A Star is Born

The music was pumping, drinks were flowing. The smell of sweat and jello shots echoed throughout the house. I was dancing the night away and our dream to lose our virginities on this very night was about to come true. Oliver sidled up behind me and swayed to the trashy EDM with me. I glanced to my right and spotted my Mallory, chatting with her crush Lance. All they were doing was chatting and smiling, but we were supposed to be doing, other things. As I was watching over Mallory, I saw Dalton fighting with his on-again off-again girlfriend. I tried to make out what exactly they were arguing about through Icona Pop blasting through the speakers, but suddenly a large crash came from the backyard. I detached my body from Oliver’s and took Mallory’s hand to bring her to the scene. 

We didn’t realize there was a thunderstorm until we were showered with rainfall in the backyard. A fight had started while the party was inside, and it was getting dangerous. The wicker chairs were broken apart, and shards of glass were spread out across the grass as the boys fought, dripping with blood and drizzle. Heaps of students clamored around to watch the show, so I grabbed Mallory’s hand once more to get out before the cops arrived. I dug around my black leather purse for my keys and soon enough, I dug out my pink rubber pig keychain with my car key attached. When I turned the ignition, Dalton ran up to the car out of nowhere and pushed me out of the driver’s seat.

Mallory yelled, “Dalton! Jesus you scared the crap out of me, what are you doing here?!?” Dalton angrily said, “We broke up. Natalie and I broke up and I’m free! WOOOOOHOO!!”

I looked nervously over to Mallory in the back seat before turning my attention back to Dalton, who looked more fumed than he did happy.

“Do you think you could give us a ride home? I’m kinda tired and I don’t think I’ll be able to stay awake the whole time,” I said with a headache from the party’s atmosphere.

Worriedly, Mallory whispered, “Ang, we can’t. He’s drunk and angry. If anything he’s less appropriate to drive than you are!” 

Dalton butted in to say, “Don’t worry ladies. I’ll get ya home safe,” as he said with a devilish grin. He began driving uncontrollably as the pitter patter of rain turned into a drummer playing like there’s no tomorrow. Dalton was driving like a cheetah, running from extinction. Through the windows, all that I could see was the blur of red traffic lights and the rainfall beating down, a cloudy mirage. 

Dalton began increasing the speed as we neared a red light. My heart was racing and I could feel Mallory’s racing too. The terrified look on her face grew when she heard him begin cackling alarmingly, and increasingly louder. As we reached the red light with no halt, Mallory yelled, “DALTON ST-,” but it was too late. Dalton had crossed the red light and our car came colliding into another. Our van was chucked aside and flipped upside down, landing us on the roof. 

After what felt like a few seconds, I opened my eyes and struggled to focus on what was in front of me. The broken window let specks of rainfall inside. The horn was blasting uncontrollably like a fire alarm. My head was pounding and there was no way I could have stopped the horn. I turned my head with caution, as not to irritate my head. I saw Dalton resting on the horn, unsure if he was breathing. I tried to peer back at Mallory but the restraint of my seat belt didn’t permit me. My own blood dripped up my face and I began hyperventilating. My salty tears streamed towards my forehead, small frog croaks pouring out of my mouth as I tried to yell for help. I couldn’t hear any sirens approaching, in fact I couldn’t hear anything over the blaring sound of the car horn. I made an attempt to wriggle out the window but pressure overcame me. Suddenly, cloudy rings of red and blue came from the corner of my eye. My eyesight relaxed as the paramedics came to my aid.

I woke up to the same mint coloured ceiling that had surrounded me for the past week, and immediately detected the scent of latex and Purell. My vision was slanted and I lifted my head up from someone’s shoulder. When I focused my eyes on who it was, I gave him a hug as if I hadn’t seen him for years.

“Whoa, whoa, slow down. It’s okay, I’m here.” Hearing my brother Sam’s voice was comforting to me, especially after what had occurred. 

I rubbed my eyes and cleared my throat. “How long was I out for?” “About 5 hours.”

My attention was redirected to hospital room 417, where my best friend resided. I came out with some minor bruises and a sprained wrist, but the outcomes of the accident were much harsher on Mallory. A ruptured spleen, two broken ribs and a pneumothorax I heard, whatever the hell that is. 

News of Dalton’s death and the accident had circulated around the neighbourhood. I viewed Mallory and her parents through the white blinds of her room. Her parents looked exhausted as they surrounded Mallory’s bedside. 

“They’re done the surgery? Why haven’t you said anything?” I quickly stood on my feet, determined to make my way to her but Sam pulled my hand and dragged me back down into my seat. 

