Our Happily Ever After

Our Happily Ever After

I was running my fingers through my brown locks as someone grabbed my hand. A chill instantly ran up my spine, and I looked over to notice that it was Bryce. His bright green eyes locked with mine; he still had a tight grip on my hand. I smiled at him, and he instantly smiled back.

“That kind of scared me. I have goosebumps,” I said as I lifted up my sweater sleeve to reveal raised bumps on my skin. Bryce must have just gotten back from grabbing his jacket out of the car. He put his hand on my arm, and I suddenly felt super calm inside. I looked up at him and he was laughing with the goofy smile I was used to seeing. He released his hand and then wrapped it around me.

I lied my head on his shoulder and dozed off thinking about him. I was looking at the lake and how the color of the murky waters reminded me of Bryce’s eyes. Bryce was one handsome boy; he had dark, longish hair, a stunning, bright smile, a thin face, long eyelashes, and many other qualities.

Bryce and I met when he moved to Little Rock while we were in middle school. His house wasn’t too far from mine, so we would have play dates every now and then. As we grew older, we started gaining feelings for each other. We began dating freshman year in high school. In every sport for every year, I was in the stands cheering for him, wearing his number on my back. We went to both years of prom together, and to make things easier for seeing each other, we attended the same college. I have known him for that long, and there has never been a moment I regret meeting him.

“Are you alright?” Bryce asked as I was daydreaming.

I nodded my head and laughed at the question, “Yes, I am fine. Just thinking about some stuff. I feel like I never say it enough, but I love you,” I exclaimed.

A small crescent grew upon his lips. He wrapped both of his arms around me and I wrapped my arms around his waist. “I love you too, Adi. I will love you until the end of time.” In the middle of the park, at that moment, I felt home. Everyone says that home is a place, but home can be anything. My home has two eyes and a heartbeat.

“I say we head home, it’s getting kind of chilly,” I pleaded. Bryce removed his jacket and placed it around my arms. He rubbed his hands up and down my arms, attempting to make me feel less cold. I grabbed his arms and let them down, but then grabbed his hand. I pointed towards the car and tossed him the keys. We walked hand in hand to my car, and I let Bryce drive. I opened my door and buckled my seat belt. He buckled his as well.

When we got to our apartment, I grabbed a glass of water and sat down on the couch. Bryce headed to take a shower, so I turned on the T.V.

After around ten minutes, I heard a loud thunk and turned around and noticed that it was Bryce shutting the dryer door shut. Bryce had only a towel around him, revealing the upper half of his bare body. He grabbed a t-shirt, pair of sweatpants, and a pair of socks. He returned back to our bedroom and put his clothes on. When he got out, he came back and sat on the couch with me. We nestled together, and I shortly fell asleep.

***

I had awoken the next morning at around 7 o’clock A.M. Surprisingly, Bryce wasn’t sleeping next to me. I began to worry, but then I whipped around and noticed that he was cooking breakfast for the both of us.

“Bryce, you didn’t have to make breakfast. I just could’ve grabbed a granola bar and headed off,” I insisted. I am usually gone this early in the morning anyways.

He glanced at me and flipped a pancake on the stove. A huge smile appeared on his face, which made his dimples pop out. “It’s okay. I thought it’d just be something nice for the both of us,” he said kindly. He grabbed the spatula and put a pancake on a plate which already had two pieces of bacon and an egg over easy. “Would you like syrup?” Bryce questioned.

I nodded my head and grinned at him. He poured syrup on the cake and brought the plate over to me. When he crouched down to give me the plate of food, he gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. He left for a second, but then returned back with a huge bouquet of flowers. I quickly sat up, and he crouched down again to hand the flowers to me. He normally does these types of things on my birthday or on other special occasions. I was wondering why he was doing all of this now.

While he was crouched down, he began to speak. “Adelaide Grace Abernathy, I have known you since we were twelve years old. You were the most beautiful and still are the most beautiful person I have ever laid eyes on. I have learned to fall in love with you throughout middle school and our high school years. We have managed to stick with each other since then. We have gone through thick and thin, and I believe that it’s time to ask this question. Will you marry me?” Bryce moved onto one knee and pulled out a small box. He opened it slowly, and revealed a ring. I stood up in astonishment, gasping because of how amazing all of this was.

