Lauren
Sara Downer

I’m not your typical narrator. I used to be pretty typical, though. Earlier this year I was an eighteen-year-old about to graduate from high school. I had good grades and never did anything I wasn’t supposed to. I had been accepted to Harvard, and I was going to go in the fall. Everything seemed to be going right in my life. The night before graduation there was a party. I don’t normally go to parties; I am not the party girl type. My best friend Alisha had talked me into it, and I loved doing things with her.
She said, “Come on Lauren, it’s our last night of fun before everyone goes their separate ways. Please?”
I couldn’t argue. I loved spending time with Alisha; we had known each other since we were two. Our mothers were best friends in junior high, and our fathers became best friends when they met our mothers.
I knew what went on at these parties. It’s the reason I never wanted to go to any. Bobby, who was Alisha’s boyfriend, had a fake I.D. and would always buy the beer. The parties always got pretty rowdy and eventually shut down by the police.
Alisha and I entered the party and walked down the long corridor that led to the sitting area where there were already a bunch of Bobby’s friends—including my ex, Dylan. Dylan was about six feet tall and had a slender, athletic build. Brown hair and blue eyes. He was also Bobby’s best friend; Alisha was the one who got us together. We had been broken up for about three months.
Dylan and Bobby immediately approached us. They signaled to the ripped up leather sofa and handed both of us a beer. I grabbed the big red party cup and swirled the beer around in my hand for a bit. Alisha drank the beer fast and immediately was on to the next cup. I kept looking down at it, not knowing what to do with it.
I guess Dylan knew I was thinking something because he said to me, “Laur, you gotta let loose a little. All the stress from school is over. You don’t have to drink it all. Just have a few sips.”
Dylan was always the persuader. I think that’s why we broke up. When I wouldn’t bend the rules, he decided I was boring. I didn’t want to be that boring girl anymore. So I took the cup and put it to my lips and took a long sip of Corona. I remember thinking, disgusting, and pursing my lips together and squinting my eyes because of the taste. But I didn’t care. I just kept drinking; my eyes kept looking over toward Alisha and Bobby. Alisha finally realized I wasn’t all there.
“I should probably get her home,” Alisha told Bobby and Dylan. Dylan nodded because he understood. Bobby was a little upset because he wanted Alisha to stay. He grabbed Dylan, who was also really drunk, and asked him to drive me home so that Alisha could stay. Dylan refused.
Bobby got even angrier when he did. I told Alisha to call my twin brother Charlie to pick me up. I didn’t want to put her out, especially because she had been drinking. But he didn’t answer. He might have been ignoring it.
“Well how is she getting home then?” Alisha wondered. Bobby told her that it would probably be best if I just spent the night.
“I can’t spend the night. Graduation is tomorrow,” I told them. “You know what? Forget it, I can walk. It’s not that far.” Dylan chased after me and stopped me. I could tell he was worried about what would happen to me. He just stared at me.
“I’m really not that drunk. If you want I can drive you home,” Dylan said. I missed Dylan; he was the only real boyfriend I ever had. Staring into his ocean blue eyes, I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed him and pulled his face toward my face and kissed him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dylan said with surprise. “What the heck was that all about?”
“I don’t know,” I replied. “It just felt right, and you were being so nice...” I paused for few seconds.
“You just what?” he asked me staring into my eyes.
“I just miss you,” I answered softly, and then I felt his hand on my cheek as he leaned in and kissed me back. I didn’t know what it meant, but I completely let myself go with him. I had never been with anyone before, and for some reason being with Dylan just felt right.
I lay there thinking I shouldn’t have done anything, but I couldn’t take it back. I kept asking myself if I made a mistake. I looked at my watch. Two o’clock. I was already way past my curfew. I rustled around in my purse, and found my blue touch screen phone and called home.
“Hello?” A worried tone.
“Mom, it’s me” I answered. “I am really sorry I didn’t call sooner but I fell asleep. I am leaving right now.”
“Lauren Elaine!” she replied angrily. “You hurry up and get home. I don’t even know what to say.”
“I know Mom, I know. I’ll be home really soon. I promise and I’m sorry. I love you.” I hung up the phone. I can still hear her voice in my head.
I ran around the house looking for Alisha. The house was a mess from the party. There were beer bottles and party cups all over the place, and people passed out on the floor and the couch. I went up the stairs to find Alisha and Bobby in his room asleep. I walked over and shook Alisha lightly. When she woke up, I signaled at the time on my watch. She jumped up fast and put her shoes on.
We ran down the stairs as fast as possible, almost falling over each other as we raced to the car. I gave Alisha the keys. It was her car and I felt better having her drive home at so late an hour. We pulled out of Bobby’s long winding driveway and headed down the street toward the freeway. We didn’t live that far, and taking the freeway would get us home in ten minutes.
As we merged on to the freeway it was dark and empty; I felt like we were the only ones left on the earth. We talked for about five minutes, and I told Alisha what had happened between Dylan and me. She told me it wasn’t a mistake, and I let myself believe her.
When we were three blocks from my house, we saw a car speeding down the street. It was coming right for us. Alisha jerked the wheel to the right, but that wasn’t enough. The driver slammed into our side.
The ambulance came within minutes; the neighboring houses had heard the accident and called the police. Alisha was unconscious; they knew she had made it. As for me, I was pronounced dead at the scene. The worst part was looking down at the scene of the accident, and seeing my parents’ faces.
My mom and dad rode in the ambulance with Alisha and her parents as they transferred her to the hospital. The coroner van followed behind with me inside. I saw my mom crying, and my dad rubbing her back assuring her everything would be fine. Everything wasn’t fine. They had to face one more obstacle. Telling Charlie what had happened.
That morning, Alisha was conscious and able to speak to her family. She wanted to know how I was.
“Honey,” her mom said as she reached for her hand. “She didn’t make it.” Of course Alisha blamed herself.
Alisha got her diploma but didn’t attend graduation; she was released from the hospital the next day. She paid my family a visit, and told them that it was all her fault for my death. She described how the car was swerving on the street and how she jerked the wheel to right and the car still hit us. She said if she used better judgment I would still be alive today.
A few years later Alisha married Bobby and had a baby with him. She named her after me, Lauren Elaine. Alisha stayed in contact with my family, and they never blamed her. Every year on the anniversary of my death, Lauren and Charlie get together and celebrate my life. Bobby lives in fear of that day everyday of his life. I would like to say Dylan was always there, too, but that would be a lie. When Dylan learned of my death, he went crazy.
All I can do now is watch over the people I love and wait for them to join me.