I remember driving silently home from school. I remember my heart tightening when I saw my foster mom, Alissa, look at me with a look that I might've thought was sympathy if I didn't know her. But I did. I remember a million thoughts racing through my head. What happened? Did something happen? Did someone get hurt? I remember pushing the thoughts aside. It was probably about my poor grades... Right?
"Mrs. Haynes called." Alissa's voice cut through my thoughts like a knife, silencing them. "Kennedy's in the hospital."
"Kennedy? Why? Is he-?"
"He's fine. Just a car accident, nothing bad." Her tone reeked of indifference. I felt my temper rising.
"Fine? Since when is a car accident not bad?" I remember my voice getting louder and louder with each word. I knew she hadn't liked him, she'd never had, but this? This was unacceptable. I didn't feel my feet moving, only my heart racing. Suddenly I was in my car, my foster mom yelling after me. As the car pulled out of the cracked concrete driveway, I remember glancing at the front door, Alissa staring at me, mouth open as if to protest. Her face was twisted into something I couldn't recognize then, in my panic, but now I do. It was disgust.
∾∾∾
I remember slamming my body into the doors of the hospital, not caring about the way my wrists and shins stung. I remember running up to the woman at the front desk and asking for Kennedy Haynes. I remember her putting up her hand to stop me and saying, "Mr. Haynes is in surgery right now. You can't-"
"Madeline!" I remember Kennedy's mother advancing toward me, her eyes like a rabid dog. "They won't let me in either. Asked me for my consent and rushed off without a word. Didn't even give me another glance." Just as she finished her sentence, someone behind me spoke. "Mrs. Haynes, may I have a word with you?" I remember flicking my eyes to her to see her response, but she was already nodding.
The surgeon took her aside and started whispering to her. Mrs. Haynes's eyes widened and I noticed her press her lips together as if to prevent them from trembling. I remember terror taking over my body as I considered the possibilities of what that meant. I rushed outside. I remember her coming up beside me, her tears conspicuous now.
I heard her whisper, "He's dead."
YOU ARE READING
God Said No
General Fiction--Temporary hiatus to work on plot-- 18-year-old Madeline Wheeler is done. After the death of her best friend Kennedy, she's left in a deep, seemingly incurable depression. Her foster parents don't care, she doesn't have any more friends, she's al...
