As I sat on my bed, reading my book, slowly I could feel my head start to nod back and forth. I set the book down on the nightstand, clicked off the light, and rolled over into a deep sleep. Just minutes later I heard my phone start to ring and as I groaned I continued to pick up the phone.

“Hello?” I answered, sure that the other person could tell I had been awakened.
I was wrong.

The other voice answered with slurred words, “Rachael? Ohh my gosh thank God you’re up! I got in an accident... I need you’re help... I’m drunk, and my mom won’t come pick me up. Please! You can yell at me when you get here ... I just...i just really need you right now...”

Angry and confused I clicked back on the light. I said I would be there in fifteen minutes. As I go on down the steps I grabbed a blanket and a water, I knew it would calm her down. Walking towards my car I thought about the drunk I was so willingly picking up at 1:38 a.m.. My best friend, how could she do this? I thought to myself. So many thoughts were running through my head. At this point, all I could do was crank up the radio. A song came on called, Dont Forget to Remember Me, by Carrie Underwood, and immediately I began to cry. Even though I was angry and disappointed, in a way, I was relieved. My best friend could be dead right now, and she lived. She made a stupid decision, but she lived.

The second I walked into the police station, I dropped everything I was holding at the time, and just took her into my arms. “Shhhh, it’s okay, I’m here.” I didn't want to say it was okay because it wasn’t, but I had to. She couldn’t even form words, she was so distraught, I just walked her to the car, gave her the water and blanket, and headed for the drivers seat.

I started to drive away from the police station, and I didn’t say anything. She needed to start the conversation, I was speechless. As I was driving home she finally spoke up, “Could you stop at that park and ride? We need to talk...and I cant go home, not yet....” I nodded, and pulled over.

I put the car in park, stopped the engine, pulled out the keys, and there we were. Alone in the dim light of the early morning, staring at each other with blank expressions on our faces. I look down, playing with my keys and heard, “I’m sorry....”

“Why?” I responded, I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“I needed to leave, Justin and I got in a fight and I didn’t want to stay, I know it was wrong and stupid, but I wanted to just leave and drive.”

“You put your own life, and the lives of others in danger all because you just wanted to leave! Does that make any sense to you?”
Megan looked down and I saw a tear roll down her cheek, “I’m dumb.”

“You dont need to tell me that, I know...” In mid sentence I stopped to control myself from yelling or giving some big lecture, “I know it was wrong, you know it was wrong so can you just promise me you wont do it again?

She looked up with her eyes full of tears and shook her head up and down. I realized then that she needed help, she had been drinking a lot lately and something was seriously wrong. I took her into my arms again and said, “Let’s get you home.”

She smiled, re-situated, and put her seatbelt back on as I did the same. The engine roared and we were on our way.

Four hours later my phone rang again, but this time it wasn’t Megan it was her mom. “Thank you.”