taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Lol! :D @Robbi- It's all good. :)

fungirl123 @Robbi - eh, who cares? xD I probably just skimmed over the last few sentences anyway. *BAD Haley!* I'll probably write tomorrow night, since I'm going shopping with my aunt tomorrow for the majority of the day. :D

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton @Haley haha sorry! To me the wording still doesn't sound right...ugh :/!

fungirl123 @Payton - *facepalm* Wow, Haley. Way to go. That's why you don't skim...

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Haha, yeah, it was the last sentence of her post. That's the way I figured it out. :D

fungirl123 @Payton - okay, gotcha. :p Military was kind of sitting in the back of my mind during that... ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Awesomeee posts! :D @Haley- I'm not Robbi, but I'm pretty sure the letter meant that Andrew is officially enlisted in the army. :p Can't wait to read what you write!

fungirl123 @Robbi - great posts! :) What exactly did Andrew receive in the mail? Also, I get what you mean about Polyvore! ^.^ It's so addicting!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ****I know my last post had some pretty crappy wording, lol sorry about that…Idk how to really ‘think’ in the mind of Andrew…lol! @Haley-Thanks and I can’t wait to see your posts! I probably would’ve gotten started on my posts about the dance competition but I spent literally 3-4 hours making outfits on polyvore…lol!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive -Andrew- Driving up into the driveway I saw my father working on his old pickup, I took the keys out of the ignition. His head snapped my direction as I closed the door of my truck. “Well it’s about time you came home,” He said as he wiped off his hands with a towel. “Never knew you actually cared when I was home.” I snapped. “You know better not to talk to me like that boy. You know I care.” I rolled my eyes in disbelief. I knew something must’ve been important for him to call; rarely did he call me, or even use his cellphone. “Why did you call me?” “Well,” My father walked toward me as he took something out his back pocket. “A certain letter came in the mail for you.” He slapped the envelope in my hand, I looked at the address. My eyes began to get wide, I tore the envelope open and began to read, I stared at the paper in disbelief. “What’s it say?” My father asked as he started to work on his truck again, I cleared my throat. “I got in.” I said hoarsely, he looked up for a second. “That’s my boy,” He bellowed, I shook my head. “I can’t believe it.” I whispered. “Well it’s not that surprising. You’re in physical shape, you’ve got the grades, and you’ve got my looks.” He chuckled. “Dad this is not funny. How am I supposed to tell Rae?” “Are you really just worried about telling this girl?” “She’s not just a girl Dad.” I said sternly, my father turned toward me, his eyes showed sympathy. “Now I didn’t mean it like that. You know I have a soft spot for Aradia, she’s a sweet girl, but you’re going to have a hard time telling the ones you love. I know I did at your age.” I looked back down at the letter as I combed my fingers through my hair nervously. I honestly didn’t think I would be accepted; I just signed up to make my father stop nagging me about it. Now seeing that I made it in, there was no way I could back out of this without my father practically disowning me. “Man when I told your mother,” My father paused and looked up at the kitchen where I could see my mom on the phone. “She didn’t call me for days. Her mother told me later on when we were married she spent every night crying herself to sleep. No words can tell you how much my heart ached when I told her.” I could tell my dad was serious by the way he said it so emotionally, never had I seen him that way before. I gulped hard and looked at the letter once more; I began regretting to even opening it. I still hadn’t told Rae how I felt about her and now this? Whether I was ready or not, I had to somehow tell the girl I was crushing on for years that I was now enlisted into the Army.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~Aradia~ After an hour of being at the park, Andrew had to leave, so I decided to go home. While I was making myself some lunch I got a text from Skye to meet at the Creamer. When I arrived Camille was getting out of her car too, I waved hello to her. Walking inside I saw both Skye and Noelle were already there, I decided to sit by Skye. All four of us began talking about how our summers been, everyone else’s sounded better than mine by far. Camille had begun surfing again, Noelle and Jace were going strong, and Skye had a dance competition coming up in a few days. “Oh count me in! I’d love to see you dance.” I grinned, Skye looked surprised. “Really?” “Of course, Will has told me couple of times you’re an amazing dancer.” I winked, Skye cheeks turned rosy. Just as I was beginning to say something a familiar voice cut me off. “Hi girls. I’m glad I caught you here,” Turning around I was surprise to Mrs. Powell in front of me. “I was about to call each of you actually.” “Hi momma #2.” I waved, she looked down and smiled. Even though Autumn was gone I still was going to call Larissa that, I looked up to her as if she was a stepmother. Quickly she grabbed a chair from another table and sat down. Looking in her purse she took out a piece of paper, she delicately put it on the table. ‘Summer To-Do List’ it read in big bold letters, funny, it looked just like Autumn’s handwriting. “I found this in Autumn’s room,” She said, I sat up in my chair a little more, it was weird to believe I was just in her room this morning. I tilted my head to read some of the list ‘1. Get accepted into CSU 2. Buy a new car 3. Go snorkeling 4. Take mom on her dream vacation to Peru 5.…’ To think Autumn could’ve been checking some of these things off her list if she was still alive. “Most of the list is about doing things with the family, but look at the last one,” My eyes gazed to number 22. “Beg Mom and Dad to let me and Will take our friends up to the mountain house before senior year starts,” I couldn’t help but tear up, for years Autumn had been talking about how much she loved her cabin in the mountains. Larissa laughed after reading it, I could tell she was much more comfortable talking about Autumn now. Even though I thought it was very sweet of Autumn’s mom to even consider it, I felt uneasy about it. “That’s a great offer, but it’ll be so different without her with us,” I said shakily, everyone at the table looked at me as if I was crazy. “Come on, she’d want us to.” Camille said, I sighed. “I don’t know,” I mumbled, I could feel the back of my throat burning. “It was her idea, anyway.” “Yea, but don’t you think she’d want us to go?” Noelle chimed in, I cleared my throat. Noelle and Camille were right, why was I being so worried about this? Autumn was always giving, why wouldn’t she want us to go? “I guess,” I said quietly, Skye cheered. As everyone else was planning I couldn’t help but wish Autumn was there with us too.

fungirl123 @Robbi - awesome posts! :) I'll probably write tomorrow after school now that I have all this time on my hands.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~Aradia~ Waking up to the bright light shinning through the blinds, it took me second to realize where I was. Grudgingly I walked down the steps and into the familiar kitchen, according to the clock on the oven it was 11:07 in the morning. I went over to the cabinet and made myself some cereal; I saw there was a note on the counter. ‘Went to the studio. You’re welcome to shower here and use Autumn’s clothes.-Will’. After finishing my breakfast I followed Will’s note and took a shower. I picked out a light blue tee and black Nike shorts from Autumn’s drawer, I had no motivation to get dress any fancier. With my hair still damp in a braid, I headed out the door and walked toward the park to get my truck. From a distance I saw another familiar truck beside mine. When I got to Andrew’s truck I cupped my hands over my eyes and put my face to the window, he wasn’t in there. I looked around me and the park; he was nowhere in sight. “Andrew?” I yelled against the wind, no response. I walked away from the trucks and out to the middle of the parking lot, searching for my best friend. With no luck in the parking lot I went toward the park and looked in every place possible. I had a feeling Andrew was trying to mess with me, but at the same time I had a worried feeling. What if Andrew was really missing? “Andrew this isn’t funny now.” I yelled once again, the wind hitting up against my skin was my only response. I decided to walk back to my truck and look once again. Just as I was about turn around, a big force picked me up and lifted me over their shoulder, I started screaming. “Andrew!” I cried, I could tell it was him by seeing his shoes. Andrew did nothing but laugh and continue to walk faster and faster until he was running. By then my body was bobbing up and down on Andrew’s shoulder. My screams soon turned into a fit of laughter, but I seriously wanted Andrew to put my down. “Andrew. Put. Me. DOWN!” I started kicking, hoping my feet hit him the stomach so he realized I was serious, instead my foot hit him in the face. “Ow!” He yelled in pain, making him stop running and he put me down. Finally being able to be the ground, I saw Andrew holding his hand up to his eye. For some odd reason I found it absolutely hilarious and I started laughing even harder. I soon was laughing so hard that my eyes were watering and I began to snort, this made Andrew’s serious face turn into a smile and he started laughing too. My stomach began getting so tight from laughing I couldn’t stand up straight anymore, I collapsed on the grass in the hardest laughter I think I’d ever had. The sound of Andrew and I’s laughter sounded so perfect together. “I know you find this really funny but seriously I think you gave me a black eye.” Andrew panted, I rolled over to see he was still standing up trying to blink his right eye; I tried my best to calm down my laughter. “Let Dr. Aradia see.” I joked, patting the grass next to me. Slowly he sat down beside me; I sat up and put my legs criss-cross-applesauce. He crossed his legs just like mine and leaned his face in more so I could examine his eye. “Andrew I can’t look at it if it’s shut!” “But it hurts!” I rolled my eyes. “Stop being a baby and open it.” He whined like a little boy, now I knew he was playing around. I got closer to his face and pried his eye open with my hands, it looked completely fine. I patted around his eye to see if face was bruised, he didn’t wince in pain. “Andrew your eye is fine.” “I know, I just wanted mess with you.” I gasped and hit him in the arm. He chuckled, all I could do is stare and smile, he just looked absolute perfect right then and there. Other than Autumn and my family, Andrew is really the only person I can be myself with. He’s the only person I trust, he’s the only person I know that would never leave my side. Andrew caught me staring at him and he slowly stopped laughing. “What?” He smirked, I could feel my face heat up. “Oh nothing.” I said innocently, I looked down at the grass and started pulling it out. If only he knew.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~Aradia~ By the time I arrived at the bakery it was rush hour and it was crowded, just my luck. When I found my uncle I was surprised to know he didn’t even know I was gone and told me to go home. “Are you sure? It seems pretty hectic out there.” I pointed outside of the kitchen at the crowded bakery. “Ya it’s fine, I have enough staff here to cover it. You just go home.” “Alright then if you say so.” Quickly I said goodbye to my uncle and grabbed my things to go home. Although it was very generous of Uncle Kazi to let me go home, it was very odd. Rarely did he allow employees off early, even if it was his own flesh and blood. Right as I walked inside my house my phone buzzed. “Hello?” “Aradia?” Will? “What’s up?” I asked. “You live down the street from the park right?” “Yea why?” “I need you to get down here as fast as you can with an umbrella and towels. Skylar’s been out here for hours now.” I stop heading towards the kitchen and instead I turned around and went upstairs to the bathroom, I told Will I’d be there in five minutes. After grabbing the towels I went to my room and got my umbrella. Before I left I let Imani know what was happening, she promised to let everyone else know where I was. Quickly I hopped in my truck and went down the road, wondering why in the world Skye was outside in this weather. Parking my car in the city park lot I saw two figures huddled against a tree, I ran over. I wrapped Skye in a towel, Will and I got Skye off the ground and started walking. I was considering asking Will if he wanted to use my truck but he didn’t look like he wanted to be bothered so I left it alone. When we got into Will’s house we were bombarded by his parent’s questions, of course Will’s temper made him start yelling, I decided to grab some clothes for Skye. As I got in Autumn’s room I stopped what I was doing. The room looked the same since last time I was in here. Light blue walls with the usual essentials, but there was one thing that made Autumn’s room stand out the most. Amongst the much perfection Autumn had another one of my favorites was her eye for photography. Since I could remember Autumn had been creating a collage of pictures she had taken over the years and putting them on her wall. From friends to random people on the street, it was on Autumn’s wall. Now that I look at it I noticed more familiar faces, such as Noelle, Camille, Skye, but I also noticed many faces I didn’t recognize. Either way, everyone in each picture looked happy; it was amazing how Autumn could capture every single one like that. “Rad where are the clothes?” Will shouted from the steps, quickly I grabbed a pair of sweats and went back down the stairs, forgetting about Autumn’s wall and back to reality.~~Within the next hour Skye was in Will’s room and I was back in Autumn’s room, I decided to stay in case anything else was needed for Skye. My plan wasn’t to stay in Autumn’s room though, but Will refused to let me be anywhere else, so I knew I had no choice. Sitting on the edge of her bed I just stared at the room, completely in thought. To think a 17 year old average girl, my best friend, Autumn, was in this room living her normal life about 6 months ago, probably not even thinking that she was living the last of her days. Quietly I decided to get under the covers and try my best to fall asleep before I became too paranoid.

fungirl123 @Payton - alright, I'll probably get to that tonight, since rehearsal isn't until seven. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- No, I'm not going to write anything else about Noelle's argument with her mom. So you can go ahead and write about them leaving for the trip. :) That sucks that you don't get a spring break. We always have gotten one here. :p

fungirl123 @Payton - so should I start writing about them leaving for the trip or were you going to write something before that? :) Have fun on spring break! I don't really get a break - just the Friday before Easter and then the day after Easter. Hahah :p

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- That's fine(: I have springbreak all week, so hopefully I can get some writing done in the meantime, but I'm going to be spending a lot of time with my BFF, so idk how much I'll get to. (:

fungirl123 @Payton - awesome posts! :) No school today, so I think I'll finish a few posts. Btw, the musical I'm in opens this weekend, so after that I'll have so much deadspace to write. xD

taylorswiftfan1233 Yes, Noelle and her mom will make up soon, but I think that won't be until after the summer trip. For now Noelle will just be quiet and angry around her. :) ~Noelle~ I stopped short, fishing around in my handbag for cash. Realizing all I had was a cruddy tube of lipstick and my phone, I sank down onto a bench, biting my lip. My original plan had been to take the bus to my Aunt Clarissa’s house. She only lived about two hours away, and she had always been much more understanding than my own mom. She was that cool, advice giving adult that still acted like a teenager. You know, that one cool relative that didn’t make you feel awkward? I blinked back more tears, thinking about my argument with my mom. Was I really that horrible? It was starting to get dark outside, and in the distance, I could hear the wailing of police sirens. Still, I had no intention of going home quite yet. Suddenly, my phone rang. I pulled it out of my bag and glanced at the screen to see who was calling. Seeing it was Jace, I quickly answered. “Hello?” I croaked. “Noelle! Where ARE you?!” he practically yelled, trying to stay calm, “Kenton and I are driving all over town looking for you.” I drew in a sharp breath, slowly shaking my head. “I’m fine where I am.” “Elle, come on! Where are you at?” he demanded. I could hear Kenton’s voice in the background. “Noelle! Tell us where the heck you are! Mom and Dad are freaking out!” he was yelling, and I could hear something being slammed down onto the dashboard of the car. “I-I..please don’t yell,” I whimpered, already on the verge of tears again. “Quit yelling, dude, she’s practically crying,” Jace hissed, forgetting to cover up his phone with his hand so I couldn’t hear. Kenton went silent. “Come on, El, just tell me. You know I love you,” Jace soothed, “Please.” I let out a shaky sigh, pressing a hand to my forehead. “I’m at the bus station,” I admitted reluctantly. I had no money; where would I go, anyway? It was just as well that they picked me up. “She’s at the bus station,” Jace informed Kenton. “What? What’s she doing there? Ask her what she’s doing there!” Kenton yelled, his voice rising once again. I wiped away my tears, repeating my earlier request. “Please stop yelling. I can’t take it right now.” “What are you doing there, Elle?” Jace asked as soon as Kenton had fell silent again. “I was going to go to my aunt’s house a few hours away, but I don’t have any money, so I can’t go anywhere,” I said, feeling slightly guilty at the thought. Here in a few days, I would be leaving on a trip to the mountains with Skye, Aradia, and Camille. What had I planned to do then? Just ditch them? “Alright. We’ll be there in a few minutes. Don’t worry, Noelle,” he said calmly. He hung up, and I was left by myself, staring up at the starry sky. Suddenly, a Mercedes Benz came to a halt in front of me, and I looked up, startled. Jace and Kenton hurried out of it and ran over to me. First Kenton hugged me, eyes flashing. “What did she say?” he demanded angrily, “God, it had to be something really bad if you were going to run away.” “I wasn’t going to run away,” I whispered, hugging him tightly. I pulled back, and then let Jace hug. He was quiet, giving me a passionate kiss on the lips. Finally, I began to speak. “Did she tell you what happened?” I asked quietly. “She said that you dumped your tea all over Lindley because you got mad at her, and then you two got into an argument and you ran off,” Kenton said. “Well...I ran off because she basically told me that I wasn’t good enough. And that it was my fault that Autumn died in that car wreck,” I whispered, running a hand through my now messy hair. Kenton looked like he was about to explode. Like me, he tended to have a hot temper. “She told you that it was your fault?! It was no one’s fault except that stupid drunk driver’s!” he boomed. I fell silent, watching him pace back and forth. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her, Noelle. We used to be so close to her, and now...she just doesn’t care!” he declared. Jace grabbed his shoulder, signaling him to calm down. “It’s okay. It’s no one’s fault that any of this happened. Let’s just get Noelle home,” Jace said. Kenton looked up at me, calming down slightly. “No!” I cried, crossing my arms, “I AM NOT going back home, where she’ll try to apologize, though she won’t mean any of it. I’d rather stay out here all by myself tonight then do that!” There was an incredibly tense silence. Finally, Jace snapped his fingers. “How about you and Kenton just spend the night at my house? Then tomorrow, when you feel like it, you can go home? You don’t even have to tell your mom where you’re staying. You can just say you found Noelle and that she’s safe, and of course that you’ll be home later. That way, she won’t come over to my place and pester Elle. What do you think?” he asked. Kenton nodded, and I smiled, wrapping my arms around Jace’s neck. “I think that you’re the best boyfriend in the entire world,” I said, pressing my lips to his. He smiled against the kiss, but we heard Kenton groan loudly. “Oh god, no. Save the mushy crap for later, would you?” he asked. We pulled apart, laughing. Jace wiped away a tear of mine with a careful, gentle finger, a smile bright on his face. “Let’s go then.”

taylorswiftfan1233 (Continued from my last post!) ~Noelle~ I knew that it would only be a matter of seconds before my mom came running out the door, ready to give me a long lecture on controlling my anger and being nice, and of course dishing out the proper grounding. What I wasn’t expecting though was what happened next. I felt a warm hand grab my shoulder, perfectly manicured fingers digging down into my skin. Someone yanked me around, and my eyes went wide as I found myself face to face with my mom. To say that she looked angry was a massive understatement; if looks could kill, I would be dead. “What do you think you’re doing?!” she hissed. “Leaving this place,” I said, somehow managing to compose myself. I jutted my chin towards the tall building behind my mother’s slim figure, and I saw her eyes flash. “Noelle Jane Penner, I asked you to do ONE nice thing for me, and you just go and blow it! Abigail is one of the head people at my office, and she could have me fired with a snap of her fingers!” She was trying her hardest to keep her voice low, but it was rising with every word she breathed. “You and your brother are such ungrateful little brats,” she went on, stomping her foot down on the pavement. Her high heels made a loud clacking sound. For some reason, I felt the sudden urge to defend my older brother. “Don’t you dare drag Kenton into this. He’s done nothing!” I cried, crossing my arms. To my complete surprise, my mom let out a rude, barking laugh. “I honestly have no idea how your father puts up with you all the time, Noelle. We’ve given you everything; a fancy, shiny car; a huge house that’s practically a mansion; your dream bedroom; all the clothes that you want; a good education...Yet you haven’t thanked us ONCE! I have no idea who you got that from, but it certainly wasn’t me!” I froze, seeing her face twist into the angriest expression I had seen in my entire life. Now, I rarely saw my mom in a bad mood; she was always at her office, or working on a new case. My dad I had seen in a bad mood plenty of times. But he never got this angry, especially over something that my mom didn’t even understand in the first place. “Why can’t you just be like a normal teenage girl? Better yet, why can’t you be more like Lindley?” she snapped coldly. “I don’t WANT to be just like Lindley! God, can’t you see that she’s a total snob?” I asked, crossing my arms in an attempt to seem strong. But inside, I was breaking. All of this pressure was starting to get to me, and I could feel my stomach knotting inside. People were staring at us as they passed, with looks of disgust and amusement. “She is not a snob! She has good manners, maintains perfect grades, and is one of the best players on the soccer team,” Mom said harshly, taking yet another step closer to me. “Why are you defending her? She was the one in there tormenting me! She’s the one that’s been picking on me ever since I started dating Jace,” I yelled. “Then maybe you shouldn’t be dating him,” she yelled back. It was a full out screaming match by this point. Something inside both of us had snapped, and whatever it was wasn’t pretty at all. “So what do you want me to do, just break up with him?!” “Maybe. I mean, you can’t even keep your friends! What makes you think you’re mature enough to have a boyfriend?” she shrieked. “I have plenty of friends. There’s Camille, Skylar, Aradia, Will-” “I’m surprised Will even wants to be your friend,” she hissed, cutting me off. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. What was she going to throw at me this time? “Oh, I don’t know, just the fact that you treated Autumn like dirt right before she died! In fact, I’m surprised that that family would want ANYTHING to do with you,” she said, pointing a finger at me. “I apologized to her, okay? And I still regret it all. But there’s nothing I can do about it anymore,” I said, my voice shaking. But there was no stopping my mom; she obviously wasn’t realizing how much she was hurting me. “Did you even ever fully forgive her? Or was it all a big, fat lie? Maybe her car accident was your fault,” she said, rolling her eyes in annoyance. Part of me knew that she was just trying to use things against me because she wanted to blame me for what had happened. But I still felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my heart, and I stepped back quickly, tears burning my eyes. “Wow. Thank you. Thanks so, so much,” I said sarcastically, my voice shaking. Her shoulders sagged as tears began to cascade freely down my face. I shook my head, glaring at her through the hot tears. “You know, when Autumn first died, I realized that I hadn’t ever really forgiven her. And I’ve been carrying that guilt since. I thought that you of all people would understand and be there with me through it all. I mean, you’re my mom for God’s sake. But of course not,” I laughed bitterly at that last part, “You’re fake. You’ve NEVER been there for me. You make up lies about everything by telling people that we’re practically the best of friends. They don’t even know how untrue that is. When I was little, and you used to go off to work all the time, I would sit there, waiting for you to get back so we could play together. Just you, me, Kenton, and Dad. Like we used to, you know? But that never happened, and by every year that flew by, I realized how stupid I was. Why would you ever want to spend time with your own kids?” Obviously hurt, she began to speak. “Elle, I-” “You know what?” I asked, raising up a hand to stop her, “Just forget it. Forget about this and go back to your stupid job. And even better yet, go ahead and forget that I’m your daughter, since that’s obviously what you want.” I spun around on my heel and began to run in that stupid, party dress and heels. “Noelle!” she cried, “Come back! I love you!” How did that Taylor Swift song go? Words how little they mean when they’re a little too late...yeah, something like that. Instead in my case, it wasn’t about my love life. It was about my pathetic excuse of a mother that seemed to love bringing me down lately.

fungirl123 @Payton - thank you! ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Awesome post! :) @Robbi- Fabulous post! :D Good luck with track and managing your schedule. I know how hard that can be, so just post whenever you have the time. <3

fungirl123 @Robbi - awesome post!! <3 <3 Good luck with your schedule and post when you get time. ^.^

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Hey girls, so sorry I haven’t been on. Track season has now started and now I’m busier than ever. Also finals are this week along with Spring Break after that so I really don’t know how often I will be on. But don’t worry about me..I’ll catch up some time ;). You two just keep on going with your awesome posts! (: Sorry if my last post was choppy and had some grammar mistakes, I was kinda in a hurry when writing it. Hope you two are doing okay!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~Aradia~“So Brittany told you everything?” Andrew asked as he slid in the chair next to me, I slowly nodded my head. My hands tightly gripped around the cup of water Andrew had given me, I had finally calmed down enough to tell Andrew what happened at the bakery, he sighed in relief. “I really honestly was telling you the truth Rae.” “I know that now,” I still didn’t have the courage to look at Andrew for more than five seconds, I didn’t know why, but I just couldn’t. “I’m just really sorry for not believing you the first time.” “It’s okay, I know you were just mad.” I nodded my head solemnly, trying my best to fight back tears. “I just..I just want to forget this ever happened.” I whispered. “Me too, let’s just forget about it, pretend it never happened.” “Deal.” I replied, suddenly the burning in the back of my throat to cry even more went away. “Oh gosh I probably look like a zombie right now.” Wiping my tear-stained face I started chuckling. “You look fine Rae.” I looked up and glared at him, he then started laughing with me. That’s the thing about Andrew and I, we could only be serious for so long without going into a laughing fest. When we finally stopped laughing I decided to ask Andrew how his summer was going. “So what have you been doing this summer?” I asked eagerly, Andrew looked hesitant. “Well, I volunteered at the Y to be a coach at some youth basketball camps, turned in some college applications, other than that nothing much. You?” His gree eyes were looking straight into mine, making me look down and trace the ring of water my cup left on the table. “Umm I turned in some college applications too. I’ve also worked down at the bakery for some extra money, that’s about it. Oh well my parents are in town too.” I decided not to bring up what happen to Skye, I just didn’t need another emotional rollercoaster of tears to start forming again. “Really? Wow, how are they?” “Pretty good.” “That’s good.” “Yeah.” Suddenly Andrew’s phone buzzed, he picked it up and started texting. As he was I couldn’t help but stare at him. The concentration on his face made me smile; he was just too handsome. “Well hey I better get going.” I said as I was getting up, Andrew put his phone back down. “Aw really?” He smirked, I rolled my eyes. “I know, you’ll miss me. You’re just going to have to deal with it.” I said sarcastically as I was walking to the front door. “I know, I might not survive.” “Hmm, man. It was nice knowing you then.” Andrew then let out a laugh, by then we were at the door. Andrew opened it, but I didn’t go out. Instead I stared at the yard. “Do you remember that one time we decided to have our own car wash when were 9?” I asked Andrew, he then too looked at the yard and smiled. “Ya I do. We thought we were really making some money with a dollar per car.” I giggled. “Yep. Until your pesky neighbor Josh came over and started making fun of Autumn,” “And then you throw a sponge at him and instead of hitting him you hit one of our customers.” “Oh yeah, I’d never heard an old man cuss so much in my life.” Andrew and I started laughing again. “No kidding.” With my head leaning on the side of the door I looked at the yard again, I then felt so old. Just one more year until I will be walking across the stage receiving my diploma and then I’ll be leaving this town. I then rested my gaze onto Andrew who was in daze. I wonder where he would be in a year. Would he be the same? Would he and I still be friends? Where would he be going after high school? I couldn’t imagine not having Andrew in my life. He then turned and started staring at me too, I couldn’t help but smile. “Aradia you literally don’t know how much I missed you this summer.” The way he looked at me made me know he was serious; I felt my eyes filling up with tears again. Before he could see I started crying I gave him another hug. “I missed you too.” I said into his shirt. When I let go I tried my best to wipe away tears without him noticing. “Oh Rae I didn’t mean to-“ “It’s okay, these are happy tears.” “Oh.” I chuckled. To my surprise I looked down and realized I was holding Andrew’s hand, my face started heating up. “Well I really should go now, before my uncle realizes I’m gone and has a panic attack.” “Okay.” As much as I didn’t want to let go of Andrew’s hand I gave it a tight squeeze and let it go as I started going down the patio steps. Before going down the driveway I looked up at his house one more time, Andrew was still at the door, I waved goodbye. Going down the road back to the bakery I exhaled in relief, that went better than I thought.

fungirl123 Sorry, I know I said I would get this up last night, but my friend called to say she was back in town for the night, so I was hanging out with her. But here you go! ~Skylar~ My heart still pounded as I walked back to my dressing room. Sweat beaded down my spine. I shoved open the door and took a deep breath. But then I turned on the light and nearly stumbled back in surprise. There, splashed about on my walls and the edges of my makeup mirror, were small notes and photos. On my sofa roses were scattered about and on the coffee table sat a large basket full of what looked like a lot of candy and more flowers, and next to that was a bouquet of multi-colored daisies. I soon realized that I was holding my breath and slowly released it. My eyes fell on the many notes posted throughout the room. The photos were all of me as a little girl and my mother. There were a few of me when I looked to be no older than five or six years old. A few more were of me dancing when I’d first begun in elementary school. But nearly all of them were of my mother and me. Now I knew who’d done this. My heart leapt into my throat. I walked to basket sitting on the table, because a white envelope sat atop a silver box with a cream-colored satin ribbon wrapped around it. I opened the letter and looked down at the curly handwriting. ~Dear Skylar, I know this is a lot. But I would like you to know that I never forgot about you. I needed to leave town for a little while to spend time with my aunt, who has been fighting cancer. But I also left to figure out what I was going to do to get you and Damon back in my life. He called to tell me you had fallen into a deep depression for a few weeks, so I thought the only way to get YOU back was to do all this. You’re amazing, Skylar. I never forgot about you. Please forgive me for what I’ve done to you. I know what you went through. If you don’t want me back in your life, that’s okay. I just want you to know that you’re loved and I will never overlook you. You’re important. Never forget that. If you ever want to see me, just call. I want to see you. All my love, Evelyn Winters~ I felt a tear run down my cheek. I couldn’t believe she’d done all this for me. A tear fell onto the bottom of the paper, and my eyes landed on a white check taped to the bottom…for a thousand dollars. I gasped. And of course, below that was a small note. “This is not pity money. It’s to show that I care about you and your future. Go places with your life with this money.” I cupped a hand over my mouth, just as the sobs escaped me. She DID care. I let the letter fall the floor as I reached for the small box. I lifted the lid to see a shining silver necklace with the letters spelling ‘dance’. It touched my finger to the beautiful translucent jewels throughout it. I fell onto the sofa as the sobs racked through my body. I couldn’t believe all of this. Behind me, I heard the door swing open. “Skye, great jo—Whoa…” It was Noelle. “What is all this?” That was Aradia. I looked up at them, trying to hide my excessive crying. “What happened?” Aradia exclaimed, running to my side, “Why are you crying?” I shook my head. “My mother…,” was all I managed to get out. “She did this?” Noelle asked, looking around at the room. I nodded. We were all silent for a bit as I just cried and Aradia and Noelle tried to calm me down. And finally, my crying slowed and I was able to speak. “What are you going to do?” Noelle asked, coming to my other side. I shrugged. “I don’t know.” “You should call her. Talk to her,” Aradia suggested. “I will. I know I will. I just don’t know what to do about it right now,” I said, wiping away the rest of my tears. Thank God all this eyeliner and mascara was waterproof. Kristin had done it that way in case I started sweating. Still, I probably looked atrocious. “No one’s forcing you to do it any time soon,” Aradia said softly. Just then, the door opened once again to reveal Damon, Alice and Cord. They all froze in place as they took in the scenery of the room. “Evelyn did this,” Damon whispered. I nodded faintly. He gave only a weak smile, though I could see the tears glistening in his eyes.

fungirl123 @Payton - thanks! :) I'm writing some more tonight.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post!(:

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I was in a state that I never wanted to leave. My long, flowing pale pink dress went to my lower shins. Around the middle, I had a satin white ribbon and on my feet I wore my pink slippers. My hair was tied into a braided bun on the top of my head, wisps of hair purposely falling to the sides of my head. “Ready for your makeup?” the stylist/makeup artist named Kristin asked, coming back into the room with her freshly-washed brushes. “Yeah,” I answered, reluctantly sitting back in the makeup chair. I closed my eyes and felt the wet liquid eyeliner applicator touch my eyelash-line. I allowed myself some time to think about my performance in less than an hour. The stage was bigger than anything I’d ever danced. The Pacific Grove Opera House had been made bigger since last year’s show – which I hadn’t even performed in – and I hadn’t even seen it yet. Kristin was finished with my makeup soon. It was composed of sheer eye shadow and eyeliner, a lot of blush for the stage lights, and crimson red lipstick. I glanced at the clock on my phone and saw I had less than fifteen minutes until I performed my solo routine. Then afterward I would come back to change outfits for my dance with Will, which was six dancers after my solo. “Better go warm up,” I said to Kristin, rising from my makeup chair. “Good luck,” she called as I glided out the door. I made my way through the many dancers talking nervously with their friends in the hallways. I stretched out on the warm-up bar left for us until I heard a familiar voice behind me. I let my foot, which I’d been holding up by my ear, fall back to the side of my other foot. “Wow, you look really pretty tonight, Skye,” Katie said, looking me up and down. There wasn’t even a bit of sarcasm in her voice. Usually she was only nice to me when Will was around. “Uh, thanks. You do, too,” I complimented, looking at her shimmery black dress and curly white-blonde hair. “How much longer until you go on?” she asked, glancing behind me at the stage. She was actually smiling at me. And Will wasn’t anywhere near us. “There are two more dancers before me,” I stated blankly. “Okay, so I have enough time to talk to you real quick,” Katie said. Oh no. This was when she was going to go all mean-girl on me, telling me how I’d better break up with Will or else she’d find a way to make me sorry. “So…you and Will are dating?” she asked. I gulped uncertainly, but nodded. “Okay. I just need to get this out. I’m sorry for being mean to you all these years,” she said, as if coming up with her words as they were spilling from her mouth. And that wasn’t the sentence I’d been expecting. She cleared her throat and continued. “It’s just that...Will was always giving you more attention. And…I don’t know…it made me mad that you were this shy little girl and I was outgoing and talkative…but you got more attention from him. But I’m sorry for all the dirty looks and mean comments,” Katie said, “I didn’t realize they would actually affect you that much.” I looked down at my feet. “Oh,” I managed to mumble. “But I’m happy for you, Skylar. I’m happy that…you’re happy,” she said, giving me a friendly light shove on the shoulder. I stumbled back a little bit, mostly out of shock that this girl was actually being nice to me. “Good luck. You really deserve your solo,” Katie said, smiling brightly at me. “Good luck with yours, too,” I said, then with the biggest smile I could muster, I turned on my heel and walked away. But as I was walking toward Will’s dressing room, I let out a small squeal as two arms wrapped tightly around my mid-section. “Shh,” a laughing voice told me. “Will!” I cried out in a whisper, “Don’t do that!” He laughed as I turned to face him. “Don’t be so tense. I like you better when you’re loose,” he said, “Not that you’re still not adorable when you get nervous.” I let the smile creep onto my lips. “I just want to get this over with. There are like a thousand people out there,” I said, gulping. Just saying that aloud made me feel sick. Of course, this was one of the best dance studios around, so a lot of people came to see this annual show. But I’d never performed alone! Ever. “Whitefield!” I heard my name over the intercom. “Skylar Whitefield on deck.” I took a deep breath. “I would kiss you right now, but I don’t want to mess up your makeup,” Will said, pulling me closer to him. His first dance of the night was our duo, so he was already dressed in his black outfit and had his makeup put on. “Afterward,” I sighed. “I’ll walk you to the curtain,” he said, taking my hand in his. Slowly, we walked closer to the stage, where one of the younger dance groups was finishing up. As they walked off the stage, my heartbeat sped up and my stomach lurched to my throat. There were so many people sitting out there, waiting for my dance. “I love you Skye,” Will said, hugging me one last time. “You’re the best dancer here. Just let go of everything and remember what this is about,” he said, then kissed my forehead. I took a deep breath, and glided out into the stage lights. I kept my eyes down in order to keep from blinding myself. The faces in the crowd were nothing but black figures. I turned around for my beginning pose and waited for the music to start. When it did, I turned with a jump, going with the dramatic beat of the music. Then it was all like a flash of jumping and leaping and pausing and spinning. It was like my body was made to do this dance. Like I was mdae TO dance. Because in what seemed like a second, I was standing still in front of the applauding crowd. There was shouting and whistling and clapping as I slowly moved toward the curtains, where familiar faces were materializing. “You did it!” Will cried out, grabbing me by the shoulders, “I told you you could!”

