I hear a screeching sound then a boom and shatter. “SAM!” I herd her scream my name. NO!

I saw it all happen. Those five seconds that felt like forever and yet not long enough for me to get to her. The old, dark blue, pick up truck hit the black ice and blew a flat tire. It was spinning towards her unknown figure. My Ivory, my best friend just walking into school. Today was going to be the day I told her. Now she’s hurt. I have to get to her.

Running as fast as I could pushing people out of the way in my haste. I had to get to my Ivory. This couldn’t be happening. Not her! Please oh please God let her be okay! I thought as I ran.

“Ivory! Ivory! Are you okay?! Ivory? Talk to me” I begged when I got to her. She has to live. She just has to. Those next five minutes felt like a life time. Her emerald eyes shut. They must open again. Her curly strawberry blond hair was spread out and a mess
of blood. This can’t be happening. She wasn’t responding. Finally after a life time of hurt and pain she groaned. Thank you God! Thank you!

“Sam? Sam…. Is that you?” she groaned out. It was hard for her to talk I could see that.

“Yes, yes Ivory it’s me.” My eyes filled with tears. Thank you God! I thought again. I laid down half on top of her, hugging her, crying. She was okay, my Ivory was okay. “Ivory?” I said between crying.

“Hum?” she groaned out.

“You don’t have to say anything, but I just wanted to tell you something….” I hesitated there. I wasn’t sure if I could say it. No I had to say it. It was Ivory she was hurt and I had to. I had waited to long to say it. Two years I’ve waited and now I’m going to say it. “Ivory I…I -I love you.” I stared crying again, burying my face in her shoulder. “I’ve loved you along time.”

“Sam I love you too. Two years I have.” At that point I realized she was hugging me back. It was a weak hug but I didn’t care.

“Sir? Are you hurt?” the ambulances have arrived.

“No, but Ivory is. We need to get her help.” I said sitting up and helping the man get to Ivory.

“Are you her boyfriend?” the same man said when we got her in the back of the ambulance.

“Yes” Ivory whispered before I could get a word out.

“Come on you can ride in the back with her.” I smiled. I was happy and sad. Happy -- I finally told my Ivory how I felt- sad -- my Ivory was hurt and I couldn’t help that as much as I wished I could.

The rest of my day was spent in the waiting room with her widowed mother. After an hour of talking to her I started reading and doing undone math homework. Ivory would be proud of me, since I usually never touch my math homework. An hour of that and I was done. Finally, what seamed like 10 hours -- which was only 5 hours -- the nurse finally came out allowing us to see her.

“Ivory?” I said as I walked into her room.

“Sam!” she beamed when she saw me. “I was wondering if you had waited” she was very awake for a car accident victim. She must be high on the pain medications. Sugar always made her sleepy, and I guess the thing that made her awake would makes others sleep. Well at least she won’t fall asleep when we are talking.

“Hey!” I smiled I was glad to see her awake, smiling and okay. “Question I have for you.”

“Shoot” she was use to me messing up sentences but still making them make sense.

“Can you clarify what’s going on between us? Please.”

“Simple.” She said grabbing the hand I had on her bed. “Come here I can’t move.” I leaned in closer to her. She rolled her eyes and yanked me down to her -- using her not as bruised arm- so our faces were inches apart. “Your bf stat has changed from best to boy friend.” Then she kissed me! Okay it was a peck on the cheek but she still kissed me.

I leaned back and sat down in shock. I was still holding her hand, with no intention of letting go. When the shock wore off I realized I was smiling, and I couldn’t stop -- not that I wanted to. I looked back at her and she smiled full heartedly at me.

“I guess this means something completely different now?” she said as she held the necklace I gave to her three days ago on her birthday, December 10th. It was a small, silver, rain drop with a cubic zirconium chip.
“No it doesn’t.” I shook my head “I gave it to you to show I loved you because I have for the last year. If I gave it to you today I would give it to you to show my love. It means the same” I smiled, and she smiled back.


