I'm really sorry for not posting for a while, but I just couldn't think of a good way to introduce this chapter, because it's kind of sad, and its where Jack and Elsa get in a car crash. Honestly, I'm not that satisfied how this turned out, but I didn't want to push it back any longer... Still, I hope you like it.
After high school, my friends and I split up, attending different universities. Elsa went somewhere up in Norway to attend some prestigious university, University of Arendelle. Her eyes were gleaming with excitement as she received her large letter of acceptance from the university. I celebrated with her and saw her off to the airport. I was sad, of course, that she would be studying millions of miles away, but she promised to contact me everyday, and she never broke her promises.
I made it into the hockey team in Burgess University, and made new friends on my hockey team. Winter break was coming, and Elsa was coming back from Norway. I had invited her over to my friend's party, to celebrate our win for the final match. She agreed, although she didn't like many parties.
I met her at the airport with Elsa's family. She was only carrying a small suitcase and a duffel bag.
"Did you bring chocolate?" Anna asked immediately when she spotted Elsa coming our way.
"No," she responded lightly, hugging her parents.
I frowned, "That doesn't quite sound like you"
"Oh, I did buy chocolate," she grinned at me, pulling me into a hug, "But I ate them all, I couldn't resist myself"
Anna's eyes popped open and she shrieked "You ate my chocolates?!" attracting the attention of several passersby.
Mrs. Snow laughed, "Can't have that, we'll stop by a chocolate store on our way back I guess"
"Well, I might just eat them too," Elsa giggled, hugging her sister who was still muttering about her stolen chocolate.
"Not if I finish them all first," Anna pouted, dragging Elsa into the car.
Once we got back to her house, I helped her unpack, which meant just sitting on her suitcase and talking about school and stuff. Anna then barged in, insisting she helped Elsa find a dress for the hockey party.
"Anna," Elsa sighed, as she let herself be ushered by Anna's energetic hands, "How come you can't remember where you put your phone, but can remember when my party is, seeing that I only mentioned it once in a call?"
"I remember the important stuff, and this is very important," Anna shoved me out the door, as I heard Elsa muttering something along the lines of "I hardly think this is important"
And after about 2 hours, Elsa finally emerged, ready to go. She had a light blue, knee length dress. Her hair was out and her eyes were sparkling.
"You took an awfully long time," I rolled my eyed at Anna, who was fussing about what shoes Elsa should wear.
"Yeah, I'm color coding, it takes a great deal of skill and concentration," she stuck her tongue out.
After Anna decided on a pair of shoes that was not to high for Elsa and not to drab for Anna, Elsa and I finally made it outside, and into my car and on our way to the party. When we got there, music was trickling out the window and I could see many figures dancing. As I made my way towards the house, I was greeted by Aster, one of my teammates.
"Glad you could make it," he high-fived me.
"This is Elsa," I introduced her to Aster and they shook hands.
Turning to me, he gestured to the living room, "Beer's in the living room"
Elsa turned towards me as we entered the house and I could see a small frown.
"You drink?" she asked, a little angry.
"Yeah... but I wont drink that much today..." I looked at her, "Pinky swear"
She sighed, and nodded, "Fine, but I'm driving"
She then spotted Rapunzel, who was invited by Flynn, who was also one of my teammates. I could see him in the living room already, with a large plastic cup, brimming with liquid. Honestly, the hours passed like a blur. I stopped keeping track of how much I drank after some time. I spotted Elsa, talking with Punzie once in a while, and she seemed happy. As the amount of refills became a blur to me, I felt myself begin to loosen up. Only my nagging reminder of my promise, made me put down my drink, but frankly, I seemed unfit to drive anyways.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around and met Elsa's eyes.
"Can we go?" she asked me, "Its getting late, please?"
I sighed, I knew Elsa hated parties, so, in a semi-conscious state, I nodded my head. I could see Elsa breath a sigh of relief as we left the pounding music. I took out the keys as we reached the car from my back pocket, before I felt it being snatched out of my hands.
