March 23rd, 2012
This was the absolute worst day of my fucking life.
Well, one of them. But, this is definitely in top five worse days. This had to be like, the third worst day. I know you all may wonder, what the hell am I talking about? It was spring break and I'd just gotten back from this waterpark. When my best friend Austin came to visit me back from his vacation in California.
"Raelynn!" He shouted from outside my driveway.
I had just gotten out the car. Still in my bathing suit and soaked t shirt. I went to the waterpark with a girl in my father's neighborhood? How could I forget? I fucking hated Florida and visiting him. But, one great thing that always came to visiting him was the mere fact I could see Austin. Austin and I were both New York natives so when I met him at the court we instantly clicked a couple summers ago. Ever since then, we were merely inseparable when together.
I jogged over to him and gave him the biggest hug. I mean at the time I was decking almost thirteen and a half yo. I was a much more cheerful spirit back then.
"Yo, GG! I'm takin' Rae for a lil' walk with me okay?" Austin told my grandma, they had a real cool relationship.
"Alright! Just, remember what I said Rae Rae!" She called to me.
I sighed obnoxiously. My grandmother was always so strict about me walking around the neighborhood where she lived. There was this dangerous boulevard she didn't want me crossing because the busy traffic. Normandy. I'll never forget that street now, ever again.
"So, what's up?! How the hell was Cali?"
Austin and I held hands, walked, and talked about our spring break and the new skateboard he got when he was there. I was thirteen, and riding skateboards back then was definitely my thing. He and I often had competitions when I brought mine with me. We lallygagged and I ended up tripping and scraping my elbow from walking backwards while rapping Rack City by Tyga. I was such a fucking klutz. Eventually we arrived to Normandy. He lived right across the street I couldn't cross. And it being five in the evening, the intersections were usually really busy. Not this fucking time. Sorry for all the profanity, I curse a fuckton in my brain. To our surprise, there was abosfuckinglutely no traffic or even cars. That was mad weird. Then, all the traffic lights switched to red as this ringing went off. It was for pedestrians. Everyday at five they'd do this in the town I was in. It allows the pedestrians to have extra time to walk across the streets and prevents allot of vehicular accidents or homicides.
"I'm gonna text you when I get in the house! When you get home, reply. Oh, and get on your PS3 tonight Rae you be leavin' me hangin' with niggas who can't play black ops!" He chuckled walking across the street.
"Man nigga, if I feel like it! I'ma probably go skatin' tonight." I yelled to him.
I watched as he traveled across the road. Not before what I saw in my peripheral vision. Some navy blue Monte Carlo Pontiac came speeding down the boulevard. Before I could even get him to be completely alert. Before I could fucking get him to move due to our playful conversation. It happened.
"Austin! Lookout, run acros-"
He turned his attention to me instead of what he should have been, and the car totaled him. His body hit the front in a v form. It was so fucking scary. But, by the portion oh how it hit him caused him to somewhat fly up and hit the pavement on the side of the road. The driver crashed into a road sign and continued on their way as if they didn't just hit my best fucking friend. It was all happening in such slow motion after that.
"Austin!" I screamed out in shock.
Looking both ways, I ran across the street. He was bloody, well his shirt was. Kneeling beside him, I touched the blood. Dumb, I know. Lifting his shirt I saw his right ribcage bone, caging inward. I couldn't even speak. His breathing was so short and quick. I believe it punctured his lung. As well for his broken arm. I tried to soothe him while fishing for his phone in his pocket. Calling EVAC immediately in a panic. I desperately tried my hardest not to cry.
"Rae, calm down." He panted. "I'm, I'm fine."
I just kept shaking my head at him, trying so hard not to let those tears in my eyes fall. He kept closing his eyes and his breathing was getting weak. The worst part was, his mother had dropped him off at my place because he wanted to see me. And he was supposed to walk back home afterwards. She was out paying a bill because they just gotten back from California. He kept talking about how beautiful Venice beach was the entire way to his house. And now he's here lying in a pool of his blood. I was in such a shock it was hard to comprehend anything. I tried my damn hardest to keep him here with me. He completely stopped breathing three minutes and twenty-eight seconds after my call to EVAC. The ambulance arrived at five and twenty-six. I was able to ride with them to the hospital and of course they tried everything they could in their power to bring my best friend back. But, he was pronounced completely dead several minutes after arriving.
His mother was eventually contacted. I remember talking to all different types of police and investigators. Even after they had my grandma come get me from the hospital I still had to go up to the police precinct for a follow up and to try to rule this shit for what it was. Manslaughter. I will never forget the mental damage and trauma it rooted in my brain that day. The look of his mother's face and, the thoughts running lucidly through my brain. That day was the day I truly lost my marbles for the first time. It was also the day, that I knew I'd never ever, ever be the same.
The shit I went through that day was crazy. It's hard to think about. But, this is only the beginning.
