The Waiting Room Silence

     We sat in silence for exactly two minutes and thirty-six seconds.  The only reason I know this is because I was watching the clock for that entire length of time.  Suddenly, the doors into the waiting room flew open.  We had been waiting to see what had happened to Jonah for the past two and a half hours, but the last fifteen minutes had seemed like an eternity compared to the rest of it.  When the nurse had come out to tell us the doctor would be out to talk with us shortly, the time slowed.  During that time I had noticed many things about the room I was finding myself in, but it wasn't necessarily my surroundings, but rather the people.  Some of them may be waiting to welcome babies into the world or others waiting for a loved one to come out of surgery.  Kegan and I on the other hand, were sitting to find out if Jonah's accident had ended worse than anyone would have ever intended.
     "Are you Jonah's friends?" The tall, black doctor wearing a white lab coat and blue scrubs asked us in a calm tone.
     "Yes!"  We said in unison practically jumping out of our seats when he asked. 
     "He is okay for now but his kidneys aren't functioning like they should be since the car was on top of them for that length of time.  He explained to us while we sat there in dismay by what had happened.
     They had been at a party at the lake and Jonah disappeared, but no one had seen where he went.  Kegan and I were just at the party to socialize and have a way to spend our Saturday night.  All of our friends were there, so we decided it would be fun to just go and hang out.  When Jonah had gone we went to look for him and saw that missing from the enormous abundance of vehicles was his SUV.  Since neither Kegan or I had been drinking, we headed back to town to see where Jonah gone. 
     The black sky filled with brilliant stars that composed the constellations perfectly was lit up by the full moon.  Heading back to town I could see the fields of green being highlighted by the light radiating from the moon.  The headlights of Keagan's car shone brightly on the road and suddenly a moment of horror came over me.  I saw a car on its top laying in the barrow pit.
     "STOP! STOP! STOOOOP!" I yelled grabbing for the door handle so I could get out, and right then all my emotions came over me and I immediately started to cry when I saw that it was Jonah's car.
     "CALL 911!" I screamed to Kegan.  All I remember after that was seeing flashing lights, shattered glass all over the pavement, and the fire crew using the jaws of life to get Jonah out.  I know there was more, but maybe blocking it out is my way of staying semi-sane, and now we're sitting here talking to the doctor in this white washed room with generic hospital posters and sitting in chairs that looked like they had been here much too long.
    "They are to the point where he is going to need a transplant." The doctor told us referring to Jonah's kidneys. 
     "I am going to give you two some time to take this all in." He said and then walked back through the doors back into the world of
     Kegan and I just sat there looking at each other in complete shock.  Neither of us knew what to do and since Jonah's parents were on vacation we felt like we had to be there for him until they could get a plane back home.  Jonah, Kegan, and I had been friends since we were freshmen and I had never seen either of them cry, but we had never really been in a situation together that would lead to that.  As we were sitting there I could see the rears swelling in his eyes and it made me break down even more than I already had been.  
     I knew sitting there and doing nothing was not the kind of person I am and I started thinking of all the things I could possibly to for Jonah.  As I was sitting there I was examining Kegan's aqua blue eyes and structured face I knew exactly what I was going to do.
     "Kegan, I think I am going to do the test to see if Jonah and I are a match."  I said grabbing his hand as he looked at me in a confused manner. 
     "I know it sounds crazy, but I would do anything for you two.  I have two healthy kidneys and he obviously is losing the function in both of his. I have to do it." 
     "Okay, well..." Kegan paused, "if you're doing it, then so am I." He told me pulling me out of my chair and hugging me.
     We went to the receptionist and asked her if she could call the doctor back.  When he came back out, it would be a life changing moment, not only for Jonah, but possibly one of us.  We were waiting for the doctor again and deep down, I hoped it was me that would be a match because Kegan played sports all the time and I didn't want him to lose that in his life. 
     "Hello kids, I was told you wanted to talk to me again," the doctor said to us as he pulled up a chair and sat in front of us.
     "We want to have the test done to see if we are a match for Jonah." I told him as I looked over at Kegan who was smiling because he knew that us doing this for Jonah was perhaps going to save his life.  The doctor explained the procedure to us and we both knew it was exactly what we needed to do. 
    The next morning we both took the test right away so we could get the transplant in motion immediately if one of us did match.  It was a lot scarier than I ever would have thought, but Jonah is my best friend and the thought of losing him makes my life feel as though it would be incomplete. 
     The doctor told us he would continue to be stable until we found out the results of the tests.  Waiting to know was the most nerve wracking time of my life and finding out that I had been a match was the greatest news I had ever received.  Saving my best friends life was nothing short of a miracle. 
  

