The car door popped open easily. Strange, Noah never left his car unlocked. Mason held the rear left door open for his girlfriend Lily. She handed him her nearly empty bottle before ducking in. Mason looked at the bottle, took a quick swig, and threw it to the concrete where it shattered. He then got into the car after Lily and waited for the other couple. His insides felt funny and the distant world around him seem a bit blurry and out of focus. He shook his head. He hadn’t had that much to drink. Noah had way more beers than him.
“Speaking of Noah, where the heck is that guy?” Mason thought. He looked out his window and found Noah saying goodbye and trying to stable his brand new girl Mia. Mason heard a giggle from beside him and looked over to find Lily slouched on the next to rear seats laughing and trying to unlock her phone.
“Babe I can’t figure out how to work this thing,” said Lily fumbling with the touch screen.
“That’s because you’re hammered Lil,” replied Mason. As soon as he finished his sentence he felt a vibration in his pocket. He leaned to his right and tried to fish his phone out of his pocket. Due to poor balance he collapsed on Lily and they both laughed.
“Babe, Noah and Mia are coming. None of that!” giggled Lily. Mason scoffed and turned his head back outside to see Noah coming to the car.
“Sit up chick. Noah and Mia are here,” Mason chimed absent-mindedly. He was a little distracted. Why the h--- would Noah hook up with Mia? That girl smashed half the Senior class and almost all the Juniors.
The driver door opened up and Noah sat down laughing. Mia soon followed in the passenger seat flipping her hair as she got in. Lily was still on her side and laughing so Mason had to pull her upright.
“Put on your seatbelt babe,” Mason said as he reached over Lily to grab her safety belt. She pushed his arm away from the belt and kissed him.
“I don’t need to start wearing protection now baby,” Lily winked. What the heck did that mean? The car revved up and Noah shut the door. Mia flipped down her sun guard and flipped open the mirror to check her makeup.
“Lily what did you mean by that?” Mason asked. She looked at him and a large smile spread across her face. Noah chimed in before she could answer.
“Mace do you want us to drop off you guys both at Lily’s house or are you crashing at my place tonight? Don’t worry about third wheeling, me and Mia are done for the night,” Noah asked Mason. Mason thought for a few seconds before deciding.
“I’ll crash with you if you don’t mind. If my parents notice me like this, I’ll never see the light of day again,” Mason replied. Noah nodded and put the car in gear and slowly pulled out of the driveway. Mason looked back at Lily who had now turned her phone camera to check her pupils.
“Lil what did you mean by that protection thing?” Mason asked. His heart started to race. He didn’t know why it his heart beat was getting faster. It must’ve been the alcohol and weed. Lily took one more look at her eyes then shut off her phone and looked at Mason. She cleared her throat before speaking.
“Mason...I’m pregnant,” She finally said breaking into a smile. Mason’s heart jumped into his throat, making it hard for him to talk. Luckily, Noah piped up excited and slurring his words.
“Oh my God Lily! That’s crazy! I don’t know whether to proud for you or extremely worried,” Noah said looking back. Lily giggled again than spoke.
“First, keep your freaking eyes on the road. Second, we are going to keep it so be happy,” Lily replied pointing to towards the front of the car. Noah laughed and turned back around. Mia still hadn’t said a word and just rolled her eyes. Mason still hadn’t said a word. His eyes were wide open and his jaw dropped. Nothing can sober up a drunken teenager faster than news about being a future father. Lily began to look at him waiting for a burst of excitement at the thought of tossing away all his dreams. Mason realized he need time to think so he turned and grabbed his seat belt. As it clicked he heard Noah mutter “Pansy” from the front of the car. Finally Mason spoke.
“Lily we haven’t even talked about keeping this kid. How long have you known about this? Also, you can’t be drinking! Are you crazy?!” Mason exploded. Lily’s smile immediately disappeared and she became angry.
“What the heck Mason? Why aren’t you happy? You were all for it when we made it! Now you’re acting like it’s the end of the world!” Lily shot back. Mason again couldn’t make words. He searched for help from Noah. His eyes drifted to the rear view mirror where he could see Noah look out at the road. The narcotics and drinks had made his eyes bloodshot and half open.
“Noah you got to agree with me right?” Mason asked. Noah didn’t respond and Lily yelled at Mason again but Mason didn’t hear what she said. He was looking at Noah. Something wasn’t right. Lily yelled again but now Mason’s hearing had left him. Noah’s eyes were now closed shut and Mason realized what was happening. Suddenly the car swerved hard to the left and the world played in slow motion.
Mason leapt forward to grab Noah and try to shake him awake, but his seat belt yanked him back to his seat. To Mason’s right Lily shifted violently to her right slamming her head on the window. Mia did the same as her long hair flew every which way. The car was now in the opposite lane and Mason caught a glimpse of headlights before the impact. The loudest BOOM Mason had ever heard rang his ears as the right side of Noah’s car crumpled from the oncoming car. Shards of glass flew every way cutting deep gashes into Mason’s face. Mia’s headrest snapped from her seat and shot at Mason. The last thing he saw was the headrest speeding at his face and her heard Lily scream and cry “Mason!”
