Chapter 4
Kenzie:
I never meant for an accident to happen. I mean, all I expected was a bruise or a sprained ankle so Maddie would have to take maybe a day off and I could be in her place. But as I stare at my big sister, who looks so small and vulnerable crying on her paper-lined hospital cot, surrounded by blinking monitors measuring her heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital signs, I know I've done something horrid.
I almost killed her, I realize. I almost killed my sister.
If it hadn't been for the kind drivers nearby, who rushed out to help Maddie to the curb, call the ambulance and wait while I called mom, Maddie might not be alive. I knew that as soon as she opened her eyes, I would live with my crime forever. But she is alive.
The doctor, Dr. Kyle Norris, who is a very nice man, whispers to mom and I that Maddie has a concussion and paralysis from the waist down. My heart stopped then. Maddie was a dance. She lived, breathed, and ate dance. Dancing to her was life-if she couldn't dance anymore, she would just fade away.
I know Maddie has realized that she can't possibly do the Sia video tomorrow-but she doesn't yet know the true extent of her injury. What kind of a monster am I? I've ruined my sister's life. Filled with remorse, I burst into tears.
I feel a hand on my shoulder and see that it's mom. Tears glisten in her blue eyes. "It's going to be okay, Kenzie, honey. We can't tell your sister about the paralysis, though. She'll be devastated. She has to recover a bit first." At least mom agrees with me about this.
For a moment, I'm happy that Maddie's injury has made mom pay more attention to me. Then I squash my wicked thoughts. I can't tell anyone in the world about what I did. Nobody can know that I almost killed Maddie Ziegler. Beloved dance star, television sweetheart. And my own loving big sister.