"Remember? I'm driving," she sighed, as she slid into the driver's seat.
"But I'm not even drunk!" I whined, folding my arms.
"Yeah, but kind of tipsy, now get into the car," she rolled her eyes.
Pouting, I flopped on the passenger seat, and sat down, glaring outside.
"I'm not that drunk," I said, stoutly again.
"Yes, you are," Elsa concentrated on the road.
"No, you should see the state of some of the other guys," I kept going on.
"Ugh, I feel like a mother," she muttered, glancing at me.
"Are you mad?" I asked her, after several moments of silence.
"A bit," she admitted, "But I'm a bit more frustrated with you at the moment"
I grinned at her, "Love you too"
"Jack," she looked at me, "'I'm frustrated with you' does not translate to 'I love you'"
"But you care about me," I smiled, and pecked her cheek.
She chuckled, and tried to push me off with her elbow, and at that exact moment, she slid on a patch of black ice.
At first, the sound of Elsa's gasp, did not register trough my drunken state. But as I slowly connected the dots between the moving landscape and the sudden swerving of the car, adrenaline pumped through my bloodstream, focusing my vision, making me think faster. We were spinning, Elsa was trying to regain control, it was not working.
There are two types of fear. There is the fear that makes you petrified and still, and there is the fear that sparks motion, that forces one to act, that sparks the bravest among us.
I was petrified.
I sat absolutely still, as the seconds unfolded painfully slow in front of my eyes. But my mind raced, the next three seconds ticked away.
3 seconds left until we crash.
There was a pole, it was hard; a streetlamp. We were headed towards it. We were definitely going to crash. Elsa's knuckles were white against the steering wheel, as she clutched it, her eyes just as unwillingly watched the scene before us.
2 seconds left until we crash.
The sickening sound of tires futilely trying to get a grip on the slick ground. I could hear a screaming, high and frightening. It could be Elsa, or me, or both, I never really found out. The car completed one turn, and I was aware of how fast my hear was beating and how quickly I inhaled and exhaled.
1 second left until we crash.
How can I describe impending doom? I was never good at physics, but I played enough sports to know that the driver's side was going to hit pole first. Elsa's side. I had read somewhere that people instinctively turn the wheel when going through a car crash, so the passenger was more likely to get the most damage. But this car was out of control, and for a fleeting moment, I was glad. I was a selfish idiot, who was glad that Elsa would get most of the damage, and that I would have a higher chance of living. But that fleeting moment was gone, and I was left with a faint memory.
I promise I won't hurt you again...
Those words echoed inside my brain.
I broke that promise. Whose fault was it that we were in this situation? Mine, and mine alone. If I hadn't been a stupid, stubborn, drunken idiot, we would not have been in this mess. And I knew nothing would be the same again.
I promise I won't hurt you again...
The pole came ever closer, and I heard the first wounds of impact, as the grey cement made contact with the blue metal of my car. I was probably screaming, as the windows shattered and the world suddenly disappeared.
I pinkie swear...
I woke up to the faint sound of sirens in the distance. I felt a warm sticky liquid flow down my head. I couldn't move my arms, they felt like tar. I had a metallic taste in my mouth, I a winced at the slightest sound. Just across from me, was Elsa. She was so different from the person I knew. Her eyes were shut, and she was breathing in raspy breaths. Her eyebrows, which were covered with blood, like most of her face, were furrowed. She was deathly pale, and her mouth hung open slightly. Only the small sips of air signified that she was still alive.
"I'm so sorry," I mouthed, slightly, because talking took to much energy and hurt. Because I would dissolve in a puddle of tears at the sound of my voice. My hand was almost touching hers, but I couldn't even shift myself a mere millimeters to hold them. Everything was fading now.
As the glaring light broke through the dark and bloody haze of the car, blackness seeped into my vision. I felt strong hands pick me up and I could only stare at the limp body of my best friend, the one I vowed to protect.
I'm so, so sorry... I thought before fading away.
