How To Save A Life

How to Save a Life (12)

Look at me updating on time and right in the morning :D

Picture of Ryder to the side! >>>

Emily

It seemed like time almost stopped when the doors opened. There was a variety of sounds: a sob, multiple gasps, and a child's voice, a young girl. "Oliver!"

I watched Oliver's face morph from excitement to something beyond it. Tears grew in his eyes as the small girl with the wild mane of curly red hair ran forwards, nearly tripping over her feet, and he let go of my hand as he dropped to one knee, opening his arms. Kailey ran into them, hugging him as tightly as her small arms allowed her to, and he squeezed his eyes closed, leaning his forehead against her shoulder. "Kailey," he whispered, arms literally trembling with how tightly he was squeezing her small body. She let out a short gasp. "Ouch."

With that one word, the room erupted. There was a familiar scream, then a blur of black hair and tanned skin launched herself at me. The force or Courtney's hug had me stumbling backwards, and with the lack of proper iron, my legs were too weak to hold both of us up like I would have been able to previously.

When I fell, Courtney landed on top of me but didn't seem to mind, sobbing into my hair as she hugged me tightly, painfully, then kissed me on the mouth before crying harder. I realized I was crying, just from seeing her icy blue eyes filled with tears - I'd never once seen her cry, not once. When I met her gaze, we were both sobbing and hugging each other and she was hitting me, screaming at me for scaring her until the tears finally slowed.

Then, I received about seven sharp slaps over the head. Courtney glared at me, still teary. "How dare you?" she demanded, voice cracking on the last word. "You got yourself in a frickin' plane crash, you made me believe you were dead for two weeks! What kind of best friend are you?"

I rubbed my sore head, half laughing, half crying. "Sorry," I managed, and she burst into tears again. I heard a soft chuckle from behind me. "Easy," the familiar accented voice said. "I just got her back."

When I turned, I started crying harder and threw myself at Jared, wrapping my legs around him and crying into his neck. He hugged me tightly, his dark blond hair tickling my neck when he leant his forehead against my shoulder. Courtney was crying again but left me to hug my cousin tightly, even when he set me down on my feet and pressed his lips to the top of my head. "Emily," he murmured with his familiar accent, more German than mine usually was but mixed just the same. "If you ever do that again, I swear I'll kill you."

"Oi," Courtney said sharply. "No, you won't. Give her to me."

I looked up, laughing through my tears, and she grinned at me, her cheeks still wet as she walked towards us and wrapped her arms around us as best she could before simply giving up and hugging me, Jared rolling his eyes and wrapping his arms around both of us, squeezing tightly before letting go and taking a small step back, watching us from the shadows as he usually did.

Courtney leant down to whisper in my ear. "He's hot," she whispered, motioning to Oliver with a jerk of her head.

"I know," I whispered back, and we both started laughing when Jared snorted. "Are you serious?" he asked, and I realized he was talking in German. "What about Jace?"

"Jace is hot too," Courtney grinned, also speaking in perfect German. It had taken her almost three years to learn, but she was now almost fluent in Spanish, German, and French. Jared, like me, was fluent in almost every language commonly used, and a few more.

"Ja," I said, and they laughed as Jared leaned against the wall. "Name?" he asked. I glanced to make sure that he wasn't paying attention, but before I could answer Courtney's big mouth opened for me. "Oliver," she answered loudly. "Oliver Green."