The Accident

Dian's POV

I deftly scratch my itchy nipple and stifle a yawn. The uncomfortable study chair groans as I shift my stiff ass, trying to get some relief. I adjust my specs and look down at the table to avoid the withering looks I'm getting for disrupting the peace and quiet.

I should have worn my contacts, I look like a complete dork.

“Will he think I'm cute?” I wonder, peering at the phone screen next to the strewn notes on the table, willing it to light up. Nothing happens.

Where are you, Justin?

I ask the universe for the thousandth time in the last four hours. It's a school night and almost time for my curfew but here I am, stuck in the study cafe, waiting for my crush because earlier at school today, rumor spread that Justin Kingston was going to ask his crush out on a date and I've been crushing on Jeremy since I knew what a blush meant but he never responded to my little hellos in the school hallway, so color me shocked when he chats me up–omg! he has my number–then asked to meet at the study cafe at seven, which was four hours ago.

I glance at my watch and my heart stutters in my chest, 11:11 pm. It's way past my curfew.

My mind rambles through different scenarios and each one sends my forehead closer to the wooden table.

Maybe he got caught up on some errands

Maybe he's busy with… stuff

Maybe the chat was a typo

Maybe he forgot…

My forehead rests on the table until I hear the familiar swoosh of the entrance door indicating someone's arrival. My head jerks up, and a smile splits my lips even as a gust of frozen air shrivels up my facial skin. The smile falls off when I see two policemen at the entrance shaking off snow from their police attire.

When did it start snowing?

“Maybe… the snow's holding him up,” I mutter but a low buzz fills my belly at the sight of the officers. 

I remember the incessant ringing of my phone two hours ago before I turned it off. Opening my phone now, the messages pour in.

                     MOoom👺👺❤️(67 missed calls)

7:05 pm: You left in such a hurry you forgot your hoodie, everything okay?

7:07 pm: There's a storm coming Dian and I just called Lisa's Mom, she says you're not with them. ????

7:10 pm: Fine, ignore me all you want. Don't forget it's a SCHOOL NIGHT

My eyes roll at the message, Like I could ever forget with Mom's never-ending nagging.

8:19 pm: Dinner's at Nine, your Father's gonna be late tonight, WRAP IT UP WILL YOU, there's a storm coming.

9:04 pm: I'm not waiting to heat up your food, Dian. Get your ass home! It's almost Curfew.

9:27 pm: Answer the phone, Dian! You Are SOOO Grounded when you get home!!!

I grimace, “I'm so dead.”

                         Daddy😎❤️❤️💓(58 missed calls)

9:28 pm: How was your day, little Dee? What's this I'm hearing from Mom?

9:46 pm: Why did you turn off your phone tracker Little Dee? 

9:58 pm: Come on, pick up the phone little Dee... Where are you????? There's a snowstorm coming.

10:02 pm: That's it, we're calling the cops, and you better be in the back of some stranger's truck else you are in BIG trouble, little lady.

10:08 pm: I didn't mean any of that my little Dee, just come back to us. Your Mother and I, we love you...

A weight settles against my chest as more messages flood my phone, I set it on the table and a prickle of awareness stings my gut. I see the officers walking towards me and the buzz in my belly becomes a roar, twisting up my insides. I jerk upright and the sudden motion makes me throw up a little in my mouth. I swallow down the bad nerves and send the officers a shaky smile but they avert their eyes.

“Weird,” I mumble and turn back to my phone. Their shadows loom over me like two Grims from the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, except they traded their black cloaks and magical scythes for blue uniforms and stun guns, plus my Mandy lost her Billy or maybe… I never had Billy in the first place.

The thought tortures my already sour mood and I chew on the chocolate I'd gotten for our "date." 

I'm grounded for life after tonight if Justin doesn't show.

I tear into another chocolate and hear Mom's chastise in the back of my head, “You'll get pudgy if you keep eating that junk.” “Your teeth will rot if you don't stop.” 

“Ahem.” Someone coughs.

I glance up, surprised to see the officers in front of me.

“Sorry, I didn't…” I trail off, noticing their tight expressions.

“Is everything okay?” I cringe inwardly at my question.

“Uh... of course everything is NOT okay, Dian or they won't be looming over my table with pinched expressions and shifty eyes.” Mom's voice rambles in my head.

“Are you Miss Dian Fibarthorn?” the taller one asks.

My study chair scrapes the ground as I stand abruptly, “I am she.” I answer, ignoring the angry looks I get from the students around me.

“Let me get your things, we'll talk better outside.” The bald one reaches for my bag.

I jerk it back, “How do you know my name? What do you want from me?” I ask, my nerves shooting all over the place.

“Pardon my manners,” the bald one says, looking contrite.

“I'm Officer Terry and this is my partner, Officer Gibson.” They flash me their badges and the cafe owner gently ushers our business to the door.

“What's going on?” I ask, hugging my bare arms against the sudden breeze as soon as we're out of the cafe.

The bald one clears his throat, “Due to the unprecedented snowstorm there was an accident and your parents... were among the casualties. We need you to identify their bodies.”

My legs fold and I find that the other officer is holding me up. He's keeping me from falling but I can't see the ground underneath me, everything is blurred from my tears. I can't hear anything save for the roaring in my ears. 

And I'm trying to grasp how the buzz in my stomach entered my ears within seconds. 

“She's all green, Gibs.” Suddenly, my bowels loosen and I empty the contents on the shirt of the officer holding me up. 

The roar tunes down to a whirr and I hear the muffled swearing of the officers.

Frantically, I swipe at my phone, trying to see through the vomit-smudged screen and blurred eyes as I read Dad's last message.

10:48 pm: Daddy's coming for you, We're gonna find you, just sit tight, little Dee.