“They’ll tell us when they’re ready, okay? They need some time.” I was frustrated and annoyed but defeatedly, I crossed my legs into the hospital arm chair and stared blankly at the wall. I stayed glued to my chair, as I watched people go by as if this were normal, as if this wasn’t a place where people were suffering or dying. I witnessed an old man pass out on a stretcher, nurses piled around him paving the way to surgery. Everyone else in the waiting room looked happy, but drained. That seemed to be the atmosphere for the past few days. Hours later, I observed a pair of parents weeping breathlessly but I couldn’t identify them. I pushed my hood off my head and brushed a lock of my dirty blond hair away from my face to get a closer look. Instantly, I sighed with relief. But seeing this family made me feel even more heartbroken. The woman began crying more intensely, her husband enveloping her arms to contain her uncontrollable jerks as she lowered herself to the ground. She stayed on the hospital floor, knees weak, surrounded by her husband and young daughter who couldn’t understand why her mommy was in such pain. 

After watching the family for several minutes, my attention shifted back to 417. The door was shut and her parents were speaking intently with the doctor. Suddenly, my eyes began to lose focus and I drifted off into another memory.

I sat on my white wooden stool as I finished curling my hair. I gazed contentedly at myself through my vanity as I let my last piece of hair flop down to join the rest.

I stood up and slowly sunk onto my floral fuchsia duvet to join Mal. “So, what’s on your mind? Oh wait, lemme guess… that dumbo Lance?”

Mallory stepped out of her daydream when she realized the words “dumbo” and “Lance” were in the same sentence. 

With disturbance she replied, “He’s not dumb! He’s actually very nice, and pretty smart too. One time we were in our Film Studies class and we were paired together for a project. We were trying to choose between Get Smart or My Big Fat Greek Wedding. We ended up abandoning the project altogether and headed to the drive-in theatre to watch Sixteen Candles.” 

As she continued, I sprawled out on my bed to await the ending of her soliloquy. After having enough of that mushy stuff I interrupted, “--Yeah yeah yeah and then he walked you home through Chinatown. The lights were beautiful and it made his eyes shine bright. And then you both stopped for bubble tea which he so gallantly paid for! Y’all made your way to your doorstep when he finally kissed you on the lips and it was as if the whole world around you collapsed and only the two of you existed!” I took a deep breath in after monologuing about the night that I heard so many times before and straightened up to meet Mallory’s face.

“I get it, you like the guy, which explains why you never shut up about him.” Mallory looked guiltily at herself in the mirror to avoid my glaring blue eyes that could always see right through her.

“You can do a lot better than him.” I paused to take a lock of her brown, wavy hair and clear it away from her eyes. I then retreated back to my vanity.

As I locked eyes with her through my mirror I continued, “But, since I know there’s no way I can get him off your mind, he is going to be at the party tomorrow. And you know what that means?” 

Not waiting for a response from Mallory, I asserted, “Operation Cherry is a go! Lance will be there, you’re going to flirt with him and sparks are gonna fly in the bedsheets while I do the same with Oliver.” 

I grinned wickedly as Mallory’s expression changed too however not to joy, but to concern. 

I woke up from my memory to see a large cup of coffee staring me right in the face. I hadn’t seen Lance since the party and he didn’t come to visit Mal. I knew she shouldn’t have wasted her time with him.

“Wakey wakey.” Sam wiggled the cup in his hands and without hesitation I snatched the cup and guzzled half of it. The aftertaste of hospital coffee was as if it had been sitting on the table since before the accident, but I was determined to wake up so I swallowed the diluted drink in three more gulps. 

“Wow, so much for that”, exclaimed Sam. He sat down beside me in the burgundy armchair. Minutes later, Mallory’s parents stepped out of her room and walked towards us. Mallory’s mother crouched down to meet me at eye level. I noticed the inertia in her eyes and her tear stained rose coloured turtleneck. Her father looked as if he had been awake for days, months even.

“She’s awake now,” Mallory’s mom said faintly and with a weak smile. I stood up quicker than ever, like a kid ready to get in line for ice cream. However, Mallory’s mom intervened quickly and responded, “Angie please, be easy with her. She’s weak.”

I nodded my head and she turned her attention toward my brother. “We’re heading to the station to sign some more papers.” 

Sam nodded his head cordially to Mallory’s parents who then proceeded to leave the building. My eyes stayed glued to the door 417 as Sam held my hand for a few seconds. I let go of his comforting hold and walked carefully towards Mallory’s door. I grasped the metal doorknob and turned it open. 

From the waiting room, I never realized the gravity of her injuries. Her eyes were closed, her right eye was a purple hue. I could see her abdomen wrapped in bandages from underneath her hospital gown, a breathing tube placed in her nostrils. Slowly, I approached her and quietly dragged an armchair to sit at her bedside. Shyly, I took her hand and held it gently. Mallory’s eyes opened up. 

