"Clarke Isaac Hanson... I can't believe you!" Kimberly exclaimed. Jaida had just left and the two were standing in Kimbery's bedroom. Her hands were on her hips and her face showed the anger she felt.
"What?"
"Don't What me! You know exactly what I'm talking about. How dare you do that to her! In my house! She was here before you and she is still very much my best friend besides you. If you can't deal with that then I think you should leave. Boyfriend or no boyfriend, you do Not talk to my friends that way,.. do you understand me?"
"You know very well I'm not going to leave. Jaida deserved everything I said to her. Kim.. she is responsible for Lucas's death! How you can still be friends with that girl is beyond me... I'm sorry, but I can't even stand to be in the same room as her." Isaac said, sitting down in Kimberly's desk chair. Kimberly shook her head in disbelief. Her mouth was slightly open. She was speechless. This was a side of Isaac she hadn't seen before and she didn't like it.
"Don't you understand? It was a bloody accident! She didn't mean it! It could have happened to anyone ... both you and I know that it could have very well been Lucas behind the wheel. Who knows, maybe if it had been Lucas driving... the accident might not have happened.. but there is the huge possibility that it would have. Why won't you and your brothers give her a chance to explain what happened that night? All you have to go by is a stupid newspaper article!" Kimberly cried. She couldn't believe that Isaac was acting like this. Isaac crossed his arms infront of his chest and looked away from her. He knew that what Kimberly was saying was the truth but he didn't want to listen to her right now, let alone her be right.
"It doesn't matter what she has to say! All I know and care about is that my cousin is dead and it's her fault. She's Victoria Anters... the girl who Lucas couldn't stop raving about when he vistited us... he never brought a picture with him so we never saw what she looked like. Taylor would have kept right away from her if he had known exactly who she was." Isaac said stubbornly. Kimberly glared at him.
"I really think it would be a great idea if you got out of my sight Isaac. You can't stand to be in the same room as Jaida... well I can't stand to be in the same room as you right now. How could you just suddenly turn your back on a friend? She and her family came here to start over. She changed her name so no one would know who she was! She knew that the papers over here hadn't published her picture. How was she to know that Emily would find an out-of-state paper with a picture and then show it to Taylor. It was Emily's fault all this happened. If you're going to be angry at someone, be angry at her! If she didn't hunt around in Jaida's past and dig up that article, then you would never have known and you would still be Jaida's friend! I am so disappointed in you Ike... it was an honest mistake and you are to pig headed to look past the fact that it was Jaida and see that she is in so much pain because of this." Kimberly said, slumping down on the edge of her bed. She had never been so angry with Isaac before. She had never hated anyone as much as she hated Emily either. Isaac was quiet. Kimberly stared at him until he finally looked at her again. His eyes were filled with sorrow but his face remained blank.
"You want me to go?" He asked. He didn't wait for Kimberly to answer. "Fine. I'm going... I'll call you later or whatever.. maybe by then you'll have cooled off a bit and maybe you'll be willing to see things from my side... seeing as you're my girlfriend and all" He stood up and walked out of her room. She didn't follow him. Kimberly heard the front door slam shut and she took a deep breath. Maybe Jaida was home....
I woke with a start when someone banged on the front door. My parents were out again and I had fallen asleep on the sofa in the living room. The person knocked again and I reluctantly got up. I wanted to be alone. Opening the door, I was surprised to see Zane, standing there, grinning at me.
"Uh...hi..." I said.
"Hey Jaida.... are you busy?" He asked. I shook my head.
"Why? .... wait a minute... you don't hate me?" I asked. "I mean, you obviously don't becasue you're here and you're smiling at me..." Zane shook his head.
"I came to talk to you.. or rather, someone else wants to talk to you.." Zane said. My heart skipped a beat. He could only mean Taylor. I looked over Zanes shoulder to see Taylor and Zane laughed. "He's not here with me... I came to take you back to my house... he's there waiting for you."
"Why didn't he come here?" I asked. Zane shrugged.
"I don't know....but I'm not leaving until you're with me. So do what you have to and we'll pissoffski." I sighed.
"Ok.. just give me a few minutes." I said, letting him in. While Zane made himself at home in the living room, I went into my bedroom and changed. I ran a brush through my hair and touched up my makeup. I was as nervous as hell. The talk with Taylor could end in two ways. Either we get back together or he hates me for the rest of my life. The later one I could live without. I made my way down stairs and announced that I was ready to go. It was dark outside and starting to rain. The two of us rushed to the car and got in. Zane started the engine and turned down the radio. "Do you know what he wants to talk about?" I asked him.
"I think you already know the answer to that question Victoria..." Zane said, glancing at me.
"I see he told you... and my name is legally Jaida. Please call me that." I said.
"Sorry.... I shouldn't have said that..." Zane apologized.
"It's ok.. I guess... How is Tay?" I asked.
"Um... it's hard to tell.. he doesn't want to talk a whole lot... to tell you the truth, I think he's going crazy, trying to decide on what to do.. I mean, I know he still loves you...and he does miss you a hellofva lot..."
"The feeling's mutual. Do you think he'll forgive me?"
"Well.. whats there to forgive.. you didn't do it on purpose.. it was an accident...he knows that to." Zane said. He was sitting at a set of traffic lights, waiting to turn. The green arrow lit up and Zane proceeded to turn. Before they knew what was happening, the car was rolling over and over again, then it slid for god knows how long on its roof. When the car came to a stop, both teenagers were unconscious.
