How To Save A Life <FINISHED>

She's Strong

*McKenna's POV*

"MCKENNA!!!!! GET UP GET UP GET UP GET UP!!!!" I woke up to Austin shoving me around on my bed.

"Aye, what gives?!" I said as I pushed him over and onto the ground I rolled over to the other side of the bed. I started to fall asleep until I thought I heard crying. Scratch that. It wasnt crying. It was sobbing and whimpering. I looked around for whoever would be crying at 7:00 in the morning. I scanned the room and saw Sam sitting on her bed with Alex. His arms were around her and she was crying into his shoulder. 

"Sam? Whats going on?" I walked over to her and layed a hand on her shoulder.

"Th- they-" she replied as she sobbed harder onto Alex. What in the world is going on? Austin took my hand and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. 

"Lets go on a walk." He said as he gently led me out the door. What was Sam trying to say? Just seeing her cry made me want to cry with her, even though I dont know whats going on.  We walked down the dock to the beach and sat down on the sand with our feet dipping into the water. We sat in silence for a long time as I silently tried to figure out what was going on.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 minutes later 

I sat there and watched the waves crash onto my feet. I still have no idea whats going on. What can be so bad that it makes Sam cry? She NEVER cries. The only time I saw her cry is when we went on a feild trip and they showed us pictures of abused animals.

"Austin, can you explain to me whats going on?" I asked looking over at him. It was just then that I realized that he had tears streaming down his face.

"Its your parents McKenna. They arent coming back." 

" What do you mean Austin? You mean they arent coming to get us or what?" I asked pushing him lightly. This is probably just some prank to see how tough I really am. 

"No McKenna. I mean your parents. They are gone. We arent going to see them again. Dont you understand McKenna? They d-d-died." He leaned over to give me a hug, but I stood up and walked down the beach. 

How can they be gone? I havent talked to them this whole time, and now their gone? I didnt even get to tell them how much I love them, and now I'll never see them again. Austin didnt follow me. He stayed sitting on the sand crying. You know when someone dies and all you want to do is fall apart and cry? Well thats the oppisite of what I want to do. I need to be strong for them. I cant let them see me all torn apart and weeping over them. Thats not what they would want. They would want be to be there for the other people that cant handle this tragity. I'm not going to cry. Never. 

*Alex's POV*

-Flash back-

I woke up to hear a phone ringing. I looked over at Austin and he was still in bed sleeping. I reached over and grabbed Austin's phone looking at the caller id. It was an unknown number, so I wasnt going to answer it. I was about to put it down when I decided that it could be something important. 

"Hello?" I asked. You could tell by my voice that I had just woken up.

"Hello, is this Mr. Mahone?" the voice asked. It was clearly a woman.

"No hes still sleeping. I'm Alex, Austin's best friend." 

"Do you happen to be staying with a girl named.... McKenna?" 

"McKenna? Yeah, why?" 

"This morning her parents got into a car crash. They passed away about 10 minutes ago."  I thought my heart stopped beating. My breathing hitched and I didnt realize it until a while, but I was crying. "Alex?... Alex, are you still there?"  I took a deep breath and finally got the courage to talk through my tears. 

"Um.. Ye-yeah. I've g-g-gotta go." I hickuped and then quickly pressed the end-call button.

I curled up into a little ball and cried for about 5 minutes before I decided to get up and tell Sam and McKenna. I got the key that opens the door to their room and walked down the hall. Once I was inside the room I paced trying to decide what to tell Sam. "Just go with the flow Alex." I told myslef. I walked over to Sams bed and whispered to her while gently shaking her. 

"Alex?" she asked as her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey. I have to tell you something." it must have been then that she noticed that my eyes were red and puffy because she pulled me into a hug. I got up and sat on the other side of her bed fiddling my fingers in my lap. 

"What is it Alex?" she whispered becoming aware that McKenna was still asleep.

"Um, well I got a call from the hospital and... well its McKenna's parents. They got into a car crash this morning and-" she cut me off.

"Oh, no Alex please dont tell that they... died." she said staring off into space.

"I'm sorry." I whispered as I pulled her into a hug. She cried into my shoulder for them to be okay. I knew that no matter what she prayed or asked of me, I couldnt make her wish come true. They're gone.

-flash back over-

Sam got up and walked to the door. It was obvious that she was all cried out. 

"C'mon. Lets go see how McKenna is taking it." she said as she walked out the door. I got up and ran to catch up to her. When we got to the beach I saw McKenna sitting far away from Austin. She was sitting on the sand with her knees tucked up by her chest. "Okay, I'll talk to Austin and you talk to McKenna." Sam said before she walked over to Austin. I slowly walked to McKenna careful of how she was going to react to me. 

"Its okay Alex, its not like I'm going to pounce on you." McKenna whispered patting the sand next to her. I sat down and tried to figure out what she was watching. 

"How ya doin'?" I asked as I nudged her. 

"Fine. It just doesnt make sence that they could actually be gone." she replied

"Yeah, it doesnt make sence to me either." 

"Please tell me this is all just some big prank." she said as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"I wish I could, trust me." I paused for a minute. "McKenna, why is it that Sam cried and you didnt?" 

"Because I know that my parents would want me to be strong for the others and myslef. You know? Its life. One day all of us are going to die and I sure wouldnt want the rest of my family crying about it." 

"I sure do get what you mean."

*Sam's POV*

"Hey Austin." I said as I sat down next to him. His eyes were red and puffy just like mine.

"Hi." he replied softly.

"How ya holding up?" 

"I honestly dont know how McKenna isnt crying. I mean, if my Mom died in a situation like this I would be crying my eyes out. I guess I'm already doing that though, arent I?" He asked chuckling.

"McKenna isnt crying because shes strong enough to know that one day she has to let go of her parents, and today just happened to be that day. Your doing fine though Austin." I know this is the truth. Me and McKenna talked about how much we will cry when our parents die and she always replied with that she wont cry one single tear, and she was right.  

Somehow we are going to have to leave Florida and get home. Today was a very emotional day for all of us. I just want it to all be over and I want to wake up from my dream right now, but I'm afraid that isnt going to happen now is it?