It had been officially 2 months since Kat’s and Reggie’s breakup. They were in a toxic and abusive on-and-off relationship. Usually, they’d break up and get back together in a matter of days, but this time it was different. Kat started getting really worried. 
“Do you think he doesn’t love me anymore?” Kat asks Gen, her best friend.  
“Stop talking this nonsense, his ego is just too big to text first!” says Gen. 
Gen and Kat met in first grade and ever since then, they became inseparable. Everyone thought they were the perfect duo, but in reality, Gen had lived all her life in Kat’s shadow. She envied her and how popular she was. Sometimes, she’d even lay down and imagine she was Kat and lived the perfect life. Even though they were both equally pretty, Gen being a tall, supermodel-like blonde with blue eyes, Kat being a short, curvy brunette with green eyes, Kat had that confidence Gen could never have. 
Fast-forwarding to a couple days later, it was New Year's Eve. Everyone was getting ready for the legendary party of the year. While getting ready with her sister, Gen already had started drinking. By the time both of them got to the car and started driving, Gen was super wasted. She got into a huge fight with her sister and opened the car door and got out in the middle of the road. Gen managed to walk to a supermarket where she got some cookies. Her stomach churned and she felt like puking, but she still sat outside and started eating. Moments later, Reggie parked his car in front of the same supermarket. He got some beers and noticed Gen alone when he got out.  
“Hey, what's going on? Most importantly why are you alone on New Year's?” asked Reggie after he saw she looked like a mess.  
Gen never really had a conversation with Reggie. She didn’t even know if she should’ve responded because she knew Kat would kill her if she found out. Kat was crazily impulsive and jealous to drastic measures which sometimes even made Gen scared of her own best friend.  
“I just had a big fight with my sister and I'm a bit drunk,” Gen said chuckling.  
“I'm sorry, would you like a ride home?” Reggie asks. 
“You know what, why not?” Gen says without thinking. 
They both approach Reggie's car and get in. As Reggie is driving, he glances a few times over at Gen. How did he never notice she was this beautiful? Maybe it was just the beer talking but he decided to take her for a ride before he took her home.  
“Hey! This is not the way home. Where are we going?” Gen says confused. 
“For a ride. Do you mind?” Reggie asks. 
“Oh. Sure,” Gen replies. 
She was confused, but she had been dreaming about kissing Reggie forever. She hoped it would happen, not even thinking about Kat. Reggie stops when the traffic light turns red. Gen looks perfect, even though her makeup was washed down from her tears and her clothes were dusty. The red nuance from the traffic light was shining on her. Reggie could not resist any longer and went in for the kiss. Gen first pulled away. It was so wrong, but it felt right. She leaned in and kissed him again. Later, it led to more.   
This became a weekly thing, every Friday, Gen and Reggie would go out and afterwards go for a ride. One Friday night, Kat had a horrible fight with her parents. She took a liquor bottle and went for a late drive. As she was chugging the bottle, she stopped at a red traffic light. Blasting music, she looks to her left and sees Gen and Reggie in Reggie’s car. Kat saw them kiss and her heart shattered into a million little pieces. Tears of anger were rolling down. The two people she thought had her back in this miserable world betrayed her. As soon as the traffic light turned green, she took a huge chug of the liquor and hit the gas pedal, driving at high speed. This caught Reggie's attention, and he noticed it was Kat’s car. Gen and Reggie both looked at each other and realized what had happened.  
“Oh my god, OH MY GOD,” Gen screamed with tears rolling down her eyes. 
“Ah sh*t,” Reggie grunted. 
Reggie hit the gas pedal driving at 100 mph. Gen started hyperventilating and crying.  
“Shut up!” Reggie aggressively raises his voice. Gen sharply inhales and stops. 
“I'm sorry babe. I let stress get the best of me,” Reggie sighs. 
Gen at that moment realized, Reggie didn’t really love her. It had always been Kat and it would always be. It was like a moment of realization, and she thought to herself, “How dumb could I have been?” Reggie continues to speed up and eventually catches up with Kat’s car. Kat sees from the rear mirror that Reggie’s car is behind her and does something crazy. Maybe it was the liquor, maybe it was the heartbreak. She turns the steering wheel right, causing Reggie to crash into her car. 
*** 
“At 1:33 AM last night, two cars at the highway crashed. 16-year-old Cataleya Roderiguez found dead, 17-year-old Reginald Smith and 16-year-old Geneveve Miller severely injured, high risk of death. Reporting live at News24.”