“Yes!” I said happily. A few tears slipped down my face, but Bryce’s arms wrapped around me, which made the tears stop falling. At that moment, I felt as if the world had been in my arms. I never wanted to let go.

When Bryce let go from our hug, we sat down on the couch and I began eating my breakfast. I was so happy to be spending the rest of my life with the love of my life. I thought about how the wedding will go, what our future children will look like, and other things. What’s weird is that I have been thinking about this every day recently.

“Hey, I know this is pretty bad timing, but the boys just called. I need to go up the lake as soon as I can, there is some type of grill out. I hope you have a wonderful day at work, I’ll see you when you’re home. I love you!” Bryce said as he left the house.

“I love you too,” I said with a heaping grin on my face.

After my breakfast, I had to head to work. I used to work at the hospital in town, but I moved to the one that is a few miles away because it paid higher. It would be better to have more money for Bryce and I’s future.

***

Hours seemed to pass by quickly as I worked in different nursing stations. My favorite place to work would have to be the labor and delivery unit; I enjoy taking care of babies and helping out the new mothers. My job was so important to me. I’ve always loved to help others.

When I walked out of labor and delivery, the head nurse approached me. “Adi, you need to go to trauma for the rest of the day. We have too many people working in there,” she said as she pointed to the delivery room. I nodded my head quickly, and then went off down several halls. I arrived at the trauma center only to see a few people there. I knew that once after I saw the patients that the rest of the day was going to be very boring.

Suddenly, someone pulled me off to the side. I saw that it was the desk lady, Lana. “Bryce is here, you need to go see him immediately.”

“Uh.. Okay. Where is he?” I questioned. To hear that Bryce was here was very odd. He probably got a fishing hook stuck in his arm, well, at least I hope.

“He is in room 23B. You are allowed to go in there, but I would be a little timid. I am not sure how bad he is,” she responded.

“Thank you,” I answered. I walked through the hallway, taking deep breaths and praying for the best. I stumbled upon the door that said 23B, which was towards the end of the long hall.

I opened the door and saw Bryce lying on the bed with a long tube in going down his throat and a huge bandage wrapped around his head. His leg was also wrapped and hung up in the air. It didn’t look like him. With all of the swelling and bruises on his face, I couldn’t tell it was Bryce. His eyes were shut, and he nearly looked dead. I glanced over and noticed Bryce’s mother and father standing in the corner. Bryce’s mother, Sarah, grabbed onto my arm and took me out of the room.

“Bryce has a brain injury,” she said with a shaky voice. “When the boat flipped, it hit his head. We aren’t sure if he will wake up, but there is a possibility. If he doesn’t wake within thirty days, then we have to unplug all of the ventilators and let him-” Before she said anything else, I reached into her arms and hugged her tight. I knew exactly what was going on. We both sobbed. My heart felt ice cold, and I thought I could pass out any second. Is this a dream? My fiance should not be lying in that bed right now; he should be at home curled up by me.

After a long hug, we both walked back into the room. I walked up to Bryce’s body and observed him closely. Something must have cut his head open, there was a huge gash going across his forehead. I looked down and saw his hand with one of the heart rate monitors on his pointer finger. I reached and grabbed his hand, and then I sat down in the chair besides his bed. “I can give you both some alone time if you need it,” exclaimed Sarah. I nodded my head, and then she quietly left the room.

Once she left the room, I began to speak. “Bryce, I never thought this would happen honestly. Just please, don’t give up on me,” I laid my head down on his arm and began to pray. The tears fell harder than they had ever fell in my life. “You are my strength, and the reason I wake up every morning and be the person I am. I need you, and I am believing that we can make it.”

For a second, I thought he moved, but it was one of the wires hooked onto his body that touched me. I don’t know what I will do if he’s gone. I don’t think I will ever love again.

***

After a few hours that felt like a few minutes, my boss sent me home to get some rest. I reached in the fridge and grabbed a frozen pancake from this morning. I put the pancake in the microwave and waited until it was done. The syrup was still sitting out from this morning, so I decided not to put the syrup on my pancake. I went back onto the couch and just thought about how crazy and unrealistic all of this was.

I reached for my phone in my pocket and read all of the notifications on my phone. Most of them were well wishes for Bryce. I unlocked my phone and scrolled through all of the messages that Bryce and I had sent to each other. His last text to me was: “I love you, beautiful! Have a great day.” I couldn’t help but cry.

