Approaching the Curve
Prologue
August 15th 2014.
It was like any other summer night. The four of us were back from our freshman year of college. Cameron, Lydia, Taylor and myself were driving through the meadows of our small town in Lydia’s family golf cart. We had been casually drinking all night; not too much though as we were all headed off to school tomorrow morning.
Cameron was driving the cart, recklessly, but none of us were scared. We had a buzz and plush grass to fall in. Lydia whispered something in my ear. I giggled, completely inebriated. She whispered louder this time, “I think I’m in love with Cameron. I’m going to tell him tonight.” I stared at her wide-eyed at first then moved to catch her in a tight embrace. We couldn’t stop laughing.
Taylor stood up in the front seat of the cart. He swayed a bit and then rolled off the cart. Cameron stopped abruptly causing Cameron and Lydia to hit heads as Cameron faced the back of the cart. Taylor’s obnoxious laugh could be heard from afar. “Taylor man, don’t do that shit!”
Taylor locked eyes with me and chuckled, “Sorry Cam, I was going to switch seats with Lydia.” I sent a knowing smile his way. He must have heard what Lydia had said. Taylor jogged back to the cart and stood in front of Lydia. “Madam, why don’t you slide in next to your boyfriend?” Lydia giggled and stepped out of the cart and into the front seat. Taylor scooted in beside me and nudged my shoulder. I looked up to see Lydia and Cameron holding hands. “About damn time.” I held up my beer to Taylor’s face. He leaned down to grab another out of the box and opened the can. He clanked his beer to mine, “Here, here!”
Cameron hit the gas and we jolted forward. “Hold on assholes,” Cameron said. Taylor shook his head. His arm still locked in front of me so I wouldn’t fly forward. Taylor and I always did watch out for each other, we weren’t as close as I was to Lydia and Cam, or him to Cam and Lydia but we figured out how to be friends from time to time; best friends.
We started to get close to the road. I remember thinking we should turn back. But I didn’t say anything. Who would be out at this time? Cam eased onto the black road. Not a car in sight. It was too dark to realize the small truck behind us. Bryant Taylor was coming home from a party; his girlfriend at the time had cheated on him. He was drunk; apparently, a lot more than we were. I remember Taylor yelling at Cam to get off the road as Cam had leaned in for a kiss from Lydia. I was half asleep. Taylor reached over me then went for the wheel. Taylor tried but it was too late, he lost his balance and we fell out of the moving cart together. I just remember falling. I don’t remember landing, mostly because when I woke up in the hospital a week later I had found out I landed on my head. We were lucky we weren’t going too fast. Taylor came out of it with a broken arm and shoulder. Both of us just simply bruised and broken.
As for Lydia, Cam and that heartbroken drunk kid Bryant. They weren’t as lucky.
That’s how all of this started.
Taylor and I we were never the same; and neither was our friendship.
It was like any other summer night. The four of us were back from our freshman year of college. Cameron, Lydia, Taylor and myself were driving through the meadows of our small town in Lydia’s family golf cart. We had been casually drinking all night; not too much though as we were all headed off to school tomorrow morning.
Cameron was driving the cart, recklessly, but none of us were scared. We had a buzz and plush grass to fall in. Lydia whispered something in my ear. I giggled, completely inebriated. She whispered louder this time, “I think I’m in love with Cameron. I’m going to tell him tonight.” I stared at her wide-eyed at first then moved to catch her in a tight embrace. We couldn’t stop laughing.
Taylor stood up in the front seat of the cart. He swayed a bit and then rolled off the cart. Cameron stopped abruptly causing Cameron and Lydia to hit heads as Cameron faced the back of the cart. Taylor’s obnoxious laugh could be heard from afar. “Taylor man, don’t do that shit!”
Taylor locked eyes with me and chuckled, “Sorry Cam, I was going to switch seats with Lydia.” I sent a knowing smile his way. He must have heard what Lydia had said. Taylor jogged back to the cart and stood in front of Lydia. “Madam, why don’t you slide in next to your boyfriend?” Lydia giggled and stepped out of the cart and into the front seat. Taylor scooted in beside me and nudged my shoulder. I looked up to see Lydia and Cameron holding hands. “About damn time.” I held up my beer to Taylor’s face. He leaned down to grab another out of the box and opened the can. He clanked his beer to mine, “Here, here!”
Cameron hit the gas and we jolted forward. “Hold on assholes,” Cameron said. Taylor shook his head. His arm still locked in front of me so I wouldn’t fly forward. Taylor and I always did watch out for each other, we weren’t as close as I was to Lydia and Cam, or him to Cam and Lydia but we figured out how to be friends from time to time; best friends.
We started to get close to the road. I remember thinking we should turn back. But I didn’t say anything. Who would be out at this time? Cam eased onto the black road. Not a car in sight. It was too dark to realize the small truck behind us. Bryant Taylor was coming home from a party; his girlfriend at the time had cheated on him. He was drunk; apparently, a lot more than we were. I remember Taylor yelling at Cam to get off the road as Cam had leaned in for a kiss from Lydia. I was half asleep. Taylor reached over me then went for the wheel. Taylor tried but it was too late, he lost his balance and we fell out of the moving cart together. I just remember falling. I don’t remember landing, mostly because when I woke up in the hospital a week later I had found out I landed on my head. We were lucky we weren’t going too fast. Taylor came out of it with a broken arm and shoulder. Both of us just simply bruised and broken.
As for Lydia, Cam and that heartbroken drunk kid Bryant. They weren’t as lucky.
That’s how all of this started.
Taylor and I we were never the same; and neither was our friendship.