A Rude Awakening

Sean O’Connor
B-G
Accel English 9
Short Story Rough Draft

“The ball is spiraling through the air, flying over the 30dy, the 20y, the 10 Ben (wide receiver) dives through the air and catches it for the win! 33-30 the Lions win with 1 second left in the game. Zack Rogers throws a tremendous pass to Ben Grant in the end zone for the win and a spot in the 2009 Super Bowl game.” Reports Ted Neman Channel 69 sports reporter.

In the locker room you couldn’t hear yourself think with all the yelling in joy and excitement the upcoming super bowl game. The head coach quieted everyone down and announced that tonight’s game ball goes to Zack the leader this team needed to pull the team together. And also that Zack is the leader that is going to lead this team to the school’s first super bowl win ever. The coach left the locker room and into the coach’s office along with his assistants. John, another starting senior, stood up on the bench and announced that tonight there would be a party at his house in celebration for their amazing game today, and for their first ever super bowl game.

There had to be 40 people at the party, which wasn’t a problem because John had a big house. Along with those 40 people were two kegs which when combined with immature teenagers’ equals’ trouble. So it was about one in the morning and Zack was drunk out of his mind. Somehow he remembered that he had to go to church in seven hours with his family. So he left his drunken friends and walked to his car. He stood in front of his door for a moment and wondered if he should drive or walk home. He then came to a conclusion that he had just won his playoff game, was going to his first super bowl as starting quarterback, and has a loving, beautiful girlfriend and nothing bad was going to happen to him. So he hopped in his car and started off down the block for his home. He turned the music on very loud and started head banging to the song. Then there was a loud crashing sound and shrieks from people rushing out of their houses. Zack then blacked out.

Zack woke up the next day around four thirty. He looked around then noticed that he was in an arm and leg cast and a neck brace. He looked to his right in pain and noticed his mom sitting by his side crying. When he gave a look of pain on his face his mother told him to turn back it’ll be more comfortable. Zack used the controller to make the bed sit up and then asked his mom what happened? His mom then went through the painful process of telling Zack that while he was drunk he swerved off the road onto the sidewalk where he ran over a 13 year old boy walking home, and then crashed into a tree and became unconscious. Zack just stared off at his mom in disbelief.
“I ran over a kid, a 13 year old boy?” asked Zack.
“Yes, honey.” (sniffle, sniffle) told his mom.
“Is he ok, is he even alive.” asked Zack.
“He’s alive, if you want you can go see him, his room is down the hall.” explained his mom.

Zack got in a wheelchair the nurse brought for him and rolled down the hall to this boy’s room. When Zack got there he saw the boy sitting in a wheelchair to, next to the window watching some people ride by on their bicycles. Zack knocked on the door and the boy turned around. Zack started asking if the boy knew who he was. The boy shook his head, no. So Zack told him his name and asked for the boy’s name, which was Tommy. Zack then asked what happened to Tommy. Tommy answered with,” Some duckweed drunk ran me over with his car last night and paralyzed me from my waist down. Zack then started to cry, Tommy asked why, and Zack finally told Tommy that he was the one who ran over Tommy and paralyzed him. Tommy then yelled for Zack to leave, and in doing so brought Tommy’s older brother Joe of 18 years old out from the hallway and said if Zack didn’t leave he would have casts on both legs and arms. So Zack got in his wheelchair and cried while rolling down the hallway back to his room.

The next day Zack again went down to Tommy’s room and begged for forgiveness and said that once he was out of his casts he would do anything and everything to help Tommy with his new disability, like going to physical therapy. Tommy told him he never wanted to see Zack’s dirty scumbag face again and would never accept help from a stupid, drunk, irresponsible teenager. Zack rolled off back to his room not going to try a third time for forgiveness. Later that day Zack’s coach stopped in, Zack told him he was sorry he couldn’t play, but he would be right on the sidelines cheering the team to victory. Then Zack’s coach dropped a bomb on Zack and told him he was kicked off the team and would be stripped of all the records you have broken. Zack asked why, Zack’s coach responded that he not only paralyzed a boy for life but he also was caught under the influence and violated the coach’s agreement. Zack’s coach walked out off the room saying sorry Zack you made a choice to drink and another to drink and drive you must now face your consequences. Zack the next day got a call from his girlfriend saying she was breaking up with him because of everything that has happened, and she quickly hung up.

Zack felt like shit his life was ruined he was so depressed he didn’t want to live anymore. So he found a knife used for food and slit his left wrist open. Blood started squirting out everywhere. Tommy was rolling by and saw this then yelled for nurses and doctors. Zack woke up the next day with Tommy by his side and asked Tommy if he was in heaven. Tommy laughed and said,” No, but can I still take you up on that offer to help me through physical therapy?”