“Hey Angie,” Mallory said with a hoarse voice. “I’m so glad you’re okay.” I tried so hard to blink back my tears but they came spilling out onto my blushing cheeks. Mallory held my hand a little tighter to comfort me, even though she was the one in agonizing pain. 

“What happened to Dalton?” Mallory asked, but by the gloomy expression my face revealed, she understood without me having to say a word. In an instant, Mallory’s face changed from relaxed to serious. “I’m so sorry Angie. But, I don’t think I’ll be able to get out of this.” Mallory tilted her head back and towards the yellow lamp on her nightstand to avoid watching my reaction.

“I should be the one apologizing, I’m the one who got into this situation. But you will get out of this, stay strong.” 

“Of all of the things in my life, the thing I’m most proud of is our friendship. Do you remember when we first met at Kal’s? Those girls excluded me from their group and you waddled up to me, so confidently and told me, ‘we’re going to be best friends.’” Mallory was always nostalgic and appreciative of our friendship, qualities I wish I had. “And so we are,” I replied to her. 

“And all those fun times we had at your cottage,” she croaked between tears. “Remember when we had that water balloon fight down at the dock, and Sam came to join us?” 

I nodded my head in affirmation. I never would have forgotten that memory. It was when I realized that Mal and Sam had feelings for each other. They would always smile at each other and when they teamed up against me to throw me into the bay, I had a hunch. I never realized the effect that Mallory’s suffering would have on my brother. They had a connection too, one that I was never able to understand or be a part of. 

I recounted, “That night we danced and sang karaoke to Surrender. He managed to escape before we could drag him in.” We laughed hard at that memory. 

I sniffled and grabbed a starchy tissue from the periwinkle box on her bed stand. We locked eyes and reality kicked in, as if we both knew what was coming next. Weakly, Mallory brought her hand up to my teary eyed face and swept a piece of my hair behind my ear. Her hand quivered gently, like a baby bird that had just been born. All of a sudden, Mallory began blinking unsteadily and her hand collapsed onto the bed. The EKG machine beeped expeditiously. My breathing sped up and I began worrying as doctors ran in with equipment. I felt a pair of hands grab me from behind, dragging me outside. 

“No! Stop, please!” I wept and screamed painfully as Sam led me out of room 417. I cried into my brother’s arms as I inched closer and closer to the hospital floor. I looked up through my foggy eyes to see the doctors working quickly. The blinds were shut and suddenly, I went numb. My head felt as if it weren’t attached correctly to my neck and I sunk into my brother’s arms. Everything went black. 

The sound of the phone ringing from the front desk. The scent of blue latex gloves and Purell. I slowly turned my head to the right to see a little boy with a blue and white striped button up, releasing water from the dispensary into a small white paper cup. No screaming or crying came from anywhere. It was too calm. Gently, I lifted my head up from my brother’s lap as he comforted me. “Whoa, whoa, take it easy.” My brother was always there for me, and I him. But this was different.

I saw the sad look in his eyes and I already knew what he was going to say. So I told him not to. Instead I hugged him tight, and I didn’t let go for a very long time. 

When I did, we realized it was time to leave; there was nothing left for us here. More than anything, I wanted to stay glued to the chair, just like I had been for the past week. But I stood up uneasily, and we began our walk out. As we walked out of the waiting room, we passed the nursery, where babies slept peacefully in their incubators. We rounded a room with a little girl in a hospital bed, smiling brightly at her mother who was stroking her forehead.

We visited a nearby park upon exiting the hospital. I spotted a brown wooden bench and planted myself down as my brother followed. We looked up at the starry night as I recalled one last memory of Mallory. 

“She always loved watching the stars. I always thought it was stupid, but she loved it. Every year we went up to the cottage, she would dedicate one whole night to watching them.” I paused and looked down for a moment, to smile and to look at how far we had come.

“She used to say ‘The stars are always here even when we can’t see them, even when it’s dark. Just like you and I. Because even though we’re not in each other’s reach, I will always be your best friend and you will always be mine.’ She was so cheesy, but that made me love her even more.” I shifted toward Sam who was looking up at the stars as I was, and I could tell he missed her as much as I did. 

Sam looked back, with a gleam in his eyes, as if he had captured Mallory in them. He rested his elbows on his knees and angled his head toward mine.

“Well she was right, wasn’t she.” He gradually stood up and offered me his hand. Without hesitation, I grabbed his hand and joined him as we walked toward the parking lot. 

With one last glance, I looked up. I promised myself that I would always remember Mallory, Mallory Bennett. 

My best friend, the biggest and brightest star there ever was.