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the end. | drabble MMM
part one. * please read part one first before continuing!
The show went better than I ever thought it could. Even though it’s been three years since the last time I had been on stage, it had felt like I never left. The crowd cheered and sang along to every line, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was home.
Once the fans piled out of the venue, and it was just me, Teddy, and the band, I cried. I couldn’t tell if I was just severely overwhelmed, or if it was the alcohol that now warmed my body, but I couldn’t stop.
“Don’t be such a baby, Sonny,” Teddy teased as he slapped my arm. It made me laugh, and I shoved his arm away in a playful manner as my free hand reached up to wipe away the last pieces of evidence that I had in fact, been crying.
“Shut up,” I muttered with another laugh, allowing myself to decompress for a moment. “I’m just.. Really happy, dude. I didn’t think anyone still cared.” It was a confession that Teddy had heard many times before. When he first tried to get me to write music again, I swore up and down that no one gave a sh*t about Hudson King and his music career. For a while, I believed it. I had assumed that once I lost myself in my demons, others would forget about the good that I had once created. Being on stage, soaking in the energy of the crowd - it reminded me of a time where I felt alive.
Teddy offered a sympathetic smile, before walking to the side of the stage, pulling a case of beer off of one of the podiums. “Here, you look like you need one,” he said with a laugh, pulling a can out of the cardboard box, holding it out in my direction. “You killed it, Sonny.”
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Hours had passed, and my body swayed with each step as I made my way towards the back of the venue. Teddy followed closely behind with a few groupies in tow, and the four of us were headed home to do only god knows what. I knew that I shouldn’t be driving, but out of the group of us, I was the most sober, and waiting for a taxi in Covetous Valley at this hour was not something I’d want to live through. We decided to part ways - the girls in one car, Teddy and I in another; I would have offered to drive all of us, but the backseat in my car was piled high with equipment, and I couldn’t be bothered to move it. Keys in hand, I waited as Teddy kissed his nightly trophy goodbye, and laughed at his promise to see her in a few minutes. “Teddy, you’ll literally see her in less than a half hour. LET’S GO!” I shouted, Teddy’s middle finger extending in return as he kissed the blonde one more time.
I tried my best to stay focused, my hands resting at ‘10’ and ‘2’ like we’re told to do when learning to drive. My vision was blurred, but not enough for me to be concerned. Admittedly, I had driven intoxicated more times than I could count - it was part of the reason I went to rehab. It wasn’t something I was proud of. I exhaled a sigh as Teddy finally stepped into the car, and I tried my best to fake a smile. I was nervous. “You okay?” Teddy’s voice caught my attention and shook me from the overthinking state I had allowed myself to succumb to.
“I’m fine, sorry. Just spaced out a bit.” I turned the key in the ignition, and the engine roared to life. Fifteen minutes, Hudson. It’s just fifteen minutes. You’ll be fine, I tried reassuring myself, but the feeling deep within my gut told me this wasn’t the best idea. Instead, I ignored it, took the car out of park, and let it roll out of the parking space, my foot barely touching the gas pedal.
“Man, tonight was awesome,” Teddy’s words slurred, his grin spread from ear to ear.
I tried to match his enthusiasm, but my heart raced as we hit the freeway, the speed of the car creeping up on me with each passing second. I should slow down, I thought to myself. The speedometer inched closer to 100mph. “Heh, yeah it was awesome. I can’t wait to-”
My words were cut off as my foot hit the brakes, the tires screeching against the wet pavement. I lost control of the car, and over correcting it caused the vehicle to flip. I tried counting how many times, but lost track after three. My brain was spinning, and my hand’s were glued to the steering wheel, refusing to move. After what seemed like forever, the car finally came to a rest. My vision is still blurred, and my head is pounding. I can feel warmth trickling down my face, and it’s only when I reach up that I realize I’m covered in blood. “T-Teddy?” I finally say something, looking over to the passenger seat. Teddy’s face is covered in blood, his body laid limp in the seat. I can’t tell if he’s breathing, but I panic. “Teddy! T-Teddy… wake up, man…” I say as I shake his arm. I try unbuckling his seatbelt, but it won’t budge. “TEDDY!” I yell, though my voice isn’t loud enough for anyone else to hear.
Frantically, I shake him more. “Teddy please!! Wake up, dude.. Please..” I realize I’m sobbing, but I can’t tell if the adrenaline has worn off, or if it’s the sudden realization that I could have killed my best friend. I try everything to wake him up, but he won’t move. My heart is racing, the ringing in my ears grows louder.
And then suddenly, everything went black.
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