Everything Happens for a Reason——
written by Rightful Queen of the Dorks

I remember that night.

It feels like it happened not too long ago.

. . .

We were on our way home from my parents' house after they invited us over for dinner. It was pouring as we took our traditional route home via freeway. The trip home wasn't all too good, to say the least. The darkness of the night surrounded us entirely, and it was difficult to see with our car's headlights as our only source of light. The windshield wipers didn't help at all with removing the drops from our view, and I heard him grumbling under his breath.

I looked over at him with raised eyebrows and after realizing that I'd been staring at him, he sent me a pout. He furrowed his eyebrows, puffed his cheeks, and his lips were semi-puckered.

He was such a weirdo, but that's what made me love him.

As we continued down the road it became harder for me to stay awake while I relaxed against my seat. I tried my best to stay up, but I inevitably closed my eyes and I slowly began to fall asleep.

Then, I heard the harsh screeching of the car's brakes, and my brain registered that something—which was most likely his hand—grasped my hand. I felt a strong squeeze and a sharp pain shot up my arm. As the car flipped about, it seemed like my body was a rag doll as we rolled. The noise of shattering glass followed the tumbling, and I don't think I can ever get the shrill cry made by him out of my mind. I never wanted to hear him make that kind of sound—never in this lifetime.

While the car continued to roll, I tried to move—but it was like I was paralyzed from the sudden course of actions.

I couldn't open my eyes; they continually darted back and forth under my heavy eyelids.

I couldn't scream; my chest felt like it was on fire. It hurt too much to even try.

I couldn't do anything.

All I did was feel unbearable pain. After everything was over no other sound came from him, and darkness welcomed me with open arms.

. . .

Before I knew it, I woke up in a hospital.

My head was pounding like mad, my body was aching, and everything felt surreal.

My parents entered my room after they received news that I was awake, and they told me that we got into an accident because an animal leaped into our path. Since he was caught off-guard, he tried to steer clear of the creature and the car swerved and spun out of control due to the rain. I sustained a few broken ribs, a broken arm, a sprained hand and knee, and several cuts from the broken glass. I don't know how I had survived—but I did, and I was lucky.

However, when I asked about him... their faces became grim. My blood chilled and I eventually questioned them even more.

They said nothing in response to my questions, but I already knew what the silence meant.

—He didn't make it out alive.

He was gone—dragged into nothingness.

. . .

I remember the times we had when we were younger. Mother encouraged me to befriend him, and she baked all sorts of treats when he visited. Father would always give him the death stare for being so close to me, and although he felt intimidated, he stayed around me when he could. He and I would bicker and make fun of each other, but that was how our friendship was.

As we were entering middle school, we didn't spend as much time with each other, but we remained friends.

When we were able to, we would go to the park and stare up into the sky. I would tell him my secrets, and he would tell me his own. At one point, we promised each other that we would be together. We were young... but as I think back to that exact day, it seems like we already knew that we were perfect for each other.

He was my other half.

The other half that cheered me up when I was down; treated me like I was special; spent time with me when I was lonely; made me laugh with goofy antics; loved me for me; and overall, changed my life.

After all those times... we didn't even get to say goodbye.

. . .

"Everything happens for a reason," my parents told me.

When I heard them utter those very words, I felt my heart break in two.

It's too painful to accept as the truth.

Author's Note|

Everything I write seems so flat nowadays, and I think you can see it just by reading this story. I'll do better when I have less stress on my plate after I graduate—that's what I hope, at least. I think you can officially call this my first story back. As for 'he,' I think you can imagine who you want as the he? I was too lazy—I spent all day working on this, okay? I know it's crap, lol. Oh, and Zelda is 18/19 in here.

— Mar / Rightful Queen of the Dorks