Janai Abie Young's Story

Vidia

Vidia made her way down after Cassie, and into the kitchen to clean up after breakfast. A quick glance at the clock told her she had no time to eat and would have to pick up something while she ran errands - again. She stifled a sigh as she packed away the leftovers for later, slid them into the large fridge, and grabbed her jacket. She pulled it on and slipped a muffin into her mouth, checking her pockets for her wallet. Nothing. "Damn," she muttered, but it was muffled and incomprehensible due to the muffin between her lips.

She took off out of the kitchen and up the stairs, straightening stray papers, grabbing loose clothes along the way, and darted into her and Alexis's room. She had ten minutes before they had to leave. Straightening stray things in her room, along with Alexis's side, and chewing on the muffin along the way, she searched for her wallet. When she finally found it, she stuffed it in her pocket and took off downstairs, key jingling around on her finger. "I'm leaving! If anyone needs a ride, they'd better book it outside! You all have five minutes!" she shouted through the house. When she was outside, she yelled the same thing to whoever was out there, then made her way over to the van she had bought herself along with a BMW M5. She slipped into the van and turned it on, before making her way back inside.

She smiled at Kimmy as she lifted a napkin and helped wipe off her face. "Alright, honey, it's time to go to preschool," she said, lifting her out of her booster seat. She walked upstairs and set the little girl on the floor of her room, did away with her pajamas and replaced them with a sundress with shorts underneath. She quickly braided her hair, having done this ritual so many times that by the time she was done, she had two minutes to spare. With that down, she led Kimmy downstairs and out the front door, then helped her into the van. She strapped her into her her booster seat then moved to the front of the van, slipped on her sunglasses, and waited for the rest of her siblings to file out and into the car.

Janai

Janai awoke to the sound of Vidia's shouting. She groaned a little, rubbing at her head as a major hangover started to assault her. Her eyes were red from lack of sleep and the drug use from the night before, and when she made her way out of her bed and into her bathroom, she took one look at herself and mutter, "I look like shit."

Making quick work of taming her wild, black and white hair, she pulled on a black tank top, black shorts, black sandals and her black choker. She grabbed her fencing bag and launched from her room, easily taking off down the stairs and tossing back a few pills for her depression and her hangover. She searched through the fridge for a moment before removing a still-warm muffin and some cool orange juice, then took off out the door and tossed her bag into the trunk of the van. She climbed into the van and settled into her normal seat in the back corner, sunglasses in place.

Vidia

Vidia sighed and stepped from the car. "I'll be right back," she said to her siblings inside of it. She then made her way back into the house and into the living room, where she heard the sounds of Curious George. Without a word, she made her way over to the TV and flicked it off, crossing her arms and standing in front of it. "Kimmy, you're going to school and that's final. I'm not going to fight with you today. I'm really not in the mood to do the same thing I do every morning with you. So, in conclusion, you. Are. Going. To. School," she snapped, moving over and grabbing her. She picked her up into her arm and started towards the car again, struggling against the squirming child.

Janai

Janai muttered something as Kimmy jumped out of the car. Spoiled brat ... She turned up the volume on her iPod, wishing that David were coming along to her fencing practice to help her spar. She had a match later on that day and really needed the practice, but she wasn't about to ask him to do that, not again, at least, not after he'd already helped her so much.

Finally, obviously tired of this, Vidia spun around and placed Kimmy on the ground. "Forget it. Screw it, I'm done," she snapped, furious beyond belief. "I am done trying to help the people in our family. I am done trying to help you, I'm done trying to help our mother ... I. Am. Done." Without another word, she turned and stalked away, marching outside and to the van. Silently, she climbed inside the driver's side, rage that she'd never felt before somehow coursing through her veins. She ignored the inhabitants of the van and instead easily spun out of the driveway, inhaling and exhaling deeply in an attempt to expel her anger.

Janai

Janai raised a brow as Vidia stormed into the car, rage on her face. She even removed her earphones in surprise. She'd never seen her eldest sister so angry before. With her eyes wide in shock, she slowly replaced the earphones and leaned back into the corner of the car, her lips pursed in surprise.

I wonder what the hell happened while I was asleep.

"Okay. Once we. After. After we figure everything out, we can get him." It's sick the way that sounds, like we're picking him up from a baseball game. All of a sudden the panic stops, like a switch flipped. Now it's like a mask is covering me and my heart, so all I feel is a dull ache. A throbbing, dull ache pulsing throughout me.
I get up and walk, stumble, down the hall.
I pick up my phone and text Vidia, Janai, Alexis, and Cecil, "Emergency. Get home now."
I stagger to the office and wait till I hear mom hang up, then I walk in.
For a moment all I do is look at her. I look into her eyes and for probably the first time I see her. I see the shock, the pain. It's almost like her mask is falling away and she's desperately trying to save it.
I gulp and open my mouth, but all I do is exhale. I let a minute or two pass before I open it again.
"Mommy. Can I have a hug?" I whimper and feel tears escape.

{Time skip for my characters, by only a few minutes}

Vidia/i]

[i]It's my fault ... My fault ... I did it ... It's all ... My fault ...

