Joey
Prompt: Joey- Sugarland
What if I said yes?
What if I'd gone out that night?
What if you'd turned left?
Everything would've turned out alright.
What if I'd spoke up?
What if I'd took the keys?
What if I had tried a little harder,
Instead of always trying to please?
Emily went out to the bar with Derek. When they were leaving, both were drunk. Emily called a taxi to take her home, but Derek wanted to drive. He offered to take her home and she said no. She was drunk and, if she wasn't, she wouldn't have let him go. Especially if she had known what was to come next.
xxxxxx
The next morning, Emily woke up with a killed headache. It was a day off for the team and she was grateful because she couldn't go into work with the way she felt.
After she had a cup of coffee, she poured herself another cup and sat on her couch. She turned on the TV, but wasn't really watching it. She was trying to remember what had happened the night before.
The news came on. She zoned in when she heard the anchorman say, "A tragic car accident has happened early this morning. A drunk driver was driving down Main Street when they crashed into a parked car. They crashed at a high speed and they were reportedly pronounced dead on arrival."
Emily was shocked. The anchorman continued by saying, "It's said that the driver was reportedly a FBI agent. He had no family in the area. No other information has been disclosed at the time."
Emily suddenly remembered everything from the night before. Derek had been drunk and drove home. She had let him drive home. She should have said something, but she didn't. She could have stopped all of this from happening. When the truth hit her, she ran into the bathroom and emptied her stomach.
She had lost her friend and it was all her fault. The person she loved was taken from her.
What if I'd said no?
What if we never fell in love?
What if we'd gone slow?
Or a little bit faster and broken up?
Would I know this hurt?
Would I feel this pain?
Do you know that, with all I have left in my very last breath,
I will call your name?
Emily wished she was smart enough to take his keys from him. She wondered if she would be in this much pain over his death if she was never in a relationship with Derek. She came to the conclusion that she would, seeing as how they were such close friends beforehand.
She loved him so much. They were going to spend the rest of their lives together. He told her he would be proposing one day soon and he'd surprise her. Now, everything was gone. Emily was in such shock.
Were you sad?
Were you scared?
Did you wish for a prayer to be free?
Was it quiet and cold?
Was it light, or too dark, to see?
And did you reach for me?
Emily couldn't believe this was really happening. She couldn't believe he was truly gone.
She could only hope that he had passed quickly and felt no pain. This was all her fault. She could have stopped everything that had happened.
She was so sorry for what had happened.
Joey, I'm so sorry.
Can you hear me?
Joey, I'm so sorry.