Another couple from the drama club left the Waffle Hose not long after Big Red and Ashlyn. Ricky Bowmen sat in the driver's seat, Gina sitting beside him. "What's the color of your prom dress?" Ricky asked. "I need to pick up a corsage."
"It's royal blue," Gina responded. They were quiet after that. The only noise in the car came from a Taylor Swift song on the radio. They were both exhausted after opening night. They played the romantic leads, so they were both onstage for most of the show.
Ricky suddenly stopped the car. In front of them was a car accident. One of the cars looked vaguely familiar. An officer walked to the driver's side of the vehicle. Ricky knew to roll down his window. "Good evening, officer," Ricky said.
"Good evening," the officer said. "We'll try to find you away around the crash soon. We're going to be out here for a while. If you need to, I recommend you call your parents."
"Is everything okay?" Ricky asked. "Can I help in any way?"
"There is nothing you can do," the officer said. "The paramedics are already here."
"Ricky," Gina said. She pointed at one of the ambulances. Ricky barely registered what was in front of him. Big Red was lying on a stretcher. He was groaning, something that the couple couldn't understand.
"That's my best friend," Ricky said. His voice sounded broken. He made a noise that sounded like a wounded animal. Ricky tried to get out of the car, but the officer stopped him. The officer sympathized with the kid, but this was an active investigation. The officer also didn't want the kid to see the bloody scene.
"We're going to take care of it," the officer said. Even though Big Red had vanished into the ambulance, Ricky couldn't let go of the image of his best friend like that. "Are you sure that's your friend?"
Ricky nodded quickly. Gina grabbed his hand. "Call his parents," the officer said.
"Jefferson, come quick," a feminine voice called. "There's another passenger over here. She isn't breathing."
The officer, now known to the couple as Jefferson, ran off. "You okay, babe?" Gina asked.
"I will be when I know I won't lose my best friend," Jefferson said. Gina pressed a kiss onto Ricky's cheek.
"He'll be okay," Gina promised. She then remembered something. She thought back to what was said to Jefferson before he ran off. "Didn't Ashlyn get a ride home with Big Red?"
Later that night, the wild cats piled into the Salt Lake Hospital. The family members of Ashlyn and Big Red joined them as well. They waited, unaware they had already lost a friend and family member.
