The Letter, The List and Everything Between

I am sitting on my bed, looking at my phone when my brother barges into my bedroom. He has a huge look of panic and relief mixed into his face. He’s panting and grinning wildly at me.

“What?” I look at him, furrowing my eyebrows in the process.

“I won tickets to a concert!”

“Who’s?”

“Ed Sheeran”

“How on earth did you manage to do that?”

“Freaking magic, that’s how.”

“When?”

“We leave in half an hour. Thank goodness its around here, only like forty-five minutes away. This is your birthday present by the way.”

I roll my eyes when he leaves and start getting ready. I can’t imagine how people can stand leggings and a t-shirt or crop tops. I would feel so self-conscience. That is why I am wearing skinny black jeans and a white shirt with all of Ed Sheeran’s lyrics to Photograph printed on it. It’s my favorite shirt, but I don’t wear it every day unless I’m at home doing nothing.

***

All in all the concert was amazing. Nothing was wrong with it. I loved it so much and I even got to touch Ed Sheeran’s hand. I’m never washing it again.

“Was that the best Birthday gift or what?” Ben looks at me and not the road when he talks.

“Look at the road, Ben,” I say pointing at the road.

“Well? Was it?”

“Please - BEN!” I yell, he swerves out of the way and spins out into the intersection. I hear screaming, only to realize that it’s coming from me. When I open my eyes I’m lying on the ground. I’m outside the car and looking at it, Ben still inside. He’s struggling to climb out. I can’t feel my right leg. I look down at it and throw up. It is deformed and my pants are ripped and I can see blood.

“Ma’am can you hear me?” I hear a voice that sounds like someone from my school, or an opposing school. He sounds like someone I played soccer against last year. “Blink twice if you can hear me.”

I blink twice, though everything is blurry and I can’t see who he is. “The medics are coming, I can hear them.”

“Save Ben,” I whisper, my eyes begin to roll back into my head.

“no, no, you can’t fall asleep.”

“Sir, step away, we can handle it from here,” Is the last thing I hear before I fall asleep. I can’t tell if it is the pain or because I hit my head. I can’t tell and it is bothering me.

**

When I wake up again I hear a constant beeping noise. Beep, beep, like a pulse. I can’t tell why my alarm changed though. I open my eyes the rest of the way and realise that I’m not in my room. The memories from the previous night come flooding back to me. The crash, the boy/man, Ben sitting in the car.

“Ben!” I scream. “Where’s Ben!?”

“Sir, she’s awake,” The lady next to me says.

“Good. I will talk to her, you call that boy from the waiting room,” A man comes into view and all I can tell is that he must be the doctor since he’s wearing a lab coat. “Hi, Cher. I’m Dr. Wesley.”

“Cher? Oh my goodness, I thought- Oh god,” Ashton runs over and hugs me and I wrap my arms around him in return. “Did you tell her?”

“No. I wanted someone she trusted to be here when I did it so that- well I will tell you now. Cher, Your brother died in the accident. You, shattered your femur and tibia. When you both got in here, you went straight into surgery. You have a rod in your leg which will be your new bone per say. We do have to get a brace for it which will need a sleeve underneath if you’re going to wear shorts or skirts. We have a variety of colors-”

“Red.” Tears are spilling out of my eyes and I don’t realize it until Ashton wipes them away with his hand.

He must’ve stayed until I fell asleep because when I woke up he wasn’t there. Someone else was, “Are you ready to start walking?”