Taylor looked at his watch. Where the hell are they? ... he should have been here with her by now..Taylor thought. He considered calling Isaac to check things out at Jaidas, but then decided against it. Taylor picked up the phone and dialed Jaidas number.
"Hello?"
"Hi... is Jaida there please... or even Zane.." Taylor asked, the person on the other end was Jaidas mother.
"Taylor? Uh.. no they're not I'm sorry... I thought she was with you... she left me a note saying so.. she's not there?"
"No.. she's not.. Zane was going over there to pick her up.. that was an hour and a half ago.. Maybe they stopped to get something to eat..I'm sure they'll be here soon. Sorry to bother you" Taylor said, not wanting to worry Charlotte. They said goodbye and Taylor hung up the phone. Just as he did that, the doorbell rang. He hurried to the door and opened it. Two police officers stood on the porch.
"Are the parents of Zane Cathway home?" One of them, a male, asked.
"Uh.. no... what's the problem officer?" Taylor asked.
"Are you family?"
"Yeah..I'm his brother.." He lied. Taylor knew that if he told them he was only a friend, they wouldn't tell him why they wanted Zanes parents.
"I'm affraid Zane has been in a car accident.. he's been taken to Tulsa Memorial Hospital." The same officer told him. Taylor felt the blood drain from his face and his knees went weak.
"Was there anyone else with him? A girl.. ?" Taylor asked, almost affraid to hear the answer. The look on the officers face answered him. "Is she ok? Where is she? At the hospital to?"
"I think you better come with us son.." The second officer spoke up. Taylor nodded and stepped outside. He locked the front door and followed the police officers to their car. On the way to the hospital, the officers were quiet, only speaking to each other. When Taylor asked them a question, all they said was that it was better to wait and ask the doctor in the ER. Taylor had never been so worried or fusterated in his life. He also wished that his parents were there. Once they reached the hospital, a nurse asked Taylor to fill out some forms for Zane. Half the questions he didn't know the answer for so he left them blank. He still didn't know anything about Jaida and only a little about Zane. Zane was in surgery... they couldn't give Taylor any information on Jaida because he wasn't family. He looked up when a doctor approached him. She sat down in the chair next to Taylors.
"I'm Dr. Winter... you know the boy and girl brought in about an hour ago?" Dr. Winter asked. Taylor nodded.
"Yes... Zane Cathway and Jaida Robertson... are they ok? I know Zane is in sugery.. but I don't know anything about Jaida" He said. The look on Dr. Winter's face was one of pitty and sorrow.
"Yes... Zane is still in surgery but I'm afriad I can't give you any information on Jaida just yet. I need to contact her parents. Do you have the number to contact them?"
"Yeah.... can't you at least let me know if she's alive?"
"You're not family of Jaidas-"
"I know but I'm her boyfriend.. please?" Taylor was begging now. He couldn't go any longer without knowing if she was alive or not. He prayed silently that she was. Please don't take her away from me... not now. The doctor shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I can't. Can I please have the number to call Mr. and Mrs. Robertson?". Taylor slumped down in his seat and recited the number for Dr. Winter. She wrote it down and also took the half- completed forms from Taylors hand. She then left. He didn't see any other doctors for quite some time. He was sitting with his head in his hands when he heard his name being called.
"Taylor? What are you doing here?" it was Charlotte. He raised his head and saw that worry was plastered on her face. Doug was right behing her. He stood up when the adults reached him.
"I was uh.. brought here by the police... um... I was at Zanes. I told them I was his brother.. he and Jaida were in a car accident..." He said. Charlotte nodded.
"Yes... that much we know. They wouldn't tell us anything about Jaida over the phone. The doctor I spoke to requested that we come here. Do you know anything?" She asked.
"No... they wouldn't tell me anything about her."
"Mr. and Mrs. Robertson?" Another person joined them. Charlotte and Doug both turned around and were greeted by Dr. Winter. She nodded to Taylor and then proceeded to talk to Jaida's parents. "I'm Dr. Winter... I was here when your daughter was brought in with the boy, Zane Cathway.-"
"Yes... where is Jaida? Is she okay?" Doug asked, interrupting her. Dr. Winter's face showed what she was going to say. Charlotte began to cry before she heard the words. She didn't need to hear them.
"I'm so sorry... Jaida was killed instantly."
"NO! SHE'S NOT DEAD! NO! NOT JAIDA!" Taylor realized that the shrill voice was his own. He sank to the floor, sobs taking over him. Charlotte went down with him, wrapping him in her arms as the both of them wept. Doug stood, not believing the doctors words.
"She can't be... where is she? What happened to her? Where's my daughter?" He asked.
"I'm sorry... she was in a collison with another car... the car hit her side. She was killed on impact. Please, let me take your wife and help her... I can get a nurse to attend to the young man" Dr. Winter said. Doug just nodded slightly, tears running down his cheeks. Dr. Winter helped Charlotte to her feet.
"I can't leave... Taylor... he can't be alone."
"It's ok Mrs. Robertson. I'm getting Marie to help Taylor. You need some help. Please, come with me" Dr. Winter said, signaling for the young nurse to aid Taylor- who was still on his knees, shoulders heaving with sobs.
Chapter Eighteen
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