Do you remember the rush to escape out of the building on the last day of school? All the kids running to their cars to get out of the lot first; some wrecking their cars because they were in such a rush to leave. Not all of the chaos happens in the parking lot; the hallways are also a stressful place to be. Although pushing, cursing, and so many more unkind gestures go on in the hallways daily, it is ten times worse on the last day. Everyone is ready to leave for the summer so nobody is going to spend anymore extra time saying their apologies when they bump into a bystander. One of the well-know football jocks, Chance, was walking down the hallway when he accidentally bumped into Kinsley. Kinsley is a cheerleader for Ridgeway High and was also a freshman at the time while Chance was a sophomore. Neither of them said a word. They went their separate ways without confrontation.
Throughout their summers they didn’t have any interaction. The rest of May, all of June and July, and the beginning of August came and went as usual. When school started up again they got their schedules as normal. Little did they know, they had a class together. Chance was scrolling through his Twitter feed when he saw Kinsley’s post about how she was going to hate her Career and Life Planning course with Mrs. Smith (3A). Chance frantically looks at his schedule and realizes he also has the C&L class (3A) with Mrs. Smith. Assuming Kinsley took the class for the same reason everybody else did, which is the uncomplicated and easily done aspect as well as the little to no homework, Chance worried he wouldn’t have his friends in the class because it is a FACS class, which means it’s too girly for them. A sigh of relief for Chance to know he had a cute girl in his class.
August 15th, 2017 was the first day of school for Ridgeway High. It was a nice sunny day, the sky was so blue, no clouds, and around 80 degrees. At approximately 7:40A.M. the lines for schedules and agenda books were outrageous. The 8:00A.M. bell flashed for class to begin, yet the school had not gotten the bell system fixed so it did not sound. The first two blocks went smoothly, Kinsley and Chance found their way around nicely and liked the classes, teachers, and a few   classmates. Later in the day, (3A) came along around 11 a.m. when the C&L class was starting. Kinsley got there three minutes before the bell rang, Chance however was rushing in the door right before the bell was to ring.  Kinsley’s best friend Jayden was enrolled in the class as well; Luke, Chance’s best bud on the football team was a seat behind Kinsley and Jayden. A little time passed and Chance caught a glimpse of Kinsley’s face and remembered the Twitter post and the last day of school when he bumped her close to the lockers without ever saying sorry. When he tries to talk to her Mrs. Smith comes in to start the introduction.
The class introduction went on and Mrs. Smith said “ For this exercise you will need a partner, find someone you do not know.” Chance was going out on limb to ask Kinsley  to be his partner. “On the count of three go pick your partner, 1..2..3.. Go!” Chance taps Kinsley’s shoulder and politely asks her to be his partner; she said yes. Chance starts some small talk to make things less awkward yet Kinsley just nodded and was being shy and quiet. Usually, Kinsley talks to whoever and doesn’t take too long to warm up to someone, but something is different with Chance. They start to talk, and he doesn’t think she even remembers, but he knows she’s still holding back. Chance was the one talking mostly until Kinsley started to feel her chest. He asked her if she was alright, and she nodded, yes, but he knew something was wrong. Chance was uninformed that she has a heart disease called Coronary Heart Disease. Coronary Heart Disease is the buildup of plaque. This causes coronary arteries to narrow, limiting blood flow to the heart. Coronary artery disease can range from no symptoms, to chest pain, to a heart attack. Treatments include lifestyle changes, medications, angioplasty, and surgery.  This condition cannot be cured, but with today's technology, it can be managed effectively. Smoking increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, which includes coronary heart disease and stroke. Smoking damages the lining of your arteries, leading to a buildup of fatty material (atheroma) which narrows the artery. This can cause angina, a heart attack or a stroke. A few moments later, Kinsley starts to have breathing trouble and falls.
Kinsley’s parents are heavy smokers so she is a rare case to CHD. Immediately Chance hollars for Mrs. Smith. She rushed over and tells everyone but Chance to evacuate the room. Jayden sprints to the nurse’s office so they can get medical help as soon as possible.  Chance gets tears in his eyes thinking that could possibly be the last time he sees her; riding away in the ambulance Kinsley is unconscious; it is unknown if she’ll ever wake up.
A few days past, and she wasn’t doing well. They get an update that she was put on a ventilator. Kinsley’s lungs collapsed, and she’s barely hanging on. Chance cannot bear the pain. He loves her with all his heart; he can no longer hide his emotions. Sitting behind that blue eyed, freckle faces, with long brown straight haired, her little giggle, her rosey cheeks, just everything about that girl he loved with all his heart ever since he laid eyes on her. No matter what kind of past that she’s had, no matter what she has been through in the years, no matter what she goes through he wants to be there. He wants to be with her through thick and thin. Fake feelings don’t feel like the ones he has for Kinsley. As he cries in the halls every day she’s gone, he knows she is strong and in good hands.
September 2nd, 2017 at 4:07 A.M. will forever be the worst day in history for the family of Kinsley A. Williams. She was doing okay with the treatments, she was off the breathing machine, and she was improving more and more each day. The group of doctors assigned to her were very professional and well educated. What could’ve gone wrong? Kinsley was a very rare case of the CHD, they had never seen this form caused by second hand smoking before. She was a very healthy girl with a height of 5’2 weighing in at 106 lbs. A life taken due to the wrongdoing of parents and people she was surrounded by. Many doctors studied Kinsley’s case, and it still shocks them that she passed.
As for Chance he’ll never be able to express himself and his feelings to the love of his life; Kinsley will never understand how much he cared about her. His heart will never be the same, as if it’s like a heartbreak without ever knowing. Loving someone is scary, yet losing a someone you love  is a whole different ballpark. The love between two people can be truly amazing, yet slip away so fast in the blink of an eye. Don't ignore the little things, take time to let them know how you feel, and don't rush anything time will lead the way. Trust in the moment and let loose in the lifetime.