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Um...I don't think I'll have time, actually. So you can go ahead if you'd like to! :D

fungirl123 @Payton - great post! :) Also, were you going to write about the girls meeting at a restaurant or should I go on?

taylorswiftfan1233 Oops, I just realized that I changed Lindley's name to Lindsay.. Oh well. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 I know that this is short and not very good, but I promise I'll write more as soon as I can. :) ~Noelle~ (Outfit: http://www.polyvore.com/tea_time/set?id=72867180) I couldn’t believe that I had let my mom talk me into going to some stupid tea party type thing with her. I knew that I was going to regret it as soon as she had went out and bought me a new dress and heels. Though I did look pretty... “Noelle, are you ready?” Mom called, her voice floating up the stairs. “Yeah, I’m coming!” I replied, turning and hurrying out of my bedroom. I ran down the stairs, and then stopped when I got to the living room. “You look pretty, today, Elle,” she cooed, giving me a smile. “Um...thanks,” I said, suddenly feeling even more awkward. “Let’s go, shall we?” she said brightly. I nodded, and she led me out the door and to her car. The entire way there, I was quiet, listening to her talk excitedly about how much fun this was going to be. Yeah...right. As if something like sitting and drinking tea could be fun. I almost burst out laughing at the idea of it. When we pulled up the the fancy place that held tea parties and fed you fancy foods and made you use your manners, we went inside. I barely listened as my mom talked to the woman at the front. She led us to our table, where a plump, brown-haired woman in her mid forties sat in a chair, her back to us. “Hello, Abigail!” Mom said cheerfully, a smile lighting up her face as she slid into the seat across from her. “Hello, Denise,” the woman said in return, beaming. Reluctantly, I sat down beside my mom, fiddling with the black, heart shaped necklace that rested around my neck. “Where’s your daughter?” Mom asked. “She ran to the bathroom. She’ll be back soon,” Abigail answered. Then she turned to me. “You must be Noelle. Your mother has told me so much about you,” she said with a bright smile. “Really?” I asked skeptically, “That’s a shocker.” Mom’s smile vanished, and she looked down at her hands for a moment. “How is that a shocker, dear?” Abigail asked, “Your mother and you are very close from what I hear. You do things together all the time, after all!” I turned to my mother, my eyes narrowing. “Are you serious?” I hissed. She had been lying to Abigail, this poor, nice woman, and telling her that we were really close. What a lie. Suddenly, an all too familiar voice spoke up. “I’m back.” I looked up quickly to see a familiar, dark haired girl sitting in the seat beside Abigail. At once, our eyes met. “Oh. My. God,” Lindsey gasped, her jaw dropping. “What are YOU doing here?!” I cried, my eyes going wide. “This is my daughter, Lindsay as you already know,” Abigail said with a smile. “We heard that you two had a falling out...so...we decided to help you out,” Mom chimed in. They both were smiling like it was a perfectly good idea. “Mom, how could you do this? I told you, I hate Noelle Penner. She stole Jace from me!” Lindsay cried. “You don’t even like him!” I spat, glaring at her. She narrowed her eyes at me, turning away from her mother. “And how would you know that Noelle? Or do you think that just because you have a rich mommy and daddy that you can boss everyone around?” she snapped. “You know that’s not true! If anyone thinks that, it’s you, Lindsay!” I said bitterly. “Girls, girls. Calm down. You have a while to sort this all out. But for now, let’s enjoy our tea and this meal,” my mom said sweetly, picking up her teacup. Abigail nodded in agreement. Lindsay and I glared at her other, our eyes flashing with anger. “Fine,” I managed to say, keeping my voice as level and calm as I could. “Anything for you, Mom,” Lindsay chimed sweetly. * * * * * Less than an hour later, Lindsay and I were arguing once again. About soccer, how much we hated each other, why I didn’t deserve to be on the team, why she didn’t deserve to be on the team. I could tell that my mom was starting to get annoyed. So was Abigail. “Jace only likes you because you’re pretty and could be a model, Noelle!” Lindsay jabbed, her voice rising. I couldn’t take it anymore. She had been taunting me and making me mad for far too long. I stood up, grabbed my tea, and dumped it over her head. She let out a yelp, jumping out of her seat. “OH MY GOD!” she screamed. Heads snapped in our direction, and people began to stare in horror. “Noelle!” Mom cried, placing a hand over her mouth. Abigail’s mother tried to help her, but Lindsay began to cry frantically. “Oh my god, it’s hot. Mom, it burns!” she wailed. I smirked, standing up straight and stomping out the door. She deserved it. Besides, I was NEVER doing my mom a favor again. She always turned it around and told lies. Well, I was sick of it.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- De nada. :) Lol, idk if I spelled that right! AHHH I still can't believe there's no school AGAIN.

fungirl123 @Payton - gracias! ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Fantastic post! :D

fungirl123 Maybe I wrote about Skylar having a phone, but that was a mistake if I did (you’ll see what I’m talking about when you start reading). :p I seriously need to plan out the small details of my story! *facepalm* ~Skylar~ Damon and Alice were standing before me in the kitchen that afternoon when I awoke from my mid-day catnap. “We have something to give you,” Damon said, his voice kind of stern. I gave him a weird look. But then he pulled out something sparkly and pink so quickly I could barely see it. My eyes adjusted, and I realized he was holding my iPhone case…with a phone nestled safely inside. Dr. Perry had suggested after my most recent stay in the hospital that he and Alice hold it until I was mentally stable enough. I wasn’t attached to my cell phone like most other teenagers. I preferred speaking to people in person. But still, it was nice to have a cell phone. I smiled. “Thank you,” I said, taking my cell phone in my hand. “We have rules, though,” Alice said, putting her finger up. I nodded, reluctantly urging her to continue. “No texting after ten o’clock at night, except when it’s needed. We’re not making it automatically shut off at that time, but we’re going by the honor code. And we mean this seriously. Your health – which includes sleeping – is incredibly important at this point,” she said. “I understand,” I sighed, then turned to leave. This was small, but it seemed like such a big step. It was nice things were just getting better, even if I didn’t have a mother in my life. * * * * I didn’t take me long into that day to remember Aradia being at Will’s house the entire night and how friendly she was with me. It had been all too long since I’d spoken to her, or any of Autumn’s old best friends. Not having any of their numbers, I just texted Aradia and asked her to tell all the girls to meet me at The Creamer, a small café on the edge of town. It seemed right to talk to them, now that things were calmed down. Damon pulled up at the little shop on the corner, which shared a red-brick building with a flower shop. I muttered a quick thank you and stood up into the hot summer day, adjusting my light-wash blue denim shorts and my pink tank top. (http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=73241419) “Call me when you’re done,” he said, then pulled away from the curb. The city seemed much more serene than usual this Thursday afternoon. I was hit with a blast of cold air when I stepped inside, sending a shiver down my spine. I looked around me to see if any of the other girls had gotten here already, and my eyes fell on a certain blonde-haired tall person sitting with her back toward me. She wore a black cut-off T-shirt with “Penner” on the back. “Hi, Noelle,” I said, walking toward the table. She looked up, a bit startled, but then gave me a small smile. “Hey,” she greeted as I slid down across from her, “What’s up, Skye?” I shrugged. “I haven’t talked to you guys in awhile. And the last time I did, it wasn’t under the best circumstances,” I said, giving a small laugh. Noelle smiled for a second, but I guess she didn’t find that funny. “Uh…Skylar, this might sound stupid, but do you know that I was the one that found you when…?” She trailed off, and I put my hand up, telling her she didn’t have to go on. It was an uncomfortable phrase for anyone to say. “I didn’t,” I said quietly, resting my chin on my palm on the table. “I came over to talk to you – not knowing what state you were in – and I found you lying in your room,” Noelle said, gulping, “I thought you were dead.” I squeezed my eyes shut. “I’m sorry you had to be the one to do that,” I mumbled, struggling just to get the words out. “Skylar, I’m glad I did, though.” My eyes shot open, and I looked straight at Noelle. That surprised me. “I mean, I doubt anyone else would’ve gone up to your bedroom in the next ten minutes,” she clarified. “Yeah, I get it,” I said, “But that’s not what I should be saying right now. T-Thank you, Noelle. You don’t even know how much I want you to know that.” She gave me a weak smile. “Of course.” “Helllooo, ladies!” exclaimed Camille’s happy voice. Aradia stood next to her, smiling. She slid into the booth next to me Camille did the same next to Noelle. “What’s up?” Camille asked, her voice bubbly, as always. “Nothing much,” I shrugged. The waitress walked over, dressed in a yellow sundress. “What can I get you girls?” she asked. We all ended getting different flavors of iced tea and lemonade, mine being raspberry. “So, what’s happening in all your exciting lives?” Aradia asked. As everyone went around the table catching up on everyone’s current events, I talked about my dance show coming up in a week and a half. It was coming so soon. I could barely believe it. Then, when they were all saying how they’d would definitely be there to watch me, a familiar – although it’d been awhile since we’d seen her as a group – stopped at our table. “Hi, girls. I’m glad I caught you here,” Mrs. Powell smiled, “I was about to call each of you, actually.” We all said our hellos to Autumn’s sweet mother. She pulled up a chair from a neighboring empty table and set a piece of paper on the table. “SUMMER TO-DO LIST,” read the top in bold letters. It was the same curly handwriting that had written “Skye <3’s Autumn” on my hand a million times over the years. “I found this in Autumn’s room,” Mrs. Powell said. She didn’t look sad to be talking about her late daughter. But it’d been over three months since her passing, so I guess everyone could talk freely about the gorgeous and amazing Autumn. “Most of the list is about doing things with the family, but look at the last one,” she said, then handed it to Noelle to read aloud. “’Beg Mom and Dad to let me and Will take our friends up to the mountain house before senior year starts,’” she said, then laughed. Mrs. Powell smiled, knowing we all knew what was on her mind. “That’s a great offer, Mrs. Powell, but it’ll be so different without her with us,” Aradia said. I’d never heard Aradia sound the least bit hesitant about something like this. Camille tilted her head to the side at Aradia, saying, “Come on, she’d want us to.” “I don’t know,” Aradia mumbled, shaking her head, “It was her idea, anyway.” “Yeah, but don’t you think she’d want us to go?” Noelle offered. Aradia cleared her throat. “I guess,” she gave in. “Awesome!” I cried. And just like that, the planning of our trip to the Colorado Mountains began.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- That's totally fine with me! It's not odd at all. :) Today, after I go sledding (which hopefully I do!) then I'll try to write about Noelle going with her mom to tea for a business type thing. :)

fungirl123 I know it's kind of early to write about Skylar's dance show, since she only started rehearsing like a week ago, but IDK what else to write about at the moment, so I hope no one thinks that's odd. :p

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thanks! :) Hope you have fun at your camp! Can't wait to see what ya write after. ^.^

fungirl123 @Payton - awesome post! :) I'll probably be writing tomorrow night, since I have rehearsal from 6 to 9 PM tonight. Fun...right? :\ And then this weekend I have Confirmation church camp, so I won't be updating then.

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ Skye had finally returned home, and according to WIll, was doing much better. I hadn’t spoken much to her since my visit to the hospital. She hadn’t ever thanked me for saving her, but maybe she didn’t know that it had been me. Either way, it didn’t matter anymore. The point was that she was safe. “Noelle!” my mom cried, her voice shrill. “What?” I yelled back. The door to my bedroom opened, and she came into the room. Today was Saturday, her day off. “Hi, sweetheart,” she greeted, smiling happily. I sat up, pushing a strand of blonde hair out of my eyes. “Hi,” I said blandly. She sat down beside me, and the smalltalk started. “So, how are things going with you and Jace?” she asked sweetly. “Fine. We haven’t gone on a real date though. All we’ve done is play soccer,” I said with a shrug, “But that’s fine with me.” “Why am I not surprised?” she teased. “Um...do you need something?” I asked quickly. “No...well....yes,” she admitted. Her voice was somewhat reluctant. For a few seconds, we sat in silence. I sighed. Why couldn’t she just spit it out? “Well, what is it?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “One of my friends for work invited me to go to tea with her. She’s bringing along her daughter, and she said that she would love to meet you, too. So...would you be interested in going?” Mom asked. I felt a little flicker of anger inside of me, like a fire was about ready to start. Seeing my expression, she quickly rushed on. “I know you and I haven’t done anything in a long time. But this will be a ton of fun, I promise you. One of those mother-daughter type things.” Her tone was pleading, begging...she needed me to say yes. “Yeah, we haven’t done one of those since I was...what...five?” I said bitterly. She sighed, rubbing tiredly at her eyes. It was late, and I could tell that she was tired. I was, too, but I didn’t want to let this go so easily. “Hun, please. You know why. It’s been because of work,” she tried. “Yeah, I know...work,” I said coldly. “Please just think about it tonight and let me know in the morning on what you decide. Okay?” she asked, sounding sad and defeated. I nodded, looking down at my hands. She stood up and walked quietly over to the door. But I didn’t hear it open. Still, I kept my eyes downward. “Noelle,” she said, hesitantly. I looked up at her, seeing the hesitant, unsure look on her face, like she wasn’t sure if she should say what she wanted to. She swallowed, but then gave me a weak smile. “I love you.” And just like that, she was gone, closing the door softly behind her. I stared at it for a moment, a lump rising in my throat. Anger, disbelief, and sadness were crowding my emotions. I couldn’t think or move. I was frozen in place, like a statue, as tears blurred my vision. A few fell down the side of my face, smearing my makeup in the process. I quickly wiped at them furiously, springing up from my bed. I ran down the hall, towards Kenton’s room. Hesitantly, I stood there for a moment. I could hear them clearly, as they were cursing and yelling at whatever game they were playing. Probably Call of Duty or something. But then I knocked. I needed to get my mind off my mother. I could decide what to do later. “Come in!” Kenton called. I slowly opened up the door, poking my head inside. They were so absorbed in their game that they hadn’t even looked up to see who it was. “Hi, guys,” I said, walking farther into the room. “Hey, El. Shut the door, will you?” Kenton said, not looking up. I rolled my eyes, turning on my heel to close the door. He was so annoying sometimes. Jace, on the other hand, looked up eagerly, his face lighting up when his eyes met mine. “Elle!” he greeted, “Hey!” “Hey,” I said with a smile. Then his face turned concerned. “Is something wrong? You look upset,” he noted, concerned boyfriend mode kicking in. “I’m fine,” I said with a weak smile, “Nothing important.” Jace obviously knew I was lying, but he wasn’t about to argue with me. But I knew that he would bring it up later, since he was spending the night. If only he could sneak away from Kenton’s crazy video gaming antics to ask me. “Can I play?” I asked, nodding towards the gaming system. “Grab a controller,” Kenton instructed, looking up at me for the first time. He obviously could tell that something was bothering me, because he said, “You sure you’re okay? You look mad or something.” “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it,” I said, sitting down on a black bean bag chair. Jace tossed me a controller, giving me a light smile. “If you say so,” Kenton said, not wanting to question it any further, “I don’t wanna hear your girl drama crap.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s not ‘girl drama crap’.” “Whatever,” he said, “Let’s play!” And before I knew it, was yelling and cursing at the game along with them, forgetting completely about my mother.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Let me know if I can help ya out! :) Also guys, I'm just letting everyone know that I don't have school tomorrow because we have a really big snow storm coming to Kansas. So if we don't lose power, which I'm hoping we won't cuz it'll be freezing, then I’m going to try to write some more and get it posted! I’ll just have to see what happens though. :)

fungirl123 @Robbi - awh...anything I can do to help? Like do you need topics to write about? <3

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Loved your posts! Sadly I still have WB...ugh :/. Hopefully it will go away soon! @Payton- Okay, can't wait to see your posts! :)

fungirl123 @Payton - thank you! <3 Good luck with your schedule and I can't wait to read what you write. ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Lovely posts! :D After I clean and do my homework, I'm going to try and write, I swear. Tomorrow I can't write because I won't be home until 5:30, so I wanna get it all done tonight. But I promise I'll have something written soon! <3

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ Waking up in my boyfriend’s bed had been a bit startling at first, but then I remembered the events of the night before. Staring at the tree my mother had carved our names into when I was young as the rain pelted me from above. Wondering if Evelyn had really given up on us and was leaving for good this time. It all seemed like a smack in the face. The door opened in front of me, revealing Will dressed in plaid sweatpants and a T-shirt. He smiled, seeing me awake. “I’m guessing you slept okay,” he said, sitting down next to me. I nodded. “You’re bed is exceptionally comfortable,” I commended. “I know right,” he said, “I was going to make breakfast; what would you like?” He clicked his tongue together, awaiting my answer. “Actually, I think I should go home,” I sighed, tucking my face into Will’s chest. “I’ll walk you,” he offered. He stood up and held out his hand for me. My fingers entwined with his and I got up. I glanced at the clock, which told me it was half-past nine in the morning. We walked past Autumn’s old bedroom, where Aradia’s body lay crumpled up on top of the blankets. “She doesn’t look like she’ll be waking up anytime soon,” I joked when she let out a soft snort in her sleep. “Nope,” Will agreed, also looking over into his little sister’s bedroom. Walking to the foyer, he pointed to my blue tennis shoes. “My mom washed the mud off and dried them,” he said. “Is she here? I want to thank her for letting me stay here and doing that for me,” I said, smiling hopefully. But he shook his head with a shrug. “She left for work a few minutes before you woke up, but I’ll tell her when she gets home,” he assured me. I smiled and stepped outside. I ran a hand through my hair, which I hadn’t bothered to brush out. But my house was only a few streets over. It wasn’t too far to walk in bright pink sweatpants and a yellow T-shirt. For awhile, Will and I walked in silence, dodging the puddles that dotted the sidewalks and streets. I knew he was deep in thought. The distant look on his face showed it. Then he finally spoke, his voice almost as soft as a whisper, “What was going through your mind last night?” It caught me by surprise, but I answered after a moment of deliberation. “I didn’t know what I was thinking, to be honest,” I said, “It felt like all that I’d been secretly hoping for was all falling apart.” “Were you having…,” he trailed off, clearing his throat, “Were you having those…thoughts again. You know, about…” I knew what he was thinking immediately. How did I know he would bring that up? “No, I wasn’t having suicidal thoughts. I just felt like I needed to get away for a little bit,” I told him. “Isn’t that what you were thinking two weeks ago, though? That you just needed to stay away for awhile. Up in your roo—“ “That’s different, Will. Totally different. ‘Stay away’ and ‘get away’ are two entirely different phrases. I wanted to stay away from everyone at that time because I was trying to figure out what to do. I thought I wanted to be with Autumn and Luna and my dad NOW. I thought it was where I would be happy,” I said, gulping back the lump forming in my throat. This wasn’t something I liked talking about, even with Dr. Perry. But I continued…because Will deserved some answeres, “Last night, after Damon and I got into that fight, I thought he meant it when he said I shouldn’t come back if I found he was actually right – about my mom not wanting us. And I knew I was eventually going to go somewhere else until things smoothed over, but that tree just seemed like the right place to go at the time.” Will let out a sigh. “Wow,” he murmured, pulling me closer to him. “I know. It’s a lot to take in,” I whispered, leaning into him. We turned onto my street. It was only a four or five-minute walk from here. But I knew he still had questions. “I just care about you so much,” he said, looking ahead, “When I was running to the park, all that was running through my mind was whether or not you were going to try something again. You really freaked me out.” I looked up at him. “Sometimes, I wonder why you – or anyone – would want anything to do with me. I carry so much baggage on my shoulders. Doesn’t it rub off on you?” I asked, closing my eyes. “I’ll be honest,” he sighed, “I love you for you. And maybe if I was more short-tempered, I wouldn’t. But I’m not. And that’s what makes us work.” I couldn’t suppress the smile that I felt working at my lips. It was true. And that was the reason I wasn’t close to everyone around me. There were only a few people who could honestly love me for me. They didn’t care about the fact that I was depressed at one point in my life. So who cares if that only included a few people? I didn’t need anymore than that. And then, as if on cue, we jogged up the front steps of my house and the front door swung open before Will or I even touched the doorknob. Damon had observable dark circles around his green eyes. For the tiniest silver of a second, he just looked at me, but then he pulled me closer to him and embraced me tightly. “I thought I lost you again,” he sobbed. Then he looked at me, the tears streaming down his cheeks. “I promise I won’t do anything like that again. I’m so sorry, Skye.”

fungirl123 @Payton - gracias! :D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Amazing posts! :D

fungirl123 Payton/Robbi – hope you guys don’t care I added Noelle and Aradia in. :p It was kind of spur-of-the-moment. ;) ~Will’s POV~ I jogged up to my bedroom, looking around at the million college-information pamphlets lying around. The college I was headed to in less than two months was Stanford University. Philosophy was my major, and I was aiming at becoming a journalist afterward. Glancing at the clock, I realized it was time to get some sleep. It was ten o’clock now, and I was going jogging tomorrow morning at six AM. I tossed myself onto my bed, pulling out my cell phone. Just as I was about to text Skylar, my cell phone rang with a call. It was Noelle. “Hello?” I answered. “Hey, Will. Is Skylar at your house?” she asked. “Nope,” I replied with a bit of confusion, “Why would you ask that?” “Oh. Her brother called and asked if I knew where she was. Do you know?” Noelle asked. “I dropped her off at her house at six-thirty tonight. I haven’t seen her since then,” I answered, going to my window. It was almost completely pitch-black outside by now. “She’s not with Camille or Aradia, I know that,” Noelle said, “Where else could she be?” Why the hell would she even just run off like that? I asked myself, pulling on my shoes again. “Why did she leave?” I asked, struggling to get on my jacket and stay on the phone with Noelle. “Damon said they got into a fight and she left,” Noelle answered. Then it all clicked. Skylar must’ve told Damon about their mom coming. “Will, I’m scared. What if something happens to her again?” Noelle said, her voice shaking. “I’ll find her, don’t worry. I think I know where she is,” I assured her, jogging down the hallway of my house and out the door, “I’ll call you when I do.” “Where are you going?” I heard my mom call from behind me. “Somewhere,” I shouted, stopping short when I hopped off my porch. Rain pelted me hard. I pulled my hood up and started to run. Skye was probably cold and hungry somewhere. I passed Skylar’s house on the way, but I kept running. The cold rain shot shivers down my spine. My jacket and pants were soaked straight through by now, and God only knows if my cell phone hadn’t already drowned in my pockets. Finally, I stopped at the park. I leapt over the fence and cupped my hands over my eyes, trying to see through the rain. I spotted a tiny figure sitting up in a tree. I jogged toward it, but my foot fell from beneath me on the grass. I stood up, trying to shake off the feeling of mud covering my entire left side. Skylar sat on a thick branch, leaning against the tree trunk. “Skylar!” I shouted. She didn’t respond. “Skye!” I yelled even louder. It was then that I realized her eyes were shut. She had fallen asleep. But in this? Then again, the girl had learned to fall asleep on a street corner with ambulance sirens blaring around her. Skylar’s eyes slowly opened, but she didn’t really look responsive. “Skye, come on!” I cried. She looked down at me. “I can’t go home, Will. I just can’t,” she screamed, her voice shaking. I couldn’t quite tell if she was crying or not in the rain. “Come down. You can come back to my house. You don’t have to go home,” I told her, holding out my hand. She closed her eyes tightly. “Just come down here,” I said again. Reluctantly, she held out her hand. She moved to another branch, but her foot slipped out from under her. She shrieked, but I caught hold of her waist and slowly lowered her down until she was limply in my arms. “I’ll get help,” I whispered in her ear. She was sobbing. I pulled out my cell phone, praying it still worked. Fortunately, it turned on and I dialed a familiar number. “Aradia?” I asked when she answered. “What’s up?” she asked, sounding quite confused. “You live down the street from the park, right?” I asked. “Yep, why?” “I need you to get down here as fast as you can with an umbrella and towels. Skylar’s been out here for hours now,” I told her. “Oh…sure,” she said, “I’ll be five minutes.” I hung up and turned my attention back to Skylar. She was shivering in my hold. I pressed my lips to her forehead. “It’s all going to be okay,” I soothed. “Now, tell me, why did you come out here? And why can’t you go home?” I asked. “I told Damon about my mother. He got mad and I ran out. I went to the hotel my mother was staying at, but she wasn’t there. And Damon won’t let me come home, I know it. I don’t want to see him, either,” she told me through her crying. She pressed her head closer to my chest. I heard a shouting in the distance and turned to see Aradia running through the rain. At least under this tree we had some protection. Aradia stopped above us. “What the hell is going on?” she panted, leaning down and wrapping the towels around Skylar. “We’ll explain later. I just need to get her back to my house,” I ordered. Aradia nodded, helping me get Skye to her feet. She opened the umbrella above us and we began to walk. Skylar was slow, trying her hardest just to stay on her feet. We made it onto the street and gradually back to my porch steps. Stepping into the house, my parents stood up like a zombie had just walked in. “What happened to Skylar?” my mother cried. “Stop asking and start helping, people!” I bellowed, hustling Skye off to my bedroom. “I’ll get some of Autumn’s clothes,” Aradia said, jogging past me toward my little sister’s bedroom. * * * * Twenty minutes later, Skylar was showered and wearing a pair of Autumn’s old sweatpants and a sweatshirt. They were baggy on her small figure, but something. She sipped warm tea with Aradia’s arm wrapped around her. “Yeah, Damon, she’s fine. I’ll bring her back home tomorrow morning,” I told Skylar’s older brother, who sounded like he’d just gotten done crying. “Okay, first thing tomorrow morning,” Damon stated. “Yep. Bye.” We hung up at the same time and I tossed myself onto the couch next to Skylar. She looked weak and weary and frail. “I’m tired,” she murmured, burying her face in my chest adorably. “I bet you are,” I said, kissing the top of her head. “I’ll sleep out on the couch,” I said, standing up to take Skye back to my bedroom. “I’ll sleep on the other couch,” Aradia said, but I stopped her. “No,” I said, putting my arm up to block her way. “Will, I’m not leaving. What if something else—“ “You can sleep in Autumn’s room, Rad. She’d want her friends to be comfortable, anyway,” I cut in, smiling. She bit down on her lip. “Really?” I nodded, and she didn’t hesitate after that. I led Skylar back to my bedroom and laid her down on my bed, pulling the covers up around her. “I love you,” I whispered, grazing my lips over her forehead. “I know,” she murmured tiredly, then slowly drifted off to a peaceful sleep. I stared at her. Her amazingly silky hair and her smooth skin. She looked beautiful even then.

fungirl123 I forgot to add it in the paragraph that her mom comes during the storm, but Evelyn leaves Skylar her address. :) ~Skylar~ I stepped inside of my house, waving goodbye to Will, who had walked me home from the studio. Damon was jogging down the staircase as I walked in, dressed in grey sweatpants and a blue T-shirt. “Damo, I have something to tell you,” I said, dropping my dance class bag beside the front door. His eyebrows twisted together in confusion. “Okay. What’s up?” he wondered, falling into step with me to the family room. I dropped onto the couch, and he leaned against the bookshelf. “Uh, Evelyn came over here last night while you and Alice were—“ “She did what?” he hissed, narrowing his eyes. “She wanted to talk to me, Damon. And I think I needed to hear it,” I stated, gulping back my fear. I really should’ve told him as soon as he’d arrived home, but I was hiding away in Cord’s room as an excuse, telling them I didn’t feel like sleeping in my own room. “You shouldn’t have even let the woman in our house, Skylar – especially while I was gone!” he thundered, throwing his hands in the air. He never got angry this quickly. In fact, he almost never got angry. “You think I was welcoming towards her, Damon? You really think that? I didn’t WANT to talk to her, but I needed to! I needed the answers you never let her give,” I shot back. “She’s crazy, don’t you see that? She’s a crazy drunk woman! I don’t know what goes on in her—“ “She raised us!” I cried, standing from my seat. I didn’t even know why I was defending the woman that had shaped me into a shy, introverted teenage girl after her leaving, but something told me she deserved more of a chance. “Shut up, Skylar! Don’t you ever say that again in my house. She did nothing to help our lives. If you EVER let her back in, she’ll just leave again. And not only that, you won’t have me anymore,” he bellowed, “So there, Skylar! If you want to go risk it and let her back in your life, do it! But forget about me.” I felt the tears burning the back of my eyelids, and I couldn’t even mutter another word. My brother was breaking, but he couldn’t bear to admit it. “Then you’ve got your wish!” I shouted at him, then ran out of the room. I swung open the door, yanking my jacket from the hook and ran out the front door, tears streaming down my cheeks. I continued to run until I was out of sight of my house. “Skye!” I heard Damon’s voice in the distance, but I refused to look back. I continued to walk hastily down my street, which soon led onto Main Street. As I tried to contain my sobs of sadness, I fingered the small piece of paper in my pocket. It was the hotel that Evelyn was staying at. I needed more answers in order to forgive. Just what exactly was I looking for? She’d already me enough. I walked past the many local businesses in my town. It was nearing seven PM by now. How long was Evelyn planning on staying in Pacific Grove. She couldn’t leave yet. Not yet. As I turned a corner, I realized how hungry I was. My stomach was longing for food. But I kept walking. I needed to find the Hotel Windsor. My muscles still ached from the dancing today, and my toes we beginning to blister from my Pointe shoes, but it all seemed to drift away when my eyes landed on the sign for the Hotel Windsor. Then it was all replaced with butterflies. I swung open the shiny glass front door. It was a surprisingly nice hotel, something that Damon would never be able to afford. I made my way to the front desk. “Can I help you?” the clerk asked. “I’m looking for Evelyn Sunderland,” I said, using her maiden name. The female desk clerk click her long nails on her chin, thinking. “I think that was the woman that checked out today. She left less than a half-hour ago,” she told me. My stomach lurched into my throat. This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t be giving up on me. Damon couldn’t win. “Are you sure? Dark hair, fair skin, probably wearing a nude trench coat?” I asked, squeezing my eyes shut. “Yes, she planned on staying for a few more days, but she checked out today,” the clerk stated, “Was it someone important to you, sweetheart?” I shook my head, feeling more tears well up in the back of my eyes. “It was no one. Thank you.” I turned around and ran to the doorway, my body releasing the sobs. Once outside, I collapsed against the brick wall, burying my face in my knees. The moment everything seemed a bit good, it was all falling apart again.

fungirl123 @Payton - yeah, sure! :) Road trip! Thanks, btw. <3

taylorswiftfan1233 Awesome posts, girls!(: @Haley- The mountains idea sounds good to me. Would it be in like Colorado or...?

fungirl123 @Robbi - since you're having WB, I was thinking that Noelle, Aradia, Skye and Camille could have lunch and Skylar apologizes for taking them all for granted when they were there all along. :) Do you want to write about that?

fungirl123 I'm trying to finish another paragraph tonight. :) I really want to finish up Skylar's conflict with her mother. :p

fungirl123 @Robbi - awesome post!! <3

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Ill do another post later...writer's block :/

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive (I was going to post this last night but I got so tired I decided I should probably post this when I was more awake…lol. So glad I did because it had a lot of mistakes! Lol! @Haley thanks! Btw idk where the guys and girls should go to..I’ll have to think of some ideas! I like the idea of the mountains tho!)~*Aradia*~ As bad as it sounded, I didn't visit Skye the rest of the time she was in the hospital, I just couldn't. Just thinking of her in the hospital reminded of last time I was there for both her and Autumn. I did call Damon though to keep up with Skye’s recovery, she was out of the hospital later that week.***Monday morning I decided to take an early shift at the bakery, my mind was yet again reeling. By noon my shift was almost done. As I was cleaning the register up for the next worker, the front door bell rung. Without even look up I began welcoming the customer. "Hi, how may I.." My voice trailed off. The face looking through the display of food was Brittany, she looked up. "O hey Aradia! You work here?" I weakly smiled and shook my head. "No, my uncle owns the place. I decided to help out today." "Oh cool," she shot a sympathetic smile, I could tell how Andrew fell for her. She's practically a teenaged boys’ dream. She had perfect golden blonde hair with sun kissed tan skin and the perfect hourglass figure, nothing I could compete with. "So..could I get the chocolate truffle please?" "Ya sure." Quietly I got the dessert out of the window display, I could feel her eyes on me. While putting the dessert in the bag, I rang up the register. "That'll be $1.95." Brittany gave me the exact amount; in exchange I gave her the bag. "Thanks." She said, I nodded my head as I looked down at the cash register. Instead of her leaving, she didn't move. "Aradia?" "Yeah?" "I'm really sorry about what happen at the party," I gulped hard, she knew. "Oh. Don’t worry about it.” “Don’t worry about it? Aradia what I did was wrong. I was drunk and not mention jealous. It’s just that when Andrew rejected me and then I saw him dancing with you I just thought that maybe if I came onto him he would…” Brittany then trailed off and sighed, I felt a lump in my throat. “I’m so sorry Aradia. I don’t blame you for not forgiving me but just please, don’t blame Andrew, it was none of his fault. He’s a sweetheart, you should be glad you found someone like him, he’s a keeper.” My stomach dropped, Andrew did tell the truth. Brittany left after that, leaving me alone behind the register. Andrew kept telling me the truth and I didn’t believe him. Why did I not believe him? Confusion and anger struck me. I wasn’t mad at Andrew, I wasn’t mad at Brittany (surprisingly), I was mad at myself. I walked out of the bakery and onto the sidewalk, tears falling as I was getting in my truck. When I got inside I just sat for a second, taking everything in. As much as I kept thinking I was okay without Andrew, I wasn’t. He was on my mind every day that passed. Quickly I started down the street, trying my best to calm down so I wouldn’t crash, but it was no use. As I was driving, Andrew and I’s argument kept replaying in my head. “Look in the mirror Rae. You need to feel sorry for yourself to even think I would do that to you.” Waiting at the stoplight I looked at myself in my rearview mirror, tears began falling harder. It was as if the closer we got the more I pushed Andrew away, and it now resulted to this: not having him. I’ve never missed anyone so much in my life. Heart pounding, I pulled up in the driveway; the house looked just the same since last time I was here, which I couldn’t even remember when that was. Turning off the car I got out and I walked up to the porch, barely feeling my legs anymore. The summer clouds were shining but I didn’t feel them, I felt as cold as ice. Anxiously I knocked, no one was coming to the door, I knocked again, still no response. Contemplating whether or not I should leave or go in, I decided to twist the knob and go inside. “Hello?” My voice boomed in the empty foyer, the sound of footsteps started coming down the stairs. Immediately regretting what I just did, I walked as fast as I could to the door but it was no use, the footsteps caught up with me. “Rae?” I squeezed my eyes shut; his voice sounded just the same. Without hesitation I turned around and ran up to Andrew, embracing myself into his chest, completely in sobs. “I’m so sorry.”

fungirl123 @Robbi – good post! <3 <3 ~Skylar~ Pushing through the routine for the third time in one day, I could finally feel my legs beginning to ache from the constant leaps and jumps. But as soon as I ended in my pose, I shouted across the studio to Will, “Play the track again.” But he shook his head. “No way. You need water after that much dance,” he stated sternly. I obeyed, slumping over to my water bottle and hopped up on the countertop. “I just need to get my mind off of everything,” I mumbled, panting from the dance. Will was sitting next to me a moment later, his arm around my shoulders. He’d come to help me rehearse my solo performance, as we’d planned yesterday, but I hadn’t said more than three sentences to him since he’d arrived. “What’s going on?” he asked softly, then kissed my cheek lightly. “You know my mom left when I was young, right?” I asked, leaning my head on his shoulder. He nodded, urging me on. “She showed up last night at my house while Damon and Alice were gone, and I haven’t told either of them yet,” I said, “I know she was trying to make things right, but I was just so angry that she hadn’t done it so many years ago. Wouldn’t you be angry?” He looked over at me. “I would be livid, Skye. But you’re a much more forgiving person than I am. What’s your next move?” I laughed aloud once. “Yeah right, Will. If you were any less forgiving than me, you would hate me as much as your older sister for the accident with Autumn. And the thing with Noelle – if I had never fallen into the depression, I would still hate her for saying those things to me,” I said, sighing. “So what are you going to do about your mom? She’s not going to give up on you, Skye. You know that,” Will said, pulling me closer to him. I put my finger up. “First of all, she’s not my mom. A mom is a casual nickname for people that love each other. She is my mother, and the woman that gave birth to me. Nothing more than that,” I informed, “Oh, and she’ll give up as soon as she realizes I don’t want to be with her.” “Skylar, come on. Be a little more sensitive than that. She also raised you for a long time. You’ve always been an amazing person. Don’t you think your mom—I mean mother—had something to do with that?” he asked, blank-faced. I only shrugged, unable to find a comeback. Will bit his lip. “Let’s try a different approach. Uh…what’s the best thing your mom ever did for you – or with you?” Pressing my lips together uncomfortably, I tried to think about the last great thing Evelyn had done for me. I cleared my throat, then spoke. “Um…We always liked the park here in PG (Author’s Note: That’s how I abbreviated Pacific Grove if you were wondering. We do that to a lot of cities where I live, hahah. :P). They were always so green and luscious in the summer. So one day, it was about dusk, we carved our names into a tree that I would always climb. Then two years later, she left…and I spent nearly every day for a month after just looking at it, wondering why in the world she’d leave. At the time, it was like a vow to carve ‘Skye ♥’s Mommy’ into a tree that would stay there for hundreds of years,” I said, gulping back tears. Will pressed his lips to my cheek. “It’ll be okay,” he whispered, “We’ll get through this together.” I sobbed into his chest, my body shaking. He wrapped his arms around me, whispering soothing things into my ear. “I just want life to be easy for once,” I cried, dabbing some of the tears away with my shirt. He lifted my chin up, and touched his lips to mine for a second. “Never forget the people who were there for you to lift some of the weight off. Damon, Alice, Aradia, Chase, Noelle, Camille…Autumn…,” he told me, looking straight into my eyes. “You,” I whispered, adding his name to the list. He smiled weakly. “We’ve all been hurt at some point in our lives. I know life hasn’t been easy for my family for months now. But my dad always tells me to count my blessings,” Will said, “Skye, you can’t see the stars unless you’ve gone through the darkness. It’ll only get better from here.” I felt another tear run down my cheek. “But how do you know?” I whimpered. “I just do,” he said, then pressed his lips to mine again. “So forgive, Skylar. I know you’ve got it in you. But you won’t let yourself do it unless you let go of everything. Leave the past behind you.” I laid my head on his chest, contemplating how to play out my next moves.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~Aradia~ “Ten minutes, that’s all.” The nurse said to us as we got into Skye’s room, they finally got her to respond. “Thank you nurse.” Damon said, hugging his wife tightly, she nodded her head. On the other side of the room laid Skylar, completely asleep, she looked so peaceful. Needles were injected all up her arm, the sound of her pulse machine going off as well. I looked at Will, he seemed on the verge of tears, I squeezed his shoulder. Suddenly Skye shifted in her bed, turning my gaze toward her, her eyes fluttered open. “Skylar?” Without even thinking, I walked toward her and sat down, all she did was stare. “Wh-what’s going..” She looked so confused and lost; a lump was rising in my throat. “You’re in the hospital.” I croaked, she went silent. Skylar stopped looking at me and her eyes connected with Will’s, I gulped hard. “Hey Skye,” he said, he was trying so hard not to cry. With her best effort she tried to smile back, just looking at them made my heart ache. Soon yet another nurse came in, telling us only 4 visitors at a time, I decided it was time to leave. With Noel and Jace trailing behind me, I hung my head in sorrow, trying so hard not to cry. No words could explain what I just encountered

fungirl123 @Robbi - LOL, I've done that a million times! :p Thanks, btw! <3 Where exactly should the girls and guys go to?

