AN: This story is based on a poem that I have seen many times on-line and I felt could be made into a
good story. The poem is:

Close to the door,
He paused to stand.
As he took his class ring,
Off her hand,
All who were watching ,
Did not speak as a silent tear,
Ran down his cheek.
And through his mind,
The memories ran,
Of the moments they had walked,
And laughed in the sand.
And now her eyes were so terribly cold,
For he would never again,
Have her to hold.
They watched in silence,
As he bent near,
And whispered the words...
"I LOVE YOU" in her ear.
And he touched her face and started to cry.
As he put on his ring and wanted to die.
And just then the wind began to blow,
As they lowered her casket in the snow...
This is what happens...
When friends let friends...
Drink and drive.

"People were standing around when suddenly he came in, all eyes turning to him. His jaw was set
and his face was a mask. They all knew he was hurting, but no one said a word as he stepped up to
her.
"He took her hand and removed his class ring. They all watched, not so much as a whisper came
from any of their mouths. To their astonishment a silent tear ran down his cheek as he remembered
the good times.
"He remembered the times at the beach, where they'd ran, walked, and talked. Laying in the sand
so close together. Out in the water, the waves lapping at their ankles. Then running out into the
waves and jumping around like little children. Chasing her back to the sand where's they fall down
and laugh together.
"But as he looked at her, her eyes were so cold. And he knew that he's never again get to hold her.
She was no longer his. Everyone watched as he leaned over to her to whisper in her ear and his
whispered words echoed throughout the room, "I love you."
"He lightly touched her face and tears fell from his eyes. All watched in disbelief as he put on the ring
and fell to his knees. He sobbed and begged, but it did no good. People around him began to cry as
they closed the casket and carried it outside.
"Everyone followed, the boy leading them all, as they brought her to her grave. It was right under a
tree with white snow all around making everything glow. Just then the wind began to blow as they
lowered her casket into the snow. Everyone stared as the boy fell to his knees again and wept."
The man stopped, his story was over. "Now, why am I telling you this? Because I was that boy. I
lost the love of my life just a few years ago and do you know why?" He realized that none of them
knew. They didn't recognize him as the starting quarterback and Homecoming King from three years
ago who had lost his girlfriend, the head cheerleader and Homecoming Queen. Many of them had
been there and yet none of them knew.
"Because someone let a friend drink and drive. A drunk driver hit her car and he was fine. But the
sad thing was that it was her brother. Her older brother who she loved and admired. She always
looked up to him and then he caused her death." He paused. "Do you want to be responsible for
someone else's death? Do you want that guilt? What would you do if you killed your little sister?
How would you feel? And how would you feel if you let a friend drive drunk and they cause an
accident. An accident that them or someone else or, even worse, you...Could you live with that?" He
closed his eyes to keep from crying. "Think about these things before you let a friend drive drunk."
He opened his eyes as the tears began to spill. "Just think and don't drink and drive."