It was a happy evening at the house. Diego and Sam were in the living room, sitting on the floor and playing video games. They were laughing so hard they could barely hold their controllers.
Ellen stood in the kitchen, smiling as she watched them. Sam had been coming over since forever. He was like another son to her.
"You two are so loud!" she said with a laugh.
"Sorry, Mom," Diego said, grinning. "But Sam's being a loser."
" Loser?" Sam laughed. "I'm beating you!"
Ellen walked over with a big bowl of popcorn. "Here, maybe this will keep you both quiet."
The boys cheered, grabbed the popcorn, and started tossing a few pieces at each other. The room was full of laughter and fun.
Diego looked at Sam and said, "This is the best."
Sam smiled back. "Always. "
Ellen sat on the couch, watching them, feeling proud and happy. She enjoyed seeing Diego happy. That was all she ever wanted. Everything felt perfect in that moment.And none of them knew how much they'd miss this simple joy later.
*******
The movie ended and they all stared at themselves.
" Ew! That's so weird!", Sam yelled covering his eyes with a duvet.
"It's romantic.", Diane said pushing his arm.
"The lady speaks.", Diego answered as he threw some popcorn into his mouth.
"I support Sam, romance movies are quite weird.", Alan said.
"No they aren't.", Eddy said.
"What do you think Flavio?"
They all turned to Flavio but he was asleep.
"Oh Gosh Flavio!", Diego exclaimed.
"Wait a minute.", Sam said.
He got up and crept behind Flavio. He smiled mischievously then sank his hands into the couch tickling Flavio. Flavio got up and fell off the couch. They all laughed.
"You!", he yelled
He chased Sam and they ran up the stairs. *******
"Hey birthday boy!", Diego yelled pulling Sam by the shoulder.
"What's up?"
"We're going for a ride today!"
"A ride?"
"Yeah, Eddy's bringing his baby."
"Come on, I'm hanging out with Diane tonight."
"That can wait bro, she'll understand."
Sam attempted to speak but Diego pulled him by the neck.
"You've spent so much time with her. Tonight, you're for the boys."
****
"Come on, I already had a line up of events for us to partake in tonight", Diane said visibly unhappy.
"Yeah I know but Diego won't let me hear the end of it."
"Can't you just say no to him." "No he can't!", Diego yelled.
"You know I can't Diane."
"You always do everything he wants."
"What are buddies for?", Diego asked.
"Oh shut up Diego!"
"Come on baby." he took hold if her hand.
She stared away dramatically. He let out a light chuckle then took hold of her chin gently.
"I'm sorry but I'll make it up to you."
"Promise?", she asked.
"I promise."
She bent her head then he planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Ew!", Diego yelled.
"Get out Diego!", they chorused.
"Fine, I'll be outside lovebirds."
"I love you, you know right?", he pulled her close to him and enveloped her in his arms. That always made her feel better.
"I do.", she let out a smile.
"Gotta go, I'll call you!"
She stared at him while he ran out. He seemed really happy so she didn't mind him spending the night driving with his friends.
****
The clock blinked 12:07 AM. Inside the car, it was warm and full of laughter and soft music. Diego drove and Sam sat beside him, head tilted back, staring out at the stars they couldn't quite see. Flavio and Alan were in the back laughing and sharing jokes. Diego didn't see the sharp bend until it was too late.
"Diego!" Sam's voice cracked with fear.
The wheel jerked. The tires screamed. The car spun. Then the world crashed down. Metal groaned. Everything was destroyed. When the car finally stopped, it was broken. The music had died. The laughter was gone. The air was thick with smoke and the sharp smell of gasoline. Diego woke up with a sharp pain in his head and the taste of blood in his mouth. Everything was blurry at first, and for a moment, he couldn't remember what had happened. Then, the smell of smoke and twisted metal hit him. He was in the car. Or what was left of it. Groaning, he tried to move, wincing as pain shot through his side. His seatbelt was still strapped in, holding him in place. Slowly, he turned his head—and Sam's stomach dropped. Sam was beside him, slumped against the broken window. His face was too still, too pale. There was blood on his forehead, dried and dark.