“Did I miss something? I was talking to the nurse. Are you two an item?” We both turned to look. Her mom was standing there in the doorway. I had completely forgotten about her. I went to yank my hand away in embarrassment but Ivory wouldn’t let me. “I guess that would be a yes for both. Ivory, did they give you morphine? I’ll have to talk to them. They should know you get hyper off it. I’ll do that later first fill me in on what I missed.”

I went to leave to give them some privacy but Ivory wouldn’t let go of my hand. “Stay!” It wasn’t a question it was a demand. I sat back down and she smiled. She then turned to her mother and filled her in on everything. I half listened well examining the damage. Left leg broken, bruises everywhere, and stitches on her right cheek a lot better then I thought it would look like. Well at least she’s alive.


Two months later


Ivory and I walked down the hall. Her on crunches with a broken left leg and I was holding her books. We got teased for weeks after the accident but I didn’t care. I had my Ivory and she was okay. Thank you God! I thought again for the thousands time since then. Thank you!

“Sam?” she asked when we sat down for math.

“Yah?”

“Can I ask you something?” She turn her head to face me curiosity filled her eyes.

“You just did but yes you can ask another.” I grinned widely.

She rolled her eyes at me and smiled. “Anyway I was wondering why you were so upset that day.”

“Easy, you were hurt and I was scared that those emerald eyes would never open again. I … I was…” What was I? In love? Yes in love. “I was in love and I hadn’t told you …and I wanted to…” my sentence trailed off after that.

“I get it. New question. What happened that day? I don’t remember. What I do remember is you. When I opened my eyes I saw blue, but not the blue I wanted. I was confused and when I saw your face I saw the blue. The blue I desperately wanted to see. The color of your eyes then that was it that’s all I saw. Your face nothing else I felt you hugging me and heard what you said but that was it that’s the first thing I remember then I remember getting out of the car that was it…” she trailed off.

“What happened was…” I don’t know if I can tell her. The picture of her broken body, her blood stained hair, her emerald eyes closed flashed in my mind. “Cory’s truck was going fast….he hit the black ice….blew a tire…spinning out of control….you…just walking….” The whole thing past through my mind again. I shuddered at the memory.

She was silent for a minute then she said. “Thank you. I’ll never forget. Even if you didn’t save me you were still there for me. Thank you.”

I smiled wryly. I still had the horrible picture in my mind.

Two years later


“Sam?” Ivory said “Come on spit it out Sam.” She pushed my dirty blond hair out my eyes.

I didn’t know if I could I was scared the day I told her I loved her, but that was different. I thought I had lost her. Now I’m just scared of rejection. Just stupid rejection that’s was all I was scared of. I had to tell her, no ask her. The scene of that day two years ago our senior year of high school past through my mind again. That day was what helped me finally spit it out.

“Ivory you’ve been my…best friend for years. I-I just want you to answer a question for me.” I said stumbling over my words. Then with shaken hands I reached for her left hand and my right pocket. Pulling out the box and flipping open the box one handed I asked -- or tried to ask “W-will you marry…” I gulped “Ivory will you marry me” I closed my eyes got on one knee and waited for the answer. You haven’t let me down yet God. Please let her say yes. Please! Those next five minutes of waiting for her to answer felt like déjà vu. Me waiting and praying she would answer. Once again it felt like a life time.

“Sam?”

“Yes?” I whispered.

“Open your eyes.” I did. She leaned down and kissed me. “Yes” she said and kissed me deeper. “Yes! I will!”
I closed my eyes again hugging her tight not wanting to ever let go of her, ever. Thank you God. Thank you for her, for giving her to me. The phrase I heard my mom say to my dad in their wedding vows -- from the video I saw- popped into my head at that moment, and I knew it applied to us.
Meeting you was fate
Becoming your friend was choice
But falling in love, I had no control over.
Fin