CHAPTER 1
Summer 18
“Are you trying to get me killed? Last time we had this conversation, I almost died.”
“He has a point,” I chime in.
“That was a brilliant idea! It’s not my fault Andrew’s head is no match for my elbow,” Rebecca grumbles, rolling her eyes at her twin.
“Maybe we should just keep things low-key tonight.”
I look to Andrew for backup, but Rebecca won’t have it. “Emma, you’re supposed to be on my side! We are leavingtomorrow.I know you tend to overthink in that head of yours, but I won’t let you tonight. We are going to make our last night at the lake memorable!” Rebecca’s blue eyes sparkle with mischief and excitement, and she practically bounces up and down in her seat. I wince as the truth of her words settle on me. I know she just wants me to have a good time tonight, but hearing my best friend put into words the part of myself that I’m most self-conscious about is hard.
Despite Rebecca’s buzzing excitement, I stay strong, silently hoping a low-key night can gain me some alone time with Andrew to finish what we started earlier today. “Just because weare leaving for college tomorrow doesn’t mean we have to do anything crazy.”
“Yeah, maybe we just stay up all night hanging out here tonight,” Andrew offers, exchanging a sly look with me.
“You two are so boring!” Rebecca crosses her arms and glowers at Andrew and me as we sit closely on the Martin family’s back deck. The fire blazes fiercely, emulating the blazing heat between our two bodies. With the lake gracefully looming in the background, it’s a picture-perfect moment.
Before anyone can argue, Rebecca completely switches gears. “I think we should take the UTV out into the woods tonight!” Ignoring my nervous energy, Rebecca hops to her feet and pulls me by the elbow right off my chair. “This is a night to be celebrated! After all we’ve been through, I’m going to miss you extra this summer.” I could be mistaken, but I swear her eyes flit between Andrew and me as she says it, smirking the slightest bit so that only I can see.
Her excitement pours into me, and something about the turn today has taken makes me want to take some chances. I need to stop overthinking. I nod and allow her to lead the way to the massive shop next to Rebecca and Andrew’s house. When the lights are flipped on, the sixteen-hundred-square-foot shop is illuminated. The UTV sits up front. The riding lawn mower sits behind it. The boat’s trailer sits empty, missing its other half to its mistress, the lake. You imagine it, the Martins certainly have it.
It would be easy for me to be jealous of the Martin family’s fortune if it weren’t for how down-to-earth the Martin twins were raised to be.
Turning the key in the UTV, Rebecca squeals. “Nowthisis going to be a night to remember! Trust me, this is going to be so much better than just sitting around the fire on our last night!”
Andrew just smiles and shakes his head as he gestures for me to slide into the center seat before him. As he scoots in next tome, I can feel the warmth of his entire left side pressed against me. My stomach does a small flutter at the comfort of his close presence. After I snap the half buckle across my lap, Andrew follows suit.
We begin to pick up speed as we cross the pavement and fling out onto the dirt road. The trees quickly swallow us up into the shadows, and all of the light from the lake houses across the street rapidly dims to black. My stomach sinks to my toes. As we bump along the road, the headlights bounce between the ground and the trees ahead of us.
A large bump lurches me forward, and I instantly reach out to Andrew’s thigh for support. With the contact, he coolly smiles at me and grabs hold of my hand. “Why don’t you slow down? I think you’re scaring Emma.”
“Oh, come on! We aren’t out here to go slow. We are here to go fast and make memories! Besides, Emma is always scared,” Rebecca chuckles. “I’ve never steered you wrong.”
“Uh, I beg to differ.”
“I wasn’t talking to you, Andy.” Rebecca presses her foot down on the gas pedal even further.
The path quickly splits into two, and Rebecca throws the wheel to the right at the last minute, trying too late to take the path with a sharper curve. There’s a sudden lurch as the UTV snags on a tree stump. At that moment, I realize our night of fun is over. The UTV will certainly be destroyed. The Martin twins are going to be in a world of trouble for taking it out in the dark and being so irresponsible, and I will be sent home on our last night together.
The trunk proves to be bigger and sturdier than I expected, and the UTV comes to an abrupt stop. I see Andrew fly forward before I feel my own body lurching with the momentum. Rebecca shrieks, and there’s a thud as Andrew’s head smashes into the dashboard. My seatbelt locks and I already feel the ache in my neck fromthe whiplash.
As I orient myself and begin to ask if everyone is okay, Andrew leaps over me and out of the UTV. He runs to the front of the vehicle, and it’s only then that I see Rebecca lying on the ground amidst the tree stumps. Yes, there are multiple. No wonder we had such an impact.
As the shock of the situation wears off, I hear Andrew desperately saying, “You’re okay. You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.” Then I see the blood.
Oh no. Oh no.Was Rebecca even wearing her seat belt?I don’t remember. She must’ve launched straight over the dash and out into the trees.Where’s the blood coming from? Did she scratch her shoulder? Is it a bloody nose?I already know what it is, but I can’t accept it.
“Emma! Do you have your phone on you?” Andrew’s voice brings me back to the scene in front of me.
“Yeah,” I say, fumbling to get my phone out of my back pocket.
“Call 9-1-1,” Andrew urges with a shaky voice as he pulls his shirt off and begins to wrap it around Rebecca’s head.Is he crying?
We were supposed to have a fun night, filled with memories. We made memories that night. I absolutely will not forget that night, no matter how hard I try, but it’s not because of the silly fun we had. It will forever leave a scar on my heart as the night I lost my best friend.
CHAPTER 2