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive LOL I just realized I called you Skylar @Haley! So sorry...I'm tired...lol. My bad! :p

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Hey girls! Sorry I haven’t been on….I was busy these last past weekends and of course school . Then also I’ve been having a lot of writer’s block as well…but I’m hoping that will pass this weekend so I can catch up! @Skylar: I think your idea is a great! Love your post btw!

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ I stood from Damon’s car for the house. After a long day of rehearsal, I was ready for a long shower. My solo routine was a slow lyrical dance that needed a ton of flexibility, which was something I needed to brush up on. It would’ve been easier if Will had been there, but he had his own solo rehearsal that day. I swung open the front door of my house, getting ready to text Will about rehearsal, but then I stopped dead in my tracks. The woman in front of me had dark auburn hair, pale skin, and wore a nude trench coat with black knee-high socks under it. For what seemed like hours, I just stared at the woman standing in my kitchen with Alice. “Why…why is she here?” Damon said. His voice was much more level than the last time we’d seen this woman…at Luna’s funeral. But he still wasn’t happy. Alice froze, biting down on her lip. The woman still hadn’t moved. I didn’t want her to. The fact that my mother was standing in front of me still wasn’t settling in. “I was a few towns over,” she began, “While I was looking at the website for your dance studio-,” she looked at me here, “-I saw your name in your teacher’s blog, so…” “So, what?” Damon shot back, “You thought you could just stop right on by the house after being gone for seven years?” She closed her eyes. “Damon, I know you hate me. You have a full right to. But things were horrible on my part, also,” my mother said. “How?” my older brother asked, “What could possibly be so wrong with your life that you have to leave your child—“ “Damon…?” A small voice came from the foyer. We all twirled around to see Cordero slumping down the staircase, rubbing his tired eyes. He was still wearing his pajamas. “Wh-what’s wrong?” I asked as he came further into the kitchen. “My tummy hurts,” he said, rubbing his stomach. Alice came over and lifted him up into her arms. “Let’s go get some medicine, Cord,” she soothed, rubbing his back. “Cordero…that’s him?” And I was once again reminded of the woman who was standing ten feet away from me. Alice walked faster out of the room. “Look,” Damon said sternly, “I think it’ll be better for all of us if you leave.” She shook her head, though. “No, I’m not leaving yet. You all deserve an explanation as to why I left,” my mother said. Damon rubbed his temples, taking a deep breath. “I’ll make coffee,” he muttered, brushing past her toward the counter. “I’m Evelyn,” she said. She must’ve known I wouldn’t want to call her ‘mom’. I nodded, not moving any closer to her. “You’re a dancer?” Evelyn asked. She looked me top to bottom, from my grey leggings to my black crop-top, which bared nearly my entire stomach. “Yes,” I responded. “I work as a journalist for the LA Times,” she said, as if thinking I cared that much about what she did for a living. “Why are you in Pacific Grove?” I asked. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the perspiration beginning to bead onto my forehead. “I wasn’t. I was in San Francisco visiting my mother and I visited your dance studio’s webs—“ “Why in the world would you be looking at the dance academy’s website? Don’t you people write reviews for movies and stuff?” I asked, my voice appearing much more snappish than intended. But I wasn’t the one who’d been gone for seven years. “My niece – she’s ten years old – is also a dancer. My brother and sister-in-law were looking for a place for her to go for classes,” Evelyn said, her voice lowering, as if realizing I wasn’t going to be friendly. The initial shock was over. Now how else was I supposed to act? Happy that she was finally back? No. She left when I needed her the most. Damon walked over, carrying three cups of coffee. He wore a dark look on his face when he sat down at the dining room table. Evelyn sat down across from him. “I need a shower,” I mumbled, then walked right out of the room. I jogged up the staircase toward my bathroom. For fifteen minutes, I could let everything go as the scalding water pelted my skin repetitively. I could think about the song I was dancing to with Will. It was called ‘Fix You’ by Coldplay. I stepped out of the shower soon enough, the steam rising into the vent. I wrapped a soft towel around my wet body and dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a tank-top. They were from three years ago, but they were the only things that fit at the moment. As I walked slowly down the staircase, running a hand through my damp hair, I remembered who was downstairs. I’d allowed myself enough time to forget about things. Now I needed to face it. I walked into the dining room, but no one was there. Two coffee mugs were half-drank, but the third – mine – was still full. “I told her to leave,” I heard a voice from behind me. I looked around me. Damon was leaning against the doorframe. His lips were turned down, his eyes were wide with despair, and his entire face just looked bleak. I nodded, trying to decide whether I was happy or upset about that. * * * * The rain pelted the roof loudly. I turned up the volume on the TV. I had my arm wrapped around Cord, who was nearly asleep. We were watching Hercules. Damon and Alice were out shopping in the town over, but I’d called and told them to take their time getting home in this storm. I glanced at the clock, which read nine-sixteen PM. This thunderstorm had been raging for nearly an hour now. The weather seemed to be mirroring my mood. I was still thinking over everything that had happened yesterday. Why had my mother left? I never did give her a chance to explain why. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, making me jump. The roads had been deserted all night. Who would be here? My mind suddenly went to the night of Luna’s death. I froze in my seat. This couldn’t happen again. I slowly rose from my seat and went to click off the TV. Wait…why would a burglar be knocking? I turned on a hallway light in the entry hall just as another round of knocking came to the door. I peaked through the translucent curtain at the person on the porch. Their car definitely did not look suspicious…being a Mercedes. It was the same dark red car that had been parked across the street the day before. I went dormant, realizing who was standing on our front steps. I swung open the door. “Evelyn,” I stated. “Skylar,” she replied. Her hair was drenched. “What possessed you to go out in this storm?” I inquired, narrowing my eyes, then straightened up when I saw the smile creep onto the corner of her lips, “Not that I’m concerned for your safety.” She frowned. “I only got to explain my part of the story to Damon yesterday, so I thought you needed to hear it.” I cleared my throat. “Fine. Come in,” I said, then opened the door wider for her to step inside. I led her into the dining room, narrowly avoiding the living room. Cord was still watching Hercules in there…hopefully asleep by now. “Talk,” I said, sitting down in a chair. She dropped her dripping jacket onto the back of a chair before sitting down. “I wasn’t stable enough to care for four children. I wasn’t ready for two twin babies,” she began. “What makes you think you weren’t stable?” I asked, furrowing my eyebrows together, “You raised Damon and me just fine.” She gulped. “I was a drunk—“ “Don’t you DARE make up stories!” I hissed, “You were not. You were fine.” Evelyn looked down at her hands. “You think your father would let me around children while I was like that? I would stay at a friend’s house for days at a time. And then…” She trailed off slowly. “What?” I urged. “I was pregnant again,” she stated, her voice full of hesitance. “Skylar, I couldn’t possibly afford five children. Four was already making it harder to pay for bills,” she stated, looking me dead straight in the eye, “I never told you father. One day while you were at school, I just wrote a note saying I couldn’t be there anymore. It didn’t seem like the best for you other children.” I felt the anger bubbling from my insides. “So that gave you a right to just LEAVE?! I was twelve-years-old. I needed a mother the MOST at that age! You’re a coward…a freaking coward!” I thundered. She nodded. “I know that.” “So what about the kid? Where’s it now? Living a rich life somewhere in Los—“ “It’s dead. She died in a car crash when I was seven months pregnant,” Evelyn said, her voice lowering. “So why didn’t you come back?” I asked. Her bottom lip shook. “It wasn’t what your father wanted—“ “You couldn’t fight for us? I would’ve forgiven you. But, instead, you just decided to take the easy way out?” I bellowed. I could see the tears welling up in Evelyn’s eyes. “Don’t you DARE cry! You’re not the one who’s been to hell and back in the past six years! My dad DIED. I was left with no parent to watch out for me. You couldn’t have come back then?” I shouted, standing from the table. My chair fell back to the floor with a thud. “Please…Skylar…” Evelyn collapsed into a puddle of tears. I stood there, staring at her. She wasn’t one who needed to cry. She wasn’t the one who’d gone through all the pain in her life. “You’re selfish. Now leave,” I ordered. Evelyn looked up at me through her tears, but slowly stood from the table and walked out of the room. Part of me wondered if I’d been too harsh. But did I really deserve all that I’d been through?

fungirl123 @Payton - thanks! :) Can't wait to read what you have to write!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley-Awesome post! I'm going to try to write tonight. :D

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ I rolled out of bed early Thursday morning when my cell phone rang from my bag, which sat all the way across the room. “Hello?” I answered, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “Miss Whitefield,” the called greeted. I stopped mid-stretch when I realized who was calling. “Ms. Caldwell?” I inquired. My dance teacher’s voice was almost unforgettable. No matter how nice she was trying to sound, it always came out a bit harsh. “Yes, this is her,” she said, “I’m calling to ask if you planned on attending rehearsal today. The leads are learning their parts today and tomorrow.” I rand a hand through my hair. “Rehearsal…? Like, for the show?” “Yes, Skylar, for the show,” she replied point-blankly. My jaw dropped. Dancing in the annual show was not something I’d been planning. After all, I hadn’t been to more than three dance classes in nearly three months. “So…are you coming or aren’t you?” Ms. Caldwell urged. I had forgotten for a moment that I was still speaking to her. “Uh, yes,” I stuttered, “Yes, I’m coming.” “I’ll see you in three hours then,” my teacher said, then hung up. My cell phone dropped from my hand. This was my chance. I hadn’t stretched in two months, My balance was probably off, and, most importantly, it’d been way too long since I’d danced at all! * * * * (http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=72166493) I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My dance leotard and skirt were too big on me now, after I’d lost all that weight, so I had to settle with leggings and a crop-top. I tied my hair into a bun and slipped my feet into a pair of tennis shoes. Hopefully, no one had thrown away my Pointe shoes since I’d left. Damon drove me to Caldwell Academy of Dance. As soon as I stepped through the door, I realized how different the place was. It’d been painted again. It used to be a light pink color; now it was dark blue. “Hey, Skye,” I heard someone call. A few girls from my class were walking down toward the girls’ restroom, all dressed in their dance attire. They were all smiling at me. I’d never met any of those girls before. I sent a small wave their way before heading toward my dance studio. Ms. Caldwell stood at the bars, speaking to Will and Katie. I knocked on the door. All three of them looked up suddenly. “Hey,” Will exclaimed, his face lightening up. Katie turned around and grabbed something from one of the cubby holes. “Here are your Pointe shoes. Get them on soon – we’ve got to start as soon as possible,” she called, tossing them into the air. She was actually smiling at me. Katie Hendricks never did that. She was always scowling at me for talking to Will, who everyone knew she had a huge crush on. And everyone was sure they’d end up together someday, since Will was always being so nice to her. The thought made my heart leap to my throat. But I wasn’t here to discuss everyone’s attitude change and love lives. I was here to dance. I dropped to the floor and slipped into my tight pink slippers, tossing my blue tennis shoes to the side. I envied Katie, who still wore her soft purple ballet leo and skirt. As soon as I was ready, apparently so were Will and Katie. “Will and I already choreographed this routine,” she informed me. For some reason, I didn’t really like her talking about her and Will spending time together. Still, I continued to listen. “It’s called ‘Fix You’ and it’s contemporary,” Will began, “It’s about…Well, just helping each other through the crap in life.” “Is it a group routine?” I asked, confused at what he was telling me. Usually, the contemporary dances went to duos or solos. Will shook his head. “Nope. It’s just you and me, Skye.” I couldn’t help but glance at Katie, who was rocking back and forth on her feet like there was nothing confusing being said. Our eyes locked, and she laughed. “Oh, you’re probably wondering why I’m still in the room,” she exclaimed, “I choreographed the routine while you were…gone.” She cleared her throat, then continued, “But I’ll be gone as soon as Will’s got teaching the dance down.” I felt my face grow hotter. “Oh.” * * * * “And, leap!” Katie called out, jumping dramatically into the air in unison with me. I flew into the air, pointing my toes behind me. Will caught me and I stayed in his arms for a moment before I was let go again. We both kicked our legs into the air, following Katie’s instructions from in front of us. Despite all the weeks of not stretching, my legs still felt as loose as they did before. And then in seconds, we were done and I was breathing heavily in Will’s arms. I could feel his heartbeat under my arm, which was wrapped around my bare stomach. “And, we’re done!” Katie exclaimed, standing in front of us. Will let me go, making my arms feel colder again. I liked the feeling of his arms wrapped around me. “Okay, I’ve got to run. My parents want me on time for dinner tonight,” she said, running back to her bag to gather her things, “See you two tomorrow!” And the second the door closed, Will turned to me. “And now that she’s gone…,” he murmured, moving closer to me. His soft lips touched mine softly for a moment, pulling away to look at me. Then again, but with much more love. He pulled me by the waist closer him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, enjoying the feeling of his lips against mine. It was over too quickly, though. I laid my head on his chest, hugging him by the waist. He smelled nice, even after an hour of constant dance. Will rested his chin on my head. “Did you enjoy that?” he asked. I nodded. “Good, because I’d love to kiss you again,” he said. I knew he was smiling. I was speechless. What was there to say to something like that? All these years, I’d only had a crush on Will Powell. Now he was kissing me. “Do you love me, Skylar?” he asked, zero hesitation in his voice. “Yes,” I stated, hugging him tighter. This all seemed like something that should’ve been talked about long ago. “Are you really in love with me, though?” he asked again. I pulled away from him and looked Will straight in the eyes. “Will, you don’t even know how I’m in love with you. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted to be with,” I told him. I rose to the tips on my toes and kissed him again. “Do you love me, Will?” I inquired, my face hovering an inch from his. “Yes.” I pressed my lips against his, running my fingers through his auburn hair, which felt so soft under my fingertips. I felt him lift me from my feet for a moment, still holding me tightly in his grasp. Was this what it felt like to fly?

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Sounds good! :)

fungirl123 @Payton - awesome! :) Where should it be? I was thinking somewhere in the mountains, since it's so far away from everything else. Plus, skiing and snowboarding! ;) What do you think?

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- I love that idea! Let's do that. :D

fungirl123 @Payton/Robbi - I was also thinking that some of the girls could come watch her dance show. :) And then after that, I was wondering if you guys wanted to write about Autumn's mom calling them all and inviting them to go to the Powells' house in [insert place] to get away from the town for awhile. The guys could come too (since Andrew and Will were close to her also, and of course Jace would come just because...). ;) What do you guys think of that idea?

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- I think I will. Thanks! :D

fungirl123 @Payton - well, since the story has already hit the major conflict points, maybe things should just keep getting better for the girls. :) I know you said awhile back that Noelle doesn't have the best relationship with her mother (I think...), so if you haven't repaired their relationship yet, maybe you could do that. :p Just a suggestion!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- I honestly don't know. I've had really bad writer's block for this club lately. :/

fungirl123 So I was wondering what you guys still had planned for your characters - anything important, that is. ^.^ For Skylar, after her dance show, she would be offered a scholarship to a fine arts HS for her senior year. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- No problem! :) And yeah, it is. :p

fungirl123 @Payton - thanks! ^.^ I'll follow you back. One night I just got on Polyvore and in two hours I'd already made like four sets. It's quite addictive.... :p

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! :) I have a Polyvore, too. I'll follow you(:

fungirl123 I’m kind of skipping through Skylar’s recovery since I didn’t really know what to write about concerning that. ~Skylar~ I looked around at the room I’d left four long days ago. Someone must’ve cleaned it. My bed was neatly made with all of my stuffed animals sitting on my pillows, my floor was spotless – even the blood from Luna had been cleaned off – and all of my picture frames and shelves and desk had been dusted off. I dropped my bag from my elbow and sat down on my bed. My body still felt weaker than usual, like my limbs hadn’t moved in two weeks. And I’d lost weight…more than what was healthy. What would life be like now? I missed having a normal life. I missed people treating me normally. Looking out my window, I spotted a little girl on her front lawn. She was dressed in a pink leotard with a purple skirt. Her hair was all done up in a ballerina bun. I sighed, remembering dance class. It’d been two months since I’d been to a studio to rehearse. Ms. Caldwell’s annual dance recital was coming up, where her senior-level dancers were shown off to dance companies and high-end dance schools. Will would be dancing in that, no doubt. And then a million dance agents would flock to him. And unless a miracle appeared, I wouldn’t be dancing in that. By next year, no one would care about me anymore. I would be put back at the junior level and given the easiest routines ever. Distracting me from my thoughts, my cell phone chimed from my back. There was a text from Chase. *I’m headed over to your house now to hang out.* I bit my lip, looking down at my figure. I looked horrible. My hair was sloppily tied into a ponytail and the tank top I was wearing – which at one point had fit me quite well – hung loosely from my shoulders. No one would want to see me like this. I reluctantly stood from my bed and went to my closet. I fingered through the clothes before coming to a pair of pink shorts and a white shirt. I slipped them on just as I heard a pair of feet pounding up the stairs. (Outfit: http://www.polyvore.com/skylar_whitefield/set?id=71290614) “Skylar, you there?” It was Chase. “Come on in,” I said as I straightened out my shirt. The door opened and Chase stepped in. “Hey,” I greeted, sitting down on my desk chair. He tossed himself onto my bed. “When did you get home from the hospital?” he asked. “Like an hour ago,” I said. He sat up. “Do want to go somewhere else?” I furrowed my eyebrow. “Like where?” He shrugged. “Ever since I got home from cross country camp, I’ve liked the outdoors a lot more. Let’s just go for a walk,” Chase suggested. Walking wasn’t exactly the first thing I wanted to do – after all, my legs were still small and frail from the lack of food and exercise – but I hadn’t seen Chase in three weeks, except for the hospital, but that wasn’t a fun time. I stood from my seat and walked out the door with Chase. The sunshine blinded me when we got outside. It was brighter than usual. I walked along with Chase, just enjoying being next to him. “Great day, isn’t it?” I suggested, glancing up at the pretty green trees above us. He smiled. “Yeah, it’s the best day we’ve had this week. It’s been raining nonstop for the past three days,” Chase said, then added a bit more quietly, “The world must be happier that your home.” I clicked my tongue, thinking of a way to respond to that. Then he turned to me. “Do you feel better, Skye?” Chase’s tone had changed and he sounded much more desolate. I bit my lip. “I don’t know yet,” I said, my voice falling to a whisper. Chase didn’t respond immediately. We just walked down the sidewalk, passing a few people walking their dogs. Then he spoke. “What should I be doing in all this?” “Just keep being my friend,” I advised, leaning on his arm. “It’s not like I was ever going to stop,” he said. I could picture the smile on his face. We were both quiet for awhile, just enjoying the world around us. Then we turned onto Autumn’s house’s street. Will jogged out of his house, dressed in light-wash denim shorts and a white T-shirt. “Hey,” he said, glancing over at us as he pulled open the driver’s seat door of his truck. I waved. “I was actually just going to go get something to eat. You guys want to come?” he asked as we got closer. Chase shrugged. “I’m pretty hungry.” I nodded. “Sounds good.” I pulled open the backdoor of his truck and stepped in. We all closed our doors simultaneously. On the radio, an old rock song blared from the speakers. Will blushed, and reached to turn it down. A laugh escaped my lips. “I didn’t know you listened to this kind of stuff,” I giggled. Chase and Will both let out a chuckle. And it was then that I realized I hadn’t been this content with life in a long time. It felt like a new beginning. (NOTE: Yeah, I know, really choppy. I got Writer’s Block right at the beginning, but I felt like I needed to finished it, so that’s what comes of writing when I don’t feel like doing it… :P)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- No problem! <3

fungirl123 @Payton - thank you! <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! ^.^

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ “Skylar?” The voice sounded distant, and echoed in my head. I struggled to open my eyes, but I couldn’t. Everything was dark. My throat felt tight and my body felt dead. “See if she reacts to any music,” I heard another ricochet through my head. I heard a soft piano in the background coming from somewhere. But why couldn’t I just open my eyes? Was this what heaven felt like? Maybe God was trying to wake me. The piano grew louder, followed by the sound of a violin. I recognized it as the song I’d danced to for my last dance show. I felt an even large lump grow in my throat when frustration filled me. Tears formed behind my eyelids. “She’s trying to wake up!” someone’s voice called. And then suddenly, a blinding light broke in front of my eyes. I wanted to break down into tears, but something in my throat made my unable to breathe through my mouth. Grey ceiling tiles formed above me. “Skylar?” I looked over at the nervous voice. I couldn’t move my head, but my eyes spotted two middle-aged women hovering near whatever I was lying on. They wore blue and pink scrubs and had masks over their mouths and noses. The music was gone now. A small beeping had replaced it. “Can you hear me?” one of them asked. I couldn’t move my head. I couldn’t speak. A felt tears of dissatisfaction welling up in my eyes. I tried to move my hand. “She’s there,” another woman said, “She’s back.” And then once again, my heavy eyelids fluttered closed again. * * * * When I awoke again, a lot more people were floating around me. “Skylar?” I could finally move my head the slightest bit, and I saw a girl with heaps of black hair and a tan face sitting next to me. It was Aradia. Whatever had been in my throat was gone now. “Wh-what’s going…” I couldn’t finish out the rest of my sentence. My throat ached. “You’re in the hospital,” she said. I moved my eyes to my other surroundings. Besides the many people staring at me wide-eyed, a heart monitor beeped beside me and million little tubes popped out of my arms. And as my eyes traveled down to my hands, I saw that Will had his arm over the bumper on the bed and his fingers nestled in with him. “Hey, Skye,” he said, his voice as low as a whisper. His eyes looked watery. I smiled a bit, but my lips were dry and cracked and it hurt. It was hard to believe the guy I had had a crush on for my entire life was sitting next to me after I’d almost just died…holding my hand as if I was the most important person in his life. And then suddenly, the bed was moving, buzzing as it did. The top half was slowly moving upward so that I could sit up. “That’s better,” I heard Alice say from near the wall. Who wasn’t here? I laid my head back on the pillow, trying to stifle a yawn. “Okay, everyone,” an unfamiliar woman’s voice rang out. I looked up. “Skylar needs to sleep and eat, so we’re cutting visitors down to three or four at a time.” A part of me died on the inside when everyone began to clear out of the room until it was just Damon, Alice and Will. Cord was apparently being brought over by Alice’s parents at that moment to see me. “When do I get to go home?” I asked, in between bits of my dinner. “A few days,” the nurse, who was checking on my IVs, responded. I had no idea what ‘a few’ meant. Maybe that was just her way of telling me it would be a week. It was quiet in the room up until the nurse closed to the door after her when she left, Alice following behind her and asking a million questions about me. And a second later, Will said he was going to the cafeteria to get something to eat, but that he’d be back in a few minutes. Then Damon came over and sat down next to my bed, a somber expression taking over his face. He was the one person that hadn’t smiled since I’d woken up. “I don’t even know what to think of this,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. I squeezed my eyes shut, leaning back against my bed. All I remembered from that night was swallowing the last pill. The last thing I’d looked at was a photo of Autumn and me at Dad’s cabin in the mountains. I shivered at the thought. How long had I been asleep? Had I hurt myself when I’d fallen? Who took me to the hospital when it happened? All of these questions were going through my head as I stared at my brother. But maybe it was just too early to ask them. “I don’t know what to think about this, either,” I replied, taking a deep breath. “I feel like I should be watching you every single second of the day now, protecting you,” Damon continued, putting his face in his hands. I nodded. “You know this was all me, right?” I asked, trying to catch my older brother’s gaze. “I could’ve helped—“ “I wasn’t letting myself be helped. If I was up to it, I would’ve let Dr. Perry help me. But I…” I felt the tears welling up in my eyes. “Just don’t ever forget how many people showed up to make sure YOU were okay,” Damon said, his eyes weakening. I felt a tear slide down my cheek. “I know,” I whispered, “but how do I know it wasn’t just all out of pity?” He shook his head, wiping his teary eyes. “If it was only out of pity, there wouldn’t have been three girls in the lobby crying for you, and Will and Chase.” I snatched a tissue from the table next to me and dabbed at the tears on my cheeks, the sobs racking my frail body. I had never felt so damn weak in my entire life.

fungirl123 @Robbi - hope you're feeling better today! <3 Great posts :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Thanks!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Amazing posts! :D

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ With the air hitting my face as step into the Emergency Room, I frantically search the waiting area for familiar faces. I found Skye’s family all huddled together, Damon trying to calm down a little boy who was with him. Noelle was across from them, Jace with her, her eyes closed as Jace had her embraced in his arms. Then I saw Will. Will was sitting all alone, staring blankly at a wall, he looked extremely tired. Trying my best not to scare him, I walked up to him and touched his arm, he looked up. With no emotion he looked at me, I gulped hard. Never had I seen Will like this, not even when Autumn died. He gently took a hold of my hand and pulled me down to the seat next to him. “I don’t know what to think Rae,” He whispered as his gaze went back to the wall. “I feel as though it’s my fault she has gotten to this state.” “Will it’s not your fault. Don’t think like that.” I softly spoke back; he put his face in his hands. With my free hand I started rubbing his back; I could tell he was trying his best not to cry in front of me. “Every time I saw her, I got upset at myself, and put my anger out on her. It was never her fault, never.” He softly cried, I nodded my head slowly. “It’s ok Will.” “No it’s not Aradia. If it was, would we be here?” His voiced was a little more raised as his bloodshot eyes looked at me, I looked away. Silence came over us; I could hear the soft cries he was making. “Sorry Aradia, I didn’t mean to blow up on you like that.” Will whispered. “It’s okay, I know you’re just upset—““Excuse me but are you the family of Greenlee Whitefield?” Will and I looked up to see a woman in a pink nursing outfit come up to Damon and his wife, they stood up. “Yes. Is she okay?” Damon immediately asked, his wife hugged him tightly, along with the little boy. “She’s stable, but Dr. Perry is trying to talk to her, we still haven’t had a response.” Noelle was then awake and walking up to the nurse. “So she’s okay?” Noelle asked, her eyes had a twinkle in them, hoping for a little chance Skye was all back to normal. “She’s stable. That could mean a lot of things. For now we’re just happy she’s alive. We’ll let you know if anything else changes.” The nurse walked away, making Damon and his wife sit back down, and Noelle walked back to Jace, tears in her eyes, Will went back to staring at the wall, then he got up. “I’m going to get some air.” He said, letting go of my hand. “Will-“ “I’ll be back.” He retorted, making me close my mouth. He walked out with his hands in balled fists, I sighed.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive *~Aradia~* Plopping my bag on the turf, I unzipped my bag and grabbed my stick, man had it been a while. I decided I’d spend some time on the field, hoping I wasn’t out of too much of shape from lacrosse season. As I was putting my hair up in a bun, I sighed in defeat, I could imagine the game now. Our team sucked at sectionals. 25-50 was the ending score against Brooksville High; I heard it was pretty embarrassing. I wouldn’t be surprised if I get a lot of glares next year from my teammates, but whatever. I wasn’t the one who decided to not let me play, that was Principal Jones fault. Trying to put sectionals off my mind, I kept throwing the ball toward the goal. Of course to my dismay, my aim was off. “Gosh dang it!” I cried; my shots refused to make it in. Did I blame myself? Not really, my head was still reeling from the news I heard from Damon this morning. The happy Skye I knew could not be locked in her room right now, I don’t believe it. I know Autumn’s and Luna’s death were a hard hit, but this hard? Why hadn’t I realized this? One question kept crossing my mind though, what if she was suicidal? She couldn’t be right? Wouldn’t of Dr. Perry realized that by now and make Skye come out? Maybe Skye just needed a break from people, but a month is a long time. Wasn’t it? Out of the blue, the faint sound of my phone goes off, making me jog toward my bag. “Will?” I questioned as I looked at the caller ID, I pushed the green button to pick up his call. “Hey what’s up?” I chirped in the phone, it felt as though it had been eons since I heard from him. “Oh good, you picked up the phone.” His voice sounded raspy and out of breathe, I wondered why. “Are you ok Will?” “No I’m not.” Now I’ve known Will for years, never has he been the type of person to freely talk about his emotions, especially to me. “Skye’s in the hospital Rae, you need come now.” I froze. “Aradia, are you there?” “She didn’t try to kill herself did she?” Will’s end of the line went silent. “Please Rae just—“ I hung up before Will could finished. Grabbing my bag and keys as fast as I could, I ran to my car, throwing my things in the back. My worst thought was true: Skye was indeed suicidal. **Hey girls, I sadly became really sick last night, so I stayed home today. Decided to post, was in the writing mood…;D. Maybe I’ll post more today…idk :p. Sorry if there is any mistakes, my mind is just not catching them as well as usual! Sick brain…:/**

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Great posts! :D

fungirl123 @Robbi - no problemo! ;) <3 Another great post, btw. I'm writing right now. ^.^

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Well I think I’m done writing tonight. I’ve been typing all day literally! Haha…:p

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Thanks, I loved your post too! @Hayley-Aww thank you! Means a lot!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ Cruising around in my truck Wednesday morning, I decided I’d drop by to see Skye, hopefully surprising her. When I rang the doorbell, Damon answered, looking more tired than usual. “Hi Damon, I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Aradia. Is Skylar home?” Instead of answering, he just blankly stared, as if it was taking him a few seconds to register what I just said. He looked up at the staircase to see if anyone was coming. “Do you mind if I speak with you outside?” “No that’s fine.” Damon shut the door behind him and led me to the front lawn. “Skylar has been going through a dark phase lately.” “A dark phase? What are you meaning?” He continued speaking, I bit my lower lip out of nervousness. He told me that Skye had locked herself in her room for over a month now, barely talking to anyone, not to mention barely eating. Damon also included that she had been going to therapy, but now refuses to. I shook my head in disbelief, I couldn’t help but think of how I could’ve prevented this. I hadn’t had a real conversation with Skye since Luna’s funeral, after that I kinda put her on the backburner. “I can’t believe I didn’t know about this.” I whispered, Damon nodded his head, his eyes watering up. “Don’t blame yourself Aradia, it’s nothing you could’ve prevented. Skye’s therapist, Dr. Perry, says that in a few days she could be doing better or,” He started sniffing, my heart felt for him. I couldn’t imagine how hard this has been on him. “Well, thanks for informing about Skye. Could you please let her know that I came to see her, and that I hope she’s okay.” “Will do Aradia. You have a good day.” “You too.” With that, we departed and I walked back to my truck. Staring at my steering wheel, I was still trying to absorb what I just heard. Skye was depressed, deeply depressed. I just can’t imagine what is going through her mind right now. She had seen her best friend die right in front of her eyes, and had seen her little sister helplessly get shot by a man she didn’t even know. Me being my stupid selfish self didn’t even really keep in contact with her, and now she was locked in her room, refusing to let anyone see her. Trying my best not to cry, I prayed to God to help poor Skye. After that, I started up my truck and pulled out of the driveway. That whole day, Skye was on my mind. I just hoped she wouldn’t harm herself in any way.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive *~Aradia~* Holding my sparkler in my hand, I smiled. “Perfect!” Imani said on the other side of the camera as she took the picture, the flash flickered. I moved the sparkler around in the air, making all type of letters and symbols. Even though I was enjoying spending time with my family, I kept thinking about Andrew. It had been a month since I saw him. For once he didn’t even try to call, which surprised me. “Aradia would you help me with this?” Aunt Charice asked from the grill, I put the sparkler in the bucket full of water and went over to her. “Sure.” She handed me a plate full of meat to put on the table. As I placed the plate down, my back pocket buzzed, I reached for my phone. ‘Happy Fourth of July! (:’ it read, it was a text from Noelle. My face turned into a smile as I texted her back the same message. Summer was half way over and I felt as though I was doing much as I was hoping before my last year of high school. All I had really accomplished was sending off some college applications, but I was still unsure of where I wanted to go. Hearing Imani gasp, I looked up from my phone, I blinked my eyes in disbelief. My father was walking down the steps of the back porch, I started running toward him. “Dad!” I screamed as I jumped into his arms, I felt like a little kid again. “My Radiant Rae.” He said as he let go of me, I looked up at him, he looked the same but just a little more aged. He was indeed tan, wearing a blue polo shirt with jean shorts and sneakers on. “I can’t believe you’re here!” Imani squealed behind me, taking her turn to hug him. “You didn’t think we were going to miss Kazi’s cooking on July 4th did you?” He grinned. “Where’s mom?” Imani asked anxiously, he laughed. “In the living room.” She ran up the balcony and into the house to find her, leaving my father and I alone. “So how is my beautiful daughter these days?” He said as he put his arm over my shoulders, I shrugged. “Pretty good, I’ve had better days.” “Hmm I see. Sent any applications in yet?” “Yea. I’ve sent one to CSU, Florida state, Georgetown, and Stanford. I like them all, but I don’t know if I found the right one yet.” “I understand. It all takes time; you’ll find the right one.” “Ya, you’re right.” He smiled as he kissed the top of my forehead. “You better go inside; it’s been awhile since you’ve seen your mother. I need to catch up with my brother.” “Okay.” I walked up the steps and went inside to find my mom in the kitchen with Aunt Charice, laughing at a story. My mother stopped laughing as her eyes landed on me. “Oh my, my Aradia. Look at how much you’ve grown.” Her arms reached out for a hug, and so I did. “Hey mom.” “How have you been darling?” “Okay, and you?” “Good.” I smiled, how much I’ve missed my mother hugs.

fungirl123 @Robbi - well done! <3 I love the emotion you put into writing. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Lovely posts! I can't wait to see what you write next! <3

