Highschool Sweethearts

Chapter 10 - The Accident

Daniel was driving me home from school on the first really cold day of the year.

When I say it's cold, I mean like stupid cold; our high of the day is 31. Yeah, yeah, ok, you northerners, it ain't that cold, but you also have to take into account yesterday... and I shit you not, it was 78 degrees.

mmmk? It's fucking cold!

I'm so cold, and Dani's old truck doesn't have a heater right now.

"Sorry, princess," he smiled over at me while I was puffing his hot breath on my hands while we were at a red light.

"Not your fault. I'm an idiot," I grumbled.

He chuckled lightly, "Be home soon, and we can start a fire in the grate," he said as the light turned green, and we started to move forward.

"Now that sounds won-" I started as I looked out the window and immediately screamed. Dani saw the car at the same time I did, and he slammed on the accelerator.

The roads were super icy, and that car wasn't stopping; the driver had lost control.

Dani lost control of the truck as well, and we started to spin out of control.

I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my face. I felt Dani's arm across my chest, holding me against my seat.

We skidded to a stop, my side of the car hit a pole, and the windows shattered. I opened my eyes and looked over at Dani, who was already looking at me and still had his arm out, pinning me to the seat.

"Are you ok?" I asked.

"Y-yeah, ar-are you?" he looked really shaken and pale.

"I'm fine, it's ok," I said and rubbed his arm, but he just kept staring at me "what?" I asked gently, then realized he was looking behind me. I turned and saw the pole had just barely missed my seat and had absolutely crushed the backseat. My eyes widened at how close that was, and I looked back at Dani quickly. "I'm ok" I nodded again and moved over to hug him.

He held me tight and buried his head in my hair.

His door flew open, "Are you guys ok? I tried to stop. I swear, I- I just hit black ice, and I lost control, I'm so sorry," who I'm assuming is the other driver said in a panic.

"We're fine," I said, looking up at him. He looked like he couldn't be older than 16; he had a pimply baby face that was as white as a sheet.

Dani and I got out to look at the damage.

"No way this isn't totaled," Dani said sadly. This truck had been his grandpa's.

"Never know till we submit the claim," I said and squeezed his arm. I pulled my phone out and started taking pictures of the truck, the kid's car, and the general area.

The thing about old trucks is they don't have airbags, and some don't even have seat belts. This one had seatbelts, but mine appears to have snapped from where it was stitched under the seat, which is why Dani's hand shot out, or at least he had good timing.

I called and asked Dylan to come to pick us up and handled getting the kid's information while Dani just sat and stared at his truck. After I reported the crash and had a tow truck coming out to get it, I sat next to him and cuddled with him, trying to get warm.

"That was so close, princess," he whispered and moved me onto his lap to hold me closer.

"I know, but we are both ok, ok? Just focus on that." I whispered.

Dylan showed up with Josh just before the tow truck got here. Dani and I had already talked with a police officer about the crash, and the man was just staying to wait for us to all have adults to pick us up.