Vidia sat in the van, unable to move. Blood trickled down the side of her face, and Janai was unconscious in the back of the vehicle. She had turned the car around to return home to grab her purse, and in the process, had gone too sharply around the corner leading to their house.

And had killed her brother in the process.

She slowly moved, almost unable to do so, and dimly heard approaching sirens. She managed to open the door, and fell through it and to the hot, tar road. She laid there for several moments, having a difficult time trying to find the strength to move. When she finally did, she pushed herself up and limped over to the crumpled car, her leg screaming in protest with each step. When she finally managed to reach it, she tore open the door, soft sobs already escaping her. David's limp body fell from it, and directly into her arms, causing her to topple backwards onto the pavement.

She cradled him to her chest, her sobs wracking her body. "David ... David ... David!"

Janai

Her head was pounding, and her entire body was on fire. She couldn't find the strength to move, and barely registered the sound of nearing police vehicles and ambulances. Everything was echoing, blurry, and doubled. She couldn't even find the strength to lift one hand, let alone leave the vehicle. Her music was still playing, but her headphones had fallen to the seat beside her.

Before she knew what had happened, she was being gently pulled from the vehicle and settled onto the gurney. She could hear her eldest sister screaming, but couldn't even turn her head to look in that direction. "Da ... vid ..."

Everything went black.

I just finished up dance class when I felt my phone buzz. I open my phone to see a text from Cassie. "An emergency..now thata weird". My body was aching from dancing after the fall, my dance teacher didn't even let me dance most of the class.
I get into my jeep and send Cassie a text back "just got done dance. on my way home now".
As I drive I wonder what kind of emergency could be happening. As I take a right I noice an accident that must have happened and I slow down. My eyes went wide when I notice the vehicle and I quickly get out of my jeep and run towards the van.
A police officer stops me "you can't go in there". My eyes look wild and I look at the police officer "those are my siblings!"
I see Vidia and Janai and I cant wrap my mind around it. The police officer tells me they are going to be taken to the hospital.
I quickly get in my jeep and follow the ambulance. In the car I take out my phone and dial home hoping someone would answer the damn phone. I leave a message on the voicemail "Its alexis...im at the hospital...Vidia..Janai..David...please call me".
After I hang up I park the jeep and head into the hospital. I let the information desk know who I am there for. I go to the waiting room and start pacing, even though my foot is protesting against it, I ignore the pain and shut down all of my emotions.

A doctor comes out, telling us we can go see them.
Camille can wait...
I follow Alexis into their room. They're really banged up, it's scary at first.
Alexis asks if they're gonna be ok.

"David died." I say. What's the point, though, they probably know. "It wasn't anyone's fault. It wasn't yours, it wasn't David's."

There's a long silence. "Vidia?"

Everything's quiet. No one says a word.
I hate hospitals. Too much dying and crying. Everything's too shiny and sterile. Too many fake smiles. Fake smiled right before they tell you your brother died.
"I gotta go." I mumble.
I turn around and walk out the door. I keep walking, speed walking, until i'm outside. Before I know what's happening I'm leaning over and my breakfast is landing in the bushes. I feel hot, steamy tears running down my face. I feel like my face is burning, it's too hot. Like everything's just closing in and I can't breath, I can't do anything but curl up and shake and sob on a hospital curb. Sob for all the birthday parties my parents missed. All the times I was lonely and had no one to go to. All the times I wanted to scream but had to stay prim and proper for fear and creating a scene. All the chances I had to get to know David. All the times I let him just be a stranger down the hall.
People pass by but no one stops to ask if i'm ok. What would I tell them if they did?

I stop myself. I stop the crying and I calm down. Crying makes you vunerable, it means you care. Crying is a weakness and if you're weak in this family you're nothing.

Not wanting to see mom I run back into the hospital. I can face her later. There's something off though. As I come closer to Vidia and Janai's room I notice a lot of nurses and some doctors rushing around. I notice they're in Vidia and Janai's room.
I catch a glimpse through the buzz and see Vidia's shaking uncontrollably, having a seizure. But where's Janai?
A long horrid, deafening beep is sounding out. There's yelling and then they have those paddle things you see in the TV shows. Something's yelled about a charge and then they shock her. The first time it doesn't work, so they wait a little bit and then try again. The beep is still filling up the room, so they go at it a third time. When nothing changes a quiet hush falls upon the room. Besides the beep it's dead silent. But that damn beep just gets louder by the second. Out of no where a female doctor, maybe in her 30s calls out.
"Time of death 5:37 pm."
Holy shit.
Where's Alexis? I look around but through the crowd of nurses and doctors retreating she's no where in sight. Someone is putting a sheet over Vidia's head. Did Vidia just die? Where the hell is Alexis.
Another doctor approaches me, she's got tan skin, brown eyes, and a wavy chocolate colored ponytail. She's about 40 or so.
"Are you family of Janai?" She asks.
"Yea." I mumble.
"I'm very sorry. She had to be rushed into an emergency surgery, but there was too much internal bleeding and we were unable to save her." Her eyes are filled with sympathy as she tells me.
"Wow." Three dead in one day...