Bad Habits

The next morning, I woke up wrapped in Kennedy's arms, so close to his body, as if he was protecting me from something. I smiled, looking up at his sleeping face, and kissed his cheek. He opened his eyes and looked down at me, searching my eyes, before burying his face in my neck.

"I gotta go get ready for school."
I mumbled, and he looked back up into my eyes with a puppy dog lip. I smiled, then kissed his cheek before getting up and stretching.
"I'll see you at school."
"Mmkay. I love you."
"I love you, too, Kenny."

I grabbed my keys from his nightstand and headed downstairs, and out the door. I drove back to my neighborhood and pulled into my driveway. I ran into my house and went upstairs where I quickly took a shower and got dressed for the day.

After an hour and a half, I was completely finished, and grabbed my keys again, going back down to my Jeep. I was driving down a busy road, when I heard a loud trucks horn a few times. I turned my head to see the front of the huge semi truck, and that was the last I remembered.

***

I was getting ready for first period to start, looking around for Kat, when our teachers phone rang. I ignored his conversation, not really caring, until I was taken back when he called Nicole and I out in the hallway.

"Kat's in the hospital. There was an accident. John is getting the call right now, and her parents think you should hurry and go."

My eyes grew wide, and Nicole looked at me. My stomach turned, I felt as if I were going to throw up. I turned and hurried back in the room, snatching my backpack up from my desk as Nicole grabbed her bag.

"Let's go."
I mumbled, ripping my keys out of my pocket as I ran down the hallway.

We made it out into the parking lot, and we both jumped in my car. I started it up and sped down the road until we got to the hospital. Nicole kept her jaw clenched tightly, and I clenched my keys so tight, my knuckles turned white as we calmly walked through the hospital hallways.

A few minutes later, we had almost reached the room, when I heard John's voice. I turned and he was running as fast as his long legs would take him towards us.
"Where is she? Where is she?"
He breathed, his eyes frantic. I turned and gently opened the door to her room, to see her father holding her sobbing mother in his arms. I inched closer to her bed, fearing what I might see. There she was, her eyes closed with all these machines hooked up to her. I glanced at Nicole, who was staring down at Kat, horrified. She couldn't believe what she was seeing, and neither could I.
"What happened?"
I choked, my shaky voice deceiving the calm facade I had put on.

"She was on her way to school, and a semi truck driver lost control and hit her car. The car rolled in a ditch, and when they found her, she had two poles... Staked through her body."
Her father swallowed hard, then went back to trying to calm her mother.
"She's gonna live. She's okay. She's gonna be okay."
I said, looking back at Ted. Donna let out a loud sob, and he shook his head.
"She's paralyzed... And on life support. We're gonna pull the plug tonight."
"No, you're lying. She's okay. She's gonna be fine. Just a few little scratches. She's gonna come home with us in a couple days and everything will be the same again. It's gonna be okay."
I said quickly, my body shaking.
"Kennedy... I'm sorry..."

Nicole grabbed my wrist, her nails digging into my skin, before she buried her tear soaked face in my neck, sobbing. John dropped to his knees at her bed side, tears rolling down his cheeks from his green eyes.
"Kat, you can't die. You can't. We were supposed to grow old together. I didn't mean what I said, I love you. I care so much about you, I don't want you to die."
He cried holding her hand and burying his face in the covers.
"Don't leave me."

The doctor came in then, and Ted gave him the okay to pull the plug on the machines. The beeps stopped, a long ringing going on.
"No! Get up, Kat. You're fine. You're gonna come home with me. I love you. We were supposed to be with each other forever!"
John yelled, and I wiped away the tears that were streaming from my eyes.
"She's gone, John."
"No, she's fucking not, she's fine!"
He screamed, and Nicole pulled away from me, then grabbed John's hand, pulling him up. He collapsed in her arms, sobbing into her neck. I looked around the room, everyone's tears and sobs ringing loudly in my ears. I walked up to Kat, looking down at her face. She looked peaceful. Death was peaceful. She was in a better place now. I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers one last time, whispering;
"I love you."