When Ella opened her eyes, she was in the backseat of her car, fully dressed. Peter usually sat in the passenger seat, but this time he was beside her, giving her a caring look.
"Peter," she said slowly, "What happened?"
Peter stared at her. "You're sicker than I thought. You got dressed, and we got in the car. Nothing crazy."
She watched the trees pass. "I thought I'd passed out."
"Nope."
Ella sighed and faced the front. "Mom, how long until we get there?" She noticed the car's clock said 11:00 AM.
"Should just be another couple of minutes," her mother said dryly. "I'm not the most enthused because your father will be there, but we'll make it work. Are you sure you still want to do this? You could croak onstage."
"If I die, I'd like to die doing what I love."
Her mother nodded and continued driving. Ella looked at the construction sites going up everywhere.
In some ways, it fascinated her that humans could build so many great things. The Eiffel Tower. The Empire State Building. But her home was being taken away from her. The trees they'd run through. The parks they'd played in. All gone.
The thought bothered her. If she'd had more time, she could try to stop it by protesting. Maybe they could use her death as political leverage. Daydreams of campaigns with her face filled her brain, but as quickly as they started, they stopped. How many more things could she think of before she died? She didn't have long to think at all.
To think about how food tastes. How a sunset looks. How wet grass smells after rain. All of it would be gone soon enough. Ella shook her head.
"Think positive," she told herself. She closed her eyes and silently rehearsed her song. After a few minutes, she felt the car make the familiar turn into the church parking lot and she opened her eyes. The clock read 12:00 AM.
The parking lot was filled with people from her school, family, and church members. Her eyes lit up as the car stopped and people came to hug her or congratulate her for everything she's done. Thankfully, she was able to hold it together as she said goodbye to various family members or classmates.
Once she pushed through the crowd, she met Jordan and Kel at the door.
"How often had I taken these two for granted?" she asked herself as she ran to group hug them. They embraced her warmly, and she closed her eyes, sending herself back to a happier time. A loving dad. An unbroken family. Playing with friends.
She opened her eyes. "Jordan, I want you to have my hidden collection, okay? It's behind my bed." Jordan nodded quickly and began to cry.
Ella looked at Kel, who appeared to be trying to hold it in. "You can have my Black History book. I know you like that stuff."
"Got it," Kel struggled to say.
Ella hugged them oncemore, then made her way to the sanctuary. She was the opening act.
YOU ARE READING
One Last Song
Teenage Fiktion"She saw her mom collapse to the floor dramatically, fighting tears. Her father drew Ella into a tight hug, whispering comforting words into her ear. She could barely hear them. She felt a tear fall slowly down her face, but the gray world made it d...
