A broken collarbone. Swelling in Ashlyn's brain. A shattered kneecap. Her left lunch also collapsed. No one expected Ashlyn Caswell would survive that first night. Not after her boyfriend passed in the crash as well.
However, Ashlyn Caswell woke up a week later. The only person in her hospital room was her cousin, E.J. She was wrapped up from almost head to toe. Ashlyn would learn later that the impact launched her from the car in the crash.
Through the pain, Ashlyn managed to ask about her boyfriend. Her heart shattered when she learned the news he died the first night. Big Red didn't survive the surgery. At first glance, his injuries seemed to be less severe. However, he had a lot of internal bleeding. The doctors called it twenty after midnight.
Ashlyn got out in time for the funeral. She sat in her wheelchair near the back of the venue where the funeral was. Everyone looked at her with pity. Ashlyn tried to avoid them.
The rest of the school year was sort of a blur for Ashlyn. She finished the school year online. E.J became her support system during this time, basically living with her and taking up a guest bedroom. He took her to most of her physical therapy. Ashlyn's friends from the theater were also great, but E.J took over in places only he could. The two of them always had a sibling-esque relationship.
Summer came. Ashlyn was originally going to Camp Shallow Lake with the others. However, her injuries made her stay back. She and E.J were going to drive up for the performance in a few weeks.
Ashlyn needed something to take her mind off everything. So, Ashlyn pulled out her songbook. She wasn't planning on going big like Nini, but it was a hobby she had. She began to write a song about a boy and a girl who fell in love and a love story that ended too quickly.