***

When I went to bed that night, I wasn’t able to sleep. I kept tossing, turning, and crying. Right then, I thought that it would be so much more comforting if I went and saw Bryce again. I grabbed a pair of shoes and my car keys. After that, I headed out the door. It was 3:25 A.M. when I left, and there’s no place I’d rather be than with Bryce. I started my car and backed out of our parking lot.

I drove the couple of blocks that led to the hospital, and when I arrived, I got out of the car immediately. I locked the doors and walked slowly into the hospital. Without going to the front desk, I went straight to Bryce’s room. I opened up the door and saw that nobody was in there. I pulled up a chair and sat right next to him. I looked at his torn up face, only coming to cry again. I reached out to his hand and held it. As I sat there and cried, gasping for air, I knew that nothing was ever going to be the same.

After a few hours of sitting in the chair next to him, I decided that it was time for me to go back home and get some sleep. I was mentally and physically exhausted, and I was ready for some sleep. I picked up my purse and headed out of Bryce’s room. My eyes felt droopy; it was difficult to keep them open. The bright hospital lights had soon dimmed as I walked out of the doors. I clicked the small button on my keychain to unlock my vehicle. I drug my feet over to my car and hopped into the driver’s seat. I turned the key in the ignition and backed up, and I drove off into the night. I wanted nothing but to sleep in my bed, but with Bryce in it as well.

As minutes passed,  I could feel the car drifting onto the gravel. I tugged my steering wheel to the left, which sent me flying over the road. The car was in midair when I lost consciousness. I didn’t mean to pull on the wheel, or wreck my vehicle at all, but I was kind of glad that I did.

***

They always say that the moment before you die, there is a certain overwhelming scent that fills the air. For a second, it was as if I had smelt the flowers that Bryce bought me yesterday morning when he proposed. After I had smelt the flowers, I saw nothing but white. Suddenly, Bryce appeared

in front of me. I knew that we were finally at peace. This was our happily ever after.

The Holocaust

The Holocaust

The Holocaust, a very interesting historical event, took place from January 30, 1933 through May 8, 1945. During this time period, many Jewish people were killed in painful ways. It wasn’t just Jews that were killed, but also Gypsies, the disabled, and several Slavic people.

In 1933, the population of Jewish people in Europe was over nine million. Most of the Jews lived in parts of Germany that Nazis had controlled at the time. Nazis were people lead by Adolf Hitler. Hitler was the leader of The Nazi Party, and he also was the Chancellor of Germany. His strong hatred towards Jews influenced other people to hate them too.

The reasons behind his hatred towards Jews, the disabled, and Slavic people had proven that he was an insane and abnormal man. There are several reasons, and some are still unknown, why Adolf had a strong hatred towards Jews. He blamed Jews for almost all of the evil in the world because they were supposedly untrustworthy, unloyal, and not able to be true German citizens. He had also thought that Jewish people were the reason for Germany losing World War I.

When Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, he started to make Jewish people become more noticeable to Germans. They had to wear the Star of David on their clothing and had to hang them up on their business’ windows. Due to the star being on the windows, Hitler hoped that the Jewish businesses would become bankrupt.

The violence towards Jews started up around 1935. Jewish people lost their rights and weren’t allowed to marry any non-jews. Those who paid fines were able to flee the country and start a new life somewhere else, but those who didn’t have enough money had to stay in Germany and live in horrible conditions. Foods were denied by shops and medicines could not be sold to Jews.

In 1938, a Jew started a riot and shot at a Nazi diplomat. This caused Hitler to become even more angry at the Jewish people in Germany. He ordered Nazis to go burn down and destroy houses, businesses, and synagogues. Jews suffered with the amount of damage that was caused, yet they still had to pay for their homes and businesses to get fixed and also had to scrub public streets.

Soon after that event, Nazis formed Ghettos in many German cities. They gathered all of Jews they could and put them in the Ghettos. Ghettos become places where Jewish people lived. They were fenced in and guarded by Nazi soldiers. There was very little food, water, and no medicine available. It was also crowded with many families. Sometimes, some families had to share a single room to live in.

A year or so later, Nazis drew Jews into concentration camps. Jewish people were told that they were relocating to a new and better place, but that was not the case. The camps that they were sent to were like prison camps. People were forced to work in fields for hours. Those that were weak were quickly killed or starved to death. Jews that did not die while working usually died in gas chambers. Overall, concentration camps were horrible places.

