Four months later

    June 2nd. 2001

    Amber laid in bed staring at the ceiling, she clock was ticking down the seconds. It was about 3:15 am, usually she'd be sleeping, but she found every reason not to. She was hot and restless, nothing worked finally she got up and pulled on her robe. Walked out into the hallway she heard the silence that had plauged the house all night, Kevin and AJ were out with Jeff and his friends celebrating AJ's birthday. In the kitchen she grabbed herself a bottled water and sat drinking it well looking out the back sliding doors watching the rain fall. Things had gotten really good, Alexa had learned to accept the fact that AJ was in her life although Adrian still protested the whole thing, the adoption with Kevin went through and upon his request Will legally had his name changed to Kevin Banks, everything was perfect in her life nothing could be out of place. Feeling cooler and more relaxed Amber put the lid back on her water and walked to the doorway. As she turned out the light the phone rang, her heart skipped a beat in fright, who could be calling at this time in the morning?. As the phone rang again she walked over to it.

    "If it's those idiots calling cause they need a ride they can forget it,"said Amber as she picked up the phone,"Hello Banks residence."

    "May I please speak to William Banks?"asked a deep male voice on the other end.

    "I'm sorry he's sleeping, this is his daughter can I take a message?"asked Amber.

    "I need to speak to him immediately,"said the man,"There's been an accident." Amber caught her breathe as she gasped.

    "With Kevin?"she asked weakly.

    "Yes, Miss could I please speak with your father?"asked the man.

    "Yes,"said Amber as she set the phone down. As she was running up the stairs both Will and Alanha were starting down the stairs in confusion.

    "Who was on the phone?"asked Will.

    "I dunno, Kevin was in an accident. They want to talk to you,"said Amber. Will immediately started running down the stairs and jogged into the kitchen where the phone was. Alanha and Amber stood back in suspense well Will talked on the phone briefly. Will hung up the phone and turned to the two women, "Get dressed we have to go the hospital."

    "Which hospital?"asked Amber.

    "Vancouver General,"said Will.

    "Oh my god, AJ,"whispered Amber as she remembered Kevin was with AJ.

    Forty minutes later Amber pulled into the hospital parking, Will and Alanha were close behind her, she parked the car and quickly got out. She made her way into the hospital and came to the front desk.

    "Can I help you?"asked the receptionist.

    "I'm looking for Kevin Banks and AJ McLean, they were a car accident,"said Amber holding back tears.

    "ER waiting room, that's were you should be,"said the receptionist pointed over to a corner of the room there Jeff's parents sat crying. Amber walked over to them and sat across from the Willows'.

    "Hello Amber,"said Mr.Willow's looking up.

    "Hi Mr.Willows', Ms.Willows',"said Amber,"Have you heard anything?"

    "Jeff, he was driving, he was drunk they think and they smashed into another car,"said Mr.Willows',"That's all they've told us." Amber sat back staring in to space, the possibility that Kevin and AJ could be dead came to her.

    "Amber where are they?"asked Will as he and Alanha came into the waiting room frantically followed by David and Will's parents.

    "Jeff was driving drunk,"said Amber softly,"They hit another car." Alanha started crying as she sat down, Amber looked over at her, she wanted to cry herself but was afraid that is she cried her worst fears would come true, they'd both be dead.

    Minutes later the doctor came out with Kevin who was walking with a bit of a limp and a cast on his arm. Everyone stood up quickly.

    "He can be released to go home,"said the doctor softly. Kevin walked over to Will with his head hung low, Alanha quickly wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

    "What about the others?"asked Mr.Willows.

    "AJ Mclean has a heavy concussion, he must stay for the next twenty four hours,"said the doctor. Amber still stood in anticipation to hear the fate of her friends.

    "The other boys,"the doctor took a deep breathe,"The other boys didn't make it, Jeff Willows died on the way." The Willows broke down crying, Amber bit her lips as the other mothers cried, David's father kicked a chair. As much as she should be happy, her best friend was dead, Jeff knew everything about her now he was gone. Amber sat down crying quietly, she rested her head in her hands. The doctor took a guess that Amber was there for AJ since they found a picture of her in his pants pocket.

    "Miss, if you want you can visit AJ,"said the doctor quietly kneeling down to her level. Amber lifted her head and looked at the doctor, slowly she nodded. The doctor led her down the hall past the OR and to a room that had a ton of beds, all of them were lined up with sheet curtains seperating them. She seen AJ lying in the white bed, he looked angelic. A large white bandage covered his forehead with the tips of bleach blond sticking out, he had bruises on his cheeks and his eyes were closed.

