prologue
The average human body has almost a gallon and a half of blood. I didn’t realize how much that was until I was staring at it pooling on the roof of my car.
I watch it drip down my arm —unable to tear my eyes away— it’s just so…red. I mean, I’ve seen blood before, but not like this. No, this is a deep, hellish colour that makes me want to puke at the mere sight of it.
Broken glass scattered across the ground mixes with the blood as it drips. It looks like a video game come to life. A messed-up, gore-filled, murderous video game.
My hair dangles in my face, obscuring most of my vision. The black strands are wet, caked in more of the hot liquid pouring out of my body. I watch helplessly, fear and confusion coating my throat.
My head throbs, like I hit it on something.
That’s because you did,a voice inside me whispers.
“Please, drive slower,” Jurian says sarcastically from the passenger seat. “It’s not like we’re in a rush or anything.”
I roll my eyes, “we’re going to the beach, not racing to save the world.”
He gasps, whipping his head around to look at Ian. “Can you believe her? Absolutely no sense of urgency.”
Ian chuckles, clapping a hand on my shoulder, and I smile because I know exactly what he’s about to say. “I have to side with Sash on this one, J. The team just got there, it’s not like they’re gonna leave any time soon.”
I smirk. Jurian can’t stand it when people side with me over him, and yet it happens more frequently than not. Unfortunately for him, I’m the rational thinker, and thus I am almost always right.
My brother slumps back in his seat, crossing his arms like the toddler he is, “neither of you understands the utter importance of this day.” He runs a hand through messy black hair and sighs, “we’re seniors for fucks sake, we’ve made it through four years of gruelling school work, we deserve to celebrate a little.”
“Or,” I laugh, “you’re just itching to see Jessie in a tiny bathing suit, running across the beach like something straight out of Baywatch.”
I still can’t understand why my brother keeps hooking up with her, she’s the snobbiest girl I’ve ever met. Sure, she’s hot, but god, that girl is such a bitch. Luckily, I’ve never had the displeasure of actually talking to her. I’m like fifty percent sure she doesn’t even know Jurianhasa sister, and I’d like to keep it that way. I feel a little bad that I’m basing my view of this girl solely on things I’ve heard through the rumour-mill, but to be fair, none of them are very good.
“Just let him have this one, Sash. It’ll run its course, and by the time hockey season is over, he’ll have found someone new to obsess over,” Ian chimes in, leaning into the trunk to grab a beer.
Jurian glares over his shoulder, “you stay out of this. She’s a decent girl, I don’t know why you guys hate her so much.”
Maybe cause you only ever go to her place, and keep putting in effort for a girl who has no interest in doing the same for you… but I don’t say that out loud.
“Can you just hurry it up?” My brother asks, “please.”
I glance at him, my shoulders dipping when I see the look in his eyes. He genuinely likes this girl. Despite not fully understanding why, I have to support him. “Fine,” I sigh, pressing on the gas.
“Thank you,” he grins, grabbing my phone at the same time.
I don’t need to ask what he’s about to put on, it’s our go-to whenever we’re in the car together. Wonderland by Taylor Swift comes blasting through the speakers as Ian groans from the back seat.
Only three people know about his obsession with her; me, Ian, and Nathan. It’s a whole thing, but the only one who can actually stand to listen to it —as well as enjoy it— is me. The other two are buzzkills.
There are very few interests that Jurian and I share, but listening to her music is one of them. I can understand that she’s not for everyone, but there’s just something about her music that makes me happy.
So I scream the lyrics at the top of my lungs with my brother, allowing myself to actually enjoy the day rather than dread spending it at the beach with a bunch of people who will barely look my way.
I turn my head to sing to Jurian, but the words die on my lips when I see a truck. A truck that smashes into the passenger side of our car. Glass shatters before I feel my world flip a hundred times, and everything goes black.
“J,” I croak, “are you okay?”
There’s no response.
“J, I need you to tell me if you’re okay.” I try to turn my head, but there’s something stopping me, something in the way. “Ian, can you see Jurian?”
Ian was in the back seat, he’ll be able to tell me if Jurian is alright. I just need to know he’s okay.