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ Waking up to the sound of someone knocking on the front door, I groaned. Last night was such a blur when I got home. All I remember was getting my dress off as fast as I could, taking a shower, and then getting in the bed. Squinting from the sunlight coming through the window, I looked at my clock, 9 a.m., I decided I’d get the door. Opening the front door, I regretted not looking through the window first. Concern overcasting his face, Andrew was at the door. “Why are you here Andrew?” I snapped as I step outside on my porch. I quietly shut the door, making sure I didn’t wake anyone else up in the house. “I just came over to see if you were okay, I got your text.” “Oh. Well I’m fine Andrew, just tired that’s all.” “I don’t think that’s all of it,” I rolled my eyes, what a good guess. “You saw what happen with Brittany and I last night didn’t you?” He whispered, I looked down from his gaze and down at my slippers. “Aradia I swear I didn’t kiss her.” “Sure whatever.” “Rae I didn’t, she came up to me and all the sudden her lips were on mine.” “Ok fine cool.” I didn’t want to hear it, just thinking about it made me cringe. “Aradia please listen.” “I am aren’t I?” “You don’t believe me though.” “Why should I?” “Because I’m telling you the truth.” “Sure fine whatever, I believe you.” “No you don’t.” “Wow you’re a good mind reader.” “Aradia stop.” “Stop what?” I looked up and smiled at him, I was enjoying this. “I was honestly just really tired Andrew, if you don’t believe that, then I’m sorry. I could care less if you made out with Brittany.” “I didn’t Rae.” “Okay fine.” “No not ‘okay fine’ obviously you’re mad.” “Did I say that?” “Aradia.” “What?” Andrew was getting irritated by then, putting his hands in his hair. “You know exactly what I mean.” “No I don’t, please explain.” “I came all the way over here to see if you were okay, and you play this mind game on me. Aradia, all I’m asking for is the truth!” “I did say the truth, I was tired, and so I left.” “Oh, of course. Coincidently at the same time Brittany came up to me. God Aradia sometimes I swear..” “You swear what?” I crossed my arms and looked him straight in the eye, prepared. “You just like to make me mad.” I laughed, are you kidding me? “Oh yes, I totally do. Because I’m the one who made out with a person I barely knew.” “See? Your smart alec comments are just asking for it.” “Oh am I smart alec now? At least I don’t take my best friend to a party just to make out with another girl.” “So you think I took you purposely to see Brittany?” “Honestly by the looks of it, yes. You did take me just to see her. You made up all that crap about her asking you to the party just for me to feel sorry for you.” “You think I need sympathy? Look in the mirror Rae. You need to feel sorry for yourself to even think I would do that to you.” “Oh please,” I scoffed, I could feel my face heating up with anger. “You don’t even know what you’re talking about.” “Yes I do. Why would I need to feel sorry about myself when all I’ve done is help you since Autumn died. You haven’t even realized it.” Did he really just bring Autumn into the conversation? “You think I haven’t? That’s low Andrew.” Anger and confusion was shown on Andrew’s face. “Because of you Andrew, you’re all I think about. The way you actually take the time to let me express my feelings to you, no one has done that before. The way you look at me as if you feel the same pain as me, the way you look me in my eyes as if I’m the only person you really care for, I love that. The way you hug me as if everything will be okay, it makes me feel safe. I thought maybe I had a chance, but then Brittany came in the picture and…” Tears were brimming in my eyes, Andrew’s eye softened. “Rae,” He was coming closer, but I stopped him. “Please don’t,” I begged, he backed up. “I feel idiotic enough for confessing this to you, and you’re right, I haven’t realized how much you’ve helped me since losing Autumn. With you making me realize that, I now know I could never deserve you. And with all honesty because of last night, I don’t even want you anymore.” Tears were down my face as I was done, my hand twisted the knob of the door. “Rae I-“ I slammed my front door shut before Andrew could say anymore.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~“I think we need a break.” Andrew yelled over the music, which was playing some Chris Brown song, I nodded my head in agreement, I was out of breath and these shoes were killing me. Grabbing Andrew’s hand he lead me to a less chaotic section of the house and we found a couch. “Thank the Lord for couches!” I yelled as I sprawled over the loveseat, Andrew laughed. “No kidding. Hey I’m thirsty, want anything?” “Nah, I prefer not to drink anything here but water. Who knows, someone could’ve bugged the punch.” “True. I’ll try to find some water, you stay here.” “Okay.” Andrew was swallowed by the crowd in an instant. Tapping my fingers on the loveseat, I looked around me. I definitely could not do this all the time. It was all just too much. Making out wherever I went, girls wearing dresses as short as t-shirts, it was honestly sad. I stood up to see if I saw Noelle, somehow I found her in the crowd next to Jace, she looked bored and upset, poor Elle. I was about to go talk to her when all the sudden her and Jace went in the direction of the balcony, weird. Patiently I went back to the loveseat and waited for Andrew. All of the sudden, nature was calling; I got up to find the bathroom. Through this crowd, it felt impossible to find one, I had to ask somebody. “Hey do you know where the bathroom is?” I asked the girl closest to me, she was a redhead, and looked a tad drunk. “Oh y-ya, down the hallway and to-to the right.” Her breath lingered alcohol, it made me scrunch my nose. “Thanks.” Following her direction, I went down the hallway. Right as I was about to turn the corner, someone caught my eye. Brittany. When I saw who was with her, I gasped. Andrew. They were kissing, correction: making out. Silently I started backing up, making sure they didn’t see me. Back to the crowd swarming around me, I looked for the quickest escape, the front door. When I finally made it out, the cool breeze of the night hit my tear-stained face. I can’t believe it. Andrew, the one who told me he was over Brittany, was now all over her. Soon I was wiping the tears of my face; it was no use in crying. Anger is all I felt. “I’m such a idiot.” I whispered to myself as I pulled out my phone to call Imani. I was done with this party. “Hello?” Imani answered, I tried to sound as if I wasn’t crying. “Hey, could you come pick me up?” “Why, what’s wrong?” “Everything. Please, just come pick me up.” “What’s the address?” I gave her the address; she said she was on her way. After hanging up with her, I decided to text Noelle, letting her know I wasn’t coming home with her. ‘Hey I’m leaving the party early, I just became really exhausted. Don’t worry about me, I’m okay (:! You have a fun time with Jace tho <3!’ Then I texted Andrew, but instead his message was pretty short. ‘Hey I’m going home, tired. Later.’ Sitting on the sidewalk I waited for Imani. I was never so happy to see her Mustang when it pulled up. Getting in the car, Imani shot me a sympathetic look. “Andrew?” I nodded my head, trying my best not to quiver my lip and cry again. All she did was sigh, but she asked no more questions. We went home in dead silence.

fungirl123 @Robbi - wow, awesome posts! <3 <3 <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Awesome posts! :D

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ Just like the first time I tried it on, the dress fit perfectly. (http://www.polyvore.com/party_outfit/set?id=68735530) Instead this time, I was much more nervous. What if I was too over-dressed? What if I trip in these heels and fall flat on my face? What if Andrew doesn’t like the dress? All these thoughts were racing through my mind as I looked at myself in the mirror. Camille did a pretty good job with Noelle and I. Noelle’s hair was in loose curls while mine was in long side braid. As I was just finishing the final touches on my red lipstick, Noelle walked in the bathroom, she looked so different. “You look awesome! If Andrew doesn’t think so, then he’s insane.” I felt my cheeks turning rosy, I smiled. Right as I was about to respond, Camille yelled up the stairs. “Your rides are here!” I froze, Jace and Andrew were here. Before I could look at myself one more time, Noelle grabbed my hand and we were on our way. “Let’s go!” She squealed, Noelle was pulling pretty fast, making me almost fall in my heels, I could tell she was anxious too. “Noelle slow down! You’re going to mess up our hair!” I cried, she slowed down, I laughed. As soon as we got to the front door, she stopped. “You ready?” She grinned, I hesitated. “Yeah, I think so.” “Hey it’s okay. I’m nervous too. But we got this,” “Noelle this isn’t a soccer game. It’s a party that we’re going to with two guys that we just so happen to be in love with.” There I was again, dropping that ‘l’ word. “I know that Aradia.” “Of course,” I laughed, I was laughing out nervousness now. “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.” I said, trying to switch subjects “Alrigghhttt.” Noelle said as she opened the front door. “You girls have fun!” Camille said behind us, I turned around and waved. “Thanks for everything Camille!” And with that, we were out the door.~ Just as I suspected, Jace’s car was parked in the front. Brittany’s house was the neighborhood over so it wouldn’t be a long ride. Noelle went in the passenger seat as I carefully got in the back next to Andrew, making sure I didn’t mess up dress, for once I was being extra careful. When I finally got situated, Andrew spoke. “Whoa.” He said, his eyes looking straight at me, I raised an eyebrow. “What?” I asked. Andrew’s outfit consists of a blue American Eagle button up shirt and jeans, simple, yet hot. “You look…” He trailed off, I became worried. If he didn’t like how I looked, I was considering not even coming out of this car. “Amazing.” He whispered, I smiled. “Really?” “Of course, Rae you don’t even look like yourself!” I silently laughed. “I know.” With that, we arrived at Brittany’s house. I didn’t think it was possible, but the house looked bigger than Noelle’s. From the outside it looked peaceful, but that was the total opposite when you walked inside. Teenagers were everywhere, not a parent in sight. Music was blaring from all directions, I gulped hard. Just as I suspected. By the looks of the girls, our dresses fit right in, so that was positive. I shot Noelle a look; she could tell I was nervous. “We got this.” She said confidently, I smiled weakly. Jace then took Noelle and she disappeared into the crowd, I turned to look at Andrew, who also seemed to be mesmerized by everything. “This truly is the biggest party of the year!” Andrew yelled over the crowd, I nodded. “Hey you okay? You don’t look so good.” “Ya no I’m fine, it’s just, there is a lot of people. I haven’t seen one familiar face yet.” I looked at the crowd of teenagers, it looked chaotic. “Well you have one right here, so there’s no need to worry.” He said, I looked back at him and smiled. Right after that, he took my hand. “Don’t let go or we might get separated.” “Okay.” I replied. Squeezing Andrew’s hand, we went into the crowd, it somehow wasn’t as bad as I suspected. “Would you care to dance my lady?” Andrew grinned, I rolled my eyes, I nodded my head. With that, my mind was lost in the music, not to mention Andrew’s eyes.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~Aradia~ “5 more minutes!” Paige squealed in my ear as the school hallway was packed, I couldn’t help but feel claustrophobic. It was the last 5 minutes of junior year and I was trying to squeeze myself to my locker, with Paige trailing behind me. “Excuse me, excuse me, hello please move!” I yelled across the noisy crowd, it didn’t help much. By the time I got to my locker, there was 2 minutes left. “I can’t believe we’re going to be seniors, it was just like yesterday we were little freshman.” Paige yelled, I nodded as I grabbed my bag and yearbook. When I shut my locker, everyone was counting down. “10, 9, 8, 7…” Paige grabbed my hand and squeezed it; I couldn’t help but get a little excited at the thought of being a senior. Just one more year, one more year until I actually get into the real world. “5, 4, 3…” The crowd was getting louder and louder, Paige and I included. “2…1…” With an instant sound of silence, the final bell rung, the crowd erupted with cheers, I screamed. “SENIORS!” Paige cried, I couldn’t help but laugh. All of the sudden someone picked me up by the waist and spun me around. When they put me down I quickly turned to find out who it was, to my surprise it was Andrew. “Guess who’s a senior now?” He smirked. Even though I was mad at him, every time I saw him smile all those feelings faded. “We are!” Paige screamed, my eyes widened at her, she laughed. “Well I’m going to go and leave you two alone, I’ll talk you later.” Paige winked at me, I hugged her goodbye. “K, later Paige. Have a good summer!” Andrew replied, she waved and walked away, I turned to face Andrew again. He was leaning against a locker, wearing a plain white tee with shorts; I could tell he played football outside by the grass stains on his shirt. Either way, he looked like perfection. “So, how was your day?” He asked, sending his dazzling smile at me, I tried so hard not to blush. “Pretty good, didn’t do much, like most last days. You?” “Good, I was mostly outside with the guys,” ”Cool.” I leaned up on my locker beside him. “So guess what happened today?” He asked suddenly, “What?” “Brittany asked me to be her date tonight.” His words made me wince, ‘her date’ just sounded sickening to me. “Oh,” I said quietly, I was staring at the blank wall in front of me, unable to look at Andrew. It’s amazing how fast the hallways cleared, Andrew and I were practically the last ones in the hallway. “But I turned her down; I realized she isn’t my type.” My head snapped back to Andrew in disbelief, did I hear him right? Not ‘his’ type? This was the best news I heard all day. “I see, sorry to hear about that.” I was trying to sound sympathetic, but I just couldn’t. “Sorry? It’s nothing you could’ve done Rae,” He chuckled as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Besides, I rather go to a party with my best friend then a girl I barely know. I don’t know what I was thinking, I should be the one apologizing more than anything,” We were walking in sync. “I’m sorry Aradia. The fact that you were willing to do this for me is awesome, but no one deserves to be used.” I couldn’t help but smile at my shoes; it felt so good to know he understood. As we walked to my truck, we discussed about more about the party, Andrew seemed a little uneasy. “So you’re picking me up at Noelle’s right?” I searched my glove compartment for my sunglasses, when I found them I put them on. “ Sure. But are you sure you still want to go to this party still?” Andrew asked, I nodded my head in excitement. “Yes!” Andrew sighed and brushed his fingers in his hair, thank gosh I had my sunglasses on or he would’ve probably seen my eyes swoon over what he just did. “Come on Andrew, it will be fun! Just you, me, Noelle, and Jace. We’re all just friends hanging out at the biggest end of the year party there is! You know you want to…” I said in my best persuading tone, his worried face turned into a sly smile. “Ok fine, we’ll go.” “Yes!” I yelled in victory, I closed my door of the truck and started the ignition. “See you at 9 then?” “Deal.” “Alrighty then, see you then!” I exclaimed. With that I pulled out of the school parking for the last time of my junior year. Senior year was starting off on a high note.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive I should be writing tonight! :)

fungirl123 I might write about Skylar waking from the coma today, but maybe I should wait until Robbi writes? :P

taylorswiftfan1233 I just thought I'd let you guys know that I won't be on GL very much until I can get my math grade up. It's really low right now thanks to a few bad assignments, and I'm going to have to be staying after school sometimes. But I'll try to get it up ASAP. Sorry, guys! D: (Btw, I'm posting this to all my writing clubs.)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thank you! <3

fungirl123 @Payton - loved it! <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thank you! <3 <3 I hope what I wrote is okay. Sorry if I messed anything up. :) ~Noelle~ I walked up to Skye’s house. I hadn’t spoken to her in ages, and I felt like I should go visit her. I wasn’t sure if we were friends or not yet, but I still felt as though I should holding up after everything. I rang the doorbell, shifting from foot to foot as I waited for someone to answer the door. The door swung open, and Damon, Skye’s older brother stood before me. My smile faded when I saw his face. Under his eyes were dark circles, and his skin looked paler than usual. “Oh, hi, Noelle,” he said. “Hi,” I said, forcing a smile. “Alice and I were just getting ready to run to the store,” Damon informed me. (@Haley- I know, lame. But I couldn’t think of anything else. Hope this is okay!) Alice stepped up behind him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She also looked incredibly tired. “Oh, I can go then. I just wanted to visit Skye,” I said quickly. “Oh, no! Please stay. I’m sure Skye would love to have a friend here,” Alice pleaded. I hesitated, but then nodded. “Alright. We’ll be back soon. Oh, and Dr. Perry, Skylar’s therapist, will be here soon to check up on her,” Damon added. “Okay, cool,” I said. They smiled at me, letting me inside. “Skye’s up in her room,” Alice informed me. I smiled. They gave me a wave before walking out the door and closing it. I jogged up the stairs, and then walked down the hall to Skye’s bedroom. I knocked on her door. “Skye, it’s Noelle. Damon and Alice let me in,” I called. When I got no answer, I knocked on the door once again. Still no answer. Maybe she was asleep? I turned the doorknob, but the door didn’t open. It was locked. “Skye, are you okay?” I cried, my voice louder. I rapped my knuckles frantically on the wooden door. Silence. Maybe I was overreacting, but something felt completely wrong. I reached up, fingering my long blonde hair for a bobby pin. When I found one, I quickly pulled it out and began to pick the lock. It was a trick I had learned in elementary school. Whenever I wanted to get into Kenton’s room without him knowing to play spy or whatever, something Jace and I often used to do when we were little, I would use a bobby pin or toothpick to open the door. It always worked. The door creaked open. I burst into the room, and my eyes quickly scanned the area. There by the desk in the corner was a limp figure lying on the ground. I gasped, recognizing the red-velvet colored hair fanned out around the figure. It was Skye. Panic and hysteria taking over, I ran over to her body, dropping down to the ground beside her. At once I noticed the empty bottle of pills. I picked it up. The label read in dark, black letters, “Sleeping Pills.” I quickly dropped the bottle again, noticing the pencil lying on the ground. A little farther away was a piece of paper. I snatched it from the ground, my eyes reading the shaky, handwritten letters. I’M SORRY. Obviously it had been written by Skye. Snapping into action, I placed my fingers on the side of her neck. I let out a huge sigh of relief as I felt her slow, but still beating, pulse. But she had taken an entire bottle of sleeping pills. If I didn’t get her to the hospital soon, she’d die. My heart racing, I quickly scooped Skye up in my arms. She was petite and barely weighed anything, so it wasn’t difficult at all. I took one glance at her lifeless face before running at full speed out her bedroom door, down the stairs, out the house, and to my BMW. I laid her in the back, debating whether or not to buckle her up. Realizing that the hospital wasn’t too far away, and that I didn’t have the time, I gently propped her head up on a pillow that had been left in my car from an old camping trip with Autumn. Then, without bothering to buckle my seatbelt either, I quickly drove away. What if she died? I would never forgive myself. As I drove, I reached into my purse with one hand. My fingers landed on my iPhone. I found Will’s name in my contacts and clicked the green call button. Then I pressed the phone to my ear, balancing it there with my shoulder. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as I drove. “Hello?” Will’s voice greeted. “Will!” I gasped, “You have to call Damon and Alice! I would but I don’t have their cell numbers!” “What, what’s going on?” Will asked, sounding confused. “I went over to Skylar’s house and found her passed out in her bedroom. She took a whole bottle of sleeping pills,” I said, my voice trembling. “What?!” Will cried. “Will, please, just call them. And if you know her therapist’s-I think her name is Doctor Perry-number, please call her, too. That way she doesn’t think Skye was kidnapped.” Before he could reply, I hung up. I parked my car in the parking lot of the hospital. I jumped out of my car, opening the door in the back. Skylar’s chest rose up and down slowly. I picked her up once again, kicking the door shut with a slam. Then I ran into the hospital, making sure not to trip. Was it just me, or was her body beginning to seem colder and more lifeless? As soon as I was through the swishing, automatic opening doors, I looked around frantically. “Someone, please help her!” I cried. The woman at the front desk quickly looked up, and the patients waiting in the lobby turned towards me. I raced over to the desk, my heart pounding painfully in my chest. “You have to help her!” I wailed, “Please, do something! I can’t let her die!” Already, I could feel the tears in my eyes. “Ma’am, please calm down,” a nurse said, appearing beside me. She placed a hand on my shoulder. “What’s wrong?” she went on. “S-she t-tried to kill herself. I found her in her bedroom. She took a whole bottle of sleeping pills,” I stuttered. “What’s her name?” the lady at the desk asked. “Skye,” I gasped, “Skylar Whitefield.” (@Haley- Sorry if I totally screwed up the last name. I couldn’t remember what it was, but it seemed like that was what you said. Sorry if I messed it up!) I watched the nurse write something on her clipboard and the lady at the desk type something on her computer. Anger burst through me. Why weren’t they doing anything? “Hello! Do something! She’s DYING! I sped all the way to the hospital and carried her inside for you to help her. SO DO IT! Write all your crap down later. Just help her. NOW!” I yelled, anger taking over my body. The nurse’s head snapped up. All the patients gaped at me. When the nurse just stood there, I glared at her, taking a step closer. I towered over her already; she was short. “NOW!” I shrieked. A doctor ran over, running a hand through his hair. “Miss, is something wrong?” he asked, concerned. “Yes something is wrong you idiot!” I yelled, shoving Skye’s limp figure towards him, “She tried to kill herself. Now freaking help her!” He glanced at me, but then took Skylar out of my arms. “Stretcher, please!” he yelled. At once, two nurses arrived with a stretcher. “Let’s go!” the doctor yelled. And then they were pushing her away, farther and farther into the hospital. “She’ll be okay,” the nurse soothed, turning to face me. I sank down against the hospital lobby’s wall, tears already streaming down my face. What if I was too late? What if she died? I buried my face in my knees, sobbing. I couldn’t stand to lose someone again. And Skye’s family couldn’t, either.

fungirl123 @Payton - amazzzinnggg post!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 Now I'm super excited to see what you write about the Skylar thing! ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 The part where Noelle and Jace admit their feelings was short and not my best, but I was in a rush. Sorry if there are any mistakes, btw! @Haley- I'm writing about Noelle finding Skye passed out right now. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Hey, I hope you don’t mind, but since I feel like I had a lot to write for this club, I’m just skipping the dress shopping part. I’ll make sure to mention it, though! :) ~Noelle~ (Outfit for party:http://www.polyvore.com/live_your_life_have_fun/set?id=68808957) I stood in front of the mirror, stunned that the girl staring back at me was actually me. Aradia had convinced me to buy this dress, just like I had convinced her to buy hers. It wasn’t that I was afraid that I couldn’t pull it off or anything; people always told me that I could pull pretty much anything off. It was just so girly compared to what I normally wore. And I was afraid that Jace would hate it. “You look so pretty,” Camille said, stepping up behind me, “I just know that Jace is going to fall madly in love with you tonight!” “I hope so...I just can’t believe that that’s me, you know?” I said, unable to hide my shock. Instead of wearing something totally sporty, I was in a dress and black pumps. My hair wasn’t pulled up in a ponytail; instead, it was in loose curls. “Well, believe it, girl!” Aradia said cheerfully. I turned around. “You look awesome,” I informed her, “Really, really pretty. If Andrew doesn’t think so, then he’s insane.” Aradia’s cheeks flushed. “Your rides are here!” Camille cried suddenly. “Let’s go!” I exclaimed, grabbing Aradia’s hand and pulling her out my bedroom door. (@Robbi- I wasn’t exactly sure how the girls were supposed to get to the party since they were getting ready with each other. But I just ended up making them carpool together with Jace and Andrew. I hope that’s fine! If not, you can change it!) “Noelle, slow down! You’re going to mess up our hair!” Aradia cried, laughing. I slowed down as soon as we were at the front door. “You ready?” I asked. “Yeah, I think so,” she said, but nervousness was evident in her voice. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m nervous too. But we got this,” I said, giving her a grin. “Noelle, this isn’t a soccer game,” Aradia said, “It’s a party that we’re going to with two guys that we just so happen to be in love with. There’s a difference.” “I know that,” I said, nodding, “Of course.” Aradia laughed again, shaking her head. “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with,” she said. I opened the door, and at once my eyes landed on the shiny Mercedes Benz that belonged to Jace parked in front of our house. Aradia and I walked down the sidewalk. Then we got inside the car, me sliding into the passenger seat beside Jace, and Aradia sitting in the back with Andrew. We had to be with our dates, after all. I barely listened to what Andrew was saying to Aradia. My attention was focused purely on Jace, who looked incredibly hot. “Hey,” Jace greeted, giving me a smile, “You look great.” “Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said with a wink. He laughed, pulling the car away from the curb. As we drove to the party, music poured out of the radio. Aradia and Andrew talked quietly to each other in the back, about some “plan” or something, while Jace and I talked loudly about sports. Finally, we arrived at the party. We walked inside. Music blared and teenagers were going crazy. I turned to Aradia, giving her a confident smile and a thumbs up. “We got this,” I repeated. She gave me a weak smile in return. ***** Nothing was going the way I had hoped. All during the party, Jace had been eyeing other girls the entire time, and even though he talked to me, I didn’t really feel like his date. Finally, I tugged at his arm. He turned, looking down at me with his beautiful brown eyes that made my heart leap. I swallowed hard as I tried to think of a good excuse. “I’m going outside for some fresh air. It’s getting hot in here,” I said quickly. “I’ll go with you,” he said, much to my dismay. I had been hoping to get away from him looking at other girls, but that wouldn’t worked if he came after me. I sighed, but nodded. I couldn’t just tell him no. He grabbed my hand, pulling me through the crowd. As soon as we were outside, I let out a breath of relief. The fresh, cool air felt amazing. “Is something wrong?” Jace asked after a brief silence, “You seem like you’re not having a good time.” “It’s nothing,” I said, shaking my head. Jace grabbed my hand in his. Butterflies began to flutter around in my stomach. “It is too something. Just tell me, Elle. You’re my best friend,” he said. This was it. The moment of truth. “What if...what if I wanted to be more than friends?” I asked. Jace’s hand dropped from mine as shock washed over his face. “Are...are you serious?” he asked. I could feel my face heating up along with the rest of my body. Had I just made a huge mistake in admitting my feelings? Had I just ruined my friendship with him? “You know what...forget I said anything,” I said quickly, taking a step backwards. I turned on my heel and began to walk back into the party, but Jace’s hand shot out and grabbed my arm. He spun me around to face him, and to my complete surprise, his lips crashed into mine. Slowly, my eyes fluttered close. My hand gently ran through his messy, brown hair. And for the next few seconds, I felt like I was in heaven. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that,” he whispered. Then he pressed his lips gently to mine again.

fungirl123 @Robbi - thanks! :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley- Really well written post! Nope I don’t mind that you involved Aradia…I’ll write about that after the party Noelle and Aradia go to…again really good post!

fungirl123 @Payton - thanks; so excited to see what you write! ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! I'll try to write about Noelle finding her soon. :)

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ The entire house was quiet. The cicadas were going crazy outside of my window. There was no going to sleep. I crept out of bed, knowing what I was going to do. I’d heard Dr. Perry get ready to leave, but then she’d told Damon that she would be coming back the next day. She was a live-in therapist. Weird. The bathroom was right across the hall. I went in and opened the cupboard, searching for the leftover sleeping pills. Damon used to take them for his insomnia. I’d printed off the paper from the medical website. “We do not support suicide, but the best way to do it is by pills. There’s no blood to clean up. It’s also the least painful way for family to deal with. And there’s no pain to endure. You’ll just fall asleep.” I didn’t see any pills. The cupboard just had some mouthwash, me and Cord’s toothbrushes, and a box of Curious George-themed Band-Aids. I sighed. They had to be somewhere. I crept out into the hallway again, turning on my dim flashlight. Everyone was asleep now. I walked down the staircase. Walking past the kitchen, I noticed that the expensive knife set Alice and Damon had gotten for a wedding present wasn’t there anymore. I shivered quietly as I made my way to the bathroom. I searched for ten minutes, but I didn’t see the pills there either. The last place to check was Damon and Alice’s bedroom bathroom. They probably had them in there. I took a deep breath as I walked down the hallway to their bedroom. I held in my breath as I turned the doorknob. I turned off my flashlight. I heard the steady breathing of Damon and Alice. Good. They hadn’t heard me come in. Alice’s head rested on Damon’s chest. I could barely look at them. I moved stealthily to their bathroom, which was open. Once there, I turned on my flashlight and closed the door slightly. I opened the cabinet next to the shower. Surely, there stacked in three neat piles, were all the pills the family needed. All of the vitamins, allergy pills, and other things were there. I found the bottle of Damon’s strong sleeping pills. I snatched a bag from the drawer and put five or six of the pills in it. That was how many I needed. Back in my bedroom, I stared at the pills all dumped out on my bed. A bottle of water sat next to me. I tried to drag my eyes away, but I couldn’t do it. I could do it tonight. I could fall asleep and never wake up. But something told me it was too early for that. I left the pills on my bed, and pulled my bright purple comforter from it. I fell asleep on my plush carpeted floor soundly. The night was not dreamless. Pictures of Autumn and Luna flashed in my head. I could feel the tears streaming down my cheeks, but I was asleep and I couldn’t wake up. * * * * I would do it tonight, I ordered myself the next morning. Tonight was best. I refused to speak to Dr. Perry that day. After a long time of knocking on my door and begging to talk to me, she finally gave up. Maybe she just didn’t realize that life would be easier for her after I was gone. She would move onto her next patient who needed more help than I ever did. Damon would be the same way. He would see that having a teenage sister living with him was hard. He didn’t need it. And I would be much happier, right? I would be with the people I love again. Everyone would just be much happier to see that I was finally at peace. I ran a hand through my hair. This was still all so surreal. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down, but I found myself pacing back and forth – and stumbling from my reeling vision – in my bedroom. I felt sick again. The house was very quiet. That is, until I heard the doorbell ring. I stopped pacing. Dr. Perry had a key to the house, and no one else ever visited. Who this could be, I had no idea. I waited for an answer, and soon heard a sweet voice waft up the short staircase. “Hi, I’m Aradia. Is Skylar home?” Oh dear. Damon didn’t answer for a minute. Or maybe he did; I just couldn’t hear him. The door closed again. I went to my window that looked out over the front lawn. I opened the curtains just a crack to look out. I expected to see Aradia getting back in her truck to leave, but instead I saw Damon and Aradia standing out on the front walk, speaking to each other. Aradia was biting on her lower lip, looking more nervous than I’d ever seen her. (@Robbi – I know you didn’t say yes to this, but if you didn’t want Aradia to come, you can just forget about this. :P) I watched them, not even wanting to hear what they were saying. A few minutes later, Aradia went back to her vehicle and drove away. I felt the tears streaming down my cheeks. Crying seemed so regular now. But it felt like it was time now. Something told me I needed to do it. I’d been planning to swallow the pills before I went to sleep, but the pain was eating me alive. I went to my door and turned the lock. I had the key in my desk drawer. The pills still sat on my bed, along with the tall bottle of water. I sat down on the floor next to them. I rubbed my throbbing temples. I couldn’t take this anymore. I stared at my shaking hands for so long. I lost track of time. It went by at full speed. It was now or never. Now. I unscrewed the cap of the water bottle with trembling fingers. I grabbed two of the pills and placed them on the back of my tongue. I took a drink of the water slowly. It hurt my throat to push the large pills down. As soon as they settled, I grabbed another two. Perspiration beaded down my forehead. I stopped after that. I went to my desk and grabbed a pen and paper. My entire body shook as I hurriedly wrote down “I’M SORRY” in bold black letters. Only two pills left. My head throbbed. My body shook. Sweat dripped onto my shoulder. I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed the last two and put them in my mouth. I swallowed them. I waited. It was over. It was over. It was over. I kept repeating it in my head. My life was over. I was just waiting now. Then it finally hit me. I was taking my own life. No. This couldn’t be happening. Tears streamed down my face as I searched for a way to take it all back. I stumbled over to my desk drawer and pulled out a pencil. I used to do this whenever I was sick and just needed to throw up. I stuck the eraser end down my throat. I needed to get those pills out of my stom—Then it was over. My vision was twisted for a moment, and then everything went black. Completely black. * * DREAM * * I was back at Dad’s house in the mountains. It stills snowed outside. I stared out the window until I heard a faint whimpering from behind me. I looked around. There, curled up in a ball, was Autumn and Luna. They were sobbing and crying out loud. I went over to them. “What happened?” I asked, touching their backs. They looked up at me. “I can’t…I can’t believe you…Skylar…,” Autumn blubbered. She kept repeating it. “What…,” I asked, feeling a lump rise to my throat. “I’m sorry,” I told them, sitting down next to them. Luna stuck out one arm and shoved me away. I fell over onto the nude-colored floor. “I’m sorry,” I said again. They seemed like the only words that could make it from my lips. Finally, Luna looked at me. “Look.” She pointed to the wall opposite of us. Another scene was suddenly before us, seeming to take over the entire world. We were at Damon’s house again, looking down from above. A crowd of people sat on fold-up chairs in our living room. A shiny black casket was at the front of the room, closed. In the crowd, I recognized Noelle, Aradia, Camille, Will, Chase, all of the Powell family, Damon, Alice, and Cord. So many others were just there. Some teachers from school. Some neighbors. “Wh-what is this?” I asked. “It’s what your funeral would be like,” Autumn said. “Would be?” I asked. “That doesn’t matter right now,” Luna cut in, “But look, Skye. Look at all of the crying people standing before you. Do they look happy that you’re gone? Do they look joyful that they don’t have a ‘nuisance’ like you around anymore?” I looked again. Everyone WAS crying. “Listen, Skye,” Autumn said, “You were given a good life. I just don’t understand why you would want to leave it.” I stared down at my hands. “Listen to me, Skylar,” Autumn said, her tone serious, “You were blessed with life. With a long life. I know these things. You aren’t meant to die young. Like I told you last time. You have a long life ahead of you. You’re being given a second chance to live it.” She took a deep breath. Then in perfect unison, she and Luna spoke the same thing: “So live your life.”

fungirl123 @Robbi - thanks, and yeah, I noticed that after I saw your post! :p It's a habit of mine to go through a story really quickly. Also, a few days ago, I mentioned that one of the girls could find Skye after she passes out from the pills (and goes into a coma for a few days). Noelle is going to find her, but maybe Aradia could come to visit Skylar, not knowing of her depression, and then Damon/Alice/Dr. Perry has to explain Skylar's condition. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Well, yeah. :P @Robbi- Lol, I just realized that too! Oh well(:

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive You know what I just realize? Kenton and Will had their graduation party way before the girls were out of school, Aradia is now getting out of school, but Skylar is already up to Independence day! Haha our time frames are a little mixed up! Haha no big deal…but I just found that funny…:p lol. @Haley-Really good post! @Payton-Can’t see what you post next! 

fungirl123 @Payton - yeah, that's kind of the goal. :p I'm going to speed it up though and write a lot to get Skylar out of this, since it's no fun to write about a suicidal girl. :\

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! But it was really sad... :/ <'3

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ We began our meeting like usual. Dr. Perry asked me about what had been going on recently, and I just responded tersely with, “I haven’t done anything in the past two weeks.” And then she was silent. We both were quiet, listening to the clock tick on. The woman just sat there, picking at her nail bed. “Okay,” she began finally, “Have you thought about the Five Stages lately?” I closed my eyes. “Can you repeat to me what they were? Maybe you’ve forgotten,” she suggested. I opened my eyes. Closing them made me feel pain. I saw Luna. I saw Autumn. But when they were open, I saw the photo of Luna and me on the wall. I could never win. “Anger…,” I began, hugging my knees to my chest. Dr. Perry nodded. “Bargaining…d-denial, acceptance….and…” I couldn’t seem to stutter out the last word. It pained me so much. “D-Depression.” She nodded again. “It’s good that you know these things. Is there anything you would like to talk about?” I shook my head. “How long will you be here, Dr. Perry?” I asked after a moment of silence. It was what I’d been wondering since she’d first walked up here to speak to me. She shrugged. “You’re my only patient at the moment,” Dr. Perry said. I despised her wording. Why must I be called a patient? Yes, she was a doctor, technically, but that word just rubbed me the wrong way. She continued, “I don’t know how long I should be here, really. However long you need me.” I felt that I wasn’t exactly the one that needed her. Damon and Alice were depending on her much more. “How’s Cordero?” I blurted out, the face of my brother suddenly popping into mind. Dr. Perry opened her mouth, closed it, then spoke, “Alice and Damon enrolled him in a kid’s day camp. They think he needs to be in a happier—I mean with happier children.” I looked down, knowing what she was about to say before she stopped herself. ‘He needs to be in a happier environment.’ Of course. I felt a lump rising to my throat. I was not only affecting my older brother and sister-in-law, but also a child who didn’t deserve to be living in a world full of death. I thought back to what Dr. Perry had told me awhile back. She had said that dying young was in God’s plan. All of the people close to me had died in a horrible way, not peacefully. They’d all endured horrible pain. Daddy had bled to death on a street corner while the paramedics kept trying to fix him. Autumn died on impact. Luna was shot in the chest. How in the world could that be in God’s plan for them? Luna, my father, and Autumn were good people. They deserved a better life than that. I, on the other hand, do not speak to anyone. I don’t like meeting new people and I like to be by myself. So why in the world was it them that had to die? And just like that, I began to cry again. I buried my face in my knees, my body cold and trembling. I didn’t hear Dr. Perry say anything. She only rose from her spot on Luna’s bed. I heard her feet softly and gradually glide across the floor. I felt a blanket on my shoulder seconds later. She hugged me tightly, the red and pink quilt pressing against my skin. “You’ll be okay, Skylar. I promise.” She left the room. I tumbled over and my head hit my pillow. I remained in a curled-up position. “Why…?” I bawled, my feels unraveling out loud. “Why was it them? Why couldn’t it have been someone horrible?” My voice was muffled by my pillow, which was being soaked in tears. “I just want them back. I want to hug Luna again and laugh with Autumn and have fun with Daddy.” I didn’t feel the need to stop the tears. No one could see me. No one cared. I was the biggest nuisance ever in my family. They probably didn’t want me here. I was living a life regular people would be disgusted by. I would never speak normally to a person again or laugh. My life felt like it was coming to a closing. It felt like I would soon die to pain and heartache. I rolled over in my bed. I caught a glimpse of the outside world through a crack in the curtains of my window. The sun was going down now. Children were still out riding their bikes, and teenagers rode down the street in their expensive cars. I wasn’t like them. I was an outcast that no one cared about. I was alive, but also dead at the same time. I was being eaten from the inside out. I watched the sun slowly slip away and the day become night. I felt my eyes growing heavy. But there was one thing I felt I needed to do. The idea seemed surreal, but it was what needed to be done. I opened my laptop. A long crack ran down the center where I’d thrown it nearly four days ago. It was on Google already. My hands shook as I typed in the letters: ways to commit suicide

fungirl123 @Payton - I think I'm going to write some more today. Skylar's going to go to the "bargaining" state of grieving (trying to make deals with God to be with that person again). Then she's going to go back to depression. Then she tries to kill herself. :\ It sucks your sick again! :( Do you have the flu? Two of my friends have been sick with it nearly all week.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Alright, I'll wait until you write about it. :) @Everyone- Hopefully I can write a little bit about Noelle dress shopping with Aradia today since I'm home sick again. If not, I'll definitely write this weekend.

