The phone ringing in the middle of the night was never a good sign, especially when you knew it was bad news on the other end. That didn't stop Jake picking up the phone, it didn't stop him from running to the house next door and banging his fists against the door, begging his neighbours to drive him up to the hospital. It didn't stop him from asking to see his cousin who had just been critically injured in a car crash. It didn't stop his cousin from asking their family to give them a few moments alone and they did. Now, Jake almost wished they hadn't. The moments after they'd left, his cousin had told him a funny story and also told him that he loved him and wouldn't ever leave his side. Jake was the one person in the world, that James felt the most love for. But even his love didn't stop him from leaving. He left in a moment, feeling tired, going to rest and then the machine next to him emitted a low flat beeping sound. And Jake knew, that James was never going to be there for him like he'd promised. As his tears began to fall, Jake held onto his cousin's hand more tightly, secretly begging him to come back. But he never. Not even when the doctors tried resucitating him. Nothing would ever bring James back. The next few days were spent in a daze, his mother was sorting out funeral arrangements, Jake was helping clear out James' room. All of it seemed so final. This couldn't be happening. James' car keys, phone and lucky charm were all in a bag on his bedside table. The charm was smashed, broken maybe from the impact of the collision. Why now? Why did James have to be so cool and be the life of the party? If he hadn't gone to that party and taken his car, he would still be alive. James' pictures of himself, his friends and family, mainly a picture of him and Jake, caught his eye. They looked so much like each other, except for the slight change in eye colour and facial structure that was James. Jake had to smile at it, it had been taken at a party and James, for once, had not been drunk. He just looked happy, with his arm around Jake's shoulders. They had so many memories together and now they were to be thrown away, to be let go. He didn't know how to cope, he didn't know what he was meant to do in his life now that James had left it. It just seemed too empty for him. He couldn't ask Sammi for help, she had run off with a new boyfriend and Jake couldn't really blame her for that. He definitely wouldn't ask Karly. The girl was way too jealous of anything that even had the slightest hint of other girls in the area, she'd even stopped him from seeing his friends at one point. There was only one person left, who he knew would give him a shoulder to lean on, Liz, the girl he'd cheated on, lied to but still, for some reason, loved him. She would understand. He walked back to the Hangout, the 'underground club' where his friends worked and hung out. It wasn't a club at all, it was the basement of a diner where they all worked. Work there, get to play downstairs, it was a job Jake had loved for many years and had shared with both James and Liz. He walked into the diner and headed straight downstairs, wrapping his arms around his head as soon as he sat at one of the old diner tables that had been placed there, and started to cry. It was the first time he had cried since James' funeral, but even though most people would say it felt good to let it out, he felt terrible, if only he'd been in that car too... It was in these moments of wishing himself dead that somebody placed a mug of steaming coffee in front of him. He looked up at his best friend since he'd started school, Lee gave him a small smile and tapped him on the shoulder gently. "I've gotta get back to work," he whispered in Jake's ear, "but, your parents told me what happened... I'm so sorry." With those awkward words, Lee left Jake staring into his coffee. He couldn't escape the images in his head, what if he hadn't been there? He would never have seen that last smile... He never did get a chance to say goodbye either. He wanted someone to tell him that it was okay, not that they were sorry. Just something I found lying in my e-mail... thought I'd share it. I could write more if you guys want xD
This is is a great story, filled with emotion and vivid images. I'd love to see more of this written, but I fear it may ruin the feeling of openness at the end. It leaves questions open as to what Jake will do, and that sort of helps to increase the message of the overall story. As I said, I'd love to see more of this story, but at the same time I know it's best left as it is.