Moonlight Love♥

They swayed lovingly muttering absolutely beautiful words to each other while dancing gracefully under the moon brightly lighting up the night sky.  Pheobe and Xavier were on the roof of one of the tallest buildings in Chicago celebrating being together for 3 years.  In the middle of the roof-top deck was a table for two.  Rose petals, tea lites, and a rose bouquet were all strategically placed to make room for the dinner that Xavier had prepared for the special occasion.  In his planning, he had made sure that everything would match perfectly.  Adding to the romantic setting were twinkling lights that lined the perimeter of the deck. 

"Wow, I can't believe you did all of this yourself!"  Pheobe said to Xavier as he pulled the chair out for her so they could enjoy the magnificent meal he had prepared.  On the simple red plates was a succulent chicken breast stuffed with pesto, cheese, and spinach.  Also on the plate were potatoes with an aroma that made Pheobe's tongue water, mixed vegetables, and a simple pasta.

"I was nervous that it wasn't going to turn out the way I had planned, but everything worked out."  Xavier smiled as he bent down and kissed Pheobe on the forehead and pushed her chair in.

"You did perfectly! I had no idea you were going to do something so elaborate. I wouldn't want to spend this night any other way."

"I wanted everything to be perfect because you deserve that and so much more.  Now, tell me what you think of the food."  Xavier urged Pheobe to taste test the food he had spent much time planning and preparing over the past week.  She willingly and excitedly took the first bit of the chicken.

"This is FABULOUS! I had no idea you could cook so well, babe."  She complimented him.

"It wasn't actually that hard."  He paused, "surprisingly!"

Pheobe continued to enjoy the wonderful food her boyfriend had prepared for her.  Xavier also enjoyed the food, but could not keep his eyes of Pheobe, as usual.  Her long, dirty blonde hair that complemented her bright green eyes lured him in.  Even though it was a normal circumstance, he knew one of the main reasons he could not keep his eyes off of her tonight was because of what was coming next.  Once Pheobe was finished eating, Xavier went to grab their dessert that he had also made himself. 

"And dessert is tiramisu that I also made.  I want to know how you like it!"  He said as he gently set the receptacle in front of her.  She carefully untied the red and white bow he had added to make the presentation look professional.  As she began opening the box, Xavier could feel his stomach turn and thought those few seconds were taking hours.  Finally, she opened the box completely and her jaw dropped.

"I... OH MY GOD!"  She screamed as she stared into the box amazed by what she saw.  Looking to her right, she saw Xavier standing next to her and then down on one knee.

"Pheobe Jeanette Rivers, will you make me the happiest man in the world and be my bride?" He calmly asked her. 

"Y.. Yes.. YES!"  She ran into his arms and he picked her up and twirled her around.

"I love you, baby."

"I love you, too! More than you know."

They continued to embrace as he ran his fingers through her hair.  They danced around the roof-top completely in love.  Pheobe clung tight around his neck and looked up at the starlit sky that was hardly ever visible in the city and knew this was a paradisaical way to spend the night that would change their lives. 

