"How is she?" A voice asked quietly.
"Better," another voice cracked. A loud sob came from another direction and then more crying from what seemed like everywhere.
She tried to open her eyes but it was too hard. They just would not open. She could hear the sounds and they felt like screams directly in her ears. She began to grow tired again, but didn't want to sleep.

I just got up. Call Nick! I need to call Nick! I was supposed to call Nick and tell him I'm sorry!
She felt like she was screaming the words, but no one seemed to even hear her or acknowledge she was even there. She tired to speak but it was too hard, she finally gave into the darkness that called her.

"Lala." He sang watching the choreography.
"Lala?" His friend whispered laughing.
"Bored. Very bored." He whispered smiling.
"Nick?" A voice hissed.
Uh oh. "Yeah?"
"Show me the steps I just did."
His shoulders sank. Damn.
"C'mon now! 1..2..3..4.."

"Nicky what's up?"
"Nothin' just not myself today I guess," he shrugged his shoulders.
"Naw. You usually pay attention in rehearsal anyway," Howie snickered.
"Yeah." Nick picked up his bag.
"Well, get back to normal pal." Howie gave him a pat on his back and walked away.
Ring.
"Hello?"
"Nick?" He closed the door behind him and made his way out to the awaiting car.
"Yeah."
"This is Candice's mother." Nick stopped dead in his tracks. "I'm sorry to bring such sad news, but she was in a car accident early yesterday morning and." Her voice cracked as tears slid down her already tear stained face.
"Sorry." Nick choked out. What was he supposed to say? Here his best friend, who had just told him that she hated him and then hung up on him twice, was in a car accident. He had no clue what to think or feel. It just wouldn't sink in. Part of the bubble, he thought dropping the phone into his bag. He just wanted to go home.

The next few days flew by for Candice's and Amanda's family. Thankfully enough Amanda was doing fine and would be released in the next couple days, but as for Candice, she had just got out of the coma that had kept her dead from the world for the past four days. When she had first awoken that morning she screamed and cried for a phone, but no one would listen to her. So many people were in and out of her room that day she wanted to get up, cuss everyone out and then lock the door, but unfortunately for her, she couldn't move.

"Hey Candi Girl," her friend stroked her hair lightly. "How ya holdin up?"
"What do ya think?" She mumbled in a hoarse whisper.
"Sorry," Amanda snickered.
"Yeah. That's what I thought," she laughed with a cough.
"I got this for you!" Amanda smiled handing her a portable CD played and a bag of cd's.
"Thanks." Candice smiled as she tired to reach for the cd's.
CRASH. Everything in the bag went crashing down on the hard floor. "I'm so sorry. I forgot." Amanda said hurrying the floor to pick up the cd's.
"Amanda..leave." Candice said coldly, pulling her hands back under her covers. "I need to be alone."
"Ok. I'll be back in an hour." Amanda whispered walking out of the room.
"Why?" Candice cried looking around the hospital room. Get Well cards and balloons filled the whole left half of the room and beeping machines filled the right half. "God this sucks." She buried her face in her hands and reached for her journal sitting on the night stand. She barely managed to pick it up she was still too weak from the accident. "Now I know how..how..Pat felt." She sobbed shutting her eyes and opening the book. She reached for a pencil and began to write.

Slowly making his way up the stairs he sighed. It had been a long week. All he wanted to do was sleep. He pulled off his shirt and crawled into his bed. He went to turn on the light when he noticed a book on his night stand. He picked up the book and smiled.
"Diary of Candice Nichole..      If your name doesn't start with a C and end in a E get the hella way!" Nick laughed reading it aloud. As he sat up a little more a small piece of paper fell out of the book.

Nick,
Hey. I'm so sorry, I do want you to be my best friend Nicky, trust me. Things have just been so weird and hard this past year or so..well actually forever. I don't know how you could ever forgive me for being such a bitch and I had no reason to say that to you. You're a great guy.
I had no clue what to get you for Christmas..so I was on my way to get something when..when..I was hit by a truck. The driver had fallen asleep at the wheel and I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. While in the hospital I thought of the perfect gift for you. My life. This is my life. This book. It's been with me for the past 6 or 7 years. Just read it.
Love ya,
   Candi

Nick moved his pillow up more and began to read. Skipping over the first few entries his eyes fell upon something of interest.

Dear    Journal:
   October 1996
Well, 1996. This year has been so wild. My dad got me a car last month. It's really nice. I love it. Amanda knows. She knows. Ohmigod! She knows. I can't lie to that girl. She knows. What if someone else finds out! Ohmigod! I'll die! No one can find out! No one can find out I'm anorexic. I hate this! I hate this more than anything..this sucks..
Grandma just got back from Europe. She got me this CD. It's pretty good actually. Not my type of music but I gave it a shot..it's a guy group. Backstreet boys? I think that's it. They're pretty good though, to say the least. Almost sixteen! Yes!

Dear     Journal:
   February 1998

Today. Oh wow. Today. I broke up with Steve today. More like he crushed my life and heart into 100 billion pieces. He cheated. He went off to college and got a girl pregnant! PREGNANT! I hope he rots in jail that bastard!
Fifteen! The girl was fifteen years old! He went off to college and slept with a high schooler! Dammit and he knew! He knew all along. He KNEW I WAS SICK! Bastard.

   January 1999

1999. Wow. I know I only write every once in a while, but I'm so busy. It's just the beginning of a new year. I hope this year is somehow different. I know it will be! Cuz ya know what? I'm moving to Florida! I'm gonna go to FSU! I can't wait..I've almost finished my free school here at the community college. Emma introduced me to something interesting the other day. Two Words..
Backstreet Boys. A group of boys..a boy band. They have a new album coming out in May and I can't wait. It's sad..here I am almost twenty years old and I like a pop group..haha.

Nick stopped reading and sighed. Wow. He had been so into her journal that he had lost track of time. He had been reading for nearly two hours. "I'll read the rest in the morning..I'm so tired." He whispered setting the book back on the night stand and shutting off his lamp. But what happens next..