Due to many people getting sent to concentration camps, Jews started to hide. They would join non-Jewish families and act like they were related to them, or they went and hid in their attics, basements, and barns. Many were able to escape the country and live a happier life, but some were not so successful, some Jews ended up just living in one room for several years.

In 1945, when World War II ended, Americans entered the concentration camps for the first time. They discovered piles of bones, corpses, and human ashes. American soldiers also found thousands of Jewish survivors suffering from disease and starvation. Jews were allowed to go home after all that time. Some started rebuilding their lives, but some remained feared for their lives. Near one hundred thousand homeless Holocaust survivors migrated to other European territories where they wouldn’t have to worry about anything else happening. Groups were formed to help Jews get back to their natural selves. They provided them with food and clothing. They also offered to help with vocal training.

A couple months or so before the war ended, Hitler could tell that Germany was not going to win the war. He had a nervous breakdown, and he asked his physician for an appropriate way to commit suicide. His doctor insisted a gunshot to the temple.

The day before he died, he married his mistress. They spent no longer than forty hours together in the underground bunker. On April 30, Hitler had shot himself in the head, and people assumed that his wife had poisoned herself.  

When survivors found closure after the Holocaust, they began to write books and give speeches about their experiences in concentration camps and just living in Germany at the time. Some books for example are “The Diary of a Young Girl”, “Survival in Auschwitz”, and “Yellow Star”. These stories are well known around the world and have helped people understand what Jews had went through.

Overall, the Holocaust was one of the darkest periods in history. It was the mass murder of eleven million innocent people. There were many survivors, and those who are still alive have yet to forget all of the pain they went through.

One Choice

Looking in the mirror, I see a seventeen year old with dark blue eyes, long brown hair, and a crooked smile. To be honest, I think I am the only person who kind of still sees myself like this. Everyone else around

me sees a monster, and I am starting to see it too.

***

As I finished putting on my makeup, I turned and looked at Callie. Of course, she had her head stuck in her book; she loved reading more than anything in the world. I coughed loudly on purpose so she would look up. “Yes or no to this outfit?” I asked.

Callie is my best friend; she has been my best friend since we were about seven years old. When I moved to Fort Collins, CO, I began going to the same school as she did. Callie and I have always stuck together since then. She has been there for me since day one and I couldn’t be more thankful.

Callie beamed and nodded her head.

I grinned back at her and said, “Thanks! Are you excited for the party? I heard Aiden is gonna be there.” Callie has liked this boy named Aiden for a long time, but he has a girlfriend. I always give her a rough time about it just to mess around.

“Seriously, stop,” she said in a sassy voice. “ you know that I don’t have a chance with him. Even if him and Helen broke up he still wouldn’t like me, but, I am pretty excited about this party.”

I was excited for the party too; it’s at Colin Baker’s house. His parents are rich, and they don’t really care what he does as long as he gets good grades in school. He’s had a few parties this year, but this one is supposed to be the best because it’s the “End of the School Year” party. These parties include lots of drinking, but usually I only have one or two drinks and then I’m done. Everyone else at these parties get hammered, including Callie. I’ve tried getting her to stop drinking so much but she can’t. She said that it’s a habit that she can’t break.

I sat down on the bed and patted Callie on the back, “Promise me that you will drink slim to none tonight. Softball is about to start and I don’t want you to get in trouble and not be able to play your senior year. I am not being rude, I am just looking out for you,”

She sighed, “I promise.. Pinky swear?” She held up her right pinky finger and I held up mine. Our pinkies interlocked and I felt a bit less worried.

I grabbed the keys to my car and looked into the mirror one last time, fixing my denim skinny jeans at the end. I looked away from the mirror and asked, “Are you ready?” Callie smiled and nodded her head as she opened my bedroom door.

We marched down the stairs and into the living room. My mom was standing in the kitchen cleaning while my dad was sitting on the couch. We exchanged ‘I love you’ and before I knew it we were out the door and on our way to Colin Baker’s house. In the car, Callie and I blast country music. My mom yells at me for it all the time because supposedly it’s a “distraction”, but I could care less. I want to live my life in the moment and be glad that I made lots of memories in high school.