fungirl123 @Payton - thanks! :) And sure, Noelle can find her after she's passed out.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Or Noelle could come visit her. It's up to you! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! :D And Noelle could find her, if you wanted her to. Maybe she could come over to talk to her or something, just to see how she's doing since she feels bad about everything she's done still, and then she finds her. :)

fungirl123 I was thinking that when Skylar tries to commit suicide (by taking pills), one of the girls finds her after she passes out. Then they take her to the hospital, where she’s in a coma. Do either one of you want to do that? :p Also, maybe for now one of the girls comes to see Skylar, but then Damon/Alice/Dr. Perry explains her condition…? Just some ideas. :) ~Skylar~ I yanked my laptop out from under my bed, not feeling the need to sleep. I turned on a lamp for some light, and immediately shielded my eyes. I hadn’t seen any bright light in days. Once my eyes adjusted, I opened my laptop. I could see my reflection in the black screen for a moment. My hair looked horrible. I touched my hand to my cheek. My skin was incredibly dry and hot. I turned on my computer, no longer wanting to see myself. I found myself clicking onto the Internet. I stared at the Google icon. Today, the special design was a red, white, and blue flag. I looked at the bottom right corner for the date – Independence Day. The last time I’d seen the date was two weeks ago. I slammed my laptop as hard as I possibly could. The screen had probably been cracked. What the hell was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I just be normal? I let out a scream. My head began to throb. I could feel sweat bead onto my forehead. I stumbled out off my bed. I lost my balance and fell back at first, but I grappled for the bedframe and steadied myself. My entire body shook. I stumbled toward the door and swung it open, feeling my stomach jump to my throat. I fell into the bathroom across the hall and hurled into the bathtub. “Skylar! Skylar!” I heard feet pounding down the hallway. “SKYLAR!” I heard Alice screech. I didn’t look at her, but fell onto the floor next to the tub. I curled myself up into a ball, wishing away the pain in my entire being. I listened as Alice turned on the water in the tub to wash away the vomit. “Please…go…away…,” I stammered through my tears. My body shook. “Go…away…just go…” Alice began to cry, although I refused to look at her. She sobbed more and more. Damon had come in and was holding her. “I don’t know what to do…,” Damon was saying. I knew how much pain my family was going through because of me. But I couldn’t help what was happening to me. Slowly, the world began to fade away. * Dream * I looked around me. This wasn’t my house I was in. I was in a home with cream walls and brown furniture. The floor was white. Fire cracked in the fireplace. I wasn’t myself suddenly. My legs didn’t feel weak. My body didn’t hurt. I looked down at the pure white dress I was wearing. “Where am I?” I asked to no one…because there WAS no one in the room. “You’re at home, Skye,” a voice said. I jumped. “Who is that?” A figure emerged from the staircase, gliding. She made no sound when she walked…almost as if she was flying. Her strawberry-blonde hair was long and flew behind her. The spring lowlights she’d gotten for spring were gone. She also wore a pure white gown. Her eyes were what made me recognize her. The amber eyes were unforgettable. “Autumn.” My voice came out in a whisper. She smiled. “That’s me.” I cupped my hand over my mouth. “I’ve missed you, Autumn. But where are we?” I asked. Logic left my mind. Autumn came toward me and touched my arm. She was warm. “You don’t know?” she asked with a teasing smile, “Why, we’re at your father’s mountain cottage. Look out the window.” I did. Snow fell quietly to the ground. The place seemed familiar now. I remembered coming here with Daddy, Damon, Cord, Luna, and sometimes Autumn. She loved coming with us. She’d never seen snow before I’d brought her there for the first time. I looked back over at my best friend. Just as I did, she touched the wall. There was a twinkling sound in the air, and picture frames filled the walls suddenly. Pictures of me, Damon, Luna, Cord…me AND Autumn….they filled the walls. “Do you remember it now?” Autumn asked. I nodded. “Yes…yes, I remember.” The last time I’d taken Autumn up here was when we were eleven-years-old – right after Christmas. Then Daddy had died a few months later. No one been up here since. “Why did you bring me here?” Autumn asked. “Because you were my best friend,” I answered. I should’ve been crying, but I wasn’t. “I still AM your best friend. You just can’t see me,” she said. “So what do I do?” I asked, my voice a whisper. “You move on.” Autumn smiled weakly. I shook my head. “I can’t forget you. I can’t forget how you died—“ “You don’t have to!” she exclaimed, grabbing my hands in her own. “I just want to be with you again, Autumn,” I told her. “You will be. When it’s your time. That’s not any time soon. You have a full life ahead of you,” she said, coming closer to me, “So live it.” * End of Dream * “AUTUMN!” I screamed. But she was gone. I was sitting up in bed. Wait. My bed. The last time I’d been awake I’d been in the bathroom. Now I was in my bed. The blinds were open, and sunlight streamed into the room. “You had a dream about Autumn?” I jumped, and slowly turned my head. Dr. Perry sat on Luna’s bed. “Wh-what are you doing here?” I inquired, gulping. “I’ve missed you, Skylar. I haven’t seen you in nearly three weeks. I’ve been at your home for almost two days now,” she said. I could feel my eyes bulging. “Two days? What’s happening…What’s going on…?” She shook her head, a calm smile on her lips. “You slept all of today. It’s nearly two-o’clock PM. You’re brother let me stay on your couch until you were ready to speak to me,” she informed me, “I saw you last night…getting sick. I came into the bathroom when you were throwing up.” I cupped a hand over my mouth. “You’ve been here since last night? That was you who was screaming for me?” I asked. She nodded, closing her eyes. “Me and Alice.” “So why are you talking to me now?” I asked, my voice trembling. “I heard you talking in your sleep, so your brother and I figured you were ready to speak with me now,” Dr. Perry said. I bit my lip. “So…what? What do I tell you?” She shrugged. “Whatever’s on your mind, Skye. I just need to listen. That’s what I’m here for.”

fungirl123 @Robbi - awhhh...you make my heart smile! ^.^ Thank you so much! :) Great post, to you, too! <3 <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Of course I don't mind! Awesome post! :D

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ** I’ll post what the dress looks like when Noelle and Aradia go to the party. @Payton-Hopefully you didn’t mind that I posted first about picking out the dresses…I just was in the writing mood so I wanted to type a post up before I went writer’s block again! :/ I won’t go any farther till you post about your dress so take all the time you need!  @Haley-Really good post. By the second sentence I was sucked in…you really have a gift girlie !

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~As much as I was excited to go dress shopping with Noelle, it slowly faded within a few days. I purposely was ignoring Andrew at school, but he didn’t even seem to care. Every time I saw him in the hallway, he was with Brittany and of course, smiling ear to ear. It made me sick honestly. I wasn’t particularly mad at Brittany, I was mad at the fact that Andrew seem to never look that interested in my conversations compared to Brittany’s, and I’ve known him for years. So I guess you could call it jealously, I consider it a kick in the face.***After the last bell rang on Thursday, I zipped out of school. Scurrying across the parking lot with my keys, I was about 10 feet away from my truck, until I heard a familiar voice. “Rae!” Stopping in my tracks, I huffed, Andrew. Slowly I turned back around on my heel; Andrew was jogging up to me. “You’re still up for Friday night right?” He asked, I squeezed my car keys nervously. I was thinking on cancelling on Andrew later that night, but the way Andrew looked at me right then, I couldn’t say no. With an exasperated sigh, I nodded my head, Andrew’s face lit up. “Oh good, you worried me for a second, it’s like I haven’t talked to you weeks, I was just making sure.” Andrew said, I faked a smile, “Oh well remember I wanted to help you out for once, you know that.” “Ya.” Andrew answered, smiling. Suddenly our conversation diminished into an awkward silence. Not being able to bare it anymore, I spoke. “Well I gotta go, I’m going dress shopping tonight with Noelle.” “Oh okay, talk to you later then?” “Ya sure.” I said quietly, quickly I walked away and waved. I was starting to regret on agreeing to go to the party…yet again.~ “Okay so I was thinking, tell me if this sound good..” Noelle said excitedly in Forever 21, I nodded my head. As she was talking, I couldn’t help but not listen. I honestly didn’t even want to be here. Andrew liked Brittany, that’s all he cared about, why did I need to look nice? Not like I could impress him now, not the way he looks at her. “…Rae?” Noelle asked, snapping her fingers in front of me, my gaze turn back to her. “Oh ya sorry, sounds like a good idea.” I fibbed as I shot another fake smile, Noelle looked at me unconvinced. “Ok…well here’s the plan. I will look at this part of the store, while you look in the next section over, if I find a dress, I’ll call you. Sound good?” I could tell Noelle took strategizing into consideration. “Yep.” With that, Noelle and I separated our ways and the search for the ‘perfect’ party dress was on.**After an hour, I still had nothing. I saw some nice ones, but none were screaming out to me. Most of them seem to be too ‘party animal’, too bright, too tight, or too short for me. If I wanted to impress Andrew, I could at least not look like I was about to go to a club. Right as I was about to reach for another rack, Noelle practically screamed my name across the store. “Aradia! Come here!” A couple of heads turn toward me, I smiled in embarrassment. Without looking at anyone, I found Noelle, she was holding a sleek black dress. “Now this, this is the one!” She announced, I looked it over once again. It was perfect. Not too fancy, not too boring, I liked it. “Ya it is, that will look perfect on you! I mean your blonde hair will really make the dress stand out and…” I was caught off by Noelle quietly laughing, I raised an eyebrow. “Why are you laughing?” I asked, Noelle rolled her eyes, “You seriously didn’t think that I was going to wear this do you?” Noelle smirked, my eyes widened. Me, wear that? Now that made me start laughing. “Oh Noelle you’re funny, no way.” “Why not?” “Because I can’t pull that off.” “Oh bull…” She put the dress up to my shoulders, “Now, see? It compliments your complexion and all you need are a pair of heels and you’re set!” I groaned. “Please?” Noelle asked, puppy-eyeing me. Rolling my eyes in defeat, I snatched the dress. “I’ll try it on.” “Yes!” Noelle answered in victory; she followed me to the dressing rooms. When I got the dress on, I was surprised on how comfortable it was. The bodycon dress was mesh at the top and then the dress was tight from the waist down, it was a tad short, but other than that I loved it. Slowly I peeped my head out the dressing room stall to see Noelle waiting on a bench for me, she turned her head my direction. “So, do you like it?” Noelle asked, I slowly grinned. “Well it’s a tad not my taste, but…” Walking completely out of the stall, Noelle’s mouth dropped. “O. M.G….you look STUNNING!” “Really?” I had a hard time believing her. I walked up to the mirror to see my reflection, I was shocked myself, I looked completely different somehow. “Holy crap,” I whispered in disbelief. “Now if Andrew doesn’t fall for you in this, I don’t know what dress will,” I couldn’t help but grin. “You should really buy this. This was the only size they had left AND it’s on sale. Coincidence? I think not.” I turned to her, “I think I will.” I answered, Noelle cheered, I couldn’t help but laugh. Going back in the dressing stall to change back to my normal clothes, I had another sickening thought. What if Andrew hated the dress? I shook the thought from my mind, why should I care anyway? Brittany was his objective anyway. Walking out of the dressing room area, Noelle grabbed my arm. “Ok now it’s my turn!” Noelle sung, I rolled my eyes and laugh. “Okay let’s go then shopaholic.” With that, I grabbed her wrist and went back to the dresses.

fungirl123 @Payton - hahah, yeah :p

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Haha, I get what you mean. Don't worry. :) And you're welcome. <3 <3

fungirl123 @Payton - awh, thanks! <3 <3 I've always been told that if someone can spot the mood in your story as it starts, it's a good thing. Well, I mean the mood isn't a good thing...I mean...Ah...Never mind. :p

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! It was so sad and depressing. :/ Which I guess is what you were going for when you said dark. Haha, either way, you're a great writer! :D

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ I lay on my bed, the room dark. The blinds were closed. I had lost track of the time. It was probably between twelve PM and three PM that Saturday afternoon. But I couldn’t tell. I’d spent all of yesterday in here, too. I was throwing up, after all. My fever was high, and my head throbbed. I was still in a ball of tears under my heaps of covers. I hadn’t spoken to a person, not even Alice, when she’d come in to take my temperature. My cell phone rang next to me. I glanced at it. Will. I tossed it back down. I didn’t want to talk to him. I let it ring over and over again, until it finally went to voicemail. I waited a few minutes in silence. The last two days had been utter silence and stillness. It was like I was waiting for Luna to arrive home from school so we could cuddle next to each other. Her bed was still there, after all. Her blankets were neatly made, and her clothes were all put away. But she didn’t come. My phone beeped, telling me I had a new voicemail. I pushed myself to listen to it. “P-Please…Skylar. I want to talk to you. I haven’t seen you in a week, and I heard your condition is getting worse. Just call and tell me your okay. I can’t stand to loose another person in my life. Not again.” Will sounded like he was on the brink of tears. I hated that word: ‘condition’. I wasn’t mentally ill. I was far from that. Why was that word used to describe me? And just like that, I collapsed into tears again. Why was I the one who had to live like this? I looked up at the dark ceiling, imagining that there really was a God in this time. But how could there be? How could all those angels wish me to such a dark place? I envisaged the Devil taking over heaven and wishing all of the good people to bad places. But was I even a good person? Maybe God only gave the hardships to those who deserved it. What had I done wrong? Was it wrong to love people with all your heart? My phone rang again, this time for a text. I looked at the number. It was Aradia. *Are U free next Friday? :p* I leaned back against my bed frame, tucking my knees up to my chest and resting my chin on them. No one ever texted me on a regular basis…but now people actually wanted to speak to me. I sent a simple no in reply. If anyone really cared, they’d bother to ask what was wrong. * * * * I rolled over in bed, feeling quite thirsty. No one was supposed to be home. It was only nearly four PM. Damon didn’t get home until five every day, and Alice went grocery shopping every Saturday. My brother also picked Cord up from the babysitters when on his way home. I walked out of my bedroom, still in my pajamas. My hair was up in a tight ponytail. My legs still felt a bit stiff from being in my bed, so I stumbled going down the stairs. And I soon as I made it ten feet away from the kitchen, I stopped. I heard a voice in the kitchen, sounding like they were on the phone. “I don’t know what to do about her, Dr. Perry,” Damon was saying. He sounded like he had just gotten done crying. “She won’t come out of her room. She hasn’t spoken to me in a week now. She’s been getting sick, too. And I know it’s not the flu.” I could feel my heartbeat speeding up. My head began to throb again. I felt like an alien living with this family. No one knew how to treat my weirdness. I turned on my heel and ran back up the stairs. “Skylar? That you?” I heard Damon shout back in the kitchen, “Are you up?” I ran back up to my bedroom and slammed the door behind me. I started to cry again, falling back against the door. My entire body was weak. I couldn’t take this pain anymore.

fungirl123 Hey, guys, just so you know, my posts may start getting a bit dark. :) Skylar's kind of about to hit rock bottom in her depression...

fungirl123 @Robbi - nice post! :) I can't believe it's 2013. When I looked at the date for the posts, I was kind of surprised for some reason. :p

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Awesome post! :D I'll write soon, hopefully. Hope you had a great Christmas and a happy New Year! I can't believe its 2013 already<3

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive I know my last post was short..but ill wait for someone else to post tomorrow or whenever! I hope you girls had a happy holidays and New Year! Whooo 2013!! :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ To my surprise, Noelle was also invited to Brittany’s party, by being Jace’s date of course. We came up with a plan to ask Skye to help us. I honestly was getting pretty hyped, until Skylar texting me saying she was unavailable. Wonderful…who else could help Noelle and I get ready? Then Camille came to mind, I decided to call her. Sounding a little happier since last time I talked to her, she quickly agreed to help, really she sounded overjoyed. Promising to call Noelle back, I told her the news. “So Camille is going to help us? Awesome!” Noelle chimed on the phone, I smiled. “Yep, but here’s another issue: I need a dress.” “Same here, what about we go to the mall to find them? I mean if you want…” I thought it over. Shopping, with Noelle? If she asked me 3 months ago, I would’ve laughed and quickly denied such an offer. “Ya sure, sounds good!” I replied, I could hear a breath of relief on the other side of the phone. “Great!” Noelle and I decided that we would go to the mall Thursday. After I hung up, I felt great. This is the first time in a while I actually had something planned, but then it sunk in. Sure I had something planned, but I was just being used. By Andrew. How I never imagined myself saying that.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- You're welcome<3

fungirl123 @Payton - thanks! <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! :D

fungirl123 No problem, Payton! :) ~Skylar~ I closed the front door and walked further into the house. Alice was pacing back and forth in the kitchen, on the phone. “Yes, that’s fine. Don’t you worry about it, Samantha! Softball is more important than babysitting…Yes. Bye.” She set and phone down and looked up at me. “Oh, hi, Skylar. I didn’t see you there.” I nodded. Alice was dressed nicely this evening, in a floral dress and brown heels. “Damon and I are going out to a business dinner tonight and I was just finding someone to watch Cord. Samantha Parsons bailed at the last minute,” she said. My heart sunk. I couldn’t even be trusted to watch Cord anymore. But I understood. Everyone knew I wasn’t really mentally stable. I hated admitting that. I hated saying I had to go to therapy because apparently I’ve endured a lot of trauma in my life. Had I really? I thought sarcastically. Did I need to be reminded of that everywhere…from everyone? I wished everyone could be like Will…and Chase. Understanding. They made an attempt to get what I was going through. It seemed like everyone had lost that sense so long ago. “What’s your friend’s name? The boy who helped you around school after…” Alice trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence about Autumn around me. “Chase,” I concluded. She nodded. “He seems to be good with kids. Do you think he could babysit?” It was like Alice was reading my mind. * * * * “Hey, kido!” he exclaimed, dropping his black messenger bag by the door. Chase ruffled Cord’s hair. Cord smiled, but he didn’t jump up into Chase’s arms and start asking tons of things. He just stood stationary. The kid had seen too much…and he was six. Chase sent a smile my way. “Haven’t seen you in awhile, Skye,” he said, putting an arm around me. Chase: the twin brother I never had. Damon came out of the kitchen, dressed well in black pants and a white button-down. “We’ll be back in a few hours,” he said. Alice walked out of their bedroom, ready to leave. She kissed the top of Cord’s head and gave me a quick hug. “See you guys soon.” Then they disappeared out the front door. “What movie?” Chase asked, motioning toward the DVD case in our living room. Cord didn’t answer. But he did yawn. “I tired.” Chase swept him up into his arms. “Already? It’s only eight o’clock,” he said. “I tired,” Cord repeated. Chase smiled, although I could see a hint of sadness, and sat him back down on the ground. “Head on upstairs then. We’ll be up in a few minutes,” he said. I nodded. Cord turned and walked slowly up the staircase. Chase turned to me. “Not the same kid I watched awhile ago.” I shrugged. “Not the same family you came to see awhile ago,” I stated flatly. It was true. He didn’t answer, only turned toward the stairs and walked up. I followed him. We didn’t speak as we tucked Cord into bed. Then we went back downstairs and sat down on the couch. “You’re a roller coaster of emotions, Skylar,” he said, sighing. He reminded me of Will. I nodded. “Thanks for stating the obvious,” I said, looking down at my hands, “It seems like whenever life is beginning to shape up just a little bit, the universe is like, ‘Hey, no, Skylar Whitefield can’t be happy for once in her life!’” Chase swallowed. “I get that.” I shook my head. “But you don’t, Chase. I know you’ve been through plenty in your life, too, but mine’s different. I like that you’re trying to understand, but I don’t think anyone EVER will.” Tears burned my eyes. I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my chin on them. “Just…Just be my friend, Chase,” I finished, and my voice broke. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but I made no sound. “I’ll always be your friend, Skye. Nothing can stop that,” he whispered. He tugged on my loose ponytail. I smiled weakly. Slowly, I stood from the couch. “Can you watch Cord for a bit? I need to go somewhere,” I said. Chase tilted his head to the side in confusion. “Where?” “Autumn. I wanna go see Autumn,” I stated, already going to get my jacket. Chase stood up. “Do you want me to go with you? It’s going to get dark soon.” I shook my head. “No. I can handle two blocks. And you need to watch my brother.” He shrugged. I opened the front door. The night was as clear as could be. A breeze flowed through the trees. It was nearing nine o’clock. I rounded the corner toward Oakdale Cemetery. Somehow, I thought seeing my friend would help. I hadn’t yet seen the gravesite. The one time I’d gone to visit her, there was only a marker. I walked past the open gates of the place. It didn’t close for another forty-five minutes. I walked past the graves, seeing all of the deceased citizens of Pacific Grove, California. Autumn’s was next to a tree. It was decently-sized. It had her name on it, with a picture of her engraved. It was her fifth grade school picture, the photo she was thought was her best. Autumn Eloise Powell. July 30th 1995 – May 10th 2012. She hadn’t yet turned seventeen. She thought that was the best age ever. R-rated movies, driving with more than two passengers in the car, and being ‘grown-up’ in her parents’ eyes. She never did get to the golden age. The stone was surrounded by pink and white flowers. Pink was her favorite color of all time. I walked around it. On the back, there was an engraving of a candle. Candles symbolized leadership. Autumn was a leader. Nothing BUT a leader, actually. I felt a lump rise to my throat. More tears streamed down my face, using the same path as the tears from ten minutes ago. “Hey, Autumn,” I whispered, my voice muffled by sniffles. The breeze picked up around me and the trees ruffled. It was almost like Autumn was replying to my greeting. I laughed, swiping at the tears. I sat down next to the grave and leaned against it. “I miss you, Autumn. We all do,” I said, staring up at the stars. There was a break in the trees right above Autumn’s grave. It was meant to be there. She always did have the spotlight on her, and even now she did. But she deserved it. “I guess I just needed someone to talk to,” I said, feeling my voice cracking. There was another breeze around me, and I found it soothing. The tears streamed down my cheeks like rivers. “I wish it hadn’t been you. I wish WE were the spectators. You know, Autumn, I would’ve offered to drive that night if it meant saving you,” I continued, my body shaking. A voice then made me jump. “Who’s out there?” I twisted around. A flashlight shined around the other end of the cemetery, directed by a short man. I stood up and moved behind a tree. I pressed my fingers to my lips and then down onto the gravestone. “Love you, Autumn.” Then, before the keeper could see me, I walked out of the cemetery, masked by the shadows

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Okay, we could always have Camille help. :) And thanks<3

fungirl123 @Robbi/Payton - great posts!!!!! :D :D :D I would do the thing you guys were talking about, but Skylar's moving back into that depressed stage again, so it wouldn't really fit her right now. :(

taylorswiftfan1233 I hope what I wrote was okay with everyone!(:

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ Someone knocked lightly on my bedroom door, causing me to look up from my iPhone. “Come in,” I called. The door opened and Jace stepped inside. “Hey,” I greeted, smiling up at him. “Hey,” he said, closing the door softly behind him. He came over and plopped down beside me on my bed. “What’s up?” he asked. “Not much. Kenton went out with a couple of friends and my mom’s at work... again. So I’m stuck here with my dad, who’s going to be leaving for work himself here in a few minutes,” I replied, picking at the blankets on my bed. Jace nodded, and there was a brief silence. Finally, I cleared my throat. “So, why’d you come over here? Was your little brother driving you crazy, or did you just miss me?” “Both,” he answered, laughing. Then his face turned serious again. “I actually came over to ask you something,” he added, drumming his fingers on my bed. “Really? What?” I asked. “Well, I got invited to Brittany Jamison’s end of the year party,” he said, “And I was wondering if you’d go with me.” “Who’s Brittany?” I asked, confused. “Just this really hot tennis player from Elliot,” Jace said. My fists clenched tightly at my sides, my fingernails digging into my palms. I hated hearing Jace call another girl hot now. It bothered me more than I ever could have imagined. My face flushing with anger, I quickly asked, “I’m sure she’s not that hot.” “You’re right, she’s not,” Jace said, smirking, “But there’s no need to get mad about it, Elle.” “I wasn’t mad!” I protested, my voice coming out higher pitched than usual. Talk about pathetic. “Whatever.” I sighed, running a hand through my messy blonde hair. “Why would I want to go to this chick’s party? I don’t even know her.” “Exactly. You can meet her,” Jace said, shrugging. “How do you even know her?” I asked, the question popping out before I could stop it. But even I could hear the whining tone of my voice. “She came to the second soccer game to watch Elliot play against us,” Jace said, smirking once again. If he was enjoying this, I couldn’t tell. “Ugh,” I said, shaking my head, “I bet she’s a little snob.” “Why does it matter, anyway?” Jace asked, giving me a look, “I’m just friends with her. Same with you.” Just friends. The words bounced around in my mind, and I felt a flood of relief. He was just friends with her. But then I realized what else he had said. Same with you. My heart sank, and I felt like I was about to breakdown or something. Just friends. That’s all we were. “Right,” I said, my voice coming out as a squeak. “Right,” Jace said slowly, looking me in the eyes. I fidgeted a little, wringing my hands nervously. Could he tell that I thought about him differently now? A long, awkward silence passed. Finally, he said something. “So are you going to come or not? It’s Friday, 9:00.” “Um, sure. Why not? I don’t have anything better to do,” I said, forcing a grin. “Great,” he said, also grinning, “I’ll pick you up.” Then he was gone, leaving me all alone in my bedroom. I stood up, traipsing absentmindedly over to my closet. I stared inside of it blankly, realizing I had nothing to wear that would make Jace notice me. Everything was sporty, and the only dress I owned was the one that I had worn to Autumn’s funeral. I swallowed hard at the memory, slamming the closet door shut quickly. Then I sent Aradia a text message. *Can U call me when U get a chance?* **** About an hour later, my phone rang, playing Gangnam Style. I quickly answered. “Hello?” “Hey, Noelle. I got your message,” a familiar voice said, “Is everything okay?” “No,” I said, my voice sounding sort of strangled, “Jace just asked me to Brittany Jamison’s end of the year party. I don’t even know her, but I agreed to go.” “You got invited to?” Aradia asked, sounding surprised. “Yeah,” I said, “Did you?” “Yeah, Andrew invited me. But only to make Brittany jealous.” “Oh,” I said, drawing in a sharp breath, “I’m so sorry.” “It’s okay. I agreed to go,” she said, “Looks like we’re always going to be stuck in the friendzone, huh?” She sighed loudly. Suddenly, it was as if a lightbulb went off in my head. “We should get ready together! That way, we can help each other pick out outfits that will make the boys notice us. Maybe that’ll make Andrew realize how awesome you are and how much you like him, and Jace will realize that we could be more than just friends,” I said excitedly. “We could,” Aradia said, and by the way she said it, I could tell she was smiling. “And then maybe I’ll just go back to my house and wait for Jace to come get me,” I said, thinking aloud. “Sounds good. But maybe we should have Skylar or Camille come over and help us,” she replied. “Sure, that sounds like a good idea,” I said. But inside, I wondered if Skye even liked me. She was the only girl that I hadn’t made up with yet, and the thought of all she had been through made me feel a little sick. “Alright, I’ll try to get ahold of them,” Aradia said, laughing. I brushed the thought away, and a few seconds later we hung up, Aradia promising to call back. That was that. I was determined to make Jace realize that I liked him. And, I thought, biting my lip anxiously, hopefully he feels the same way about me.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Once again, awesome post! :D I agree about waiting for @Haley to see what she wants to do about her part. I plan on writing about Jace asking Noelle today. :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Ok! I just wrote this…so if you want to write about Jace asking Noelle, that’s fine! But we should probably wait to see what @Haley wants to do about her part too after that.~*Aradia*~ By the time I got home from Noelle’s it was 1:30 in the afternoon and I was dead tired still. I collapsed in my bed and sleep for a little longer. I woke up two hours later, feeling much less tired. “Boo!” With that, someone jumped onto my mattress, making me fall out of my bed, and my face met the floor. Rubbing my head, I groaned. “Aradia?” Completely petrified to see who else was in my room, I slowly crept up to see who it was. I was relieved to find out it was Andrew, but then I glared at him. “Were you just trying to make me pee my pants?!” I whispered. “Sorry dude, I thought it was funny,” He laughed, making me narrow my eyes at him. “Why are you even my room?!” I cried, making Andrew stop laughing. “I called your phone but you didn’t answer, so I decided to come over. Your aunt let me in and told me you were asleep, so I just decided to come up and wait till you woke up.” “I see,” I said; slowly get back onto my bed. Andrew was lying across the bottom of my bed, throwing a ball in the air. I sat on opposite side of my bed, my feet criss-crossed. “So you’re probably wondering why I’m even over.” Andrew continued, still throwing the ball in the air. “Ya that be nice to know.” “Well I have a proposition for you.” “A proposition eh?” I said, wondering what he talking about. “Yes, how would you feel if I said you were invited to a party?” Andrew stopped throwing the ball by then and looked at me, I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’d say no way.” “Why not?” He asked, “Well, because I’m not really into that partying, that’s all.” Andrew seemed to frown at this, making me regret what I said. “Well then never mind then.” “Never mind what?” “Well since you’re interested..” “Andrew snickered, I rolled my eyes. “Tell me Andrew.” “Okay so there’s a party,” “Yes..?” “And..” “Yes?” Andrew paused and stared at me, I couldn’t look him straight in the eye without blushing, so I started picking with hem of my jeans. “I was wondering if you wanted to go with me.” I looked up at him, he was staring at the ball in his hand, waiting for my response. “Well since you say it like that…sure. I’d love to.” He suddenly looked up at me, staring at me, unsure. “Are you sure? Because if you feel uncomfortable about it we don’t have to go.” I smiled; he at least cared about me. “It’s okay; I’m totally cool with going to a party. But one thing is for sure, I’m not drinking.” “Don’t worry, I’m not either,” Andrew replied chuckling, “But there’s more I have to tell you.” I gulped what else? “Okay, what is it?” I asked, begging to know. “Could you pretend that you’re my date? I want to impress Brittany Jamison.” My heart sunk. Brittany Jamison? She was a popular girl at school, star player on the girls’ tennis team. I talked to her a couple of times, she seems nice, but I heard she has done some wild things at parties. “Brittany Jamison?” I said hoarsely, Andrew nodded his head. “She invited me to her end-of-the-year party. I was going to ask her to be my date, but Bradley is taking her instead. What makes me mad though is because he knew I was going to ask her, and asked her before I had the chance. Then I thought maybe if you came with me and she sees you.” Andrew trailed off and I could feel him staring at me again, I was looking down at my hands. “Wow, I sound like a jerk who just wants to use you just to get to another girl, forget everything I said--““No it’s okay, I’ll help you.” I croaked. Just because Andrew didn’t know I liked him doesn’t mean I stopped being his best friend. Andrew always does stuff for me; I can do something for him once. “Really? Are you sure Aradia?” “Yeah,” I gulped and weakly smiled at him. “You always do stuff for me so why not let me help you.” “Aradia you seem a little unsure about this.” “Andrew come on, I’m a big girl.” I mocked, Andrew laughed. “I guess you’re right. Ok then, thanks Aradia.” Andrew then told me the party was Friday at 9:00, and he come pick me up. Then he kept beginning to talk about Brittany, which made my stomach unsettle a bit, he seemed to really like her, I wonder why he never brought her up before. After an hour of talking, he had to leave. When he was gone, I leaned up against my bedroom door and slid down until I felt the floor underneath me. I let out a long exasperated sigh, I was too late. Andrew liked Brittany, who to me had much more to offer than I could ever do. A tear went down my face, I quickly wiped it away. There was no use in crying about it, I should be glad Andrew told me about Brittany, because it prevented me from losing my friendship with Andrew if I told him how I really felt. All of the sudden I thought of Skylar, it had felt like months since I talked to her, maybe I should talk to her about it. Quickly I grabbed my phone and found Skylar’s contact number, I decided to call, I got voicemail. “Hey Skye, its Aradia. If you can, call me back, thanks.” With nothing else to do, I crawled back into bed, replaying the conversation over and over in my head until I dozed to sleep.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Awesomeeee post! :D I'm going to try to write about Jace asking Noelle to the party. Do you want to write about the whole "fashion advice" thing with Skylar and Noelle? Maybe Noelle and Robbi could get ready together with Skye's help(:

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ “I need to get a life.” I huffed to myself. It was Sunday and I was sprawled across my bed, with nothing to do. I woke up late this morning, too late to go to church, which disappointed me, and I was too lazy to do anything. Then the thought popped in my mind that I would visit Uncle Kazi, seems like I never saw him around anymore. Quickly I got up and put on a white t-shirt with skinny jeans and red TOMS. I was too lazy to do my hair, so I left it in a messy ponytail, curls everywhere. I grabbed my phone and my keys and drove downtown.~ “Aradia!” Someone called behind me, causing me to stop and turn around, it was Noelle. I grinned and waved, she ran over. “I was just about to call you!” She said, we continued walking to the bakery. “Really? Why?” “I was just wondering if you wanted to come over and spend the night tomorrow?” I considered it. This week was only a half week of school, due to us having make up school days, which I completely forgot about, I guess it was the same with Noelle’s school. “Of course if you don’t want to, then you don’t have to..” “No no, I’d love to come!” I exclaimed, grinning. “Seriously?” “Yeah, seriously. I just was a little surprise at first that’s all,” I answered, getting a curl out of my face, Noelle looked a little shocked. “Well okay then. Come over around 2:30 tomorrow, just you and me!” “Great!” I cheered; we said our goodbyes then separated. I guess I have plans now.~ Just as I entered the door, someone behind the cash register cheered, Cecilio. “Aradia! How have you been?” I smiled. “Better, much better. Thought I’d stop by to see my uncle, you know where he is at?” “In the back.” “Ok thanks!” I walk to the back of the bakery where I found my uncle. “Ahh…mia nipote bella!” He came over and kissed me on the forehead, I blushed. “Hey Uncle Kazi, need any help around the bakery?” “Actually that flour needs some kneading…care to help me?” “Glad to.” I placed my keys on the table, grabbed an apron, and washed my hands. It felt good to spend time with my uncle again.~ I zipped my Nike bag up, I was all packed for Noelle’s. Before leaving, I said goodbye to Rocco and Aunt Charice, Uncle Kazi was still working. Quickly I started up my car and headed to Noelle’s, I was actually excited to spend some time with her.~”Gosh I still can’t get over how cool your room is!” I said, still in awe of Noelle’s room. She told me her parents had it remodeled last year, lucky. “You better prepare yourself for one of the best nights of your life.” “Oh?” I said, raising an eyebrow, Noelle continued. “Yeah. It’s going to be a night full of junk food, music, making fun of my brother, and something I don’t normally do..” What did she mean by th. “Just listen to yourself, Aradia. You’ve got an amazing guy out there, probably just waiting for you So, take some action and confess your feelings! Trust me, you’ll be glad you did in the end,” “What?” I asked curiously. “Watching chick flicks and talking about boys!” She exclaimed, while dramatically throwing her hand to her side, I couldn’t help but laugh. That night, we watched Mean Girls, ordered pizza, and practically ate all the junk food we had; I was stuffed like a teddy bear. “Oh gosh, I bet in the morning I’m going to weigh like 30 more pounds.” I groaned. Noelle looked worried, “You don’t feel sick, do you?” I slyly grinned, she looked relieved, but then her face grew grim. “Hey you okay?” “I’m fine,” She replied, “This all just reminds me of Autumn.” She was right, man was she right. Autumn’s and I sleepovers consist of junk food, chick flick movies, and gossiping, I missed those. “But Autumn would have wanted for us to have fun together, now that we’re finally getting along.” As I said this, tears were brimming in my eyes, oh no, you’re not going to cry here Aradia. “Hey so do you want to talk about guys?” My mind averted to Andrew, I couldn’t help but smile and giggle..oh gosh. “What?” She asked innocently, “Nothing. You just don’t seem like the type of girl that would want to be at a slumber party, gossiping about boys.” We both laughed, than the question came up. “So…do you like anyone?” Noel asked, I bit my lip. Tell her about Andrew? No? Yes? Uhh… Nervously I looked out at the window. “Yeah I do actually. I just never realized if before, but now that I have…” Suddenly Andrew’s laugh played in my mind, it made me smile. “He’s perfect Noelle.” “Who is it?” Cleary she was interested in who it was, no turning back now. “It’s…” His name just wouldn’t come out, and then I realized, there’s not even a point. If Andrew liked me, he would’ve told me by now, no doubt. I was his best friend, and that’s all I am going to be. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing’s ever going to happen anyway,” I said hoarsely, but then I realized it was my turn. “So, who do YOU like?” I questioned, Noelle looked a little uncomfortable as she blushed. “Someone.” She was playing hard to get, I was determined to find out who it was. “Ooh! Who is it?” I cried, begging for an answer as I jumping up and down with excitement. “I don’t want to say.” “Why not? Is he cute?” “Yeah. I just realized it a few weeks ago.” Noelle said quietly, then she tried to change the subject “Who do you really like Aradia? You never said a name!” There was no use in not telling her, so I finally gave in. “Andrew.” I said softly, just saying his name now sent chills down my spine. She asked if it was the same guy from the funeral, I nodded my head. “I knew it!” She cried, was it that obvious?” “I kinda just realized it a few days ago. But I don’t think he likes me…I mean how could he? We’re just friends!” I cried, Noelle didn’t say anything, I began to worry, maybe I said too much. “What? Did I say something wrong?” “No…it’s just that we have a lot more in common than I thought.” Wait, BINGO! “OH MY GOSH! You like JACE!” I yelled in victory! Noelle immediately covered my mouth, oops. “Shut up! My brother is right across of the hall, and in case you’ve forgotten, they just so happen to be good friends!” I nodded my hand, she took her hand off my mouth, I smiled in relief. “I knew it. I knew this was going to happen, you two seem like you’d be a great couple!” Noelle shrugged her shoulders, looking unsure. “Too bad we’re just friends.” I completely knew what she meant; she was in the same boat as I was. “I just wish I was more than friends with Andrew. He’s just so perfect, and I want him to know that I love him more than any other girl could.” Whoa. Did I just say what I thought I just said? I loved him? I didn’t know about love, never have I been in it, but Andrew? I don’t know if it was love, I was just so caught up in the moment. Obviously Noelle heard me, because she told me to go for it. “What?!” I squeaked, “You heard me, go for it! I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” The way he looks at me? He looked at me like any best friend does, with care. I was just plain old Aradia to Andrew, and honestly, I felt as though Andrew wasn’t even my league, but I wasn’t going to let Noelle know that. “I don’t know,” I said uneasily, I was bad at confronting people, especially if it was Andrew considering I thought of him differently. Noelle then grabbed my shoulders. “Just listen to yourself, Aradia. You’ve got an amazing guy out there, probably just waiting for you. So, take some action and confess your feelings! Trust me, you’ll be glad you did in the end.” Her words gave me a boost of confidence, I smiled. “You’re right. I need to confess my feelings.” But then again, I felt unsure. “Great just go for it.” “What about you and Jace though?” “Maybe in time, but now right now, I’m not ready.” I considered what she said, maybe I wasn’t ready either, I didn’t want to lose my best friend just because I confessed my feelings to him. I nodded yet again in agreement. “Alright then.” After that, we decided to watch the Titanic, which can make any hormone-crazed girl cry, which Noelle and I ended up doing when Jack died. We got so tired from crying that we were asleep by the time the credits were rolling.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Aw, thanks! That means a lot<3 Awesome posts, by the way!! I can't wait to see what you write next :D

