these questions. I don’t know if my heart can take the answers and what I would do with them if I actually knew.

A few hours later, the sunlight pours through my bedroom window and Kylee is snoring in my face.

“Ky, wake up,” I say shaking her shoulders. I remember why I didn’t like sharing a bed with her and begging my parents for bunk beds when we were kids.

“I’m up, I’m up. What’s going on?” Kylee asks rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

After a few more attempts to get Kylee out of bed, we go downstairs to rummage through the fridge. I decide on a bagel with strawberry cream cheese while Kylee grabs a bowl and milk to have cereal.

Sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen thinking about how tonight is going to go, my stomach starts turning in knots. I really don’t want to go, but a part of me wants to see Skylar. Maybe if we can get over the awkwardness of being friends, we can get back to where we were; start over again.

Do I just want to be his friend? I have no idea. Something about him draws me in. We started off being friends, he manipulated his way into my heart and I did love him, but did I love him enough to be more than just a good friend? Did he even feel the same way about me? All of this over thinking is going to drive me insane and give me an ulcer.

Kylee and I decide to take an afternoon shopping trip. I really could use something new to wear tonight. I have only been to a clubhouse once before and from what I remember, the men wore jeans and their motorcycle vests and the girls wore next to nothing, looking as slutty as can be. That has never been me. I like to be girly but not slutty.

At an adorable boutique we find downtown, I snag the perfect outfit for a clubhouse and go into the fitting room to try it on. Coming out to face Kylee and her opinion, I pause by a trifold of floor to ceiling mirrors and admire the way I look in this outfit.

I pair short, dark denim jean shorts with an orange form-fitting racer back tank top, excessive v cut in the front, and wedge sandals. With the tanning I have been doing after work, my skin is a great shade of brown that makes the orange against my skin pop and brings out the green emerald tone of my eyes. Playing with my hair, I decide that a high pony pulled tight will make this look seem sexy but carefree at the same time.

I don’t want to look like I’m trying
too
hard.

“Oh shit, Mi, you look amazing,” Kylee says as she eyes me up and down. I have never in my entire life felt like I looked beautiful, let alone more beautiful than Kylee, but in this moment, I have the market cornered on sexy.

Giving myself a 360 in the mirror, I admire how well I look. Then, I return to the fitting room and change into the clothes I wore here. Kylee chooses a new pair of low rise jeans and a shirt that shows more of her midriff than I would ever be comfortable with. All set, we pay for our purchases and leave, an extra bounce in both our steps

Next, we go eat at one of our favorite cafes located only a few blocks from the heart of the U of M campus. It’s such a nice place, laid back, smooth jazz playing in the background, and they serve the best sandwiches and salads you will find in the whole city. We order our lunches and sit back to admire the college guys walking around outside through the huge window in front of the café when my phone rings.

“Hello?”

“Mira, hey, it’s Jacoby. How are you?”

“Oh hey, I’m sorry. I must not have had your number saved in my phone. I’m good, what’s up,” I ask casually.

“Well last night you agreed to go on a date with me and I was wondering what you were doing tonight?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I have plans with Kylee tonight. We’re going out to meet with an old friend from college. I would invite you along but I don’t know if this is really your scene,” I say apologetically.

“You’ll never know until you ask. Where are you guys headed?”

“Our friend Skylar is in an MC. He invited Kylee, and she invited me down to their clubhouse for some kind of party.”

“Skylar, the guy from last night?” Jacoby questions.

“Yeah. I’m surprised you remembered. So, yeah, Skylar, Kylee and I all went to college together and we’re going to have a few drinks or something tonight. Maybe another night,” I say nervously. I didn’t even think he would remember Skylar or sound so upset about me spending time with him.

“How could I not forget him? He basically asked if I was taking you against your will last night when we were leaving the bar. I don’t know Mira; do I have anything to worry about? I saw the way he looked at you.”

“Jacoby, really, there’s nothing to worry about. We’ve all been friends for a very long time and have gone through some good and terrible times together. We’re just friends,” I say politely, although I’m a little angry that Jacoby thinks he can have a say in who I do or do not associate with.

“Mira, I’m not trying to get on your case. This is a rough crowd and you’re right, it’s not my scene. I prefer entertaining women by taking them to more respectable places. I know the stuff that goes on at these places Mira. Do you?” Jacoby questions me.

“Thank you for the concern. I’ve been to a clubhouse before and I know what to expect. Skylar would never invite Kylee or me somewhere that was dangerous or we wouldn’t be respected. If you’d like to go out another night, send me a text. If not, I’ll see you Monday at the office,” I say as I hang up on him.

“The nerve of this guy,” I mumble out loud to myself, but Kylee overhears me, her eyebrows shooting up in question.