I wasn’t going to go out

That Friday night.

I know I usually do,

But I was tired,

And I didn’t feel well.

 

I was going to wear sweatpants

And lay under the bedcovers,

Reading a book

And drinking hot tea.

It was supposed to be so nice.

 

But instead I went out.

My friends called me.

They asked if I wanted to go to a party.

They wanted me to go,

So I suppose I wanted to go.

 

I put on a dress that was a little too short.

My father would not have liked it

But he didn’t see.

I wore my favorite pair of faded Converse

And put my curled hair up in a ponytail.

I wore a black leather jacket.

 

The horn honked.

I ran out and got in the car.

We went to a party-

Or two-

Or three-

I can’t exactly remember,

But I know-

The first was fun,

The second may have been exciting,

The third was a blur.

We drove blindly home.

 

I remember-

The sound of laughter.

Someone asked me if I was glad I came.

I giggled and said yes-

And it was the truth.

 

I remember-

Our favorite song came on.

We were all shouting the chorus-

When someone screamed.

I remember, a scream.

 

A screeching of tires-

A whip of my hair onto my face-

I do not remember being upside-down

But I suppose I must have been.

 

I remember-

The crunch of metal

Before the crunch of bones.

Whimpering,

Whispering.

 

Sirens-

A bright light in my eyes-

My name-

My name-

My name-

 

Then nothing…

 

I wasn’t going to go out

That Friday night.

I was tired

And I didn’t feel well.

 

I was going to wear sweatpants

And lay under the bedcovers,

Reading a book

And drinking hot tea.

It was supposed to be so nice.