Untitled Coma Story

The music was roaring throughout the house.  The house lights were off but it was blindingly bright inside due to a strobe light in every room.  Every room was just about filled with seventeen year olds, most were holding red solo cups, I assumed they were filled with alcohol.  Only Jen and I weren't drinking.

"Can we go Nick?", Jen shouted to me over the music.

"Sure do you have your stuff?", I asked.  She nodded.

We shuffled through the crowds, having to step over a couple of passed out class mates.  We got out the front door and weren't surprised to see people scattered across the yard and empty cups everywhere.

"Why did we come here tonight," Jen asked staying close to me.

"I believe it was you who told me that this would be a nice quiet party," I said pulling her over so she wouldn't step on someone.

"Oh, that's right," she said in a sad tone.

"Hey just think, next week will be summer and we will be graduated," I said trying to cheer her up.

"You're right, but you still haven't heard back from Pitt," she said "and I would really rather not go without you."

She was wrong.  I had heard back from Pitt, I was rejected.  My grades weren't the best but I assumed I would have been able to get accepted.  I didn't really know how to tell Jen, so I didn't.

"Yeah it will probably be soon that I'll get it," I lied.

"Yeah but don't worry about it, I know you'll get in," she said with that beautiful smile of hers.

Jen wasn't like other girls in our school.  She had a natural beauty to her that she didn't cover up with make-up.  Her blond hair cascaded down to her lower back.  Not only was she beautiful, but she was also going to be the valedictorian of our class.

We kept walking until we were stopped by an empty can thrown to our feet.  I looked up to see it was none other than Bryce who had thrown it.  Bryce was pretty dumb and I'm not just saying that because he was held back twice.  He was a hulking figure who stood at around 6"6.  He had a really ugly face because of all the fights he had been in over the years.

"Where do you think you're going?" he shouted at us. I saw now he was sitting on the hood of his yellow hummer.

"Bryce I was just leaving," I said trying not to start a fight with him.

"I wasn't talking to you Colwell,"he said,"I was talking to that pretty girl ya got there."

"What can you offer me that Nick can't?" Jen asked to my dismay.

"Well, I can show you what a real man is," he said hopping of his hood.  I could feel my face getting hot now and Jen noticed.

"You know Bryce, we really have to go now," Jen said dragging me along with her.

"I bet Colwell is afraid just like his father was a few years back," he said taunting me.

I"m not sure exactly what happened then but all i remember is Bryce laying on the ground and my hand hurting pretty badly.  Then i was in my pick-up with Jen driving down a back road.  She told me to pull over and we climbed into the bed of the truck.

"Why did you have to hit him? You could have just walked away."

"You know why i had to do it" i said coldly.

"That's just the thing Nick,"she said, moving to her side to look at me,"I don't know why, you have never talked to me about it.  I think after dating for two years we could talk about anything."

"You're right, it isn't fair that i kept it from you," I said sitting up.

She did the same and I put my arm around her so she could lay her head against my chest.

"Before you came here a few years ago my dad was the sheriff of Stillwater.  He was a great sheriff and an even greater dad.  One day he picked me up after school in his squad car.  I remember I was so excited because my mom would never let me ride in there.  When we were about halfway home, a woman started speaking over the police radio.  She said the bank was being robbed by a man who appeared to be on drugs.  Of course my dad couldn't turn away so he told the woman he was on route to the bank.  I was so excited that I was going to get to see my dad in action.  I don't think I would have been so excited if i knew what was going to happen next.  We got to the bank and my dad told me to stay in the car and he went into the bank.  Unfortunately the bank has those giant windows, so I could see everything.  My dad walked in and drew his pistol and stood behind a pillar yelling to the man holding up the bank." tears started to well up in my eyes, "The man yelled back and my dad threw down his gun and stepped out.  Then the man shot my father and ran out.  I jumped out of the car and ran in to see my dad bleeding from a hole in his chest.  I didn't know what do so i just ran up to him and started crying and screaming.  Our teacher Mrs. Gleghorn, who was in the bank when it was being held up, grabbed me and held me close.  She took me outside so I didn't have to be around my dads body.  I was told a few weeks later that the man who shot my dad had overdosed and died.  I was sad by that too.  I wanted him to be arrested and put in prison for the rest of his life. And now you know the story."

She was crying.  I held her close until she stopped.

"Were you and Mrs. Gleghorn close since that day?" She asked when she was calm.

"Yeah, we were.  She had been a close friend of my dads because  they went to school together.  So when my dad died she sort of took on the role of a second mother.  My real mother was inconsolable at that time and was unable to take care of me.  I even stayed at Mrs. Gleghorns house when my mother would become completely insane and turn a bit violent.  She never hit me but i think other people were concerned that she would." I said.

"I never knew any of this.  Your mom seems fine now. Or is she? And what about your brother?" she asked concerned.

"Don't worry she is fine these days.  Maybe a little depressed on the anniversary of his death, but other than that she is fine. And since I was seven my brother would have been fourteen.  He wasn't old enough to take care of  me on his own so he would come over to Mrs. Gleghorn's house with me and always make sure to call someone when he though mom might take a turn for the worse," I explained.

"I am glad he was there for you back in those days," she said.

"So am I," I said.

"Can you promise me something?", she asked looking up at me.

"Depends on what it is." I said returning her stare.

"Will you always stay with me, and one day marry me, after college of course, but i want to know what you think," she said.

"I promise to always stay with you," I said before kissing her.

I remember everything from that moment.  The feel of her lips on mine, the smell of her hair, and the light from Bryces headlights coming straight towards us.  There was no time to jump out of truck so I just covered Jen with my body to try to protect her.

Then everything went dark for a very long time.