I stood in shock for a moment as I watched the smirk on his face, his pretty face.

Stop, Rae. Parker is your boyfriend, not this boy - man - boy man.

"Oh, hi Joseph. I didn't know you were home." I said, closing my eyes at the lack of brain cells I clearly have. "When did you get here?"

He smiled again, "Probably about thirty minutes before I opened the door for you."

I could feel the look he was giving me, the condescending one. The one that made you feel like an idiot every time you speak. "Oh, that was you? I wasn't really paying attention."

"Right, like you weren't paying attention when Grace-" I cut him off.

"Stop. Please. I know, and I have to live with that. You have found a way to carry on, so has she. Please, can you forgive me?"

His face suddenly became ten times larger as his nose touched mine. I could smell the mint of his toothpaste, I could see the golden ring around his green irises. "Don't think that just because you're suddenly back, and you seem to be in trouble, means I will forgive you. In fact, why don't you go back to your little Hollywood boyfriend and forget abut all the terrible things you've done in this town. All the history you have here. We don't want you here anymore."

He backed away and crossed his arms. "You know, Mayor Gaines wanted to make a mural for you, because to him, to this town, you're our little superstar. To me, all you are is the person who made my sister deaf."

With that, he walked away, leaving me with tears in my eyes. I shook my head, trying to get the thoughts that now filled my brain to fly away. The thoughts of the past, the thoughts of that night.

"Rae, slow down. You're going too fast," Grace said, grabbing the handle on the door. She giggled nervously, "Please. You know I don't like going fast in this death trap of yours."

I sighed and slowed down from the 80 MPH that I was going. "You're such a party pooper, Grace. I was just having a little fun."

"A little fun can turn into a lot of danger. Please just get me home safely and then you can go wherever and do whatever you want, ok?"

I nodded and looked over at the passenger seat, at where Grace was sitting. "I love you girl, you know. I'd never do anything that would hurt you."

Grace was about to nod but before she could, bright lights filled the car. Next thing you know, I'm on the ground, clutching my twisted arm, shouting out for Anna.

"Grace!" I shouted, getting up from the ground and walking toward the wreckage in front of me. I nearly cried when I saw that Grace was still inside. I walked slowly to the car, and bent down.

"Grace, are you alive?" I asked, more nervous than  have ever been. Someone walked over to me, someone who had seen what happened. "Can you help me pull her out? I need to check to see if she's alive."

"I'm a doctor, miss. It's best that we don't move her until we discover if she has any injuries or not," he said. Now that he mentioned it, I could see the lab coat with a name tag that said 'Doctor Hensley.'

"What's your name, miss?" He asked, staring at me, checking me for wounds.

"I'm Raegan, and that's Grace," I pointed at the unconscious, at least I hope, girl. "Have you checked for a pulse? Is she alive?"

Doctor Hensley placed a hand on my shoulder. "She's breathing. I can see her breath. Once the ambulance arrives, we'll take care of both of you, ok, Raegan?"

I nodded and sat beside the wreckage. I don't remember when the ambulance got there because when they did, I was fast asleep.

"Grace Borders's family?"

I awoke to the sound of a slightly familiar voice. "Right this way."

I sat up in the chair and watched Tanny and Joseph walking toward an office near the end of the hall. I stood from my chair and followed them. I stood outside, hoping to listen without interrupting their family time.

"Mrs. Borders, I hate to inform you that Grace is now 100% deaf in both ears."

Joseph spoke up, "How is that possible? Nothing happened to her to cause her to go deaf."

The mumbled voice of Doctor Hensley said, "Actually, at the speed of impact, caused with the head trauma, caused it. When we arrived at the hospital, her ears were bleeding, and there was nothing I could do to fix them. I'm so sorry."

Tanny cried slightly, but  I stepped away from the door to give them their privacy. I took a deep breath, I caused it. I wasn't paying attention and then I was driving too fast and now my best friend will never hear my voice or the voice of her mother again. How could I have been so reckless?

The door to the office swung open as I stayed in the corner that I had found for myself. I curled myself into as much of a ball as I could get while still standing along the wall and watched the family that I devastated. First, Tanny's husband dies and now they have to learn how to deal with a newly deaf child. All because of me.

I sat in the hallway, gasping for breath. I couldn't feel the air entering or exiting my lungs. I couldn't see anything, everything was blurred. My hands were shaking and my breath came out in raspy huffs. I tried to take a deep breathe, but nothing.

Another one? I haven't had one since I left this town. In Hollywood, I could forget about all the things from my past, but now, I had to face them. I had to relive the guilt that was still very hot inside of me. I curled into a ball and hoped the panic attack would pass soon.

Another five minutes went by that nothing about my state had changed. Only when I felt a single hand on my shoulder did I look up. And I looked up into the brown eyes of Grace Borders.