An Accidental Surprise

7-23-2023. A/N Accidently updated during minor editing. Originally published September 5, 2016. Sorry, see below.

7-23-20. Note from the author. While this chapter has been slightly edited to reflect plot changes in the next chapter, it was done in "silent" mode which I hope does not show up as a "new" chapter as that is a cheap way to get views.

You are driving around Green River City, delivering framed pictures and Holiday video greetings you or your Uncle made for his clients. You are driving his newer van as you are on business. It is Friday and you get done before five. You get a call from Uncle Jim that he needs you to make a rush delivery to Capital City. It is about four hours each way but this is for an important client that always pays promptly and top dollar. You make the delivery. The client gives you a fifty dollar bill as a tip, for your prompt delivery, as well as a check for full payment. You treat yourself to a late night dinner at a chain restaurant you like a lot, but doesn't have a restaurant near Green River City. You leave Capital City late but make great time on the freeway as there is little traffic and you stay far enough behind a speeding trucker to let the fast moving big rig flush out any cops.

As you get near Green River City you have to slow down as the state hi way that goes through Green River City is only two lanes. You look at the dash clock of your Uncle's van and see that it is almost two. This is when you would be giving up on a lame party or knowing that you still had three hours left at a good party. Ten minutes later you pass the road that goes to Big Turtle Lake and remember the last time you were there was at the big Smith party. You dim the headlights as a car is coming towards you and appears to be slowing. You then see a blur of blue/green as the car approaching you is pushed/spun across your lane about 200 yards in front of you by a blue minivan.

The minivan was speeding down a hill and ran a stop sign at that dark "T" intersection. You stop your van just before the intersection and put on the emergency flashers. You are calling 9-1-1 as you emerge from the van. You tell them there is a bad two car accident at the intersection of Big Turtle Lake Lane and State Highway and that both vehicles are in the ditch. You then throw the phone on the seat as you see flashing police lights coming from the direction that the blue minivan was traveling.

You check out the occupants of the green Toyota and see that it was clipped behind the back right door. It was spun around a few times and is completely destroyed. The two teenage girls in the back are apparently alright as they are screaming from shock. The blonde girl that was driving is slumped over the steering wheel and the front passenger was probably knocked out from the air bag. All four girls are wearing their seat belts. You tell the girls in the back to calm down if they can and that the handles are all broke so you can't get them out yet. You see that the brunette teen in the passenger seat is breathing and after smashing the driver's door window, you check that the driver has a pulse. You are shocked to find that it is Ashley Smith!

There is movement from the driver's door of the mini van that hit the car. You tell the driver to stop as isn't on fire and moving could make his injuries worse. You are greeted by the driver with the phase, "Fuck You, Kevin!!" It is your former friend Bobby!! He is trying to run away as he is quite drunk but doesn't get far before the Sheriff deputies tackle him. Tom was riding in the back of the van and was knocked out when his head hit the back of the front passenger's seat. Joe is lying dead in the ditch after being ejected out of his sister's minivan.

Ashley's car starts on fire and you grab a fire extinguisher that is in your van and put out the fire. After the girls in the back move to one side you smash out a window and throw a blanket over the broken glass so the girls can exit the back. The cops are back to help you after putting Bobby in the back of their Cruiser and checking on Tom's condition. You all work to get the damaged door open for the front seat passenger as she is coming too. The hood glows a bright red as the car catches fire again and the cops lead the confused passenger away. You know not to move an injured person but if the car burns up Ashley will likely die. You have to fight with the twisted seat belt and wind up cutting it with your pocket knife to get Ashley free. You then yank her out of the car pulling her towards you. You are turned around and carry Ashley, cradling her like you would a small child. You take a few steps and are knocked forward from the **** of the explosion.

(This next part is told to you later.) You fall to the ground and scrape Ashley's back as you collapse on her. Fire and rescue has arrived and they are moving both of you away from the burning wreck. They soon have you both on stretchers and in ambulances. Mr. Smith is on the scene as you leave and arranges to have your ambulance met by a helicopter to get you to Capital City quicker because of your severe back burns. You are **** from the blast and don't even remember driving to Capital City that evening or much of the next two weeks.

You are able to finish the fall semester of your senior year with help of your special tutor Ashley. She has no memory of the accident or of that night. She hasn't left your side since the cops told her how you saved her from burning to ****. She suffered a broken left leg and her wrists are sore from gripping the steering wheel. She has no longer term serious effects from her head impact with the air bag. It was determined that she gunned the motor and turned the front wheels hard at the last few seconds to put the car in a spin which was better than T-boned.

Ashley's 15 year old twin cousins Hope and Chastity Higgins-Smith were in her car as well as their fourteen year old sister, Destinee. The girls were on their way back to the cottage to get Destinee's cell phone. She turned fourteen the day before and the family had a big party for her at Uncle Doug's lake place. It is a quiet place now as there was a big fallout from the famous party. Destinee was hoping for a skating party but it had not been cold enough for the lake to have suitable ice. Hope was in the front and her sisters rode in back. All three girls have minor injuries and return to school after Christmas Break.

Their mother is the honorable Patricia Marie Higgins-Smith. She throws the book at Bobby. He is charged with four counts of attempted homicide, drunk driving, grand theft of the van, and homicide (of Joe). She has Tom locked up as he is still underage for drinking and any **** is a probation violation from his earlier drunk driving conviction. As part of an ongoing investigation of the infamous Smith cottage party, Tom is mistakenly tested for DNA. Three days into his jail stay, Bobby is found hanging by his bed sheet in his cell. His "suicide" looks a little suspicious to a few, but no one does anything, considering the charges he was facing and the people involved.