"Sam?" His voice came out weak. He reached out, his fingers shaking, and touched Sam's arm. Cold.
He wasn't moving. He wasn't waking up. He turned to the back and they were all in a pretty bad shape. Alan, Eddy and Flavio. He shook Sam but there was no response. He wasn't breathing! He tried to reach out to his phone. He could uld see his mom's picture on the caller ID. Finally, he reached the phone.
"Hey darling, I've been calling."
"Mom, we... need help.", he managed to say.
"What happened! What's wrong?"
"We... crashed... Sam's not breathing."
"What? Where are you!"
There was no response from the other end. Diego had passed out.
"Diego! Son, can you hear me!", she screamed.
****
The emergency room was in chaos. Dr. Ellen Carter stood over her son, Diego pressing down on his chest, her breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. The heart monitor let out a long, continuous beep—flatline.
"BP's crashing! We're losing him!" a nurse shouted.
"Ellen, step back," Dr. Richards ordered, his tone firm but gentle.
Ellen shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "No! I can do this! He's my son!" Her voice broke, but her hands kept moving, desperately trying to bring Diego back. She could not bear seeing the son she brought into this world fighting for his life when she couldn't do anything.
Dr. Richards reached out, taking hold of her shaking hands. "Ellen, you're too close. Let us help him."
A nurse touched her shoulder, and slowly—reluctantly—she stepped back, pressing a fist to her lips to stop herself from crying.
"Charging! 200 joules! Clear!" the nurse called, pressing the paddles of the defibrillator to Diego's chest.
Diego's body jerked, but the heart monitor remained silent.
"Again! 300 joules!" Dr. Richards commanded.
Another shock. Nothing.
Ellen's hands trembled. "Please, Diego. Fight."
Beep… beep… beep. The room stilled.
"We have a rhythm! Weak pulse coming back!"
Ellen let out a shaky sob, rushing to Diego's side. She gently brushed back his hair.
"I've got you, baby," she whispered. "I won't let go."
******
Ellen had been sitting beside Diego for the past hour but he hadn't said a word to her. Friends had come over with get well soon packages but none of that even mattered to Diego. He didn't even want to see anyone. Not even his mother.
"You can scream if you want to", she said.
He stared at her, probably wondering were she was heading at.
"I almost lost you back there Diego."
He gave no response.
"I cant even imagine what I would have done if I lost the most wonderful person in my life."
"Please stop it mum, this doesn't make anything better."
"Jesus loves you Diego."
"Mum! Can't you see I'm hurting?"
"You were in every position to die but he saved you darling and I'll keep thanking God for not leaving you."
He looked away.
"I'll get you some food", she said before stepping out.
****
The words hit Diane like a blow to the chest. He's gone. At first, she just stood there, staring, unable to process what she had just heard. It didn't make sense. Just yesterday, she had spoken to him, heard his voice, felt his warmth. How could he be gone?
Her hands began to shake as the reality of it set in. Her heart pounded so hard. It hurt so much. She tried to say something, but no words came out. The room suddenly felt smaller, the walls closing in on her. Her vision blurred with unshed tears, and the sounds around her faded into the background. Then, her legs gave out. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she felt herself falling. Before she could catch herself, everything went dark. The last thing she heard was her mum shouting her name before she slipped into unconsciousness. Eddy and Flavio along with Sam lost their lives while Alan was still in critical condition. The doctors said he may never recover from the head injury he sustained. Ellen knew that Diego would never remain the same. They had been friends since childhood.The bond was evident. They always brought out the best in each other. Now, death had torn them apart without even giving them the chance to say goodbye.
****
A visibly angry man stormed into Ellen's house yelling at the top of his voice. The maid tried to calm him down but he shoved her aside and attempted to go up the stairs. He was furious and his actions were coming from a place of pain. Ellen on hearing his voice rushed down the stairs. It was Eddy's father. Mr Sebastian Wales. He was a very influential man but obviously failed to control his home by leaving his car for his son to drive out.
