Santa Monica, May 7, 2002
Hurley was definitely having a blast. It had been two years since he'd been in Santa Monica, but it was almost like he'd never been gone. And a big graduation party was exactly the sort of way he wanted to meet all his old friends.
"Hurley!" came the familiar voice. It was Johnny, Hurley's best friend in Santa Monica. "Long time no see! I swear, man, you're looking trim and mean."
Hurley just chuckled. "Bet it's even hard to recognize me," he replied, slapping his friend on the back. "Things don't ever change with you, huh?"
"Change? Are you kidding me? I'm looking forward to a summer of Mr. Cluck's with my favorite coworker. Maybe even more than that, I know I don't have any colleges banging on my door."
"Me neither," Hurley admitted, worried about disappointing his friend with his plans to go back to Fandom. For his part, Johnny definitely sensed something was up with his rotund friend.
"So, man, we definitely have to catch up. But I heard Starla was out there on the deck, and she's been asking for you. You definitely have to go say hi. Like now. She broke up with David like three weeks ago, now is the perfect time."
"Thanks man," Hurley said, shaking his head. "I do want to say hi, but I mean it wouldn't--"
"Oh my god," Johnny interrupted. "What is her name and why haven't you said anything? I can't believe you'd keep a secret from me!" Hurley's friend's outrage was mostly fake, though.
"Dude, it only happened at Prom," Hurley said, chuckling. "Her name is Hoshi, though. She's pretty awesome."
"Hoshi, huh?" Johnny said. "Goin' for the cute Asian girl, niiiice. I see the pupil has become the master."
Hurley rolled his eyes. "I really should go say hi to Starla, though," he said. "Out on the deck?"
"Yeah, if you can make it out there. It's like wall to wall people. I'm not sure how they're fitting on there."
"I'll find her," Hurley said, heading off to the deck.
"Don't do anything Hoshi wouldn't like!" Johnny teased, watching his friend walk off.
"Who's Hoshi?" Starla said, walking up to Johnny.
"Hurley's girlfriend at that weird school he went to," Johnny said. "Oh man, you just missed him, I sent him out to the deck to meet you."
"Oh," Starla said, a little surprised. "Well, you know, it was just way too crowded on there for me. I know it's supposed to be a big deck party, but I just don't think it's sa--"
That's when they heard the crash.
It was a deck built to hold eight people.
There had been twenty two people on it before Hurley had stepped out. Then there were twenty three.
Only twenty-one walked away from the accident. Two were declared dead at the scene. And all the while, Hurley sat there as the police talked about the kids exceeding the weight limit of the deck.
It had been fine before he'd stepped out there. And despite knowing 23 people were on a deck built to hold 8, Hurley couldn't help thinking that he was that twenty-third person. He was the one that exceeded the weight.
He was the reason two people were dead.
He was cleared to go home by the hospital, and his mother Carmen picked him up, lecturing about how stupid kids were and how could anyone have a party like that (with some accusations if Hurley was drinking thrown in). He didn't say anything at all. He just sat there in the car.
When they got home, Hurley wrote an e-mail. It would be the last communication he'd give anyone for a long time.
"To: [Hurley's FH Friends]
From: hugo.reyes@fandomhigh.edu
Sent: May 7th, 2002, 11:00 pm
In an accident. Won't be back for the summer.
Sorry."
[ooc: Sadly, canon. NFB, and you can reply to Hurley's e-mail if you like, but he will not respond. OOC replies also welcome. Luckily the next few posts will be less sad.]
"Hurley!" came the familiar voice. It was Johnny, Hurley's best friend in Santa Monica. "Long time no see! I swear, man, you're looking trim and mean."
Hurley just chuckled. "Bet it's even hard to recognize me," he replied, slapping his friend on the back. "Things don't ever change with you, huh?"
"Change? Are you kidding me? I'm looking forward to a summer of Mr. Cluck's with my favorite coworker. Maybe even more than that, I know I don't have any colleges banging on my door."
"Me neither," Hurley admitted, worried about disappointing his friend with his plans to go back to Fandom. For his part, Johnny definitely sensed something was up with his rotund friend.
"So, man, we definitely have to catch up. But I heard Starla was out there on the deck, and she's been asking for you. You definitely have to go say hi. Like now. She broke up with David like three weeks ago, now is the perfect time."
"Thanks man," Hurley said, shaking his head. "I do want to say hi, but I mean it wouldn't--"
"Oh my god," Johnny interrupted. "What is her name and why haven't you said anything? I can't believe you'd keep a secret from me!" Hurley's friend's outrage was mostly fake, though.
"Dude, it only happened at Prom," Hurley said, chuckling. "Her name is Hoshi, though. She's pretty awesome."
"Hoshi, huh?" Johnny said. "Goin' for the cute Asian girl, niiiice. I see the pupil has become the master."
Hurley rolled his eyes. "I really should go say hi to Starla, though," he said. "Out on the deck?"
"Yeah, if you can make it out there. It's like wall to wall people. I'm not sure how they're fitting on there."
"I'll find her," Hurley said, heading off to the deck.
"Don't do anything Hoshi wouldn't like!" Johnny teased, watching his friend walk off.
"Who's Hoshi?" Starla said, walking up to Johnny.
"Hurley's girlfriend at that weird school he went to," Johnny said. "Oh man, you just missed him, I sent him out to the deck to meet you."
"Oh," Starla said, a little surprised. "Well, you know, it was just way too crowded on there for me. I know it's supposed to be a big deck party, but I just don't think it's sa--"
That's when they heard the crash.
It was a deck built to hold eight people.
There had been twenty two people on it before Hurley had stepped out. Then there were twenty three.
Only twenty-one walked away from the accident. Two were declared dead at the scene. And all the while, Hurley sat there as the police talked about the kids exceeding the weight limit of the deck.
It had been fine before he'd stepped out there. And despite knowing 23 people were on a deck built to hold 8, Hurley couldn't help thinking that he was that twenty-third person. He was the one that exceeded the weight.
He was the reason two people were dead.
He was cleared to go home by the hospital, and his mother Carmen picked him up, lecturing about how stupid kids were and how could anyone have a party like that (with some accusations if Hurley was drinking thrown in). He didn't say anything at all. He just sat there in the car.
When they got home, Hurley wrote an e-mail. It would be the last communication he'd give anyone for a long time.
"To: [Hurley's FH Friends]
From: hugo.reyes@fandomhigh.edu
Sent: May 7th, 2002, 11:00 pm
In an accident. Won't be back for the summer.
Sorry."
[ooc: Sadly, canon. NFB, and you can reply to Hurley's e-mail if you like, but he will not respond. OOC replies also welcome. Luckily the next few posts will be less sad.]