Don't You Forget About Me

Summary: When Clare Edwards gets into a horrible car wreck on the way to a church retreat with her parents, her life is changed forever. Her friends, boyfriend, and sister wait for days by her side for her to wake up. When she does she is thrust into a world of confusion.

Chapter One

Clare Edwards held the phone between an ear and a shoulder as she neatly folded a pair of jeans and a sweater into her suitcase. "Alli!" She said with a laugh, smiling broadly. "I'm only gonna be gone for a couple of days!"

Her best friend groaned into the phone. "I know! I know! Still though. A retreat sounds like so much fun."

Clare was about to reply when her mother's voice called out, "Clare! It's time to go."

With a roll of her eyes she said into the phone, "My mom's calling me. She says that it's time for us to get going. I'll call you back in the car, after I call KC." Before her friend could answer, she clicked off and put her phone back in it's holder as she grabbed her purse and threw the strap over a shoulder. She zipped up her suitcase and smiled at the picture of KC that sat on her nightstand. She grabbed it up and put it into her pocket. She knew that it was kind of stupid but she wanted him close to her while she was gone for the weekend, even if she was only going to be away for him for two to three days.

"Hurry up Clare! Your father and I are ready to go!" Her mother yelled again.

Clare groaned and got her suitcase off the bed, turned of her bedside lamp, and wheeled her suitcase with her out the room.

Minutes later she was in the car. She got her cellphone out of her purse as they began to drive down the road. She dialed the number to KC's cell and waited for him to answer. The phone rang once before it was picked up.

"Clare, hey!" KC said brightly, his voice sounding happy to hear from her.

"KC, hey. I'm in the car heading to the retreat so I just thought that I'd call you." She said, leaning back into the seat.

KC sighed as he rested his head against his headboard. "Well I'll miss you." He said sadly into the receiver.

Clare scoffed. "You and Alli act as if I am going off to war or something. I'll only be gone two, three days tops." She commented as she felt a smile curve her lips. It was nice to know that someone cared about her so much, no matter how mushy it was.

"Yeah but still." He argued, eyebrows furrowing as he continued to speak. "That doesn't change anything."

She laughed. "I'll miss you too. Anyway, I should be getting off here. I promised Alli that I'd call her again." She told him.

"Wouldn't want to upset Alli." KC replied with a smirk in his voice. He could just imagine how affronted the dark haired girl would be if Clare didn't call her right away.

"Bye. See you in a few days." Clare told him, hearing him answer back. She smiled and ended her call with him. She then dialed Alli's number and wasn't shocked at all when Alli answered on the first ring.

"Clare!" Alli said into the phone. "Good, you called me right on time. Now as I was saying, I'm jealous that you get to spend time at a resort. There will probably be cute boys there. In swim suits at that indoor pool."

Clare snorted softly. "A church retreat isn't quite a vacation, Alli. Besides, I doubt you'd like the guys who go to my church." She fixed her eyes on the road. It had begun to rain heavily, making it hard to see. She felt trepidation fill her. She hated being in a car, driving when it was raining.

"Mark! Slow down!" Mrs. Edwards hissed, watching the rain pour down, worriedly.

Clare heard her father grumble under his breath, a complaint.

"Clare? Are you still there?" Alli inquired questioningly, sitting up in her bed and wrapping one arm around her legs and resting her chin on her knees.

"Um...yeah." The girl in question replied, swallowing hard. "It's just there's alot of rain and I----" Suddenly she gasped as she saw head lights coming straight torward them. A scream escaped her lips as the tires screeched against the pavement of the road and the car coming torward them hit them on impact. Clare dropped the phone as her head hit the window hard. The last thing she heard before everything went black was Alli's voice asking her in an anxious tone, what had happened....

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Alli sat in shock at what she heard. Her best friend had screamed! Clare never did that! And she'd heard what sounded like the screeching of tires and a car crashing. Her eyes widened in horror and she jumped off of her bed, throwing on a pair of shoes and a jacket and hurrying out of her room, quickly. She turned to where her brother sat on the couch and said helplessly, "I need you to drive me to KC's!"

Sav stared at her through narrowed eyes, making no move to get up. What was going on? "Alli....why do you need to go to KC's?" He asked of her.

His sister didn't answer, too busy hurrying to the front door and yanking it open.

He stood up, getting the hint that whatever it was, was important.

They were in the car, already driving down the road when Alli finally answered Sav's question. "I was on my cellphone talking to Clare. She was calling me from the backseat of her parents car. Everything was alright, we were discussing her church retreat that she was going to with her mom and dad when....when I heard her gasp." She choked on the tears that got stuck in her throat as she struggled to take a deep breath. "And then she screamed and I heard the screeching of what sounded like tires and crashing. I think Clare's hurt and I've gotta tell KC! He needs to know." Finally, she stopped fighting, and let her emotions take over. Her slender body shook with tears and strands of her long, black hair stuck to her face from the wetness on her cheeks.

Sav looked at his sister and took one hand of the steering will to rest ontop his sister's in a comforting motion.

She lifted her head and gave him a grateful yet watery smile as the car came to a stop infront of KC's group home.

Next Chapter: Alli tells KC what she heard and what she thinks happened, Clare and her parents are taken to the hospital, Darcy is called.