waiting to happen

When Roger found out Ryan had been in a car accident in Minnesota, he could only think of one person. Ellie.

"Minnesota!" Roger was frantic when Ryan's mother told him.

"I thought he was with you." She just said. Ryan's parents were on their way to the hospital where he was in ICU. They were driving from Virginia.

"I-I thought so to and then he just ups and leaves." Roger felt hot tears roll down his face. He could hardly talk. "I'm sorry." He choked. "I didn't know what- I should have called you first thing. Do-do you know if anyone was with him?"

They'd found Ellie's car left at the museum where Prom had happened. He still wasn't sure if she was officially missing yet, but he was sure it would be soon.

"I don't think so. They didn't say."

"I think Ellie was with him." Roger managed to say.

"Ellie?" His mother sounded indifferent then. All that was on her mind was Ryan. Roger was sure of it.

"She knew him when you guys lived here." Roger told her. "But is Ryan going to be OK?"

"I dunno. Hard to say. He's in surgery right now."

"I'm so sorry. I really am." Roger felt bad about this, but Ryan was the type to take charge and he could do crazy things.

"He always did like to drive that car so fast," she sighed. "We kept warning him something would happen, but he never listened."

"Yeah, he was kind of stubborn that way. It was good to see him, again." Roger wasn't so sure about that now.

"It was sweet of you to let him come and stay. I dunno what got into him, go on this cross country trip?" She then said.

"Well, we had prom. We thought it would be like old times, having him here." Only it wasn't that way at all. Ryan had changed the rules, Roger thought now. "I hope he's all right. Its just we don't know where Ellie is."

Ryan's mother didn't have an answer for him. Roger was pretty sure she thought this was all Ellie's fault when really it wasn't. Ryan was an accident waiting to happen. Always had been. Roger was sure of it now.