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive I'll do the sleepover later...getting rather tired! ;P haha

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ I woke up to realize that Noelle’s championship was today! Quickly I got out of bed and put a pair of soccer sweats on, in honor of this day of course, and a blue v-neck with my yellow Nikes. After I was done this, I quickly checked my phone, 8:30, I had an hour to spare until I had to get there, I decided to call Andrew. “Hello?” He said, I could tell I woke him up, my gosh his morning voice was so attractive. “Hey! Are you coming to the game today?” “Nah, I think I’ll pass.” “Awww…” I puckered out my bottom lip, he seem to laugh. “Well ok then, I guess I’ll let you get back to sleep then, later!” “Later.” With nothing else to do, I decided to go downstairs, to be surprised to see my sister there. “Hey!” I yelled from the stairs, she jumped. “Lord have mercy Aradia you scared me!” I smiled and sat across from her at the dining room table, she was on her phone, deep in concentration. “Whatcha lookin’ at?” I asked, she didn’t seem to hear me, so I decided to look for myself, I gasped. “You’re texting Kenton? How cute!” I squeaked, she rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was enjoying it. “It’s nothing; I’m just meeting him before the game for some breakfast.” “Mhmm…’breakfast’. Sounds interesting.” I said, putting my fingers up in quotation marks.” “Well I’m going to go before I’m late now, see you at the game!” “Bye!” I called out; she slammed the front door shut. I snickered, I knew my sister too well not to know she was starting to like Kenton.~“You’re going to do great!” I exclaimed, hugging Noelle tightly. Of course she was being skeptical and doubting, but I felt she could really do it, but I was kinda worried. As I was walking into the field today, I overheard a bunch of girls slamming Noelle, saying she was a horrible soccer player, but I refused to take it to belief. Jace looked a little worried too, but it was cute, it looked as though he was worried for Noelle, he truly cared for her. Sitting in the stands, I sat next to Imani, who was ‘surprisingly’ staring in the same direction as Kenton, how ironic. “You know staring isn’t going to make anything happen.” I suggested, she stop chewing her popcorn and glared at me. “Shut up Rae.” I chuckled and began to watch the game start.~ Noelle’s attempt to score didn’t work, it went over the goal, the crowd groan. “Man, this isn’t Noelle’s game today.” Kenton mumbled, shaking his head. “We still have half a game left!” I chimed, Kenton didn’t respond, I couldn’t tell if he was upset or not. But on the bright side, Jace was making goals, making Washington not too far behind Harrison. From the field, I could tell Noelle’s coach wasn’t happy, he was practically screaming at Noelle, sheesh. But as I thought she was just going to take it, she didn’t. I could tell her hands were in fists and she was yelling too, really surprising her coach, she stormed off the field, Jace trailing behind her. “Uh-oh.” Imani said, still gnawing on her popcorn like she hadn’t eaten in days. All of the sudden, my phone started buzzing, Andrew. Before I answered, Kenton looked over. “Oh I see it’s your boyfriend calling.” He smirked, I rolled my eyes. “You wish.” He put his hands up innocently, I answered. “How are we doing?” Andrew asked, I sighed. “Down by 10!” Andrew groaned. “Oh wow, that’s not good, well tell me how it turns out, I was just wondering.” “Okay, byeas!” I hung up the phone, to see Kenton was giving me the ‘look’. “You like him don’t you?” He asked, why was he so worried about my love life? “Maybe you should worry about you’re little relationship with my sister before worrying about me hunny.” He closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes, I smiled in victory. “That’s right, don’t think mama don’t know these things.” I whispered, making his face heat up. “Shut up.” I chuckled yet again.~ There was only a minute left of the game, Harrison and Washington were tied, and everyone was on the edge of their seats, including me. Harrison had the ball, but not for long, Noelle stole it! Kenton jumped out of his seat, screaming, “YEAH! COME ON NOELLE!” She got farther down the field, making her mom scream something, and then making me yell, “Come on Elle, do it for the team!” She was practically sprinting for her life on the field, soon the whole crowd was screaming in unison. Then, the emancipation we had been waiting for, Noelle kicks and it goes in! I jumped up from me seat and started screaming and jumping, I couldn’t believe it! Washington High won the game! Kenton ran down the field, I followed him, Noelle looked like she was in shock. “You did it!” I shrieked, hugging Noelle tightly, she was beaming. Quickly the soccer team engulfed her, making me get out of their way, they lifted her up, I was smiling ear to ear, I was so happy for Noelle. As I was walking away from crowd, I called Andrew up. “We won!” I yelled in my phone, making absolutely sure Andrew could hear me. “Sweet!” He yelled back, I told him what had all happen, he seemed interested. After our short conversation, I walked to my truck, thinking of how proud Autumn must be watching that game from Heaven.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-WHAT!?!? YOU’RE AN AMAZING WRITER!! Don’t ever doubt yourself ! Oh and girl its fine, I liked it..and it wasn’t choppy! I just wrote a long post too…so I’m going to post that…and then catch up on the championship and sleepover! It just might not be as a long! My post is just so depressing tho compared to yours…lol…but it was a thought that came to my mind all the sudden too so I hope you like it!~ ~*Aradia~* Hesitantly, I followed my aunt’s voice, which lead me to her bedroom. She was on her white bed, staring at her bed sheets, how weird. “You called?” I said as I crossed my arms. “Please Rae, sit down,” She asked softly, she barely gave me time to sit on her bed for she started confessing. “I’m sorry. For yelling at you, ignoring you, fighting with you, I’m just sorry. Truly I am.” I nodded my head, but I felt she had more to say, but we both didn’t say anything. After minutes of silence, Aunt Charice slowly gets out a picture from under her pillow, it’s an ultrasound. “Whose baby—“ My voice stopped when I saw it had Aunt Charice’s name on it. “Wait, you’re pregnant?!” I glanced up at her, she was twiddling with her fingers. “I was,” She croaked, “You don’t mean…” “I had a miscarriage Rae.” Her words made my heart plunge. This was why my aunt has been ignoring me, she was coping the unbearable thought that the baby inside of her wasn’t going to see the light of day, or even see their own mother. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I sobbed. “Because I thought with you dealing with Autumn’s death and—““You found out two months ago?” She nodded her head, tears were brimming her eyes. “I found out the day of Autumn’s funeral. After leaving you and Andrew behind at the burial, I had a sudden sick pain in my stomach. Kazi rushed me to the hospital and they immediately took tests to find out…” My aunt was choking on her words now, they sounded like complete weeps, I couldn’t believe it. I was here, complaining on how much my aunt has been mistreating me and she has been grieving even more than me, I felt like I’d been punched in the face. Crawling on the other side of the bed I embraced her in a hug, I could tell she needed one. We just sat in her room, she was crying on my shoulder and I was silent, still in shock. I knew how much Aunt Charice wanted a little one, Uncle Kazi and Aunt Charice seemed like the best fitted parents, heck that’s even why I’m living with them now, they loved children. Without even thinking, I started speaking, “I want you to know something,” I took her hand, my aunt looked at me, curious. “I’m sorry. You’re here apologizing to me like it’s all your fault that I’m mad at you, but it’s really me. I shut you out, even before Autumn died. You, Aunt Charice, are the strongest woman I know. You kept this secret from me and supported your best friend, whose daughter died, and pretending like it was nothing, like you weren’t grieving. Honestly if you didn’t tell me now, I still wouldn’t have known. You need to promise me that you will get through this, but not by yourself, I’ll be here if you ever need me.” Aunt Charice was now smiling the biggest smile I’d seen her smile in months, it really showed how beautiful my aunt was, the aunt I loved like a mother. “Deal,” She got up from her bed and kissed me on the forehead. “Now I feel like watching a movie, care to join me?” I approved of such action. We pulled the covers over us and sat and watched Gone with the Wind. Of course instead of actually watching it straight through, we started gossiping. These were the moments I really loved with my aunt, it felt like old times. Finally everything was lifted from both of our shoulders, and how it felt good.

taylorswiftfan1233 And sorry if it sucked or was really choppy or boring... I'm just super tired and I don't feel very good right now. Plus, lately I've been feeling like I'm a really bad writer. :/

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Oh, and if you don't feel like writing about the slumber party, (since I know it got kind of long), you can just skip that. You don't even have to write about the championship if you don't want to; you could always just mention that Aradia Confessed to Noelle about her feelings and mention the championship. Of course you can write about either or both if you want to! I just didn’t want you feeling like since I wrote about it, that you HAD to write about it too. The sleepover thing was kind of just a random idea that I thought of(:

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thanks! <3 @Robbi- Okay, so I hope you don't mind... But I just wrote this post about Aradia going over to Noelle's house to spend the night, and they end up confessing to each other who they like. :) Hope this is okay! ~Noelle~ I spotted the head of curly hair a couple feet away from me, walking down to the little bakery on the corner. “Aradia!” I called. She came to a quick stop, turning around. When she saw me, she grinned and waved. I ran over to her. “I was just about to call you,” I admitted, falling into step beside her as she continued on her way. “Really? Why?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “I was just wondering if you wanted to come over and spend the night tomorrow? My parents are cool with it, and I don’t have anything else to do,” I said, pushing my hair out of her eyes. She just looked at me, her eyes full of surprise. “Of course if you don’t want to, then you don’t have to!” I said quickly, my cheeks heating up. Why did I even bother with this girly stuff? “No, no!” Aradia said hastily, holding up a hand, “I’d love to come!” She grinned. “Seriously?” I asked, smiling. “Yeah, seriously. I just was a little surprised at first,” she answered, brushing a curl out of her eyes. “Okay, then. Come over to my place at 2:30 tomorrow. Just you and me.” “Great!” Aradia said cheerfully. I gave her another smile before turning and parting ways with her. Maybe this was exactly what I needed; another friend to take my mind off of Autumn’s death. *** “Noelle, your friend is here!” Mom called up the stairs. I jumped up from my position on my hot pink bean bag chair. “Coming!” I replied. I ran down the stairs, dressed in a neon pink-tank top, gym shorts, and black Nike socks that stopped just before they met my knees. My hair was up in an athletic bun, and the only makeup I had on was mascara. “Hey, Aradia,” I greeted. “Hey, Noelle,” she replied, smiling at me. I led her up the stairs and into my bedroom, shutting the door behind us. “God, I still can’t get over how cool your room is,” Aradia said, shaking her head as she looked around. “Thanks,” I said, giving her a wide grin, “My parents had these people come in last year and they paid them to totally remodel mine and Kenton’s rooms. It turned out pretty well, I guess.” “More than pretty good. Amazing,” Aradia said, sitting down on an orange beanbag chair. I sat down on the hot pink one, turning to face her. “You better prepare yourself for one of the best night’s of your life,” I said faux-seriously. “Oh?” Aradia said, raising an eyebrow. She grinned. “Yeah. It’s going to be a night full of junk food, music, making fun of my brother and something I don’t normally do...” I said, my voice trailing off. “What?” Aradia asked. “Watching chick flicks and talking about boys!” I practically yelled, dramatically throwing my hand to the side. She laughed, and I for a split second, I felt like Autumn was there. *** After ordering a pizza and eating the entire thing by ourselves, locking Kenton out of my room and refusing to share, I had popped in a chick flick. Mean Girls. Which, I’ll admit, is something that I don’t normally do. It was just one of those things I only did at a slumber party. I watched as the movie credits rolled across the screen. “Oh my gosh, I bet in the morning I’m going to weigh, like, thirty more pounds than before,” Aradia groaned, nodding her head at the various brands of junk food wrappers that had been strewn across my bedroom. There was an empty bag of popcorn, Twizzlers, Sour Gummy Worms, Skittles, M&M’s, Sour Patch Kids, cookies, bottles of Orange Cream Soda, and of course the two empty bowls that had once contained giant ice cream sundaes. “You don’t feel sick, do you?” I asked worriedly. She shook her head, grinning. I let out a sigh of relief. Autumn rarely got sick when she ate this much junk food at our sleepovers, except for that one time when she had spent the night in the bathroom. I felt a pang of guilt in my heart at that memory of her... or any memory of her, actually. “Hey, you okay?” Aradia asked, looking at me with concern. “I’m fine,” I said, swallowing hard, “This all just reminds me of Autumn.” She looked away, her eyes staring at the floor. There was a painful silence. Finally, I cleared my throat. “But... Autumn would have wanted for us to have fun together, now that we’re finally getting along,” I said, forcing a smile. Aradia nodded, looking at me again. She looked like she was trying to hold back tears. I glanced at the clock. It was 10:00, but it felt much later. “Hey,” I suggested, “Do you want to talk about guys?” A smile slowly spread across Aradia’s face, and her eyes were suddenly bright again. To my surprise, a giggle escaped her throat. “What?” I asked, raising my eyebrows in confusion. “Nothing. You just don’t seem like the type of girl that would want to be at a slumber party, gossiping about boys,” Aradia chuckled. “I know, I know. I’m always really mean and I can never stop thinking about winning,” I joked, rolling my eyes playfully. “Sorry, Elle. I guess even YOU can be a little girly every once in awhile,” she joked. After our laughter had died down, I cleared my throat awkwardly. “So... Do you like anyone?” I questioned. I was so awkward whenever I asked someone that. Unlike me, Autumn could pop that question out of the blue, and make it sound perfectly normal, her voice smooth. Either that or she would come running up to your bedroom and saying, “Oh my gosh! I think I know who you like!” Aradia smiled, and suddenly her eyes looked far off. “Yeah. I do, actually. I just never realized it before, but now that I have... Oh my gosh, Noelle. He’s perfect,” she said, sighing dreamily. “Who is it?” I asked, leaning on my elbows. “It’s... it’s...” she trailed off, unable to say it. She quickly shook her head, her curls bouncing. “It doesn’t matter. Nothing’s ever going to happen, anyway,” she said, her voice sounding gloomy all of a sudden. Then she smiled, and her cheerfulness was back. “So, who YOU like?” I looked away, heat rising to my cheeks as my face turned bright red. Why did I ever suggest talking about boys? “Someone,” I admitted. “Ooh! Who is it?!” Aradia cried, bouncing up and down with excitement. Just like Autumn had in the past. I swallowed hard, feeling a lump in my throat. “I don’t want to say,” I said quietly, looking her in the eyes. “Why not? Is he cute?” she asked. “Yeah. I just realized it a few weeks ago.” I cleared my throat again, giving her a smile. “Who do you really like, Aradia? You never said a name!” She blushed a little. “Andrew,” she said, her voice coming out soft. “That one guy that was at the funeral with you?” I asked, just to be sure. She nodded, biting her lip. “Oh my gosh! I knew it!” I cried, smiling brightly. “I just realized it a few days ago. But I don’t think he likes me... I mean, how could he? We’re just friends!” she cried, sounding devastated. My smile faded. That sounded all too familiar. “What?” she asked, seeing my crestfallen expression, “Did I say something wrong?” “No... It’s just... We have a lot more in common then I thought,” I explained, fumbling with my hands. She drew in a sharp breath of realization. “Oh my god! You like JACE!” she cried, her voice loud. I quickly reached over and covered her mouth, glaring at her. “Shut up! My brother is right across the hall, and in case you’ve forgotten, they just so happen to be good friends!” She nodded. I moved my hand, and she smiled. “I knew it. I knew this was going to happen. You two just seem like you’d be a great couple.” I shrugged, mumbling, “Too bad we’re just friends.” She nodded in understanding, then sat back with a sigh. “I wish I was more than friends with Andrew. He’s just so perfect, and I want him to know that I love him more than any other girl ever could,” she said. “So... go for it,” I said, shrugging. “What?” she asked, her voice coming out as a squeak. “You heard me! Go for it, girl! I’ve seen the way he looks at you,” I said. She hesitated, shaking her head. “I don’t know,” she mumbled, looking down. I grabbed her shoulders, giving them a little shake. “Just listen to yourself, Aradia. You’ve got an amazing guy out there, probably just waiting for you So, take some action and confess your feelings! Trust me, you’ll be glad you did in the end,” I said, giving her a reassuring smile. A determined look came across her face, and she nodded. “You’re right. I need to confess my feelings!” she said, her voice full of realization. “Great, just go for it,” I said, giving her a smile. “What about you and Jace?” she asked, looking at me, “Aren’t you going to confess to him?” “Maybe in time... but not right now. I’m not ready,” I said, giving her a tight smile. She nodded. “Alright then.”

fungirl123 @Payton/Robbi - aweessommmeee posts!! :D :D Loved 'em!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Great post! I can't wait to see what else you write.(:

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ “Don’t ever think that. Ever.” He whispered as I was still weeping on his shoulder. I squeezed even harder around his back, he did the same. How would I’ve been able to survive these last two months without Andrew? I’d probably be insane by now. I could feel my face heating up now, as tears were staining down my face. Gently he pulled away from me, startling me. I suddenly had a scary thought: maybe he was done. Maybe he was sick and tired of dealing with my rollercoaster of emotions and this was goodbye? I wouldn’t blame him. All thoughts of that faded though when he put his hands on my face and wiped my tears with his thumb, I looked up at him. His eyes were focused on mine, carefully wiping away each tear, I couldn’t help but smile. Just like he was copying me, he did the same. Soon I found myself softly laughing, then Andrew joined me, again I hugged him. “Thank you, for everything,” I said. Andrew laughed quietly, “It’s no big deal.” “No seriously, thank you. You’re the only one that’s dealt with my crap and actually tried to help me.” “I’m not the only one.” Suddenly I let go of him, giving him a questioned look. “Who else?” “Your aunt.” This made me silent. “I really don’t want to talk about her.” I whispered. “Well you need to, ‘cause whether you like or not, she’s your aunt, and cares for you, even though at times it looks like it doesn’t.” I sighed, pulling my fingers through my tangled hair. “I guess I should talk to her.” “You know you need to.” “Ya I know, you’re right.” “I know I am,” He said sarcastically, making me hit him in the arm. “Ow!” “That’s what you get for being full of it.” “Is this how you treat your friend after he came all the way down here to help you?” “Yes, yes it is.” I smirked, he rolled his eyes. Andrew turned around, lending his arm out, I gladly wrapped my arm around it, and we walked to the parking lot. He decided to drive my truck home and come back for his later. I placed my knees on the dashboard and let my feet dangle. As he was driving, I couldn’t help but stare at him. He had the most focused look on his face, but I somehow found it, attractive? But that wasn’t only attractive thing about him; my favorite feature about him was his eyes. They were the perfect shade of green, like emeralds. His hair was sandy brown with waves throughout it all, and his skin was sun-kissed tan still from football season. I guess he caught me looking at him, because he looked over. “What are you staring at?” Andrew asked, “Nothing.” I lied, still smiling. “Well it’s creepy…” “I bet it is, and since you said that, I’ll keep doing it.” “Whatever.” He said, his eyes already back on the road, but I could tell on his face he was grinning. After a minute of silence, Andrew popped up in his seat. “Shhh!” He said, although I was already silent. Slowly he turned up the volume on the radio, it was a Ed Sheeran song. “Oh Lord,” I groaned, he waved his hand at me, indicating he wanted me to shut up. He started singing along with Ed, and somehow he sounded decent for once. Andrew sang all the way to my house, I didn’t interrupt him, but I did join in time to time. Quicker than I knew it, we were in my driveway; Andrew took my keys out of the ignition. “Wait here.” He said, and so I did. Andrew quickly walked to my side of the car and opened the door for me, while dramatically bowing like I was the Queen of England. “You’re weird.” I said as I got out of my truck, he shut the door behind me. “Gee, you’re welcome too.” I chuckled. We got to my front porch, but I didn’t go inside, I all the sudden felt hesitation. “I don’t think I can do this, she is going to kill me. “ “Calm down Rae, she’s probably been worried sick and been wondering you’ve been, like I was. She won’t kill you, just breathe.” Andrew was right, I needed to breathe, and my aunt wasn’t that bad, sometimes. I reached for the knob, but then resisted, I groaned. “But what about you?” I asked, looking back at him. “I’m going to get my truck.” “That’s like a three mile walk though, are you sure you don’t wait to come inside and wait.” “Oh no,” He put his index finger up, “I’m not helping you on this one, you have to make up with your aunt without my help.” My eyebrows furrowed, ugh, he didn’t fall for it. “Well I guess I’m going to meet my doom, thanks for the help.” I said, again grabbing the door handle, Andrew stopped me. “Before you go in there, you need to promise me one thing. That you will won’t snap, stomp out, yell, or argue with your aunt, hear her out.” Rolling my eyes at his statement and nodded my head, as much as I didn’t want to hear this coming from my best friend, he was right. Instead of shaking hands on it, he hugged me, and then walked down from the porch and onto the side of the road. Yet again, I couldn’t stop staring at him, the farther he got away, the more I wanted him to come back. With his hands in his jean pockets and with his black and red letterman jacket on, he looked flawless. Why hadn’t I realized this before? I just couldn’t bear to think I was falling for my best friend, but maybe I was. Was that wrong? Gently, I closed the front door, only to realize I didn’t close it quietly enough. “Aradia Rae is that you?”

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-great post! I’ll post about the championship later after this big post I did earlier today! 

taylorswiftfan1233 Here it is! The championship post! :D ~Noelle~ “You’re going to do great!” Aradia encouraged, hugging me tightly. “Thanks, but I don’t think so,” I said skeptically. I hated the way I was doubting myself lately, and judging by the looks on Kenton’s, Aradia’s, and Jace’s faces, they did, too. “Noelle, stop saying that. You have to have a positive mind to win,” Kenton said, narrowing his eyes at me. I sighed, glancing over my shoulders at the undefeated team already on the field. “Go get ‘em!” Aradia said, hugging me once more. She gave me a thumbs up and a wide grin before going to sit by her family. Kenton gave me a wave, and then headed to where a couple of his friends were sitting. “Let’s go, Elle,” Jace said, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards where our team was gathered around Coach. He was just beginning his pep talk. Or... it was supposed to be a pep talk. “I want you to play your hardest today. This. Is. Your. Moment. Don’t let them ruin it for you,” he said, jutting his chin towards the other team. I glanced at them again, my stomach churning inside. Harrison High was dressed in red and black uniforms and wore the angriest expressions I had ever seen as they listened intently to their coach. They were prepared to crush us... but were we prepared to try and crush them in return? I glanced back at the anxious faces of my teammates. The only one missing was Lindley, who was probably at home sulking. Suddenly, Coach turned to me, eyes narrowing. “Don’t disappoint me, Penner. Tonight’s your night to prove yourself again.” I shrank back a little, feeling my heart sink. How could he just say that? “Alright, now get out there. Let’s take home that trophy tonight!” he yelled, pointing us towards the grassy green field. We all nodded, and determined looks set on everyone’s face. Including mine. I was going to win this, even if it killed me. The first whistle blew, and the game started. *** “El, get the ball!” Jace cried from his spot across the field. I noticed the Harrison High kids running towards me, prepared to snatch the ball away from me. I froze for a split second, realizing that this was the only time that I had gotten the ball in the past hour. But then I snapped back to reality, just in the nick of time. I kicked the ball as hard as I could, and it went sailing above everyone’s heads. I bit my lip anxiously, watching as the ball soared through the air... and then right over the net. I let out a shaky breath, squeezing my eyes shut. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, including Jace’s. The buzzer went off, signaling a break in the game. Thank God. Both teams stopped and headed toward opposite sides of the field, ready to face their coaches and listen to what they had to say. “Way to go, Penner,” Jacob sneered, brushing past me. He had always been a jerk, but this time I felt like he had every right to be one. I let out a sigh, brushing a drop of sweat off my forehead. During this entire game, I had been chasing the ball around and watching Jace make goal after goal. “Penner, what was that?!” Coach boomed, glaring at me. “I... I messed up,” I said, my voice coming out shaky. “Duh,” Jacob said snidely. Everyone but Jace shook their heads at me. “You better game it all under control, or else you’re going to be benched for the rest of the game. Got it? Good,” he said, not waiting for me to respond. Anger, frustration, and grief coursed through my body. “I’m trying, okay? I don’t need YOU to chew me out!” I yelled. In one swift movement, I had whirled around and was stomping over to the restrooms. I ignored Jace calling my name as I walked into the Girl’s Restroom, leaning my head back against the wall. It was an outdoor bathroom, so it smelled really bad. The air was even hotter and stuffier than it was outside, and I felt ten times sweatier than I had been before. I stepped in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. My long, blonde hair hung in a limp ponytail. My face was flushed with anger, and I could see the frustration in my eyes. Sweat practically dripped down the side of my face. I got a paper towel and then wet it down with cold water. I scrubbed hard at my face, trying to cool myself down as I held back the tears. More than anything, I just wanted to be Noelle, the soccer star, again. But I was starting to lose hope. “Come on, Britney,” an unfamiliar girl’s voice said from outside the door. I quickly threw the paper towel in the trashcan and made a move to leave. But before I could, the door had swung open and two girls stood before me. One had wide, blue eyes and chestnut colored hair. The other was a curly haired blonde with sea-green eyes. They both had on black and red Harrison High uniforms, and the snidest looks on their faces. “You’re Noelle, right?” the curly haired one asked, raising an eyebrow at me. “Yeah,” I mumbled. “Man, Brit,” the brunette said, looking at me with disgust, “She’s nothing like I’ve heard. I mean, yeah she’s pretty. But people used to say that she could play soccer.” “I guess not anymore, right, Ashlyn?” the blonde one, who I figured was Britney, said rudely, “She sucks.” They were talking as if I wasn’t even there. “I’m right here, you know,” I said flatly. “Oh... right,” Ashlyn and Britney said in perfect harmony. Then Ashlyn smirked, stepping closer. Britney did the same thing, hands on her hips. It was as if they had practiced in front of a mirror. They probably had, I thought to myself. “Whatever happened? We had heard rumors all the way up at Harrison that you were going to become a pro soccer player, and that you were the best girl on the team here. Did someone die or something?” Britney asked. I felt my body tense up a little at those words. Judging by the smirks on their faces, I knew they had noticed it, too. “Oh, someone did die, huh?” Ashlyn asked, her tone cruel. On cue, they both giggled. “Shut up. No one asked you,” I said, glaring at them both. “Whatever,” Britney said, flipping her braid over her shoulder. Ashlyn nodded in agreement, giving me a look of disgust. “God, being pretty was such a waste on you.” At that, they both turned and stalked over to the mirrors. My eyes narrowed, and I said, “At least I’m not some Barbie.” Britney raised an eyebrow at me. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked coolly. “You two are probably the girls that throw themselves at all the guys in your school and have the ‘nerds’ go your homework,” I said dryly. They both exchanged looks, and then Ashlyn said bitterly, “We’re not cheerleaders.” I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest. “Not all cheerleaders are like that.” “Whatevs,” Britney said, turning back to the mirror. I shook my head and walked back out the door. I HAD to win this now. Some snotty, stuck up team was not going to take the trophy tonight. The game was officially on. *** I gritted my teeth from my spot on the field, glaring at Ashlyn and Britney as they kept looking at me and whispering. I was about ready to march over there and show them what I was made of. “You okay?” Jace asked, nudging me. I slowly glanced up at him. “Yeah... I guess so. I just hate those girls over there. We had a run-in in the bathroom and they were really rude.” He nodded in understanding. But all he said was, “Oh.” The whistle blew, and the game was on again, with only five minutes remaining. I had to do this... I HAD to. Minutes later, with only one minute to spare, both teams were tied. And by the way my team’s shoulders sagging, I could tell they were about to give up. Suddenly, Britney got the ball. And then she began running towards my side of the field, taking the ball with her. Oh no... she was not going to make that goal. My mind spun, and I said a quick prayer begging that I wouldn’t mess this up. Thirty more seconds. All at once, Britney was in front of me. She was about ready to kick the ball, shooting me a disgusted look, when I kicked it away from her foot. She let out a gasp as I kicked the ball and made my way towards the goal across the field, where a buff looking Harrison High goalie was guarding it. Harrison High kids tried to get in my way, but it was no use. I was going to fast, moving around them, and not looking back. “YEAH! COME ON NOELLE!” I heard Kenton practically screaming from the stands. “You got this!” Mom yelled. “Come on, Elle! For your team!” I heard Aradia scream. I could picture her and my brother jumping out of their seats, jumping up and down with anticipation, praying that I would make it. I tuned everyone out; the cheering of my team, the encouragement from the parents of my school along with their kids. My coach yelling at me to move faster. Harrison’s coach yelling at them to stop me, to not let me make it. But I moved faster, and faster, until I felt like I was practically floated. Kids from the opposite team were basically diving at me, but I moved too fast and they fell to the ground. Then it all happened in slow motion. I brought my leg back and kicked the ball as hard as I could. I heard a loud thump, and the ball moved through the air. I held my breath, watching it. The goalie jumped, his fingertips grazing it. But he missed, falling to the ground. The ball went into the net... and... The buzzer went off loudly in my ear, and a point was added to the score. Washington High School screamed excitedly, throwing their hands in the air. The coach from the other team threw down his hat, an example of bad sportsmanship. The goalie ran a hand through his hair, while his teammates groaned or sank to the ground in defeat. Me, however? I stood there, frozen and numb as my school and team surrounded me. “Elle! You did it!” a gorgeous voice said, snapping me back to life. Jace grinned at me. My team hugged me, saying over and over again how great that was and how that I had known I could do it all along. Kenton smiled proudly, saying to someone that I was his sister. Aradia shrieked, hugging me tightly, saying how I had done it after all. My mom hung back after a quick congratulations, unsure of where our relationship hung. My dad beamed at me as I was lifted onto the shoulders of my team, balloons and streamers floating down at us as Washington High School went insane. The trophy was placed in my hands as I was carried across the field to get my picture taken for a newspaper with my team to announce our victory. And it was the best I had felt in ages. Even if it was just one measly little goal.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- I like that better!(: Do you want to write about it first? The only thing I have left to do is post a little bit about the championship, and I'm writing that right at this moment. ^.^

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton- Hmm…I like it! But what about Aradia realizes she likes Andrew…and confesses to Noel, and Noel tells her to go for it and tell him. But as she has the perfect time to tell him, Andrew asks her to be his date at a party, so he can make another girl jealous. Aradia pretends not to mind and of course does it, but she wants to impress Andrew so he changes his mind, so she asks for Noel’s and Skylar’s fashion help? Sound good? Also..if you somehow want to incorporate Jace and Noel in it…like Jace gets invited by a friend too and asks Noel to go with him? I hate to see Jace and Noel fight…but it is all up to you ;). Does this sound okay?

fungirl123 @Robbi - great post! The perfect amount of gushiness. ;) @Payton - that seems like an interesting idea. ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Awesome post! And no, it wasn't too gushy... it was perfect(: I think it'd be kind of interesting if Andrew and Aradia started dating. This is just a random idea I just thought of, (and you of course don't have to use it) but what if Aradia figures out she likes Andrew, who's basically her best friend and she tells Noelle about her feelings. Then Noelle suggests that she set up a date for Aradia and Andrew, but Aradia says no. But maybe Noelle goes behind her back and invites Aradia "out to eat" with her, only it's actually a date for her and Andrew. Maybe Jace helps with Andrew; what if Noelle made them meet each other and convinced Jace to help... But Noelle only decides to do the date thing to A.) Spend more time with Jace, and B.) Try to make Jace see that she likes him and see if he likes her back. Then maybe Aradia and Andrew admit their feelings to each other and end up dating, while Jace and Noelle end up getting into a huge fight and they vow to never speak to each other again. IDK... What do you think?? It was just random, and I was thinking that maybe that would help Noelle's "love story" with Jace get along(: But if we end up doing this, I'd probably want to do it either before the championship or after. If you don't like it, then that's okay. I'll try to help you think of something else! <3

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Awesome post!  Sorry everyone I hadn’t posted in a while…writer’s block :/ I hope my last post wasn’t too gushy…I started it a long time ago and decided to finish it and go with it…idk what I want to happen between Andrew and Aradia, I mean should they date…or no? ahhhh!…any ideas? ;) Also, I hope to write over Christmas break…but idk when! I have finals all this week so definitely not this week…this is my first years with finals…wish me good luck!  If you girls have any tests this week before break…good luck to ya!  I’m going to go to bed now because getting 7 hours of sleep is probably the most I’m going to get all week…(I’m expecting 5-4 this week bc of studying/homework) UGH! HIGH SCHOOL! Lol…ttyl !

