Star Lights
Freshly cut grass and pizza fill the air as the marching band begins to play the alma mater. The bleachers are packed with screaming fans supporting their team's colors in any which a way they can. The cheerleaders jump up and down shouting chants into their megaphones as the football players bust through the banner held up high in front of the burgandy goalpost. This my friends is just a normal little southern town friday night high school football game in South Carolina. The small town of Maiken, SC has always been proud of their highschool football team and if you were to ask a long time resident how many games they have missed, your answer would be: one due to I was in the hospital for a broken leg that I broke running on to the field at the end of the game the week before and being tackled by a swarm of other excited fans. Well, this small town to you may seem to be a utopia, where nothing bad ever happens. You're wrong. About a year ago the most disatrous thing happened in this unnoticeable town. Here is her story: Paige Collins was a normal 17 year old girl in high school. She was a cheerleader and a member of the student council, but most of her time was spent with her best friend, Audrey Moore. Audrey was also a cheerleader and she was an active memeber of the H.O.P.E. club. THese two girls had been best friends since they were in babies. This town was so small that everyone in the school had known the other person since they were in diapers, but Paige and Audrey were different they actually stayed friends throughout all the middle school fights over boys. They stuck together. Well, our story starts out like any other firday night in Maiken, at a football game underneath the stadium lights of Nelson Field. Homecoming Night! All the girls lined the field waiting for the 2004 homecoming queen to be announced. Everyone was in good spirits, the scoreboard read 21-0 in bright yellow lights. The Maiken Wildcats were winning and nothing could bring the fans spirits down from the heavens now. "Paige Collins is 1st runner up and the 2005 Homecoming Queen is Audrey Moore", announced the reining queen, Morgan Kayred. The two girls ran and hugged each other. "Congratulations Audrey, you deserve this so much", Paige exclaimed. "Thank you so much. I couldnt have done this without you, Paige", Audrey said through her tears. The night seemed perfect and nothing could change that at all. The final buzzer sounding the end of the game put the finishing touches onto the night. The yellow lights gleamed with the final score of 45-0, a perfect score to a even more perfect night. After every game everyone goes to the local waffle house to eat and celebrate the victory. Paige was going to ride with Troy, her boyfriend, and Audrey was suppose to stay after for pictures. Once her pictures were done the only person left to take her to the restraunt was Leslie Field, the most troublesome girl in the school. After thinking it over Audrey got in the car and Leslie took off speeding down the windy roads. About an hour had passed and the belle of the night had not arrived. Worried that something was wrong Paige called Audrey's cellphone but only got her voicemail; knowing she never leaves her phone off Paige was scared. She left the waffle house and was on her way back to the staduim when she got to a roadblock. Wondering what the wait was and thinking the worst, that it was Audrey, Paige got out of the car and tried to get around the cops. Her plan failed but right before they took her away from the yellow police tape, Paige saw something she wish she would have never seen and something she would never forget for the rest of her life. Audrey's homecoming queen rose banquet lying on the ground. "Where is she? Where have they taken her"? Paige asked frantically. " They were both transfered to Makien Memorial: downtown", the cop told her trying to calm her down. Paige jumped into her car and carefully took off down the road toward the hospital. Once she got there she was told that Audrey was in a coma and might not wake up for days. "Can I atleast see her, please?" she asked hiding the tears. The on duty nurse led her to a isolated room in the back corner of the ICU unit. A lifeless Audrey laid silently on a hospital bed with tubes and wires coming from about ten machines. Knowing what she had to do Paige sat down and began to speak. " Audrey, I should have waited on you and let Troy go ahead. It's my fault your in here and all this has happened to you. I just want you to know that I love you so much and you will always be my sister no matter what happens", Paige spoke these words through her tears. Paige left late that night promising to return everyday until Audrey was out of the hospital. For the next six months or so Paige returned everyday she could. She would sit and read or just talk to Audrey for as long as she was able. Finally, in late April of the next year, Audrey awoke from her deep slumber and was able to speak. Paige caught her up on all the lastest gossip including who broke up with who and all the details surronding the prom the weekend before. Finally they got to the subject of that unfateful night and Paige just start with the questions: "Why did you get in the car with her?" and "Why didnt you call me instead?". Audrey didnt know what to say except, " I'm sorry Paige, you were off with Troy and she was just there what was I suppose to do, but I am so sorry for all the pain I have caused everybody and everybody makes mistakes, Paige. So I made one that ruined half a year of my life, I'm sorry", cried Audrey. By the time Paige left they had made up and all was forgotten. Graduation was in three weeks and they knew Audrey wouldnt be able to make it to Nelso Field for the ceremony. This had come up in many of Paige and Audrey's talks they had had since she had woke up. Paige was there everyday after school and sometimes she ate dinner with her. Time flew by and soon it was graduation day. Paige stopped in that morning before practice to talk to Audrey. For some odd reason they got on the subject of that horrible night. " Audrey, I still dont understand why you got in the car with her". " I dont know why i did it. I was just trying to get to the waffle house sooner so we could celebrate", Audrey told her as she started to cry again. " I am sorry. I didnt mean to make you cry. I just blame myself for your accident and i know it was leslie's fault not mine", Paige told her with tears streaming down her cheeks. " Why was it Leslie's fault I never knew the cause of the accident. Tell me please.", Audery asked in a sort of pleaing way. " When you got into the car with Leslie, you didnt know it but she had been drinking. She was flying down Windy Drive and took a curve to sharply. You were thrown from the car and the back of your head hit a tree causing a major concussion", Paige told her cringing with having to repeat the details. " Thanks for telling me that. Thats what I have need for the past month. I am getting a little drowsy so Good Luck tonight and I want you to know I will be there with you in spirit", Audrey told her with appreciation in her eyes. They said there good-byes and as Paige walked out she looked up at the clock... It was 2:37 pm. As she got onto the elevator and the doors started to shut two nurses and a doctor ran into Audrey's room. Thinking nothing of it, Paige got into her car and headed for school. About two minutes later her cell rang, it was Audrey's mom. "Paige, honey, Audrey left us today at 2:38 pm to go be with God", Audrey's mom told her. Not able to say anything Paige hung up the phone and pulled off the side of the road and just broke down. ............Felicia Mathican, Andrew Melician, Jada Muttew....... It's wasnt there. That was all Paige could think about was that Audrey Moore wasnt called. Her mind drifted back to all the memories they had shared from five year old parties to eigth grade flordia trips to the most memorable talks in the hospital room. Broken out of her trance by hearing her name called, Paige stood up and walked to the podium. She knew what she had to do. She had to speak about that unforgettable friend of hers, Audrey Moore. " Audrey Kaye Moore was a wonderful friend, student, daughter, and inspritation to many. She was a wonderful member of the H.O.P.E club and her kind words helped hundreds. She was my best friend and besides her parents I think I knew her best. All the secerts we shared over the phone and in her hospital room in the last month were the best times I could have ever asked for. Her inspriation for surviving in a coma for so long ment so much to this little town. Her amazing recovery put Maiken, SC on the map. Today in her room before I left she asked me what happend that terrible night and I told her. She seemed at peace and went to be with the Lord not long after. But i know that she is watching us from above tonight", Paige spoke these words as she looked up at the sky. The whole town of Maiken in the bleachers looked with her, as a shooting star paused for a split two seconds over Nelson Field and the whole town knew they had a new guardian angel who would always look after them as long as they stayed under the Lights..
Copyright © 2004 Patricia Waldrop |