Denial

Somewhat a rush job for a psych project, I kind of liked it and figured why not

I awoke with a jolt, my old and shabby alarm clock screaming at me to wake up. I sigh and roll over to smack the cancel button, sleeps warm embrace threatening to pull me back under as i lay my head back down. With as much willpower as i can muster, i force myself out of my bed, comforting and safe sheets clinging to me as if begging me to stay. Now sitting on my bed, my feet on the icy floor, i rub my eyes- trying desperately to find some sort of motivation. School. Exhausting, amazing, heart wrenching, school. An array of emotions blasted into me from joyful to bitter to unease. The usual feelings school brings up for any student. Putting on my thick cotton robe and fluffy slippers I trudged miserably to my bathroom to brush my teeth. The wood floors of my home stretched out in front of me, seemingly miles of empty hallway as my parents were both already gone for work. I brush my teeth quickly, my mind pondering events of yesterday, as my eyes stare glazed ahead at the slight crack in the right corner of my mirror. Turning off the faucet, I throw down my toothbrush and head out towards the kitchen. The chatter of voices drifts down the hall to me. As I round the corner to my kitchen, Aaron sits at my kitchen table, munching on an apple chatting on the phone to someone about last nights basketball game.

Upon me entering the room, Aaron looks up, his eyes bright and full of energy, his stupid greasy smirk spread like a canvas over his entire face.

“Whats up tubs” he said, speaking thickly over the apple he munched on.

“I wish you'd stop calling me that d****t” I said a slight grin on my face to hide the hurt lying beneath my words.

I had always struggled with my weight. Now a high schooler, almost graduated, i had been bigger since the fifth grade. It sucked. I tried dieting, I tried weight loss pills. Even running- nothing worked, it was just my bones. It wouldn't change.

Aaron popped up from his chair, taking a swig from the gallon of milk that my mother had left sitting on my kitchen table for breakfast.

“I finished your cereal for ya. Not like you exactly need anymore food anyway right bud?”

Aaron was a good kid, he had always been there to hang out with me even when others wouldn't. Guaranteed, I often had to pay for his food when we went out together, I had to drive him to school on a daily, and i even would bring him with me on my family vacation, but that's what friends did for one another. He paid me back by hanging out with me. He was also a really cool kid. He was president of the senior class, best baseball player in the school, and had lots of friends. I wanted to be his friend too, who wouldnt?

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Opening the front door, I let Aaron step out and then shut the heavy wood door behind me, turning the key to lock it.

“Dude. Let me drive today i'm getting my license in like a week anyway.” Aaron said, his hand already extended expectantly for the keys.

“I don't know man... I mean I just got this car” I say, taking a step backwards.

“Who cares dude I’m a great driver and i wont even go that fast ill do the speed limit and everything”

“This sounds like such a bad idea what if we crash or get hurt or get pulled over??”

“Ill tell them I made you or something don't worry about it! I'll take the blame! We won't get caught though. Im probably a better driver than you are by now.”

Hesitantly, I handed him the keys.

“Ya okay fine. Just promise me you'll go slow please my dad just bought this.”

Tossing the keys to Aaron, I hopped into the passenger seat, and reached for my seatbelt.

Starting the car, Aaron buckled his seatbelt and looked at me with that same sly grin he had spread over his face earlier.

“This is gonna be sweet dude.” Aaron said as he gunned it out of the driveway.  

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Cruising slowly down the road, Aaron looked over at me and smiled, his eyes drifting from the road to me.

“Easy peasy dude see! I'm not too bad right? I could do this with my eyes closed.

I laughed, nodding my head and returning his look of excitement.

“I believe it man. Just please don't show me.”

Chuckling to himself, Aaron looked back to the road, his laughter cut short, by the sight of a car pulling out of a driveway. His smile shattered from his face like glass from a window, terror replacing it in a split second.

With no time to stop, Aaron cranked the wheel to the side, directing the car away from the idiot who couldn't look before pulling out.

Directing the car to the opposite side of the road.

Directing the car toward a tree that stood unmoving

Time seemed to slow, as we flew into the tree with no time to react. I watched the tree approaching, with no other available way out. I wondered how this had happened. How had this gone from a simple drive to a crash about to happen. My mind instantly went to school. Obviously we would be late. Maybe we could make it in time. I hated being late.

The car connected with the tree.

Time came back to its normal pace.

The car stopped. Quite suddenly.