The clock hands seemed to be moving slower and slower as our anticipation grew for the bell to ring. I was new to the school so I felt awkward standing off to the side by myself. I saw a group of girls conversing about what they were going to do that weekend. I was about to go over and talk with them but I hesitated. Thoughts started to fly through my head what if they don’t like me? What if they think im some sort of freak? I decided to stay where I was. The bell finally rang and we all burst through the doors of the school, into the fresh air. On my way out I ran smack into one of the girls; I squeaked out a “sorry” but she just smiled and hurried away. Little did I know that was the last time I would ever see her again.
Saturday continued on like normal, sleeping in, doing chores, lazing around in our pajamas all day; we had no idea of what had happened. Sunday also came on as normal, when we got home from church my mom picked up the newspaper and flopped down on the couch. When I looked over at her she looked like she was deep in a story, her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes were wide.
“Emily come here for a second” she gasped still half reading the article. I moped across the room, not very interested in some newspaper article.
The headline read, “NO CHARGES FILED IN DEATH ON I-93 Pickup crossed median killed three” this caught my attention so I read on.
“…Thomas Muncey does not remember what happened before the accident, and investigators still can't figure out what caused him to cross the median, said Hillsborough County Attorney Marguerite Wageling. Muncey's truck crashed nearly head-on into a van, killing the driver, Katie Hinck, 41, of Golden View Drive, her daughter Ally, 12, and Ally's friend, Emily Hill, 11, of White Rock Hill Road. Katie Hinck and her husband were driving south on I-93 on the morning of Oct. 2, taking Ally and Hill to a soccer game in Hudson. Muncey, 57, who was staying in Holbrook, Mass., was driving north on the interstate. Katie Hinck, who was traveling in the middle lane, may not have seen Muncey coming across the median, Wageling said. The two vehicles were going about the same speed when they collided, so they didn't move far from the point of impact. Katie Hinck, Ally Hinck and Emily Hill died at the scene. Rick Hinck, who was riding in the front passenger seat, survived. Muncey was seriously injured, but he and his passenger survived…” [Joelle Farrell, Concord monitor]
When I was done reading my mom asked, “Do you know those girls? The article said
They went to your school.”
“Yeah I think so…that was the girl I bumped into on my way to the buses Friday” I said as I pointed to one of their pictures. “They were both in my homeroom”
On Monday, when we got back to school, everyone was crying. I wasn’t really sure what to do since I didn’t know the girls. I cried with my friends and comforted the people who were most upset. All classes were canceled and there were big posters that were up in the hallway, which allowed everyone to write their feelings down on. After the week of grieving was over things returned to normal, or as close to normal as it could. A few months later we had a ceremony in which they put a bench in front of the school with the names of Emily, Ally and Mrs. Hinck carved into it. Again everyone was crying and hugging, it was a very tragic time for our town.
I regret not going over and talking with those girls. Now that I have heard all those wonderful things about Emily and Ally I knew they would never had judged me. This experience has taught me to be more outgoing and not to worry about people not liking me. There are so many people in the world so I shouldn’t care if only a couple people don’t like me. I wish I could thank Emily and Ally for that.
