Chapter 4 - The Night on Rainier Avenue
Liam had met Sophie Mercer during junior year.
She transferred into his history class after her mother accepted a nursing position in Seattle.
Sophie was loud where Liam was quiet.
She wore bright clothes, argued with teachers respectfully but relentlessly, and signed up for every school event nobody else wanted to organize.
They became friends after she caught three students mocking Liam for eating lunch alone.
She sat beside him, opened her lunch bag, and told them:
“He’s not alone anymore.”
For months, they were inseparable.
I never knew because they spent most of their time at the public library, school theater, or Sophie’s house.
Liam feared I would assume they were dating.
Sophie feared people would reduce their friendship to romance because a boy and girl could not possibly care deeply for each other without wanting something.
Then came the accident.
A winter storm had flooded several streets near Rainier Avenue.
Liam and Sophie were walking home after rehearsing a student memorial presentation.
A delivery van lost control on black ice.
Sophie saw it before Liam did.
She pushed him behind a concrete barrier.
The van struck her.
Liam escaped with a concussion and fractured ribs.
Sophie never regained consciousness.
She remained on life support for two days.
Her mother authorized organ donation after doctors confirmed she could not recover.
Liam spent those two days beside her.
He did not call me.
He was terrified I would see the accident as proof he should never have hidden their friendship.
By the time the hospital contacted me, Liam had already made Sophie a promise.
She had planned to wear the red dress to graduation.
She had bought it months early because, according to her mother, waiting for special occasions only gave fear more time to interfere.
Before life support was withdrawn, Liam sat beside her and whispered:
“I’ll make sure you’re there.”
May you like
No one understood what he meant.
Not until graduation night.