"Good morning.", Ellen said trying not to anger him more than he already was.
"Where's that devil?"
"Please calm down sir, I think we need to talk outside."
"Where's your devil of a son?"
"With all due respect, I won't have you barge into my house and call my son names."
"After he killed my son!"
"I know you're deeply pained by the loss but I need you to please be calm."
"You're asking me to be calm! You've got some nerves!"
"You and I know that we failed as parents and none of this would have happened if we curtailed the behaviour of our children."
"My son was influenced by your son!"
"Please sir, my son is unwell at the moment and I need you to lower your voice.", she pleaded.
"You are only this calm because your son is alive and mine is gone!"
"Mr Sebastian, I'm deeply sorry for your loss but our children were all victims of that accident. None of them is to blame for this. Our children were victims of underage driving."
"Where's the devil!"
"Enough of all this sir, we are all mourning. Eddy was like a son to me."
"But he wasn't your son!"
"Nothing I say or do can take away the pain but I beg you to please be calm sir. We need to support each other at this trying times."
"Get out of my way."
"You can't go up that stairs sir, I won't let you."
"Move!"
In the heat of the moment, Diego came down the stairs. He looked as pale as a ghost. He had shed some weight over the days. His hair had grown and it covered a good portion of his eyes. His shirt seemed so large and he practically swam in it. His eyes were puffy and dull. Those blue eyes that once stood out now seemed empty. He took slow heavy steps down the stairs.
"You devil!"
"Will you stop it!", Ellen screamed.
"I hope you're happy now? My son is gone because of you! All because of you!"
"Darling, please go upstairs."
"It's fine mum."
"You should he dead."
Ellen flared up and pushed him back.
"I need you to leave my house. Now!"
"You!", he pointed at Diego who had his head lowered the whole time. "I hope you're satisfied. You killed three people. You're a murderer!"
"Get out!", Ellen yelled.
"I'm not done with you, I'll be back.", he said before walking through the door..
Ellen had to muster the courage to look Diego in the eye. She wiped the tears off her eyes and turned to him. He looked extremely sad. His eyes watered with tears and he couldn't look up. She rushed to him and embraced him.
"We're going to be fine, I'm here for you darling."
"It's all my fault."
"Don't say that, you didn't do anything wrong."
He moved away and ran upstairs.
Later at night, Ellen was heading to her room but she decided to check up on Diego. She looked through the small opening in his door and there he was, sitted beside the window staring at the streets. He seemed lost in his own world.
"Darling", she said gently.
He didn't stir. "Hey baby", she walked into the room.
Finally he turned to look at her.
"Are you alright?", she asked.
He nodded.
She took a sit beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder lovingly.
"Everything is going to be fine, I'm here for you and we will get through all this together because I'll always be here for you. Don't forget that."
A tear trickled down his cheek.
"It's alright if you want to scream or yell or even cry but please don't loose yourself. It's shattering my heart into a million pieces."
"If I hadn't insisted on that ride, they would have been alive."
"That's enough, stop blaming yourself. You did nothing wrong."
"Sam never wanted to go that night but I made him go."
He leaned on his mother's chest.
"Enough of everything, we won't talk about what happened anymore. I'm here for you. Always and forever." ******
"Morning love.", his mother said walking into his room with breakfast in her hands.
He was still staring through the window.
"Morning love.", she repeated.
He didn't stir.
She knelt beside him and took his face in her arms.
"Talk to me Diego, what's happening to you."
He looked away.
"I know you haven't slept all night."
"How can I mum! Guilt is killing me! I killed my friends for goodness sake!"
"You didn't do anything."
"I insisted on that ride. If I didn't then..."
She quickly pulled him to her and burst into tears.
"Everything will be fine, I just need you to be fine. You're all I have Diego." she sobbed. "They can all say whatever they want but I don't care, you did nothing wrong and I need you to believe that please."
She rubbed his hair gently. "I love you, don't ever forget that."
He didnt say a word. He just sobbed silently.