I sat on the windowsill, watching for a red convertible and a brown land rover. Zac and Tay were due around 2 P.M. - which was half an hour ago. Zac being late was no big surprise. He was always late. He was probably at Sherrie's. Sherrie and Zac had always been very close. She had grown up down the street from us, and even went on tour with us once. She now lived across town. She and Zac were never serious, but she was one of his best friends.
About five minutes later as Tay's convertible pulled into the driveway, the phone rang. It was Sherrie's dad.
"I'm afraid I have terrible news," he said, almost crying. "It's Sherrie. She was hit by... a car..." He paused and I knew what was coming. Sherrie was dead. As Sherrie's father tried to tell me himself, Tay walked in, grinning from ear to ear. Of course he was happy, with his CD and all. But his smile disappeared the minute he saw my face.
"What is it Ike?" he asked quickly. I shook my head, trying to tell him I'd explain later, as I tried to console Mr. Schinkten. After I got off the phone I told Tay the whole story. As I finished, Zac walked in the door. Tay hadn't said a word since he first arrived. And he hadn't shed a tear. I think he was in shock. But I knew Zac would take the news hardest.
"What?" Zac asked when he saw our faces. "What is it?"
"It's Sherrie," I said quietly. "She's...she's..." I couldn't say it. I felt like it wouldn't be true if I didn't tell Zac. But it was. "She's dead," I said quietly.
At first Zac didn't say anything. Then he simply broke down and sobbed. His face was the color of cement, and he looked like he was going to be sick. Tay and I tried to help. But instead he went into one of the guest bedrooms, and cried himself to sleep. He wouldn't eat supper. He simply shook his head and lay beack down.
Around 10 o'clock the next morning, Zac finally came around. He walked into the kitchen where Tay and I were having a late breakfast and asked, "How did it happen?"
"Drunk driver," I responded. Zac looked disgusted. And at that moment, he swore off alcohol for life.
Zac was almost silent the next couple of days. I watched him closely at the funeral, as he slowly walked over to the casket. He bent over and kissed Sherrie gently on the forehead, It was then that I realized that Sherrie was more than a friend to Zac. He had been in love.
The next year was one of the hardest in Zac's life. Counseling was no help, and I think we all suspected that. Zac didn't want to work out his problems with a stranger. He needed friends and family. Zac got better, but there was always a void.