Diary Of A First Time Road Tripper: Camping On The Beach

     It was a warm night in the beginning of June, Allison, Olivia, and Marjorie were camping on the coast in Oregon to save money for the remainder of their road trip adventures.  It was the time of day when the sun was just beginning to set and this sunset was unlike any the girls had ever seen.  Purples, pinks, oranges, and yellows encompassed the horizon and highlighted the mounds of rock only a few hundred yards off the beach. 
     Gathered around the fire pit that was made from stones, the girls had found were chairs and logs for seating.  Each spaced with at least five feet between so that there was space enough to sit on the ground if one so desired.  Also around the pit were a few beer and pop cans that had been left by previous campers.  The fire had been started just as the girls had learned only weeks before to prepare them for the trip they were now on.
     "Tepee the sticks and put the paper under there so that the sticks will catch on fire when you light it.  Did you not learn anything?"  Olivia jokingly explained to Allison who was only moments before haphazardly arranging the materials, attempting to make a fire.
     "This was a lot easier when the boys taught us at home!"  Allison laughed.
     "When we were planning this trip, I am 95% sure we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into when we decided to camp!" Marjorie added while she was opening a new box of graham crackers to use with the marshmallow she had just roasted to golden perfection.
     "The intentions were good, but the three of us, camping for a week with practically no idea where we're going next is a little scary!" Allison sat down on the log that had been perfectly carved out into the shape of a chair by a camper prior them.
     "Quite honestly, when we started planning this trip, I had no idea all of our parents would agree to letting us go for this long, or this far for that matter!" Olivia assembled her first s'more.
     "Oh my gosh, I know!   I screamed when my dad finally agreed to letting me go," Allison said.
     "Getting here was quite interesting and now that we're actually here, reality is beginning to sink in and I'm so excited to do all the rest of the stuff we have planned!" Marjorie exclaimed as she opened a bottle of blue Gatorade.
     "I feel like we're going to run out of time for all the things we want to do."  Olivia said while she held her marshmallow over the red embers of the fire.
     "Even if we do, we can just come back for spring break if we all want to when the time comes!" Allison excitedly told the other two.
     "That's a really good idea!" Olivia and Marjorie said in unison.
     The fire had been slowly dying down, so the girls added logs so they could continue to sit around the fire and talk about all they had to look forward to. 

Dairy Of A First-Time Road Tripper

 
      As I looked out the window at the Colorado mountains that were slowly disappearing into the rear view mirror, all I could imagine was the final destination.  Three friends on a road trip to the west coast where they would be spending a week exploring.  I had been friends with Allison and Olivia since we were all eight years old and we knew virtually everything about each other.  This trip, I knew, would teach us much more about each other though.  Permeating the air conditioned enclosure was the fragrance each of us wore and the sweet mixture of the trio was succulent.  I was crammed in the back seat with the overflowing bags each of us had brought that wouldn't fit in the trunk with the rest of our road trip items.  Spilling out of the top of one bag was an abundance of food from Oreos to multi-grain crackers that Olivia's mom had packed for our adventure to the coast.
     "I can't believe we're finally doing this!" Allison exclaimed.
     "I know! This is going to be the greatest trip ever!" I replied.  Ever since we had entered high school, we had always wanted to go on a road trip together.  Since we would all be heading off to college in the fall and taking new paths, we decided after graduation was the ideal time. 
     As always, we turned up the Top 40 Hits in Allison's 2006 VW Jetta and made our way down the interstate that was surrounded by rolling hills and snow peaked mountains as far as the eye could see.  The green, lush landscape that I was viewing was mesmerizing and I could hardly take my eyes off of it. 
     In the passenger seat was Olivia, a tall, athletic girl.  She had pin-straight, blonde hair and fair skin and was very pretty.  Just like Allison and I, she was singing along to the familiar tunes on the radio.  I had always thought she had a good voice, but sitting there behind her for hours on end really made me recognize her talent.  There was something about her raspy, delicate voice that was captivating.  As I was listening to her sing, I was examining Allison's features while she was driving.  She was a beautiful brunette with olive skin and her flawless complexion was impossible to miss.
     After driving for a few hours, we made another stop to get gas.  We stopped at a gas station that was in a town that had features that made it look like it had been established when the Oregon Trail would have come through many, many years ago.  The old run-down shack that most would have called a convenience store seemed to hardly be standing.  The outside had metal siding that had bolts missing that were holding it down and was rusting in some spots.  This little edifice had a bathroom that one would not go in if they were not with an acquaintance.  The stalls were practically falling apart and the lights were flickering like we were in a bad movie.  Getting in and out of that run-down dump was our main motive and once we got everything we needed, we sped-walked out of there. 
     Now back on our journey, we talked and listened to the music once again.  Even though I was squished in the back, sandwiched between bags upon bags of clothes, makeup, pillows, and so much more, I was perfectly content.  When I had imagined this trip, this was exactly what I saw and I couldn't wait to get to the coast to pioneer the beaches and towns.  I looked out the window once more before I fell asleep and saw the breathtaking pink and orange sunset that ended the great first day to our excursion out west.