Bzzt...Bzzzt...Mack groaned. Who could be calling her so late at night? Rolling over, she reached for her phone, groaning yet again when the bright light hit her eyes. It was Brady. Part of her wanted to hang up, but the other part of her knew that she should probably take the call.

"Hello?" she sighed. "Brady?" She heard someone breathing raggedly and heavily on the phone. "Ugh, Brady! Cut it out." The breathing continued. Mack was about to hang up when Brady's voice came through.

It was soft and pained, but it was still his voice. "He-help...P-P-P...Parents..." The voice gave in to 3 short coughs before emitting a gasping, choking noise. Fear took hold of Mack. She gripped her phone tightly. Not caring that she was in her pajamas, she sneaked into her grandfather's bedroom. The old man snored, startling her. Tip-toeing to the other side of the room, she finally found the keys to the car.

She never noticed his eyes pop open the moment the door shut.

The rain was making it difficult do maneuver around the unsteady road. She sped up, hoping she wouldn't crash. The house awaited her a few minutes later when she leaped out of the car, her feet smacking pavement and grass as she sprinted up to it. One light shone throughout the two story home.

Brady...

With a sudden shock of realization, Mack knew she couldn't just waltz through the front door. If his parents had hurt Brady, they most likely wouldn't let her inside to help him. Her eyes traveled up the side of the house. There was nothing to climb up. But..Maybe it WAS possible. And it was.

Because the front door was left unlocked. If she was careful, all she had to do was quietly make her way to Brady.

Brady found himself lying under the shade of a small silhouette. It shook him gently, the more firmly. He groaned. Why couldn't the shadow just leave him alone? He was tired, and hurt. All he wanted to do was sleep. The shadow wept. They were loud weeps. Tears fell onto Brady's body. Finally, he decided to ask the shadow to leave. But first, he had to open his eyes. That would be tough. They felt as heavy as bricks. Maybe he should just let that mysterious shadow cry. But no, it was too annoying. It was soaking his forehead with its tears. So, finally, the young boy lifted his eyelids.

And what he found was more than just a pesky shadow. "M...M..M-M...Ack.." he struggled to say.

Her head snapped up and her gaze fell to Brady with tear-filled eyes. "Shhh...It'll...It'll be okay. I already called the police." Her hand found his, wrapping her fingers around his calloused ones. The girl ignored the taste of blood as she kissed her boyfriend gently. "I love you," she whispered, "I love you so much."

And her boyfriend wanted to respond, he truly did. But the blonde boy was in a daze. He didn't register how much Mack loved him, or that she had kissed him or held his hand. All he was aware of was the pain. The pain that brought cries to his lips and tears to Mack's eyes.

The pain that soon brought darkness.

Mack had stopped her crying. It was as if she had run out of tears. And she wanted to believe that Brady would make it. But it was tough. Especially when a similar scene kept playing through her mind. She couldn't help it. After all, it had only happened a year ago.

Melissa laughed at her daughter's behavior. Mack had been checking out the cashier and Walmart for hours now. Each time Melissa tried to get her to leave, Mack would find an excuse to stay.

Simply boy crazy, that's what you are, Melissa had thought. Just as I had been long ago. And it was true. Melissa had been falling for boys left and right the moment she turned 14. It had done her no good, of course. Because Melissa had gotten pregnant at age 16. She loved her daughter, of course, but she had wished to have gotten a better education than she did with Mack, and wed the boy who had run off without her.

Mack giggled at the cashier. She had finally gone up to talk with him. The boy flashed her a smile. And soon enough, Mack had his number. And suddenly the scene was all to familiar. Everything. The boy, the way they flirted, everything. And something inside Melissa broke. Her daughter was falling just as she had. And soon, he would break her heart, just like he had broken Melissa's. Sobbing, Melissa sprinted outside. Mack noticed and went after her.

"Mom! What are you doing?" Melissa turned to her daughter with blank eyes.

"I can't do this. Not anymore," Melissa said. And with that, she ran into the street and into a car. She smacked the pavement, blood pooling around her.

"MOMMY!" Mack screamed. "NO!" The young teenager bent down to her mother, cradling her hand to her face. "Why, why? Why!"

The woman looked up at her only daughter sadly. "Don't let yourself be pulled through life, Mackenzie. I love you too much for that. March through it, like the brave girl that you are." And with that, her eyes shut. And no matter how much Mack cried out for her to awake, she never did. She was dead.

The sound of sirens interrupted Mack's train of thought. She glanced at the unconscious Brady, then ran out of the room to go get the paramedics. Suddenly, a hand slapped firmly across her shoulders.

"Now, what's going on here?" Brady's father spat.