Just one sip

Tonight is one of the biggest moments of my life. Tonight is my senior graduation, but am I there, no. Right now I am laying along the cold concrete road with the shattered remains of my best friend's car window, legs pinned down by another drivers car, and my gown covered in blood. I never plan on having any of this happen to me today. One minute I was sitting at home in my room going over my speech and then the next minute I am being thrown out of my seat and through a window.

Man, Jessica I am so nervous right now." I tell my best friend through the phone as I try to organize my index cards. "Just relax Kelsey, all you have to do is read from a card that you wrote." Jessica tells me trying to calm me down. "I know, but its so hard. I don't want to be one of those students with the two hour long speeches.""Just calm down, it just a speech no big deal." "I guess your right, its just words on a card." "Hey do you want to go out right now?""Jess maybe you forgot, but there is an upcoming event tonight that starts at eight that we have to be present for called graduation." "I know, its just that tonight you and I are going to be heading our separate ways. You're going off to Princeton and I'm going to be going to beauty school. I just want the two of us to go out and have a little fun." I start to smile, I know exactly what she means when she says 'a little fun'. "Okay, but as long as we are back in time for graduation." "Alright bring your stuff with you and we change when we get back at my house. I'll be there in ten minutes." I hang up after I hear the dial tone and slip my cards into my pocket.

I wish I can go back in time to three hours ago to keep me from going out with my bestie, no I wish I can go back in time to stop me from making the biggest mistake of my life.

"What is that," I ask Jessica as she pours me some liquid in a cup. "Its called vodka," she tells me as she finish pouring. "Why do you have it," I stare into the cup looking at the particles floating inside. "Look, this is our last year together before we go off to college and I just want us to try something new together for the last time." "You could have chosen something different instead of alcohol. Where did you even get this from?" "My oldest brother always have a stash hiding away from our parents." I watch as she starts to drink it. "How is it," She looks at me and scrunch up her face."I don't know you tell me." I start to spin the liquid around in the cup and slowly start to sip the substance.

I really don't get why I was so addicted to it after I tried it. After the first sip it tasted like plain rubbing alcohol, but yet it was something about the taste that I loved. I knew it was wrong to drink because we wasn't the legal age to drink, but once you have that first sip none of it matters. After we had our first taste of alcohol we tried other new drinks. We had Jessica's brother buying us all kinds of alcoholic drinks, including cocktails. My favorite cocktail out of all of them was the sex on a beach. The sex on a beach was a mixture of rum, cranberry, and orange juice. I loved that cocktail liked it was my baby, but that's one of the reasons I'm in this painful position now.

"Slow it down Kel, I can't have you going up on stage giving your speech drunk." Jessica tells me as she tries to keep her hands steady on the wheel. I finish up the last bit of gin giggling. "Don't you think you should be worrying about yourself? You're the one trying to drink and drive at the same time." "I got this I have drove plenty of times while I'm like this." I look up at the road, "you was suppose to make a left." She looks at me and smile, "I thought I did turn left." I laugh, "you are so drunk." "I know, I hope I can make it across stage without falling." "Why don't you ask your friend Nate to help you across?" "Maybe I will, but he probably might try to slide his hand up under my gown." "Well as long as your wearing underwear you want have a problem." "Well that's a problem because I'm not wearing any." "You are nasty little slut you know that?" "I know, OH MY GOD!" Next thing I know all I can see and hear is two head lights and the sound of two cars colliding.

It pains me to look up because all I can see is my former best friend whose head is busted wide open with a piece of glass stuck in between her forehead. I don't want to close my eyes because every time I close them all I can see is a bright light, and I know that isn't the light for my future.

At this point I am ready to head towards that light. I know that it was Jessica who hit them, but it is just as much my fault as it is hers. We were the ones drinking under the legal age limit, we were the ones trying to drink and drive, and we were the ones who killed to instant people. Now all I can do is cry and crying isn't going to bring them back.

How could we of been so foolish? We just ended two lives, well four counting Jessica, and me, maybe. The two people in the car might have been a couple heading back home to pick up their baby or one of our classmates parents heading towards their son/daughter graduation, and we ruin it for them.

I let down everyone of my classmates and their families. I was chosen to do a speech for tonight by my teachers because they told me they look upon me as a positive role model for the freshmen, but what kind of role model drinks under the influence. Jessica and I both had bright futures and it took just one sip to end it all.