    "He's sleeping, he maybe drift in and out of conciousness it's very normal with concussions."said the doctor. Amber nodded and walked over to AJ's body, she picked up his hand and held it tightly as she sat on the chair next to his bed the doctor had put there for it. Amber brought his hand up to her mouth and softly kissed it.

    "You scared me,"she said,"I thought for a few there that I had lost you and Kevin, I got you both back and lost Jeff." Her voice quivered as she spoke.

    "I love you,"she whispered as she set down his hand and rested her head on the bed next to his hand.

    The next morning Amber was woken up by Kevin poking her in the head, Amber grabbed his finger and bent it back.

    "Want me to break it?"asked Amber.

    "Nope,"said Kevin in a bit of pain.

    "Then stop,"said Amber releasing his finger. AJ looked at them with a smile.

    "I taught her well,"said AJ. Amber stood up, her face was stained with tears and her eys were blood shot.

    "What's the matter?"asked AJ quietly.

    "They all died,"said Amber softly,"You two are the only ones who walked away from that car." Amber slowly walked from the room, Mr.Willows sat in the ER waiting room still, Mrs.Willows had gone into shock and needed treatment. She looked at the man she had known all her life lose his one and only son, Jeff was only seventeen. Walking over she took a seat next to Mr.Willows who looked to tired to cry.

    "Do you need anything?"asked Amber softly,"A coffee or something?"

    "No,"said Mr.Willows softly. A natural reaction came over her as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Slowly Mr.Willows hugged her back, moments later they parted.

    "Thank you, I needed that,"said Mr.Willows. Amber sat back and looked athe ceiling letting the reality of her friends' deaths settle in. They were never going to be there for her anymore, parties wouldn't be the same with out Jeff and David going mad, nothing.

    Two weeks later instead of a prom, they held a night memorial for the boys, Jeff Meadows,David Meadows and Will Richards. Their pictures were up in the gym with large moats of flowers, stuffed animals and cards surrounding them. Students were standing sharing stories, crying and comforting each other of the death of three wonderful, bright young men. The jerseys of each guys were pinned up on the wall next to their grad photos.

    Amber walked in with a big boquet of daisies, she had them specially ordered. On their first date Jeff gave her daisies he picked from her front yard, she walked over to the place where Jeff's picture was. AJ and Kevin stood back well holding two boquets of white roses for David and Will. Amber laided the roses down in front of the picture with a card on them

    Jeff, I'll love you and miss you.
    Forever in my heart,
    Amby Bambi
    Good Bye

    Amber bit her lip as she knelt down looking at the flowers memories of him cam flooding back, parties, school dances, all the times they went to camp when they were younger, he was everything.

    "I took you for granted,"whispered Amber,"There was so much to do, so much to say. I want to thank you for being there even when you didn't need to be you were there holding my hand and encouraging me. Hope I see you again someday." Amber stood up and walked back to AJ and Kevin.

    "Are you okay?"asked AJ. Amber crossed her arms and nodded, she took one of the boquets from Kevin and walked over to David's picture and set them down. They stood for a moment then walked over to Will's.

    "Are you doing okay?" asked Alexa as she approached them. Amber nodded quietly.

    "Bianca, she's a wreck,"said Alexa,"I don't think she'll be going to the funerals."

    "I don't think I will either,"said Amber,"I don't think I can sit there and not have a mental breakdown." Alexa nodded in understandment.

    "Well this is going to make this even harder,"sighed Alexa,"You know I'm organizing the grad ceremonies and I was wondering if you would accept Jeff's Athlete of the Year." Amber nodded,"Why don't you ask his parents?"

    "Well we were thinking of that but they want a student who really knew the real Jeff who knew him real well,"said Alexa,"And I thought since you and Jeff were really close that you'd know how to speak about him in the real way."

    "Okay,"said Amber nodding,"I can."

    "Thanks babe,"said Alexa hugging her,"If you need to talk give me a call okay? I don't want you to think I'm not here for you."

    "Thanks,"said Amber softly. Alexa looked past Amber to AJ and Kevin.

    "Are you guys okay?"asked Alexa.

    "Yeah,"said Kevin nodding.

    "Yeah, thanks,"said AJ.

    "Okay well I gotta go see Adrian,"said Alexa.

    "See ya,"said Amber softly. Amber leaned back on AJ as they stared at Jeff's picture. AJ leaned down and kisses the top of Amber's head as a few tears slid down her cheeks, she swallowed hard then closed her eyes, the pain was not going to be an easy thing to get over.