crash and burn

Since the moment his little sister was born, Michael had given her his unconditional love. He was the proudest big brother and always took special care of her. Now his sister, Alexis, was fifteen years old. Michael being two years older, was seventeen.

The two of them sat in their brightly lit living room, arguing over whether Alexis could go to a party that night with her rebellious boyfriend, Jake.

“Oh come on Michael!” whined Alexis. “It’s just a small party and Jake promised that there would be adults there.”

“Just give me some time to think about it, okay Lexi?” Michael said.

Their parents were out of town and he was responsible for his sister, who had been known to be quite irrational at times.

“Well make it fast, because I need to call Jake back to let him know!” Alexis said as she stormed up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door behind her.

Alexis came back down a short time later, her hair curled into elegant, blonde waves. She had on a little eye makeup, and dark burgundy lipstick. She was wearing a faded and tattered jean skirt, with a styled t-shirt.

“Jake will be here in less than ten minutes, okay?” said Alexis in a snobby voice.

Michael snorted and gave his sister a look that meant ‘you must be crazy’.

Sitting in an armchair, Alexis looked up at her older brother with a rather sad look.

“I don’t look that bad do I?” she said in her small, childish voice she always had when she was upset.

“No not at all, you look beautiful,” Michael said in a sympathetic tone. “You just look so… grown up.”

Alexis looked up and gave her brother a meek smile. “So can I go? Please, please, please!”

Hesitating for a moment, Michael then replied with a sigh, “Yeah, I guess. But first you have to promise me something.”

“Okay, what?” she said eagerly. “I’ll do anything, I promise.”

He reached out and held his sister’s hand in his, “Just don’t, don’t do anything stupid. Don’t drink, be safe, and lastly, have fun.”

“I promise!” Alexis said, jumping up and hugging her brother. “Thank you so much!”

At that exact moment, the doorbell rang and Alexis ran to answer it.

In the distance, Michael heard Alexis’s delighted voice as she greeted her boyfriend Jake at the door. Mike made his way to the door to send his sister off.

“Hey Michael,” Jake said, shaking Michael’s hand firmly.

Michael gave him a long, hard stare before he finally replied with, “You better take real good care of her, you understand?”

“Yes, you have nothing to worry about,” he said. “I’ll have her home before midnight.”

“Okay, let’s go!” Alexis said impatiently, practically dragging Jake out of the house.

“Have fun,” Michael said. “I’ll see you later.”

Little did he know, this would be the last time he would ever see his little sister so energetic.

As the night went on, Michael made himself a bowl of macaroni, and watched a basketball game on TV. With seven seconds left in the game, the phone rang.

Mike let out a grunt as he lifted himself off the sofa to answer the phone.

"Hello?” Michael said into the receiver.

“Michael, is that you?” a frantic voice replied.

“Jessica?” he said, recognizing the voice of one of Alexis’s closest friends.

“Yeah, you need to come down here immediately!”

“What’s wrong, is Lexi with you?”

“Yeah, we're by Wickham High, just come immediatly!"

Michael hung up the phone and ran out the door without stopping to grab his coat. He jumped into his car and sped down the dark street.

He was just a few blocks from where Jessica had told him, when he saw flashing lights ahead of him. Mike stepped even harder on the pedal, his clammy hands tightening on the steering wheel.

When he arrived at the scene, he recognized a few familiar faces, most of them were Alexis’s friends. Some of them looked drunk, others horror struck. He also recognized Jake’s car, but just barely.

The windshield was shattered, and the whole passenger’s side had been ripped off. A few feet in front of the car, police officers were crowded around a body lying on the cement. Ambulances were arriving as Mike hurried over to the group of men.

When he saw who was lying on the ground, his heart dropped as he held his breath.

“Sorry, but no one gets through,” said an officer.

“She’s my sister, I have to,” he said emotionless, pushing the officer out of the way.

Alexis was sprawled out on the cement, lying in her own blood. Mike knelt down, holding back his tears as he grabbed Alexis’s hands.

“Oh my god, oh my god,” he kept repeating to himself.

Just then, Alexis’s eyes opened into slits and she looked directly into Mike’s eyes.

“I’m so sorry Michael. I didn’t mean to break your promise, and I swear to you I never drank,” she whispered. “I love you… tell Mom and Dad I love them too.”

“I love you Alexisi,” Michael said, holding on to his sister.

That was the last breath she ever took. A man came and took the lifeless body into an ambulance. It drove away without lights, or even a siren.

Michael was dressed in a black tuxedo, and his head was bowed. He was standing next to his parents, who were also dressed in black.

Today was the day of his sister’s funeral. The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky. Alexis’s family and friends had come to mourn her loss, and were gathered around her grave.

Michael looked around at the people who had come to say a final goodbye. He saw a few of his sister’s friends, including Jessica. She looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy, he could only nod his head.

Above Alexis’s gravestone was a cherry blossom tree, the flowers quivered in the wind, and a lone robin sat upon a branch. It was chirping a song, and Michael knew it was meant for his sister.

The ceremony had finished and people were beginning to leave. Michael silently walked forward, and rested a bouquet of daisies, Lexi’s favorite flower, upon her grave.

He looked up and saw a boy with crutches making his way over unsteadily, who Michael recognized as his sister’s old boyfriend Jake. Michael cringed as the boy came closer. A few days after the accident, he found out that Jake had been driving his sister and was drunk. He still had not forgiven him for drinking and driving, the reason why his little sister was gone.

Jake’s eyes were cast downward as he approached, and as he began, “I’m so sorry Michael, I really didn’t mean for this to happen, please, if there’s anything I can do.”

“She’s gone Jake, it's too late.” Michael said furiously.

When Jake finally lifted his head, Michael noticed a tear slowly running down his cheek.

Michael’s heart throbbed as he stepped forward and hugged the young boy who adjusted his crutches. The two of them stayed embraced like this for a moment. When they parted, there was nothing to be said. The look in their eyes made up for everything and more.

About two weeks after the death, Michael’s family was back to their normal schedule, but the pain in everyone hadn't subsided at all.

Michael was sitting on Alexis’s bed, remembering all the times they had shared as brother and sister. He picked up one of her throw pillows and brought it to his face. A reassuring warmth washed over his face, and he inhaled. All of a sudden, it was almost as if Alexis was here in the room. The sweet aroma filled Michael’s nose, and he sat motionless like that for a while. When he finally brought the pillow away from his face, a terrible sadness, worse than before, arose. These past weeks he had been trying to mend his heart, and slowly his body began to sew the broken parts back together. Now it felt as if his heart had been ripped back open, the holes just as fresh and painful as they were before.

Michael then realized something, something that made him feel full of regret. He realized that he had not cried over his sister’s death, and he wondered why. Was it because he didn’t love his sister? No, that was definitely out of the question. He adored his sister. Then why, he asked himself. Not being able to come to an answer, Michael decided to make up for all the lost tears.

He brought his legs to his chest, as his eyes took in his sister's bedroom. All of her things left exactly where they were, the night before she left. The night he let her leave, against his best judgement.

"I'm so sorry, I love you Alexis," he repeated over and over again.

And at last, he allowed his tears to fall.