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ Walking towards the swings, memories started flooding back, it had been 3 years since I’ve been here, Calvin Park. Slowly I started swinging back and forth, my eyes looking off at the road. To think Autumn died on the next road over just 2 months ago. Suddenly I think of a sermon Pastor Rawkins once said, “Everything that happens in our lives happen for a reason, even if it’s death.” Death-such a meaningless but powerful word that can change anyone’s life. But why did it have to happen to Autumn? Autumn never was selfish, she was always caring, always had a smile on her face. She was smart, not to mention gorgeous, and was one of the most popular girls in school. Even if you didn’t know Autumn, she just screamed ‘successful’, that was one of her best qualities I was extremely jealous of. How I wish she was here right now…. Suddenly I heard the sound of crunched gravel, I looked up, Andrew. Immediately turning my head to ignore him, I just stared at the grey pebbles beneath me, my feet still kicking. Andrew sat down on the swing beside me, not saying anything; a wave of air hit me, making a chill go down my spine. “Thank God you’re okay.” Andrew whispered. “Well I didn’t think anyone would care if I was or not anyway.” I respond in a nonchalant tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “You know exactly what that means.” “Actually I don’t, please explain.” I got up from my seat and started walking. If Andrew was going to be smart with me, I didn’t want to talk about it. “Aradia!” Andrew yelled behind me, I kept on walking. Of course he caught up, grabbing my wrist and spinning me around, I pushed him away, he still held on. “You can’t just keep walking away like this!” “Why not? Seems like everyone in my life keeps doing it now!” I cried, finally getting Andrew’s grip off of me, I turned away from him and started walking the opposite direction, furious. “You think I would walk away from you?” He asked hoarsely, I stopped walking. Tears were coming up in my eyes, I tried to blink them away, but it didn’t help. With my back still facing him, I couldn’t bare the silence anymore; I turned around to face him. With blurry vision, I looked back down at my shoes, and nodded, while a tear was falling down my cheek. My gosh I’ve been crying too much today. Soon I was crying so hysterically I felt light headed, my body was shaking and my legs felt like jelly. Right as I was about to fall, Andrew caught me, he was the only thing holding me up by then. Not only did I feel like I was going to faint, I was freezing, the warmth from Andrew never felt any better. I kept trying to pull myself together, but it was no use. I was mess.

fungirl123 @Payton - okay, can't wait to see what you've got to post! <3 <3 <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- You're welcome! <3 @Everyone- Hey, sorry I haven't posted like I said I would. I promise I will this weekend, though. :)

fungirl123 @Payton - thank you!! <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Lovely post!(:

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ My first day back at dance class. I could barely believe it as I stretched out my thighs and hamstrings. I held my leg up to my side, just as Ms. Caldwell entered the room. “Be ready for pleis` everyone,” she ordered. I had missed her snappy tone. I quickly moved to my spot on the bar, and looked straight ahead at the mirror. In the reflection, I caught Will’s eye. He winked at me. I felt heat spread over my cheeks. The classical music began, and we did our warm-up routine. The ballet felt different than before. My body felt stronger. Now I would have a whole summer off from dance. I missed it. I just wanted to go back to spending five days a week in a studio. But dance would be ending for the summer in a week. The music stopped, making all of us freeze in our squatting position. Then we straightened back up again. “I have an announcement to make,” Ms. Caldwell told us. Then she looked at me. “Skylar Whitefield.” I got stiff when I heard her sharp voice say my name. Then her face softened. “Welcome back.” I nodded my thanks, smiling, then curtsied for her. “Now, onto the real announcement. Since classes are ending next Friday, which I know most of you are upset about, there are other classes you can take to expand your horizons on dance, not just ballet. There are hip-hop and jazz classes available for the summer. But be aware, the spots in these classes fill up rather quickly,” she said, holding up a finger at the last part. We all nodded in unison, still standing straight. Ms. Caldwell was quite strict about posture and attitude. “Now, onto Pointe, girls. Boys, you may go to your classes now.” Everyone scurried to their cubbies to get their Pointe shoes. I slipped mine on, tying them around the ankles and ending it. I felt a long shadow over me a moment later. I looked up. Will loomed over me. He held out a hand to help me up, which I took. “Shouldn’t you be getting to your classes?” I asked, giving him a look. He smiled. “We should do that hip-hop class together. It would be fun…something different than ballet.” I shook my head quickly. “I would fall flat on my face if I was ever taken out of my slippers for another kind of dance,” I said, laughing a bit and blushing. “The studio that has the class is putting on a show tonight. We should go, and at least see what it’s like,” he urged. I raised my eyebrow. “You can go without me. I have to go to that therapist tonight. It’s Tuesday, remember?” I said. “Ladies, on the floor!” I heard Ms. Caldwell call out. “You need to be getting to your class, William!” I instructed, partially mocking my ballet teacher’s tone of voice. He nodded, laughing, and left. I stood at my spot, just as my teacher turned on the music. * * * * (Outfit: http://www.polyvore.com/allie_taylor_running_around/set?id=49917221&lid=1577842nd/set?id=49917221&lid=1577842) While I changed in the locker room out of my ballet clothes, none of the other girls talked to me. They seemed to scared to mention the recovery from the accident with Autumn, or Luna. I couldn’t blame them. I did feel a pang of pain whenever I thought about either of them. I pulled my shirt over my head and adjusted it. I stuffed my Pointe shoes into my bag, and slung it over my shoulder to leave. Will was leaning against the wall outside the girls’ locker room, waiting for me. “Hey,” he greeted. We walked out of the studio together. He was giving me a ride to the therapist’s office. I was meeting with her every Monday and Thursday at four o’clock PM. This would be my third visit. Will drove me through town toward Dr. Perry’s office, which was just a house on South Main Street that she’d added a sign to the front of and grey furniture to the inside of. I got out of his car and walked up to the door, where I walked right in. “Hello, Skylar,” she greeted. “Hi.” I sat down on the loveseat, and crossed my legs. A moment later, Dr. Perry came over. “You look nice,” she complimented, looking at my floral skirt, pink heels, and pink tank top. “Thanks.” She had become less nosy since I’d began coming here, and more likeable. “How have things been going at home?” she asked. “Damon still doesn’t talk. Alice is quiet, like always. And Cord is back to his normal self,” I said, leaning back. My older brother hadn’t been the same since Luna had died. He was so loving, and now he just would rather be sitting alone than talking to someone. “Did you bring the photo of Autumn like I asked you to?” she asked softly. I nodded, and reached into my purse for a photo of Autumn. I held it out for her. In the picture, we were about eleven-years-old at the park. Her mom had brought her camera with her, and she had a photo of us on the bench blowing bubbles, our arms wrapped around each other daintily. We were smiling. Laughing at how whenever I would try to blow a bubble at one point, it would always pop while still in the ring. “How does it make you feel?” Dr. Perry asked, still looking at the photo. “Like she could still be here if I was driving…” My voice had come out in a whisper. “Don’t you think she’s in a better place now, though?” I looked down. “Autumn was so full of life. She could’ve lived until one-hundred-years-old. But she didn’t.” Dr. Perry sighed. “Sometimes people are meant to die young. Some people have already lived a full life at seventeen.” I decided that was enough therapy for one day. I stood up, saying quick goodbyes, and walked home.

taylorswiftfan1233 If anyone has a Figment or Wattpad account, please check out my accounts and my Fanfiction that I am currently working on. If you follow, I’ll follow back(: And I know I have like zero followers right now (except for on Wattpad, and then I only have two, and one of them is my friend that’s a freshman) but I’m working on that right now. Oh, and if you know of anyone that makes good covers, please let me know! I really need one for my fanfic. I could make my own but it’d suck. ): Anyway, here are the links! Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/AsleepUnderTheStars Figment: http://figment.com/users/267073-Payton

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Cool! Can't wait to see what you decide. :)

fungirl123 @Payton - awesome! :D Basically, Skylar's just going to therapy for now. I'm debating whether I want Skylar to become suicidal, and start thinking that she also deserves to be where her father, Autumn, and Luna are now. :(

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Sounds good! I actually have a post I'm working on. I'll try to have it up soon(:

fungirl123 I'm guessing that everyone here - not just me - is also stuck on what to write. :\ I think that for now, we should just try to figure out what's going to be happening for our characters. <3 Anyone else agree?

fungirl123 @Payton/Robbi - lovin' em! :D

LudaKrys @Payton and Robbi-Awesome post chickas! :P

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Great post! :D

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ Their wasn’t even a time to cry, anger is all I felt. I slammed the house door shut, not even caring who heard me. As soon as I got to my room, I jumped on my bed, slamming my fists in my pillow, screaming with all my might. Suddenly, I felt an arm trying to pull me up from my bed, I refused. “Rae!” The person got the better of me and pulled me up, I was face to face with Andrew, concern was shown on his face. After I calmed down in his arms, he spoke again. “What. Happened?” He looked me straight in the eyes, I bit my lip. “I prefer not to speak about it.” “Not to speak about it? I am not going to leave this room until you ‘speak about it’.” “What the hell is going on here?” Andrew and I turned our heads to see my Aunt Charice at my bedroom door, a phone in her hand. “I just got a call from your principal saying you rudely left his office while he was talking to you! Can you explain WHY I just got this phone call?” Damn. No one said a word, Andrew gently let go of me, I could feel him staring at me. “Since no one is confessing, I’ll fix this problem. You’re grounded Aradia, yet again. And as for you Andr—“ “Why are you treating me like a child?!” I yelled, Aunt Charice’s eyes widened. “It’s like you don’t realize I’ve been through hell and back the past 2 months! All you do is glare and scream at me, like nothing has happened in our lives! I know I screwed up on my finals, but that’s not why I’m angry. I’m angry because my own mom said she was disappointed in me, in her own daughter. The one time I needed her, she wasn’t there. When I made a new school record in lacrosse, she wasn’t there. When I broke my arm in 5th grade, she wasn’t there. When I broke up with my first boyfriend, she wasn’t there. When I turned 16, she wasn’t there. When Autumn died, she wasn’t there, hell, she didn’t even call, or even my own father. I haven’t talk to my parents since February, do you know how that feels? Most teenagers are lucky enough to see their own parents every day when they get home. But when I get home, I find no one asking me ‘How’s school darling?, How was your day hunny?, Do you need talk about anything pumpkin?’” Nothing, like no one cares. But when I get a couple of bad grades, my parents suddenly have something to say, and you decide to ground me? That’s what makes me angry. And what makes me angrier is that you don’t realize that, all I want is someone to notice this!” By the time I was done, tears were down my cheeks, hands trembling. Without even looking at Andrew or my aunt, I walked out my room, grabbed my keys, and drove away from my house as fast as possible. I don’t regret anything I said.

taylorswiftfan1233 This is a short post, but I'm going to try to write a longer one tomorrow. :) ~Noelle~ Today was the last game before the Championship, and my heart pounded at the mere thought of it. What if I messed up and made my team lose? I wasn’t sure if I would be able to handle that. Lately I had been an emotional wreck. My phone made a dinging noise, signaling I had a next text message. I unlocked my iPhone, and my heart leaped when I saw the words: New Text from Jace. I quickly opened it. *Hey, Elle. Meet me out back? I was thinking a little practice before the game tonight...* *Sounds good! Be right out.* Heart racing, head pounding, I hurried out the door. I opened up the gate door that led into Jace’s backyard, and I pair of arms wrapped around me, growling in my ear. I squealed, breaking free. To my delight, Jace stood there, smiling at me. “Ready to practice?” he asked. I nodded, trying to act normal, like I didn’t have a crush on him. “Okay. Let’s do this,” he said, flashing me a gorgeous smile. *** “Screw it,” I mumbled, sitting down on the grass and burying my head in my hands. “I suck. I can’t even play soccer anymore.” Jace sat down beside me. When I looked out of the corner of my eye, I saw that he was shirtless and breathing hard from the workout. The sight almost took my breath away. He was so, so fit with his abs and muscles and everything... I felt emotions running haywire through me, and I felt the urge to just lean over and start kissing him. But I held it back as he shook his head. “No you don’t, Noelle. Never, ever think that. You’re just going through a rough time but you’ll be back on your feet in no time,” he said. His voice was gentle, but firm. “Are you sure?” I squeaked. Maybe those words felt better than usual because I knew I loved him and didn’t think of him as just a friend. “Positive.”

LudaKrys @Payton-Thank you!! :) You'll never guess what's gonna happen with the photos! ;P

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Amazing post!! :D I can't wait to see what you have Camille do with the photos! <33

LudaKrys Thanks and I will! :D

fungirl123 @Krysta - awesome post! :D You'd better write soon about what Camille's going to do with the photos! <3 <3

LudaKrys Hey I haven’t written in forever but I’m looking to get back to it. In about a week my school will perform our musical and then I’ll have a bunch of free time to write again. Here’s something for today.  Also, super amazing posts! ~Camille~ I lay on my bed surrounded by text books and different forms of half-filled out sheets. A soft knock comes from the door. “Come in,” I respond. Kinzie’s head pops in. “Hey,” she says. I say “Hey” back and then return to my books. She stands in the doorway silently but doesn’t move. I look back up to her. “Is there something I can help you with?” I say awkwardly. She waits before she says, “No.” The silence grows stronger. Finally I say, “Oh.” At last she moves over to the edge of my bed and sits down. “What’s with all the homework?” she asks. “Oh it’s not homework.” She gives me a strange look before saying, “Then why in the world do you have all these papers?” I shrug playing it off as if I don’t know. “Oh.” She starts looking at all of them and then realizes what I’m doing. “Are you…..STUDYING??” I give her a half smile and say, “Maybe.” She chuckles and says, “You? Camille Rogers? Is studying? I thought you hating studying?” My eyes sink down. “I don’t know. It takes my mind off things.” The air becomes silent again. “Oh,” she says before getting up. Then she adds, “Dinner will be done in about ten minutes.” “Okay,” I say. When she leaves I return to my books. I try going back to studying but it doesn’t work. With a sigh, I slowly remove everything from my bed. I lift down my math book, then biology, and while in the process of removing a bunch of notes for English my Shakespeare book falls to the ground along with the book mark. I roll off my bed and pick it up. After thoroughly inspecting the book for damage, I grab my book mark. I flip it over in my hands to see what is on the front. I expect a lame tongue twister but it catches me by surprise when it’s a picture of me and Autumn. I suck in a breath, coming to the truth about why I had really been studying. It’s like a slap in the face when you realize your pushing out your dead best friend with school work. All I wanted to do was forget about the whole thing. Both my gut and heart tell me that it’s never going to happen. I feel like crying but I know that’s not going to happen either. I hold my head in my hand and drop to the floor. I’m careful not to make a loud bump because I really don’t want anyone to rush up here right now. I push away my hours of hardcore studying notes and move over to my photo album. Inside are hundreds of pictures me and Autumn. One of the openings is empty and I slip in the photo. It’s a shame all of these photos go to waste just sitting here. This thought gets me thinking. It really is a shame and I but a bunch of other people have photos of Autumn that go to waste just sitting there, yellowing, where no one can see them. I rush over to my phone and dialing a number. “Hello?” comes a voice from the other end. “Hey Will. It’s Camille. I need to ask you and your family permission to do something. I’m sure you’ll agree to after I explain.”

fungirl123 @Payton - gracias! :D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Awesomeee post!(:

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ I pushed through the wind and rain. I pulled my North Face jacket tighter around me. Why, oh, why had I chosen this day to make a trip to the bookstore by foot? Yes, it was only a ten-minute walk through town, but the wind beat against me. Finally, I yanked open the front door of the local Barne’s & Noble. I shook of the water. Thank God my jacket was waterproof. This B&N was special. They had a coat rack, so I happily placed my coat on one of the hooks. The place was crawling with children that day. Apparently, the author of a popular children’s book was coming today. I walked over to the YA section, hoping to find something to distract me from the weekly Dr. Perry visits I’d have to endure. “Hey, Skye.” I whirled around. Will was leaning up against the bookcase at the end of the aisle. “Are you stalking me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. He laughed. “No, but we might be telepathic. We tend to end up at the same place a lot.” I rolled my eyes. “How’s Dr. Perry?” he asked, changing the subject. “She’s nice. But I still don’t like going there. She’s too…nosy.” Will let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re difficult, Skye.” “I wasn’t always like this,” I said, turning back to the books. “Yeah, you’ve been through hell, Skylar. I remember when everyone pitied me. I remember all the countless sympathy cards arriving in our mailbox. It feels like just yesterday I was holding my mom while the doctor told us the news.” His voice started to crack. He took a deep breath, then cleared his throat, regaining his composure. I knew he wouldn’t cry. “But you’ve been through worse than I have. You’ve lost a friend…and a sister. Or was it two sisters you lost?” Will said softly. I looked him up and down. I could tell he was crumbling inside. Him and Autumn were as close as two siblings could be. Yes, it’d been one month and twenty-seven days since her death, but that didn’t make it any less hard on him. “Do you want to get some coffee, Will?” I asked, feeling the need to talk to him. There was a blank expression on my face, I guessed. He nodded. “Yeah, thanks.” I walked closer to him. Knowingly, he draped his arm around my shoulders. We found a table at the Starbucks part of the store, and then ordered our drinks. “How’s dance?” I asked, swirling my straw around in my latte. “I’m done for the summer,” he said, evidently trying to sound stronger and bolder than he actually was. I furrowed my brow. “Can I ask why?” “It’s not the same. Everyone is always grumpy. Especially Katie really. I think it’s because—“ “She doesn’t have anyone to fill my void. Now she has no one to pick on constantly,” I cut in, finishing the sentence. Katie was Will’s real partner, who also had a crush on him. She had this thing where she thought we were competing for him. “Exactly,” Will said, grinning, “And not only that, but everyone sucks. Ms. Cantwell hurt her back, so she’s been resting at home. We have a substitute for the next few months who doesn’t know what she’s doing. She’s too nice!” I laughed out loud. A few other customers turned to look at who was making the noise. I clapped my hand over my mouth, trying to stifle my laughter. “Are you going to come back to class soon?” he asked softly. I cast my eyes down. “I feel like it’ll be so different.” “It will be different. We’ve all changed in the past two months since you left.” Will opened his hand on top of the table, and reached for mine. I put mine in his. “But…there won’t be Autumn or Luna in the audience to cheer me on at recitals.” He nodded. “Yeah, I feel the same way about my sister. But they’ll be there in spirit, Skye. Don’t forget that.”

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thanks! :D

fungirl123 @Payton - I love it!! :D

taylorswiftfan1233 I changed the description of the club finally. I know it's not very good, but it doesn't say the application thing anymore so it's good enough for me. (:

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Yupp(:

fungirl123 @Payton - thank ya! :D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley & Robbi- Great posts!(:

fungirl123 @Robbi - thanks! :D I'm happy you got caught up. You're not behind at all! <3 <3

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Thanks for all the support guys...really appreciate it :). Caught up last night on the stories so I decided to type a post up :)! @Haley-great post :)!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~Aradia~ As I was getting out of my truck, a smile grew on my face, this was the last week of my junior year, and I had never been more excited. I felt that things were getting better, even though it had been a week since Luna’s funeral, and about two months since Autumn’s death. Walking down the junior hallway, I felt a poke from behind, I jumped. “Hey.” It was Andrew, sounding deeper than usual, weird. “How many times have I told you not to do that?” “Many. But you know I’ll still do it.” By this time Andrew was on the right side of me, I smirked and rolled my eyes. “True.” All the sudden Mrs. Malark, a secretary from the school office, stopped Andrew and I in the hallway. “Aradia, you’re needed in the office.” My eyebrow went up. Needed, in the office? “Umm ok, be there in a second.” Mrs. Malark walked away, leaving Andrew and I standing in the hallway, confused. “Well I guess I better go then.” I say, Andrew nods his head, we go our separate ways. I walk into the school office, Mrs. Malark was already at her desk, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Without even looking up, she pointed toward the principal’s office, I followed her direction. “Good morning Miss Perez, take a seat.” Principal Jones bellowed, I immediately sat down. I just had this feeling that this wasn’t going to be good. “Now I’m guessing you’re wondering why you’re here.” “Yes, I am.” “Well I’m just going to get right to the point; it’s about your grades.” My stomach sunk, were my grades really that bad? Mr. Jones started shuffling papers around, found the one he wanted, and read it. “63% on the math final, 70% on English, 69% on anatomy….Aradia, what happened?” Honestly I had no clue; I couldn’t believe that those were my grades. With silence in the air, Mr. Jones continued. “Aradia, you were one of the highest rank students in your class, and this? These grades are the result of something; would you like to tell me?” I shook my head; I’m not just going to tell Principal Jones my life story, no matter what grade. “Well then Miss Perez, I have no choice. I’ve talked to your coach and we’ve decided to not let you play in sectionals this weekend.” “WHAT!” I screamed, this made Mr. Jones scoot back a little; my face was heating up by then. “You can’t do this! My team needs me!” “I bet they do Aradia, but with scores like this, this is unacceptable. You know the policy at this school, if any class grade is under 75%, a student is not allowed to play in school sponsored sports. We even got contact of your mother and—““My mother?” I croaked, I hadn’t talked to my mother since February. “Yes, and she agreed with the consequence. She was very disappointed to hear about your grades.” This sent me fuming, with the best of my ability; I made myself sit back in my seat. “Well sir, tell my mother that if she is disappointed in me, she needs to tell me on her own, not through my own principal.” With that, I walked out of his office, not even caring if this got me more in trouble or not.

fungirl123 Sorry about the shortness of this! I’ve got to be somewhere today, but I felt like writing. ~Skylar~ Will’s car stopped at the curb of my house. “So your first appointment with Dr. Perry is in three days,” he said. “Is she nice?” I asked nervously. “Yeah,” he replied softly, “My mom went to her for a few weeks after Autumn died. She understands everything that’s going on.” I nodded. “Thank you.” I leaned over and kissed Will lightly on the cheek. “You’re really amazing to do this for me.” He smiled bashfully. I opened my car door and got out. I crossed the front lawn and pushed open the front door. “Did you get rid of her?” I immediately heard someone ask. It was Damon. Alice’s voice came next. “Yes. I made sure she left. For now, just worry about your sister. She’s the one who needs the attention right now.” **** “So do you want to tell me about what’s been going on in your life right now?” Dr. Perry asked. I was seated on a silky gray couch in a room about the size of my bedroom. The walls were painted a deep navy blue color, and the shelves were lined with diplomas and photos of family. Dr. Perry was a petite woman who looked to be not far into her thirties with dark hair, red-rimmed eyeglasses, and deep-set brown eyes. “Not really,” I muttered, fiddling with the tips of my hair. “Do you play any sports? Have any hobbies?” Wow. She liked to talk. Why was she asking me these things anyway? “I dance…and play piano. But I haven’t done any of those things in months,” I said, my voice unable to get any louder than just above a whisper. “Why not, Skylar?” “Why do you care?” I asked, agitated. “I’m only trying to get to know you, Skylar. We need to establish a form of trust here. I only care about your well-being,” she stated level-headedly. I shrugged. “I came here to get help. I’ve lost two of the most important people in my life. Why doesn’t anyone understand that I just want them back?” I asked, looking right at Dr. Perry. “Let me walk you through something. It’s important to know about. It’s called the Five Stages of Grieving. There’s anger, denial, bargaining, acceptance, and depression. It doesn’t always go in that order, though. Some people go back and forth between two or more stages. But which stage do you think your at, Skylar?” I shrugged my shoulders. “How should I know? Aren’t you supposed to tell me these things, Dr. Perry?” “I can’t help you if you’re not willing to help yourself. It really seems to me like you’re in between anger and depression. Sometimes those two things are the same,” she said. I squeezed my eyes shut. This wasn’t real. I couldn’t be that messed up in the head. “Can I just go home?” I whispered. “Yes, yes, of course,” she said as I stood from the couch, “We’ll meet again soon, I hope.” Without another word, I walked out of her office. Maybe this was just a big mistake.

fungirl123 @Robbi - don't feel guilty about prioritizing! <3 <3 The only reason I'm ever on GL is because I have two study halls at school, so I'm always checking during those times. I'm almost NEVER on during weeknights/afternoons. Just focus on family...and write when you have time! :D You've contributed sooo much to this club over the summer! ^__^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Don't worry about it, we all get busy! I think it would be easier for you to just read our posts and then skip to where we are in the story. Just post whenever you have time.(: And of course I'll pray for you and your family<3

taylorswiftfan1233 @GirlyGirl- Yeah... I kinda agree with Haley. Sorry! :/

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Hi everyone...first off...I wanna say this right off the bat...I am SOOO sorry I have not been on. A LOT is/has been happening in my family right now, (that I can't really talk about over the internet) and that is why I have not been on. I hope you girls weren't thinking I left or abandoned this club, because that's the total opposite of what I've been doing. I literally haven't been on girlslife in a month and a half and it has killed me not too. I feel like I let a lot of people down. So right now, I haven't caught up on this story, and honestly, as hectic as my life has been, and considering I was behind even when I was writing this summer, I could never catch up from where I stopped at doing Aradia's side of the story. So would it be easier if Aradia just 'disappeared' from the story, or can I just read up on what you girls have typed up then just skip to that part of the story...? It's ok if it's just beneficial if I left the story, because I understand if you guys are mad at me. I know a lot of work goes into writing stories and if one person forgets to do their job...it can mess up the whole process. So please, with honesty, tell me what you would like me to do about Aradia's character. Because as much as a lot of stressful situations in my family have been happening, it's soon going to get easier and that probably means I can get on more often. (But what I mean by more often is probably weekends, rarely in the week probably because of school and sports for me.) Well I hope this clears things up for you guys on what has happened to me, and again I apologized, I did not think that my family's situation would make me miss a whole month (practically almost 2 months) of writing...but if you could do me a favor...please pray for my family right now because it's just really stressful, even for me. Thank you :) Hopefully I can catch up this weekend on what you girls have written since I've been gone (but I make no promises because I just realized I have a English project due, ugh :/)....so with that I hope you girls have been doing ok, I've missed you!~MusicTaughtMeHowToLive

fungirl123 @GirlyGirl - yeah, I won't lie, for the last story, you did kind of let us down...Ya know, saying you'd be on, then never actually doing it. :\ I understand that you just don't always get on GL, but we NEED girls that ARE on GL a lot. So, really, you shouldn't have kept saying "I'll be on for [insert when you said you'd post]." You only posted like less than 3-4 times. :(

fungirl123 @Payton - no problemo! Thanks <3 <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Haha, yep! Thanks a bunch! And great post!!(:

fungirl123 This is a really short paragraph. But it gets the point across about Skylar. ^.^ ~Skylar~ I awoke to the sweet smell of syrup wafting through my nose. Autumn’s plush pink bed still smelled like her. She always smelled like vanilla. It was in her shampoo, perfume, lotion…everything. It was her signature scent. I ran a hand through my velvet-colored hair. An uneasy feeling settled in my gut. I was lying in the bed that Autumn had once called her own. I was in a room that was Autumn’s. I missed her so much. I just wanted to find her and ask for advice on this entire mess. She was always the best at that. I missed everything about her. I shoved the blankets off me, and stood up. I pulled the comforters and sheets back over her bed and rearranged the pillows to make it look like I’d never slept there in the first place. She deserved the best…and only that. Last night, I’d fallen asleep in a nightgown OF Autumn’s…after almost an hour of arguing with Will. I squeezed my eyes shut. “Skye,” I heard Will call up the stairs. “I’ll be down in a second, Will!” I responded. I walked out the door of her bedroom, and looked out at the kitchen from the balcony railing. Will was in plaid sweatpants, and a gray sleeveless shirt. His hair was matted down on his head. I walked down the staircase to him. “What did you make?” I asked, walking up next to him in front of the stove. “Omelets, bacon, sausage, juice—“ “Am I that special?” I teased, nudging him on the shoulder. I thought I heard him murmur ‘yeah’ in response, but I couldn’t be sure. I followed him to the counter, where we took a seat on stools. “So I found that guy Chase’s number in your phone. I talked to him about an hour ago about you—“ “What ABOUT me?” I asked, my voice cracking. “We’re all worried about you, Skye. You’ve been really…distant lately.” Will paused, sighing. “Then I called Damon…” He trailed off, staring at his plate. He was refusing to look me in the eye. “Why?” I pressed, trying my hardest to catch his gaze. “We were talking about considering therapy for you and Cord…but mostly you,” he finally said. I cupped my hand over my mouth. “Therapy? I’m not THAT messed up, Will!” He put both hands up, a nervous expression crossing over his face. “I know that, Skylar. But you can’t deny that you need some type of extra help. We all can’t be watching you this closely forever waiting to see what your next move is. You’re kind of unpredictable.” I couldn’t figure out if that was an insult or not. I rested my hands in my hands and my elbows on the counter top. Will reached for my hand. “It’s worth a try,” he whispered. I couldn’t believe people wanted me to go to a therapist. I couldn’t be nearly THAT messed up in the head. “Fine. But don’t expect me to like it.”

fungirl123 @Payton - awh...Jacey-Wacey, huh? :p LOL! Great post!

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! You’re so stupid, Noelle! You can’t even make a freaking goal! I thought furiously to myself, stomping into the locker room. The other girls on the team came in after me, talking about how they had scored the most amazing goal today in practice, or how cute so and so looked in his soccer jersey. I opened my gym locker, throwing my sweaty practice clothes into it. I stood up, in just a sports bra and my Spandex before walking angrily over to the showers. The other girls stared at my furious face as I got my hair wet. I’m sure it was red, as it tended to do when I got angry. Minutes ticked by, me feeling like I wanted to cry. What had happened? Well, for starters, Autumn had died. A lump of guilt filled my throat. Had I ever actually forgiven her? No. I hadn’t. And it was eating me up inside, something I had never thought was actually possible. Oh, but it was. And I hated it. “I can’t believe it. Noelle went from being the best girl on our team to the worst,” a hushed voice whispered. I turned off the shower, cocking my head to listen. “I know right? Lindley’s our best now. And of course, Jace is still our best guy on the team. I bet him and Noelle won’t stay friends for very much longer,” another girl whispered. I saw Allison and Abby, two girls on the team, walk out of the locker room, still whispering about me to each other. Leaving me alone in here, to think. As I dried off my body, I realized they were both right. Lindley and Jace were the best players on the team. And I was officially the worst. Even my cruel, stupid teammates could see it! I sighed, pulling on my sweatpants and a t-shirt. I brushed through my hair, shaking my head. So much for playing in college in a few years. That dream was slowly being sucked down the drain, along with almost everything else. “Such a shame,” a voice said, sounding almost pitiful. I whirled around, hairbrush in hand. Lindley stood there, arms crossed as she smirked at me. “Our lovely, star soccer player, Noelle Penner is now the worst on the team. All because her stupid little friend named Autumn died, and she can’t live without her.” Control your anger, I told myself. “Please shut up,” I said, squeezing my eyes shut, “I’m sick of dealing with you.” “Are you sick of dealing with Jace, too? Or was that just me last night?” she asked. My eyes popped open to find her standing nose to nose with me. “That was you. You can’t just start kissing my best friend without expecting me to-” “Get jealous?” Lindley interrupted with a smirk. My mouth dropped open. “J-Jealous? What’s that supposed to mean!?” She was crazy; she was full of herself. But her next words made me go cold. “Oh, please. Everyone can see it, especially me. You’re starting to falll in love with Jace, your best friend. And I mean, why not? He would never do anything to hurt you. You’re super close. And okay, I’m not going to lie... he’s really, really cute.” “I am not in love with Jace!” I cried, my voice shrill. Lindley laughed, throwing her head back. “Sure, sure.” “What makes you think I am?” I asked icily. “The way you look at him, El. How whenever your fingers brush against his, or you make eye contact or exchange smiles. Your eyes light up, and you look away. The corners of your mouth quirk up into a smile, and you look like the happiest girl on the planet. But then when I came over and kissed Jace, you should’ve saw yourself! Your hands were clenched tightly into fists, your face was bright red with anger, your teeth were clenched, and your eyes just clearly said how upset you were that another girl was getting to kiss YOUR Jacey Wacey.” My eyes flickered. “Listen, I don’t like him! I was just mad because you were kissing him and he hates your freaking guts!” I cried. “Well, I only did it to get to you.” Her voice was calm and smooth. I backed up a little. “Wait... what?” “I only did it to get to you, Noelle,” she repeated, “And I did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself.” I gritted my teeth, feeling stupid and angry. Of course she had done it to get to me. “You love him. There’s no denying it. I’m not stupid,” she said. Then she laughed, shaking her head. “Don’t feel bad. Neither of us saw this coming.” She turned around and walked out the door, still laughing. I stood, frozen in front of the mirror. Oh god. She was right. I was in love... with him. With my best friend. With Jace, the boy I had known all my life! The boy who had always been there for me, no matter what crap was thrown my way. The one that had helped me and told me gently when I was wrong. The one who was so concerned whenever I got hurt. I swallowed hard. Oh my god.What was wrong with me?

fungirl123 @Payton - aweesommee post, girl! :D :D

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ Jace led me farther into the party. Kenton was already out of sight. “I’m still surprised that your parents let you come,” Jace yelled over the pounding of the music. “You and me both,” I yelled back as he handed me a coke. Natalie McCormick, the pretty red haired senior had invited us to her end of the year party. When I had asked her if that was basically like a graduation party, she had just rolled her eyes and walked away, leaving the invitation in my hands. But I guess there were a few differences. For one, there were a lot more people here. For another, her parents were tucked away upstairs. And then there was the fact that the music was blaring and kids were screaming. I almost hadn’t come, but then had given up and decided to go with Jace. Jace and I sat down on the couch. I casually sipped my coke, keeping my eyes on Lindley who was across the room. Her dark black hair was in a neat, French braid, and she was texting on her Droid as she giggled along with Lauren. Suddenly, she looked up. Our eyes met, and she quickly looked away with a smirk, leaning over to whisper something in Lauren’s ear. Lauren glanced at me, then pressed a hand over her mouth to hide her giggles. I my eyes at them. “Just ignore them,” Jace whispered in my ear. I nodded, squaring my shoulders back as I stood up. Then I grabbed Jace’s hand, pulling him upright. “Let’s dance.” *** For some reason, everytime Jace and I brushed fingertips or shared smiles, I would get a fluttery feeling inside. And by the middle of the night, it was driving me completely insane. narrowed Finally, I just sat down on the couch. “You okay?” Jace asked, sitting down beside me. “Um.... yeah. Just tired,” I said. It wasn’t a lie, exactly. I was tired. “Me too,” Jace said, sitting down beside me. Our fingers brushed together as he arranged his position. I quickly looked down at my shoes, feeling my body quickly heat up. Suddenly, I felt more weight on the couch as someone else sat down. I looked up to see.... Lindley. “Hi, Jace!” she squealed, completely ignoring me, “I just saw you sitting over here with Noelle, and since she was ignoring you, I thought I would come over here.” Here, she gave me a disgusted look. “Uh.... thanks, I guess. But Noelle wasn’t ignoring me,” Jace said, looking uncomfortable. “Oh, she wasn’t? I’m sorry, I had no idea!” Lindley said, faux-apologetically. Then she sighed, standing up. “I guess I better go back over there with Lauren.” “Yes, please do,” I said sweetly, looking up at her. Her mouth formed into a tight line, her hands clenching tightly at her sides. “Noelle,” Jace said warningly. He seemed to force a smile as he looked back up at Lindley. “Go ahead. You can sit here. I was just going to go get another coke...” he murmured, standing up. The little traitor! I thought, shooting him a glare. He pretended not to see. “Oh, you can stay right here. With me,” Lindley said, grabbing his arm and pushing him back down. Then she sat down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. My best friend’s eyes went wide with surprise. Mine did, too. What the heck was she doing? I quickly discovered what when she leaned over and kissed him, running her hands through his hair. Oh. My. God. My fists clenched tightly at my sides as Jace quickly pulled back, scooting away from her and towards me. “What was that?” he cried, his cheeks turning red as Lindley also scooted closer. “I don’t know. You tell me,” she cooed sweetly. “Uh, how about disgusting?” I said, grossed out as I watched Lindley bat her eyelashes at him. Either she didn’t hear me, or she pretended not to. Either way, it made me even more irritated with her. “Lindley, can’t you see he doesn’t like you?” I asked, my voice growing louder. Because as I stared at her perfect braid and her perfectly applied makeup and her perfect clothes, I began to get jealous. And upset. When she kissed him again, I jumped off the couch and stood up. Jace fell backwards, taking Lindley with him. She kissed him hard on the lips, so hard I was surprised it didn’t hurt her face. “Whoa,” Kenton said, appearing behind me. Whoa? Was that all he had to say? Maybe. Maybe not. I didn’t get to find out because I grabbed Lindley by her braid and pulled her off of my best friend, my eyes flashing as I yanked her upright. “Noelle!” she cried angrily, making an attempt to shove me. I raised my free fist. I wasn’t going to punch her. But a little threat wouldn’t hurt, would it? “Kiss him again, or flirt with him again, or even run your perfectly manicured fingers through his hair again, and I’ll bust your face,” I said coldly, leaning towards her and narrowing my eyes. Her mouth dropped open, but then it closed. Then it opened again, as she said, “Fine.” I let go of her and she stalked off, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. I stood there for a moment, staring at the direction in which she had just walked off. “Jesus, Noelle. You’re pretty hardcore,” Kenton said. I snapped back to reality, looking up at my brother. Jace stood behind him, wide eyed. I remained silent, thinking exactly about what had just happened. “Noelle? Earth to Noelle!” Kenton cried, snapping his fingers in front of his face. I blushed. “Yeah?” ‘You know I wouldn’t have let you punch her, right?” Kenton asked, looking down at me with what.... authority? “Bull crap. You would have,” I argued. “Whatever makes you feel better,” he said, patting me on the back. “Why’d you do that?” Jace asked, his brown eyes still wide. “I-I just...” I stammered. He raised his eyebrows. “You’ll thank me later, when you’re not married to that little witch,” I grumbled, before turning on my heel and going to get something to drink.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thank you(: And I agree. I just wrote two posts; one about them going to a party, and the other about how Lindley makes Noelle realize she's in love with Jace. Jace doesn't realize it yet... I think I'll make him realize it at the big game(:

fungirl123 @Payton - hahah, you don't sound stupid. ^.^ I think that's the best way, too. Also, I don't think that them realizing they love each other should be mushy-gushy. It doesn't really seem like them. :D :D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Me too. I'm stuck on what to write for Noelle. I mean, I want her to realize she loves Jace. I just... don't know how to. I guess I could make her jealous. IDK... Oh, wow. I sound so stupid right now. :P

fungirl123 @Payton - oh, that's cool! :D I hope you get the chance to post soon. I've been in a slump lately...

taylorswiftfan1233 I'm gonna try to post soon since I'm not grounded anymore(:

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- No, but we have two dance companies where I live and they're totally rivals! :p

fungirl123 @Payton - awh, too bad. :-) Does your school have a dance team or something like that?

taylorswiftfan1233 Being in the parade today and watching all the dancers made me realize I miss dance. Why did I ever quit?? *sigh* Maybe I'll join late... or just wait until next year! :'( Lol, sorry. That had nothing to do with writing.(: Ignore this if you'd like:)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Thanks! I can't wait to see what you write(:

LudaKrys Woah! Sorry I haven't been on in forever! Great posts though! :)

fungirl123 @Payton - thanks! ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Amazing post! I loved it! <3

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ I could feel the beads of sweat rolling down the back of my neck. My hair was no longer soft and silky as it had been. It felt oily with perspiration as I was seated at my own kitchen table in my own home…but feeling as awkward as I would be at a stranger’s house. A stranger faced me. She shouldn’t be a stranger. She should be a woman who helped me get ready for all of my junior high dances; a woman who had been the one to talk me through all of the trials and pains in my life. But she hadn’t. I didn’t even know what my mother looked like. I should’ve just ignored her, I thought angrily to myself. I shouldn’t have acknowledged her as my mother. Not today. Not on the day my baby sister was being shown in a shiny black casket. I refused to look the woman in the eyes. Damon sat next to me. Cord was taking a nap. Alice was somewhere else. “Greenlee—“ “Don’t call me that,” I snapped, although my voice was cracking. “Okay, I guess I won’t call you by your own name,” my mother said solemnly. She sighed. “But can I begin by finally introducing myself? That was something I never got to do.” “That’s not my fault. But whatever.” She furrowed her brow, evidently looking for the right words to say. “My name is Evelyn Curtiss. I’ve been living in Nevada for the past six, hiding from the truth.” I so wished Damon would speak, but he was mute next to me. “Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, “We know that part.” She stared at me. “You know, I always envied you and your father’s green apple eyes. You know you got that from him, right?” Something was bubbling up inside me. Anger, hurt, stress. How could she think she could just walk all over us! “I can’t take this,” I said, although it came out as only a whisper. I pushed my chair back, not caring about the screeching noise that echoed in the kitchen as my chair scraped against the floor. I stood up, my chair falling backwards, and stormed from the room. No one stopped me. I walked straight to the door, grabbing my jacket and Damon’s keys on the way. The rain slapped against me as I fumbled with the keys to unlock the door to his Mercedes. Once I did, I sat down with a grunt and turned on the ignition. I didn’t know where I planned to go, but I just drove down the street. Anger was erupting, it felt like, from me. My face felt like it’d be dipped into boiling lava, and my hands shook. I pulled into the first parking lot I saw. The tears I was holding back felt like stabs of pain in my throat. Finally, I just let it completely out. Screams and yells exploded from my insides. I pounded on the steering wheel. It was like the only way to get out all the anger I’d had bottled up for years and years. The pain I’d had to put away because I needed to keep my calm for Luna and Cord…and to keep Damon from having a breakdown himself. My entire body shook with pain. Was this what Luna felt like as she was slowly dying? I felt like my insides were slowly being torn apart. My body was as cold as ice. I turned off the car. No tears came. I just let myself be angry. I was a monster. My face and eyes were red. My heart was thumping out of my chest. How had I let this all happen? A knock sounded from my right side, making me jump practically into the passenger seat. A familiar figure loomed at my window, a hood protecting his head from rain. Will. How did he find me? My fingers trembled as I rolled down my window. “Damon called and told me what happened. But it was just a great coincidence that I found you here.” Sympathy filled his tone. It seemed like concrete had sealed my throat. I couldn’t even make a sound. “Scoot over,” Will ordered softly. I undid my seatbelt, and moved over the divider into the passenger seat. Will opened the driver door, and sat down next to me. Finally, I found my voice. A million sentences needed to be said, but I settled with, “Where are you taking me? You sure as hell aren’t about to take me back to my house.” Will stared ahead. “I know. We’re going somewhere else. My family’s house up in Oakland. My dad gave it to me for the weekend. I figured you needed to get out of this stupid town...and all the crap in it.” I sighed. Finally…someone understood. **** “Here we are.” My eyes fluttered open, and I realized I had fallen asleep on the two-hour drive to Oakland. Will opened my car door, and held out his hand for me. “I called Alice after you fell asleep. They know you’re with me, and that your safe,” Will said as I stepped out into the darkness. We were far from streetlights, so I almost tripped when I stepped up onto the sidewalk since I couldn’t see. We walked up steps and Will opened the door to a large house. “I’ll show you to your bedroom.” He flipped on a light and grabbed my hand. He led me down a hallway, through a kitchen, and up a large staircase lined with photos of cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family. We stopped at the landing, where we walked down another hall and finally into a large bedroom. I flipped on the light. Light flooded the room. It was bright pink with pink furniture. My heart leapt into my throat as I looked the wall. There was a collage with the title “Best Friends Truly Are Forever”. My eyes skimmed over the photos in the dark brown frame. There was one of two blonde girls crammed together in metallic silver bikinis and straw hats. It took me a moment to realize it was Noelle and Autumn. A few of Noelle’s school photos were also in the collage. I began seeing lots more of Aradia, Camille, and even me. They were photos that I couldn’t even remember when we’d taken them. Finally I realized, feeling foolish for not realizing it earlier, that I was in Autumn’s room.

fungirl123 @Epicactress15 - yeah, you should join FW! ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Epicactress15- I think we said that the next plot might be about these girls that were really close friends but grow apart. And then in like High School, they become friends again. If u are interested, you can talk to Toni. :) Again, I'm sorry!<3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Epicactress15- (Continued) the application if we do another story and if you're still interested! If you go to Haley's wall (fungirl123) there's a club called Forever Writers and we're about done with our story and then we will be starting another.

taylorswiftfan1233 @epicactress15- If you mean the application for this club, then there isn't one at the moment. (sorry, i need to update the description!) I think we're too far into the story to get another writer in. Sorry! When this story is over, you can fill out

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- I just ran three miles.... Which is just a little less than what the High School boys run here. So 4.5 laps is like nothing for me!! :P

fungirl123 @Payton - no problem! :D Ugh...we had to run 2.5 laps in PE today. :\ I know it doesn't seem like a lot to other people...but for me it's sooo long!! On Monday, we're running 4.5 laps (a mile).

