"Tuesday, February 13, 2018 " by Valarie L

     We walked in pairs with our bags as Felix walked with Ethan, James walked with Patrick, and I, with a starbucks drink in my hand, walked with Ava. During that short 10/15 minutes of walking, we started talking about our lives and catching up with one another until we reached the intersections of East Ave. and Victoria Street. Ava, James, Patrick and I decided to turn right and cross, but Ethan and Felix chose to cross the intersection twice to reach the other side first. With the two guys on the one side of the street and the four of us on the other, we all continued to walk towards the direction of the school. We stayed in our pairs laughing and talking until all of us reached the school crosswalk, where the four of us would walk across the meet up with the two guys. Ava and I were fast walkers so we decided to cross first, with James and Patrick just a few feet behind us. As we looked both ways and pressed the signal buttons to cross to the other boys, I decide to walk a bit faster than Ava to reach them earlier. Both of us were still talking to each other however, as I see the Felix and Ethan, I also see lights which seem to get brighter and brighter. I turn my head and realize that there is this fast car coming towards us, but knowing that the crosswalk has lights and the sun had just began to set, I keep going as my mind believes this driver would stop.
     In those 7 steps, I turn back and realize my vision is spinning and the drink that was originally was in my hand has flown away. My body rolls and I am soon knocked to the floor. After a few seconds, I hear someone yelling our names and realize what had just happened. There I am laying on the ground with James hovering me as he tries to get my attention, but all I am wondering is whether Ava is okay. He starts talking to me and I respond, beginning to shake more and more. I try to process what had just occurred, however I start to see James yelling for a towel and holding onto my head. I finally came to my senses and saw that there was a crowd of people around me. I start reflecting on my life and I’m wondering what is going to happen next. I see the blood on James’ hands, while he uses one to hold mine in an attempt to keep me calm. My legs are numb and my mind was blank. I just now remember that Ava had gotten hit and continuously asked what had happened to her. James told me that Patrick was over at her side and that she is in the same state I am in. As James and Patrick were helping us, Felix and Ethan had called the cops and stood to block incoming cars. I lay there for what feels like an eternity, seeing lights around me and hearing people yelling. All the friends the guys had contacted came running worried, as all of them were here for AP night. I remember vividly seeing one of my friends with James telling them not to look, but they did anyways. Till this day I can never get their face out of my head, although I would’ve reacted the same way as they did if I saw myself. I began to hear sirens and see people coming towards to lift me up. The scary part was mostly how I was in the ambulance and hospital alone, until everyone else was allowed to come in.
     After the whole process, my friends were able to come in, but only two at a time. Ava’s section was directly next to mine so our friends would take turns walking back and forth. This scene was the most memorable because I realized how many important people are in my life.

Each person that came in made me tear up, even though I tried to stay strong. I remember hearing my mom say how everyone was crying outside and comforting each other. Fast forward a couple of days, Ava and I decide to go back to school because we only had three months till finals and AP testing. I had a concussion, a fractured pelvic bone, a sprained ankle, cuts all over my body, etc. Both of us were in a wheelchair and crutches for about a month which required us to have a system with our friends to help us get to class. It was tough trying to keep up in class because of the conclusion, however by the end of the year, I managed to pull through and get that 4.0 gpa I was aiming for. I didn’t want this small accident to hold me back from living my life the way I wanted to, so I was motivated to work to my limit.
     This event helped me grow as a person, however I hid most of how I was feeling during this time. I didn’t want my friends taking their time out of their day to help me do the simplest things, and I was frustrated all the time. I couldn’t remember a lot of academic information due to the concussion and I couldn’t walk as fast I was able to before. I am perfectly fine now, but the downfall of the whole situation was a moment where it was raining and I didn’t want anyone to help me get to my across the school class with crutches. Not asking for help eventually got me soaking wet and late to class. Getting hit by that car made me realize that I should ask for assistance when I need it and that anything can be fixed if I work for it. The day this blog is due is the one year anniversary of the day I got hit. If i were able to go back in time and change things, I wouldn’t because this situation allowed me to grow as a person, as well as appreciate everything in my life. I now have a few scars from the accident and sometimes PTSD when walking across the street, but I conceal those feelings and am proud of those scars. Moral of the story; You can overcome anything if you put your mind to it.