Callie reached back into the cooler and grabbed two Bud Lights, one for me, and one for her. She opened the lids and said, “Cheers to having one last memory before we are off to college! Let’s make this a night to remember! Well.. If I get drunk.. I guess I won’t remember this. Oh well.” She made an evil face and took a drink. She handed me one and yelled “Chug it!” I took a drink and then shook my head. “Oh come on, what happened to ‘living in the moment’?” she asked as she took a chug of her drink.

“No Callie! I am not chugging it!” I yelled. I always have to yell at Callie in order for her to be quiet and I always end up feeling bad afterwards.

It was silent in the vehicle for a couple minutes until I heard a phone buzz. I looked down at my phone and realized it was a facebook message from someone I requested clothes from awhile ago. I picked my cellphone out of my lap and started typing.

***

When I opened my eyes, I saw nothing but blur. It took a couple seconds but then my vision cleared. I looked around noticing that I was in the middle of a field of dirt. Why am I outside? Why am I bleeding? Why am I even here? I tried standing up but my entire leg was throbbing, so I just sat back down. Wait.. Wasn’t I just with Callie? “Callie!” I screamed. Nothing. I heard absolutely nothing. With tears in my eyes, I slowly turned around and saw a smashed car on its top.  “Callie!” I kept shouting, hoping to hear something.

I crawled over to the car in lots of pain. I grunted with every move I made. I looked in the car and saw Callie. Motionless. I could barely recognise her with all of the cuts, bruises, and glass on her face. “Wake up, wake up,” I said in tears while shaking her shoulder. “Please wake up!”

“We have a car accident on Century Road,” I heard someone say into a walkie-talkie sort of device. Suddenly EMTs lifted me onto a stretcher and carried me into a helicopter. All kinds of people were hooking up IVs other medical stuff onto Callie and I. The light dimmed and my mind slowly drifted away.

I felt numb, I couldn’t feel a thing. I slowly moved my head to the left and asked “Callie, is that you? Callie!” I tried getting up but EMTs held me down before I could do anything else. “Is she dead?!” I shouted.

“Calm down honey, it’s going to be okay. I’ll tell you everything when we get to the hospital. For right now, I want you to lay down and relax,” a women said.

I looked at her and said, “That girl right there is my best friend. We have been friends since we were seven years old. I can’t lose her. If I lose her, I don’t know if I’d even want to be alive anymore,” I exclaimed, “This is all my fault. Please make sure she doesn’t die. Do all you can. Please.” Several tears slipped from my eyes and it stung the cuts on my face.  

“Sweetie, we are doing everything we can. Here, just tell me about the things that make you happy, it will make you feel better.” she said with a beam.

Even though my face was swollen, I managed to put up a fake smile and ask, “How am I supposed to talk about what makes me happy, when she is laying in a stretcher dying next to me?”

The women turned away because she couldn’t hold in the tears anymore. She cried loudly and walked to a different section.

I glanced up at the ceiling of the helicopter and slowly shut my eyes. I imagined that if none of this

was real, I’d be at home with Callie and everything would be alright. Tears slipped from my eyes and I couldn’t help but feel guilty for all of this. I thought for a long time, but I slowly passed out and didn’t even realize it.

***

A couple hours later, I woke up in a hospital bed. My leg was hanging in a sling, my right arm was in a cast, and a large bandage was wrapped around my head. My mom was sitting on the left side of my bed holding my hand and my little sister Rylee was sitting on her lap. She was bawling her eyes out. She calmed herself down to the point where she could talk and asked, “How are you feeling?”

I let out a huge puff of air and thought for a moment about Callie. “Where’s Callie?” Right as I asked a doctor walked into my room and pulled my mother out into the hallway. “Mom! Where’s Callie?” She was out of the room before I could say anything else.

In a couple minutes, my mom walked back into the room, holding her face in her hands. The doctor was following behind her. “I am here to inform you that the fatality of Callie was caused by Epidural Hematoma, a head injury. We weren’t at the scene in time to stop the bleeding. I am very sorry for your loss.”

***

My best friend died that day, and it was all because of one choice. It was a stupid choice, and I will regret it for the rest of my life.

When I tell people the story of how I killed my best friend, I always remind them that when you’re texting and driving or drinking and driving, you are putting other’s lives and your own life in danger. There’s a different time and place for your cell phone and alcohol. One text or drink can change your entire life.

It can wait. Make the right choice.