Chapter 3

 

For Marissa, it seemed everything was going in slow motion.  As the other car and struck them, their car had been sent into a spin.  The car had spun slowly, the world passing them by in a soft blur of colors.  Their screams had echoed through Marissa’s ears, sounding low and distorted.

 

Now, it had stopped.   She sat a moment, staring straight ahead in shock.   It was Kaelyn’s scream from the backseat that brought her back to reality.

 

“Luke!”

 

Marissa turned in her seat, focusing on the backseat, where Luke was slumped against the window, Kaelyn hovering over him. 

 

“Luke!” Kaelyn screamed again, gripping his shoulder and shaking him, gently at first, and then more urgently.

 

Marissa stared hard at Luke, trying to see the rise of his chest that would tell him he was still breathing.  But he did not move at all.

 

“Kaelyn,” she started softly.  “Is he… is he dead?”

 

“Luke!” she screamed again, as if she hadn’t even heard Marissa.  And maybe she hadn’t. 

 

Marissa noticed blood soaking through Luke’s shirt, and she noticed how pale his skin had become.  His lips now held a bluish cast, and she knew he wasn’t breathing.   He had probably died instantly with the crash.  After all, the other car had hit theirs right where he had been sitting.

 

“Kaelyn, he’s dead,” Marissa murmured softly, reaching back to rest her trembling hand on her friend’s shoulder.  Kaelyn jerked away.

 

“Luke!”

 

Marissa sighed and turned back around, her attention turning to Shawn.  He had been unconscious, but he was now awakening.

 

“Riss?” he asked, opening his eyes and looking around. 

 

“You okay, Shawn?” she asked, her voice shaking.

 

“I… I think so,” he murmured, shifting around in his seat.  “You?”

 

“I’m fine,” she said.  “I think Kaelyn’s all right too.  Physically, I mean.  But emotionally, who knows.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Luke’s dead, Shawn,” she said flatly.

 

A look of shock and horror came over his face, and he whirled around to face the scene that Marissa had seen earlier.   Kaelyn was still shaking Luke, screaming his name, as if it would bring him back to life.  She seemed oblivious to anything that was going on around her.

 

“We need to see if the other driver’s okay,” Marissa said, thinking quickly.  “Come with me.”

 

They both climbed out of the car and hurried to the other one.  As Marissa approached the car, whose front was badly caved in and smashed, her heart pounded faster.  She didn’t see any movement inside.

 

Shawn got to the car first and peered into the smashed window of the driver’s side.  “I don’t think he’s awake,” he said.  “We’ve got to get to him.”  Without further thought, he smashed his fist into the already cracked window, shattering it in. 

 

Marissa came closer to get a good look at the driver.  When she saw him, her heart sank.  It was a man, a young man.  He was slouched over the steering wheel, motionless.  His head was bleeding, and the blood had already begun to seep into his blonde hair, making it a pinkish tint.  He didn’t appear to be breathing.

 

“Oh, my God,” she cried.  “Shawn, do something!”

 

Shawn was in a panic.  Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead, he pleaded silently. 

 

He gently reached down and eased the man’s body back so they could get a front view of him.  His eyes were closed.  His chest was not rising.

 

Marissa stared hard at this man, through all the blood on his face, and she gasped.  She recognized him!

 

“Shawn,” she started, taking short, shuddering breaths, “do you know who this is?”

 

“Huh?” Shawn asked, studying the man again.  Oh God, please don’t be someone from school.

 

“It’s Nick Carter,” she whispered.  “From the Backstreet Boys.”

 

Shawn’s eyes widened as he looked back at the unconscious man.  His eyes narrowed as he studied him, and sure enough, Marissa was right.  It was Nick.  

 

“Why would he be here?  I thought they all lived in Florida or something,” Shawn said.

 

“I think they had a concert here tonight,” Marissa said softly.  “I remember hearing about it on the radio.”

 

“Oh,” Shawn said, not knowing what else to say or do. 

 

“We need to get help,” she said suddenly.  She looked around.  “There’s a house a little ways back.  Maybe we could use their phone.”

 

“This dude probably has a cell phone,” Shawn said, motioning to Nick.  “I mean, he’s a celeb, right?”

 

Marissa shrugged.  “Yeah, probably so.  Let’s check.”

 

They were unable to get any of the doors open, so Shawn went around and smashed in the front passenger window.   They searched around, but couldn’t find anything.

 

“What about in his coat pockets or something?” Marissa suggested. 

 

Shawn nodded and began patting the pockets of the coat Nick had on, searching for a cell phone.  “You gonna just stand there or help me?” he asked Marissa harshly.

 

“I… I don’t wanna touch him,” she whispered, her voice faltering, tears rising in her eyes.

 

“Fine,” Shawn snapped.  Suddenly he exclaimed, “here we go!”   He pulled a cell phone out of one of the pockets, turned it on and quickly dialed 911.  He shortly explained what had happened and where they were, then hung up.   And then they waited.

 

***

 

 

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