I got a text message on Saturday morning from Naomi… It said that Arielle Estremo had been killed while driving home from a club, by a wrong way driver on the 5 freeway.
That was a shock. Arielle was a good friend for my first two years of high school. We hung out every day after school, walking to the library down the street from the school. We complained together, laughed together, and definitely fought. My junior year she moved away and the things I found out she was doing, I did not agree with. We lost contact, and those last two years of high school I disliked the girl she’d become.
I heard she joined the Marines, but she has an honorable discharge from the ARMY. I’m not sure why, all I’ve heard were rumors. I didn’t hear anything about how she was doing for over a year. Until I got that text.
She was 20 years old, driving a Sentra home from a club with three other friends; a girl and two boys. Apparently Naomi knew one of the guys. Arielle was killed behind the wheel, her female friend was killed as well, and one of the boys was critically injured. The wrong way driver died as well.
I don’t want to say it didn’t bother me. I guess maybe it took a while to sink in. My mom got me the visitation information but I’m not sure I really want to go. I don’t know if I want to see her that way. I know, everyone says I should go because I need the closure. I dunno, it just… I think it would bother me to see her like that. Because honestly, she was one of the most animated and active girls I knew. Seeing her so lifeless just isn’t something I want to see.
I asked Naomi if she wanted to go, she said the same. She couldn’t see her that way, didn’t want to remember her like that. And Naomi never even really liked her. Even so, it’s a blow that hit close to home. We both knew her, and I had been her friend. Plus, she was only a year older than us.
It didn’t help, knowing she died 3 hours after my birthday ended.
If you’d like the story, click here. They even have a video.
May 21st, 2008 at 1:29 am
Chances are you wouldn’t have to actually see her, and having the opportunity to say goodbye, even to someone you don’t really know very well anymore is a good idea. You never know what you’ll regret later in life.
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May 21st, 2008 at 10:47 pm
We went to the visitation. Casket was closed. It was a cremation casket. It was hard for me to see friends of Motley’s that I knew, sobbing. She went to the funeral today, and the reception after, and is currently out at a club in Garden Grove that the girls who died used to frequent. They’re having a wake at the club. I can’t help but be worried about her coming home late though.
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May 22nd, 2008 at 7:16 am
I have been in the same situation she is in. It is better for her to go & be around others that knew the young lady.
I had 2 peopl,e that I knew in high school die during our somphore and junior year. I even sat by one in my science class. It was hard to go to class for the first week without her in the seat next to me. I finally decided I couldnt mope around. I decided to keep living and to remember my friend. That is what I would want my friends to do if something happened. Remember how I lived and go after what you want.
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Yeah, I went to the goth club called Xile. I was pleasantly surprised. I’m going back next week too.
But my mom shouldn’t worry too much, since we didn’t take the freeway and probably won’t again next week.