Wake up. Wake up. Mason’s thoughts were all mixed except for this one. Slowly his eyes fluttered open and his world came into view. Smoke blocked much of his vision and filled his lungs. He coughed violently, causing blood to shoot from his mouth onto his legs. Mason looked to his right. The car was missing both right side doors and Mia and Lily were both gone.
“Lily,” Mason weakly called. He repeated his call before decided he needed to get out. He reached down and clicked the release to his seatbelt. It started to recoil but smashed into something that made Mason scream.
“AAUGHHHH!” Mason yelled. Pain shot throughout his entire body. He looked down to see that the seat belt had caught onto blue metal debris from Noah’s car that had become lodged into Mason’s chest. Blood had splattered Mason’s shirt and the metal shard. He grimaced again before reaching and moving the seatbelt carefully around the shard. Mason slowly leaned towards the front of the car and looked in the driver seat. Noah was slouched forward against the steering wheel.
“Noah,” Mason coughed while tapping his friends back. No response. Mason tapped and repeated. No response. Mason looked at the windshield. Blood colored the spider webbed glass. It almost looked pretty and artistic. It worried Mason as to who’s it was. Lily came to his mind and he remembered he needed to find her. He tapped Noah one more time before finally grabbing his shirt and pulling him upright. Noah’s head turned to his right looking back at Mason. Noah’s face was mangled and barely recognizable. His nose was smashed and turned left. A large portion of the top of his head hung down barely attached by some skin. Fresh blood poured from every cut and orifice on Noah’s face. Mason gasped briefly before turning and vomiting on the seat next to him. “This can’t be real,” Mason thought to himself. But the pain that shot and tore though his abdomen with every breath he took reminded him that his had to be reality. Mason took a deep breath and reached for his door’s handle. He pulled and the entire door fell from its hinges. Mason stepped out onto the pavement and realized he and the car was on the wrong side of the road and perpendicular to the road. Mason couldn’t stand up straight as he limped around the tail of Noah’s car. Blood dripped from his leg creating a trail behind him. How much blood can one human carry? He had seen so much in the last minute.
Mason used one hand on the trunk to stabilize him as he continued around the car. It was then that Mason saw the car that hit them. It was a green sedan with its front crumpled and mostly missing. Debris lay broken and bent all around Mason. This car’s windshield was just as bloody and spider webbed as Noah’s, but had one major difference. On this windshield lay Mia. Her left arm was missing and her head was turned completely around. Luckily her bloody matted hair covered her face so Mason didn’t have to see how gruesome it was. Emotions finally began to catch Mason as he sobbed and tears rushed down his face. What the f*** was happening? Just minutes ago he was having a great time with his friends and girlfriend/future mother of his child. Lily! Mason was again reminded of her. Where was she? Pain no longer mattered to Mason as he became numb. He spun frantically looking for Lily.
“Lily!” Mason shouted. He felt the metal in his chest tear deeper but he didn’t care. Mason spun one more time before stopping dead in his tracks. Past the sedan by about thirty feet lay Lily face up. All her limbs were intact and she just seemed to lay asleep. Mason limped as fast as her could screaming her name.
As he reached her he fell to his knees and grabbed her arm. It still felt faintly warm. Mason then put his fingers to Lily’s neck checking for a pulse. Just a few seconds passed that felt like an eternity. “Come on. Come on. Please God just one beat I’m begging you,” Mason silently pleaded. Nothing. Mason looked to the sky and screamed in agony. He looked back down at his beautiful girlfriend. Her face was so calm, with just one cut on her lip slightly bleeding down her chin. Mason could barely breathe between sobs. Tears streamed down his face as he questioned why? One lone tear fell from his chin and landed on Lily’s cheek. With red eyes Mason looked down and gingerly wiped it away with his left hand.
“Baby please come back,” Mason cried although he knew she was gone. Suddenly he could hear sirens off in the distance.
Mason’s right hand slipped from Lily’s neck down to her stomach. He stared at it and sobbed even harder.
“I’m so sorry little one. If you’re there, please forgive me,” Mason said choking on tears. Suddenly he coughed and blood sprayed onto the hand he covered his mouth with.
“God I can’t live without my family,” Mason prayed, speaking about Lily and his unborn child.
“Please take me too,” he continued. Mason looked at his hands. Behind the blood he saw them turning pale. A chill rushed him and overcame his entire body. He began to feel sleepy and run down. This was the end for him. He welcomed it with open arms as he lay down next to Lily and looked at her face one last time. With cracked and bloody lips he leaned and kissed her on her lips.
“I didn’t tell you back then, but let’s keep the baby,” Mason spoke to his love. He slowly smiled and moved down to her stomach. Once again he gently placed his lips to her stomach and kissed again
“I can’t wait to meet you.” Mason repositioned himself on Lily’s right side and looked down the long road. He could see red lights in the distance hurling their way towards them. Mason then turned towards the sky and placed his head on the cold pavement as he lay next to Lily. Slowly, his vision started to become blurry and a bright white began to overcome his sight. He put on a smile, closed his eyes, and finally exhaled.