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- It sucks! :p But anyway, thank you<3

fungirl123 @Payton - awesome post, again! :D The thing with the deleted paragraph happens to me ALL THE TIME!!! :p

taylorswiftfan1233 Ah... GR! First of all, my last post posted like twice. Second of all... I just had a really good post where Noelle realizes she loves Jace, but I deleted it. D: So now I have to rewrite it all... WHY ME??! :(

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Hmm... What about Will? ~Noelle~ “Would you two care to explain to me exactly what happened?” Mr. Hanson asked, leaning back into his chair and raising his eyebrows at us. “N-Noelle just punched me for no reason!” Lindley blubbered, wiping away tears. I glared at her, halfway tempted to slam my fist into her nose once again. “That’s a lie!” I cried. “No it’s not,” Lindley sniffled. Mr. Hanson handed her a tissue. She leaned her head back and pinched her nose in an attempt to stop the flow of blood. “Mr. Hanson, that’s not the whole story,” I argued as the nurse handed me and Lindley ice packs. I rested it on my face. “So, what is it then?” Mr. Hanson asked, beginning to grow impatient. “I was walking down the hallway when I heard Lindley telling everyone that Autumn was a horrible soccer player,” I began. “Autumn?” my principal inquired. “Autumn Powell... the girl who died in a car accident?” I said, feeling even more pain from those words. “Oh, yes. Go on.” “Autumn and I used to be really close friends. We played soccer together when we were growing up and everything. But then when she died... I was devastated. I couldn’t even believe it had happened. So, when I heard Lindley talking crap about her, I told her that she had no right to talk about Autumn that way. And Lindley was like, ‘Why not? Everything I just said was true.’ And then she started saying how people only liked me only because I was pretty and a bunch of other crap like that,” I went on. “And then she punched me!” Lindley broke in furiously. “Yeah, but you punched back, didn’t you?” I snapped, turning to face her. She narrowed her eyes and muttered a yes. “Is that all? That’s how the fight broke out?” Mr. Hanson asked. “Yes,” Lindley and I said in harmony. “Well, then. I think we should call your parents over here and we can all discuss a punishment. I’m very disappointed in you two,” he said, looking hard at each of us. I looked away.My parents were going to be even more dissapointed. *** Lindley’s parents gaped at her, shocked that their precious angel had gotten into a fight at school. “I hate you,” Lindley muttered as she walked past me. I had no idea what her punishment was... but now it was my turn to go back inside Mr. Hanson’s office with my parents and learn my fate. I couldn’t say I wasn’t nervous. “Come in,” Mr. Hanson called. My dad opened the door and held it open for my mom and I. Then he followed us inside the office, shutting the door behind him. We settled into our chairs. Mr. Hanson glared at me before turning to my parents. “As you know, Noelle broke one of our most important rules here at Washington High School; that rule would of course be the no fighting policy. But Noelle broke that when she punched Lindley in the face. Of course, Lindley punched her back and a fight broke out right in the academic hallway. Now, we need to pick her punishment,” Mr. Hanson said calmly. Then, glancing at me, he said sternly, “Lindley’s was she can’t come to school tomorrow. And she also cannot play at the next soccer game. I’m also considering making her miss the Championship.” My mouth dropped open. “Wh-what?” I stammered. “I’m thinking your punishment will be the same,” he said simply. “OH MY GOD!” I wailed, “You can’t do that!” “I think we both know I can, Noelle. And besides, it’s only the proper punishment.” He didn’t care at all. I could tell. I could feel tears stinging my eyes. I had really messed up this time. All of a sudden, the door swung open. Coach Torres came stomping in, his eyes bright with fury. “I just received your email, and I want to have a say in Noelle’s punishment,” he said, crossing his arms. “And that is?” Mr. Hanson questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Make her miss school tomorrow. But she can’t miss our next game or the championship! She’s one of our best players, even if she has had some off days lately. I know that she’ll get before the big game. I also know that it was Lindley’s fault. She’s been really rude to Noelle lately, so it’s no surprise that Elle just lost it today. Sir, you have to reconsider. We stand no chance without Noelle.” My mouth dropped open with shock. My parents both looked surprised, too, as did Mr. Hanson. Coach was sticking up for me and blaming this mess on Lindley? Even after I had been such a horrible soccer player since Autumn died? “I....” Mr. Hanson said, shaking his head slowly. “Please!” Coach begged. I licked my lips, tasting the horrible bloody taste of them. The cherry flavor was long gone. “I... I guess Noelle can just miss school tomorrow and she can still play at the games,” Mr. Hanson said. Coach beamed. “Thank you so much, Bill. I promise you won’t be sorry,” he said happily. I sat there, stunned until Mr. Hanson said coldly, “But Noelle, you had better be on your best behavior.” I nodded. “I will. I swear.”

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Hmm... What about Will? ~Noelle~ “Would you two care to explain to me exactly what happened?” Mr. Hanson asked, leaning back into his chair and raising his eyebrows at us. “N-Noelle just punched me for no reason!” Lindley blubbered, wiping away tears. I glared at her, halfway tempted to slam my fist into her nose once again. “That’s a lie!” I cried. “No it’s not,” Lindley sniffled. Mr. Hanson handed her a tissue. She leaned her head back and pinched her nose in an attempt to stop the flow of blood. “Mr. Hanson, that’s not the whole story,” I argued as the nurse handed me and Lindley ice packs. I rested it on my face. “So, what is it then?” Mr. Hanson asked, beginning to grow impatient. “I was walking down the hallway when I heard Lindley telling everyone that Autumn was a horrible soccer player,” I began. “Autumn?” my principal inquired. “Autumn Powell... the girl who died in a car accident?” I said, feeling even more pain from those words. “Oh, yes. Go on.” “Autumn and I used to be really close friends. We played soccer together when we were growing up and everything. But then when she died... I was devastated. I couldn’t even believe it had happened. So, when I heard Lindley talking crap about her, I told her that she had no right to talk about Autumn that way. And Lindley was like, ‘Why not? Everything I just said was true.’ And then she started saying how people only liked me only because I was pretty and a bunch of other crap like that,” I went on. “And then she punched me!” Lindley broke in furiously. “Yeah, but you punched back, didn’t you?” I snapped, turning to face her. She narrowed her eyes and muttered a yes. “Is that all? That’s how the fight broke out?” Mr. Hanson asked. “Yes,” Lindley and I said in harmony. “Well, then. I think we should call your parents over here and we can all discuss a punishment. I’m very disappointed in you two,” he said, looking hard at each of us. I looked away.My parents were going to be even more dissapointed. *** Lindley’s parents gaped at her, shocked that their precious angel had gotten into a fight at school. “I hate you,” Lindley muttered as she walked past me. I had no idea what her punishment was... but now it was my turn to go back inside Mr. Hanson’s office with my parents and learn my fate. I couldn’t say I wasn’t nervous. “Come in,” Mr. Hanson called. My dad opened the door and held it open for my mom and I. Then he followed us inside the office, shutting the door behind him. We settled into our chairs. Mr. Hanson glared at me before turning to my parents. “As you know, Noelle broke one of our most important rules here at Washington High School; that rule would of course be the no fighting policy. But Noelle broke that when she punched Lindley in the face. Of course, Lindley punched her back and a fight broke out right in the academic hallway. Now, we need to pick her punishment,” Mr. Hanson said calmly. Then, glancing at me, he said sternly, “Lindley’s was she can’t come to school tomorrow. And she also cannot play at the next soccer game. I’m also considering making her miss the Championship.” My mouth dropped open. “Wh-what?” I stammered. “I’m thinking your punishment will be the same,” he said simply. “OH MY GOD!” I wailed, “You can’t do that!” “I think we both know I can, Noelle. And besides, it’s only the proper punishment.” He didn’t care at all. I could tell. I could feel tears stinging my eyes. I had really messed up this time. All of a sudden, the door swung open. Coach Torres came stomping in, his eyes bright with fury. “I just received your email, and I want to have a say in Noelle’s punishment,” he said, crossing his arms. “And that is?” Mr. Hanson questioned, raising an eyebrow. “Make her miss school tomorrow. But she can’t miss our next game or the championship! She’s one of our best players, even if she has had some off days lately. I know that she’ll get before the big game. I also know that it was Lindley’s fault. She’s been really rude to Noelle lately, so it’s no surprise that Elle just lost it today. Sir, you have to reconsider. We stand no chance without Noelle.” My mouth dropped open with shock. My parents both looked surprised, too, as did Mr. Hanson. Coach was sticking up for me and blaming this mess on Lindley? Even after I had been such a horrible soccer player since Autumn died? “I....” Mr. Hanson said, shaking his head slowly. “Please!” Coach begged. I licked my lips, tasting the horrible bloody taste of them. The cherry flavor was long gone. “I... I guess Noelle can just miss school tomorrow and she can still play at the games,” Mr. Hanson said. Coach beamed. “Thank you so much, Bill. I promise you won’t be sorry,” he said happily. I sat there, stunned until Mr. Hanson said coldly, “But Noelle, you had better be on your best behavior.” I nodded. “I will. I swear.”

fungirl123 Oh, take your time. :-) I should be writing, I just don't know what to write about... :\

taylorswiftfan1233 I'll post again soon!! I promise! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Wow... And I thought the kids at my school were bad. :P

fungirl123 @Payton - that's how me and my best friend are with the basketball players. ^.^ But, yeah, we were getting called "stupid retards" and are cheers "totally gay" and then also "nice "a*s". :\ Nooo problemm 'bout the writing! :p

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Wow, pressing charges? I've always pictured football players and cheerleaders being nice to each other and sometimes flirty. Lol, guess I was wrong. :P And thank youuu! <3 <3 <3

fungirl123 @Payton - yeah, us cheerleaders are actually working on pressing harassment charges against the FBall players at our school. They're horrible to us...But anyways, AWESOMMEE paragraph!!!!! <3 <3 <3

taylorswiftfan1233 I seriously apologize if this posts twice! My laptop is so weird. :P ~Noelle~ I tucked a strand of blonde hair behind my ear, examining myself in the girls' bathroom mirror. I fished around in my bag, my fingers searching for what I wanted. I pulled out my cherry chapstick and applied it to my dry lips, keeping my eyes on my reflection. My blonde hair was loose today, something I now regretted because it was so windy outside. I was wearing ripped jeans-something my mother hated on me- and a Washington High School Soccer t-shirt. My shoes were just a pair of navy blue converse. I sighed, tossing my chapstick back into my bag. Being pretty was such a waste on me. I swung my bag over my shoulder before walking out the bathroom door. It was the day before the last day of school. For some reason, we were getting out of school later than any other school in the city. But soccer was going to go on just a little longer. After all, we only had one game this weekend and then next week's was the championship. Secretly, I was glad that soccer was almost over. I couldn't even look at a ball without feeling a pang of guilt inside me. A familiar voice floated down the hallway, capturing my attention. “You know, I think that Elliot was a worse soccer team with Autumn there. But now that she's dead, they're a lot better. They still suck, of course. But I bet everyone was happy when they heard that Autumn was dead.” I froze as laughter filled the air. People shoved past me, hurrying to the parking lot. Who was talking bad about Autumn and Elliot? I wondered, trying to figure out who the culprit was. And wondering how something so rude could make people laugh. I quickly composed myself before taking quick strides toward the voice, who was still talking loudly over the laughter. As I turned the corner, my heart sank. There, in the middle of a cluster of soccer players, was Lindley. “I bet no one showed up at her funeral,” Lauren Johnson said with a smirk. “I know I didn't,” Lindley said. No one had even noticed that I was standing there. It was like I was invisible. Suddenly, anger filled my body. None of them, especially Lindley, had the right to talk about Autumn like that. I pushed my way through the group. Some kids glared at me, but I ignored them. Then I just stood behind Lindley for a moment, staring blankly at her dark black ponytail and silver hoop earrings. After figuring out what I would say, I lightly tapped her shoulder. She whirled around to face me, and a look of surprise flashed across her face. Like she hadn't expected me to still be at school. “You have no right to talk about Autumn like that,” I said, my voice surprisingly calm. “And why not? Everything I just said was true,” Lindley said, her voice equally calm. “You know...” I said slowly, “I thought we were friends. But I was obviously wrong. You're such a fake, Lindley.” The corners of her mouth twitched. “And you're not? The night we first played Elliot High School, you were getting in Autumn's face and talking crap about her behind her back. If anyone's fake, it would be you, Noelle.” “And now I regret everything mean thing I ever said to Autumn. All these years we've played soccer together, she's dealt with my cocky bragging. She's put up with me, and she was never as rude to me as I was to her. She's been there by my side through everything... Even though sometimes, I wasn't there for her,” I said sweetly. Then, before I could stop myself, I said in an even sweeter voice, “And she was a much better soccer player than you'll ever be.” Lindley gaped at me. The Soccer Jocks made an ooh noise, and someone else said, “You just got burned.” “You're just like Autumn. People only like you because you're pretty,” she said, her voice also incredibly sweet as she ignored my comment. Lauren and a few others giggled at that, like it was hilarious. Lindley stepped closer so were practically nose to nose. “You're just another pretty little face,” she whispered loudly enough so everyone could hear. I glared at her as she went on. “Why do you think Jace hangs out with you, Noelle? It's just because you're pretty. Why do you think all the guys at school respect you? Because you're pretty. Why do you think your family hasn't disowned you already? Again, because you're pretty.” I took a step back, stung. I knew I could be bad, but my family would never disown me... Would they? And what about Jace? He didn't just hang out with me because I was pretty, right? And guys respected me because I was tough and confident and a good soccer player, not because I was pretty. Or... maybe I was wrong about that. Lindley took a step towards me again. “You're pretty. You're nice when you want to be. You're smart. You're helpful. You're a good athlete. You're confident. But you know what else you are?” Lindley asked. I shook my head, confused. Where was this going? “You're a hateful, spoiled little snob that deserves to die just as much as Autumn Powell did,” she snapped coldly. I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach. She had just pointed out two of my flaws; flaws that I was trying to walk away from. Anger filled me, and all of a sudden I felt like I was on fire. Before I could stop myself, I had raised my fist and punched her as hard as I could in the face. The crowd of kids gasped. Lindley stared at me, shocked. I stepped back a little, watching her face turn red with fury. “Fight, fight, fight, fight!” the crowd of kids chanted. Lindley swung her fist at me, but I ducked, causing her hand to narrowly miss Lauren. “Missed,” I said. “I know!” Lindley cried angrily. Then she swung again; but this time she didn't miss. I winced, lightly touching my face. I would definitely have a bruise tomorrow. “Fight, fight!” the kids chanted, growing even louder. Fine. If they wanted a fight, then that's what they would get. Remembering when Aradia had grabbed me by the hair in our fight and just how badly it had hurt, I grabbed Lindley's ponytail and yanked it as hard as I could. She let out a howl of pain. I yanked again and again, until finally the hair-tie fell out and her hair was wavy and loose. “I'm going to kill you, Noelle!” Lindley screamed, lunging at me. I scooted over to the side so she missed, and then watched the crowd move over to avoid being hit. Lindley crashed into the lockers face-first. “OWW!” she wailed. I started to laugh, but stopped when she ran towards me, grabbing my shoulders and pushing me backwards. I let out a shriek as the crowd parted, causing us to ram into a classroom door. Mrs. Palmer looked up at the loud thump, just in time to see my face pressed against the window of her door, Lindley slamming my body into it multiple times. She winced and began moving towards us, probably preparing herself to end a fight. There was no way she could break up a fight, though, no matter how hard she tried. She was old, her hearing practically gone. That was why she hadn't even heard the crowd of teenagers. I somehow managed to twist myself around before Lindley could make me crash into the door again. Then I lunged at her, tackling her to the ground. “Wow, you really are a--” she started, but was cut off by my fist connecting with her nose. She let out a wail of pain as blood began to trickle down her face. I smirked and started to get up, but she grabbed my wrist and pulled me back down. Then she leaned over the top of me, her breath warm on my face. “You will pay,” she hissed. Then she slammed her fist into my mouth twice. Tears stung my eyes, making me regret ever punching her. Lindley noticed right away. “What's the matter, Noelle? Am I hurting you?” she taunted. I slapped her across the face, the bitter anger back inside my body. “Girls! Girls, please stop!” Mrs. Palmer yelled over the crowd, her voice sounding frail compared to the crowd of wild teenagers. “Noelle!” Jace cried. He tried to come towards me, but the crowd wouldn't let him through. By this point, Lindley and I were rolling around on the ground, punching, kicking, screaming, and pulling each other's hair. I was in so much pain, I was almost crying. “Girls! Break it up NOW!” a voice boomed. I started to sit up, ready to quit fighting, but Lindley punched me again. I winced, already picturing my bruised face in the morning. “NOW!” the voice practically screamed again. The crowd fell silent. Lindley and I froze, realizing who it was at the same time. He grabbed my shirt, yanking me upright. Then he did the same thing to Lindley. “Mr. Hanson,” Lindley began nervously, “I can explain everything.” “You can tell me in my office,” the principal snapped, “Where we will also be calling your parents. I'm sure they will just love to hear about this.” Lindley began to cry. This was obviously her first time ever getting into trouble. And I almost didn't blame her. Mr. Hanson was a real jerk. I knew because I had been to his office a few times in my life. “As for the rest of you,” Mr. Hanson said coldly, looking at the others, “I suggest you get on home before I write you up detentions for tomorrow, which I might remind you, is your last day of school.” The crowd of teens walked away, talking about the fight to each other and how good it had been, along with how much of a jerk Mr. Hanson was. Jace stood frozen, watching both of us. “You too, Jace,” Mrs. Palmer said, leading my best friend down the hallway. Mr. Hanson pushed me and Lindley the opposite way until we reached his office. And that was when I knew I was doomed.

taylorswiftfan1233 Ugh, my computer is posting everything twice. -.-

taylorswiftfan1233 Ugh, my computer is posting everything twice. -.-

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thank you! ;) I wish we went to the same school! But instead, I'm stuck with drama queens and annoying football players. :P

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thank you! ;) I wish we went to the same school! But instead, I'm stuck with drama queens and annoying football players. :P

fungirl123 @Payton - haha, why muchas gracias! :-D Your not to bad yourself... ;)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Aww! You are so sweet! That just made my night complete! OMG, again... you are sooo nice and sweet!! <3 You might think I'm over reacting, but seriously, you are so nice :D

fungirl123 @Payton - LOL, yeah, right!! (Sarcasm) That'd be like saying One Direction has no talent...SO NOT TRUE!!!! ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Okay, yay!(: I always think I'm a really boring writer... and a boring person..... :P

fungirl123 @Payton - no, I really like it! :-D I'm not tired of it all. It's quite exciting... :p

taylorswiftfan1233 Okay, so I know everyone is probably getting tired of Noelle throwing punches at people that make her mad, but I'm kind of going to make her beat up Lindley in this one because she's talking crap about Autumn. and kinda ends up liking Jace. :P

fungirl123 @Payton - haha, why thank ya! :-D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Awesome post!! I can't wait to see what happens next!!! :D

fungirl123 Okay, that wasn't as short as I thought it'd be. ^.^

fungirl123 Okay, this paragraph is a bit short, but it’s important! :-) ~Skylar~ I listened the rain smack the roof. It was comforting…knowing that the sky was grieving Luna’s horrible death. It had also rained on the day of Autumn’s burial, not that I was there. But I knew that it wasn’t just a coincidence. After a bit longer, the door stopped opening and closing with people entering and exiting. I stayed hidden in the shadows of the staircase. The people who did see me shot me benevolent smiles and sympathetic stares. Some children passing through pointed at me, their eyes wide as if I was some kind of animal. I checked my watch. The showing should’ve been done by now. But people still stood in the living room, talking about Luna, who most of them didn’t even know. They were just sympathizers. Noelle walked into the foyer and opened the coat closet. She retrieved her light jacket from the closet, not even noticing me. She turned after a minute. Her eyes locked on me. “I-I’m sorry…?” She gave me a compassionate smile. Then she opened the front door and left. There was another person coming in, though – a woman. She didn’t thank Noelle, though, when she held open the door for her. She only kept her head straight up, a nervous expression covering her face. For some reason, I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. She took a long minute to put her coat in the closet. Then she just stood in the foyer, staring ahead at the crowd of mourners in the other room. She didn’t notice me, and I was glad. She had long, dark auburn hair and a small build. She was very short, like me. She was wearing a loose black dress that fell to her knees. Her hair was in a tight bun and her face was covered by gothic net. But when Damon walked quickly in, she stumbled backwards for a moment before regaining her balance. What was this? I figured Damon was coming to get me, so I was prepared to stand up. But he stopped right in front of the woman. “What do you think you’re doing here?” he growled, trying to stay quiet. I leaned forward. Huh? I better hid myself in the shadows, ready to listen to this. A million explanations raced through my head. Maybe Damon was cheating on Alice and this was his mistress. No, that couldn’t be it. My older brother wasn’t like that. Maybe Damon knew who the killer was and this was the killer’s wife. That could be it. “I came to see Luna.” She was coming to see Luna. Maybe she felt awful about her husband’s actions. “You’re not welcome here,” Damon stated. Suddenly, I knew who the woman was. She wasn’t a murderess…or Damon’s mistress. Memories hit me like a ton of bricks. My seventh birthday, which was one of the last times I had seen my parents happily married. Damon’s fifth grade musical, when she had been struggling to keep me quiet, as I was quite a loud child. I stayed stationary one the fifth step. “You left us at the hardest time in our lives. When Dad was having way too much financial troubles. Right after Luna and Cord were born. You just decide to leave…just like that.” My vision blurred. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Suddenly, purple spots filled my vision and I began to sway. I tried to grab the railing for support, but my hand never found it. And the world around me went dark. **** “Skylar, are you there?” My eyes fluttered open. I was up in my bedroom now. Damon hovered over me. How long had I been out? “I just had a horrible dream. Mom was here again.” Damon’s eyes widened. “Oh my…God. You heard it, didn’t you?” he stammered, looking quite pained. “I am here.” Who was that? I watched as Damon tried to block my vision with his built body, but I could still see the figure standing behind him. My heartbeat sped up. This wasn’t happening. “Mom?”

fungirl123 @Payton - okay, thanks! ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- I know... I only haven't been writing because I've been busy with cross-country and I was waiting on Krysta and Robbi to write. :P But you can go ahead and write your last paragraph... IDK what to write for me. :P

fungirl123 IDK if I should finish writing my last paragraph about the funeral...No one else has really been writing for this club...

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Thanks! (:

LudaKrys @Payton-Great post!

fungirl123 @Payton - nooo problemmm! :P LOL... ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thank youuuu! :D And yeah, jogging for six minutes? Yuck, lol(:

fungirl123 @Payton - awweeesome post!! :-D

taylorswiftfan1233 I'm sorry if this post sucks! And I hope ya'll understand what Noelle was saying. It kind of turned into rambling, haha(: ~~Noelle~ (http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=dress_little_black_dress&ProductID=2017307440&VariantID=) I stared at Luna's display. I felt like crying for some reason. This was all too upsetting for me. I couldn't even believe I was here in the first place. Aradia and Camille had thought it would be a good idea if I came. They said that maybe it would help patch things up with Skylar. I highly doubted that, but I had came anyway. Because Skye didn't deserve this no matter how rude she had been to me at Will's graduation party. “Noelle?” a voice asked quietly from behind me. I whirled around to see Aradia stand there. “Hey,” I said. I was surprised when I spoke. My voice sounded like I was about to break down in tears. “You okay?” she asked. Was she always this considerate? “Yeah. I'm fine,” I mumbled, not wanting to seem like a baby. She nodded and continued to look at the display. I quickly walked away. Away from the others, and away from everyone. *** I couldn't figure out what was more surprising. The fact that someone had decorated Luna's casket with stickers, or that Jace and Kenton hadn't wanted to come with me. I secretly envied them. They were at home playing Call of Duty, and I was watching people cry at a little girl's funeral. To make matters worse, the lace on my dress was bothering me. Mom had insisted I wear this one because it looked perfect on me. Or so she said. I thought it was amazing how many black dresses I owned, considering I sported the more athletic style and rarely wore dresses. I hadn't even noticed I owned a dress until I had gone on a hunt in my ginormous closet. It was pretty sad. Someone cleared their throat from beside me, snapping me back to reality. I turned to see a boy looking at me with an unreadable expression. Skye was sitting nearby, which I hadn't even noticed until now. Too bad she wasn't speaking to me. “Noelle, right?” the boy asked. And that was when I reconized him. He was the boy that had been at Will's graduation party with Skye. “Yeah,” I said with a nod, “And you are?” “Chase,” he replied, sticking out his hand. I shook it firmly. For a split second, a surprised look flashed across his face at how hard I shook his hand. But then it disappeared. “You were at Will's graduation party, right? You tried to apologize to Skye?” he asked. I nodded and said, “Yeah.” “She seemed pretty mad,” Chase noted, “What did you do to make her so upset?” Normally, I would have just ignored a question like that or asked if it was any of his business. But he didn't seem like the annoying, pesky type. He seemed smart and kind. Maybe that was why I told him what exactly I had done. “Well, I went to Starbucks and Skye was there. I asked her why she was there, and she told me she had just got done meeting with her math tutor. And I kind of made fun of her, and then told her Autumn's death was all her fault.” Chase looked taken aback. “Why would you do that?” he asked, the disbelief in his tone matching his expression. I blushed a little. “I guess I just needed someone to be mad at. And since Skylar was in the accident with Autumn, I took it out on her,” I answered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. He nodded slowly, and I plowed on ahead. “So then I talked to Aradia and I realized that I shouldn't have said that. And I started to feel really guilty. So, when I saw Skye had Will's graduation party, I was all ready to apologize to her and be friends. But then she told me she didn't accept it. And THEN she asked me to go away.” I stopped to take a breath, feeling anger burning inside of me. “So, I got mad all over again. I was expecting Skye to accept my apology. I guess that she had every right not to, since I had been such a jerk to her. But... I had just hoped she would.” I shrugged, adding, “But she doesn't have to accept it. I don't need her to.” Chase shrugged, too, and said a little helpfully, “Maybe one day she will.” “Maybe,” I mumbled, looking down at my ballet flats. “But I don't think it was actually your fault that she didn't accept it, Noelle. Her attitude has changed a lot since the accident.” I looked up with surprise. It had? I didn't even know what Skylar's actual attitude was. I barely knew her. “And now this,” Chase went on, waving towards Luna's casket. He shook his head sadly and said, “It's like the world is purposefully being hard on her.” I sighed deeply, grief washing over me again. “I feel so bad for her.” “Me, too.” There was a brief silence as we sorted through our thoughts. But I broke it by saying, “It seems like everyone in the world is changing. Every day, every month, every year... people get more and more cruel. I don't even know why. It's like no one can just relax and have fun anymore. Old people talk about the olden days. But what are we going to say to our grandchildren in fifty years? We obviously won't have the same stories as our grandparents do now. We'll have to talk about car wrecks and murders and jerks that wanted to make our lives a living hell. And I know that it's only going to get worse.” Chase looked like he didn't know what to say for a moment. Maybe because I was doing these weird hand gesture things as I spoke. Or maybe because I was rambling by this point. Finally, he said, “You're right.” “Did that actually make sense?” I asked, raising my eyebrows, “Because I realize I was just rambling on and on, which I've done a few other times in my life.” He laughed a little, a smile appearing on his face. “No, it made sense. It might not have to same people, but it did to me.” I smiled a little bigger, almost forgetting that I was at a seven-year-old's funeral. But someone else at the front of the room began to talk, so our conversation ended.

fungirl123 @Payton - ME TOO. :-) But I'm not a runner, so...BUT my cheer coach makes us run six laps around the HS gym before every practice. Sometimes she just says to jog for six minutes. It sucks... :\

taylorswiftfan1233 @Hsley- Wow... That would kill me. Lol! :)

fungirl123 @Robbi/Payton - haha, yeah, my brother has been running cross since seventh grade, and he's an upperclassmen in HS now. :-) He runs 3.5 miles every day...even though he only needs to run three for meets..#hardworker

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Lol, I kinda repeated myself on that one part.. But oh well! I just wanted to say that you can post whenever you have time! No pressure(: Haha, I still need to post too! (:

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Good luck with High School!(: And yeah, I do cross-country. This is my first year doing it. It's really hard, but it's getting better(: And I only have to run ONE mile for my meets. It's like a state rule that seventh graders run that much. Like, we can only run one mile for our meets. No more than that(: My coach is HILARIOUS! Like seriously…(: But yeah, I’m planning on doing track, too. I don’t know what I’ll do in it. People think I would be good at hurdles because I’m really tall. (I’m already towering over my grandma and I’m taller than my mom, too. I’m over 5”4!) But I don’t know. It sounds kind of hard… :P I’ll just have to see.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Hi guys, just thought I'd let you girls know I've survived my first week and half of Freshman year! :p So yep..after walking into 1st period of my Freshman year I wanted to go home...lol. It wasn't because I was nervous or anything I just wanted to go home and relive summer...haha. I got lost about three times that whole day...but I made it to my classes on time :). This week has been better...but boring. I have classes with a few of my friends...but my lunch shift has like no freshman in it! Talk about awkward...haha...but a couple of just us freshman just sit at table so its all good :). It's just so weird to be in highschool and not see all your friends like last year..it really is a whole new level....and a whole lot more hw..like gosh Ig these teachers want me to have no social life? Lol...but more freedom...waayy more freedom then my middle school! So sorry I havent posted in a while..been busy..but I can see if I can this weekend, but i make no promises on that! @Payton-You do Xcountry?!?! I didn't know that...I did it in middle schoool! But I decided not to do it this year bc 3 miles at meets is way to long for me...haha, and I'm a sprinter so it was kinda hard for me...lol. Do you also do track season? Jw...oh and congrats on getting a laptop! I have my own too but lately it's been REALLY slow...I think girlslife, emailing, and twitter slowed it down...lol! @Haley-Oh im so sorry about your first day of school experience...:(. YOU GIRLS BE GLAD YOU HAVEN'T STARTED SCHOOL YET! I miss summer already :) and sleep like omgosh....ENJOY it while you can!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Thank you! :D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Everyone- Argh! I don't think I will get to it tonight... I was hoping to since Cross-Country practice was earlier today, but I never ended up getting to it.. :( I might try, but I don't think I will get it done. I feel so so bad about it. :/

LudaKrys @Payton-Great posts! :

fungirl123 @Payton - awesome! :-D

taylorswiftfan1233 I didn't get to it yesterday.. :O But I promise I'll write tomorrow... I don't think I have time today. :-)

fungirl123 @Payton - okay, can't wait! ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 Hi, guys! xD I'll try to post soon. My parents bought me my own laptop so I should be able to post more from now on, hopefully. Haha(: But anyway, if I don't post today (I have to clean and go school shopping) then I will sometime tomorrow I hope! :)

fungirl123 @Payton - haha, yep. :-D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Lol! It'll suck at first. But we'll get used to it again after a few weeks... or for me, a few months. :P

fungirl123 @Payton - IKR?! :\ My brother gets up at six-thirty AM for XC practice, so he's started waking me up then. But it's horrible every morning...: -(

taylorswiftfan1233 Ah... I see. :) But no matter when you go back, it's going to be torture getting up early. -.- I normally sleep in till 10-11. :)

fungirl123 Yeah, I go back on the twenty-seventh. :-) But all of my friends who go to other schools are starting this week or next week. ^.^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Write whenever you can!(: And wow... You go back early! I don't go back to school until August 28th. :)

fungirl123 @Robbi - I stopped being excited about the first day of school after my first day of middle school! :-) I went home sick on the first day!! I wasn't used to the adjustment (getting up at 6 AM) so I was basically falling asleep several times throughout the day, and I had a throbbing headache... :\

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Ahh I just cant believe this is my last day of FREEDOM :(! Ahh but im really excited to start school...but i prob will regret that after these next 3 days...haha! Like usual...:p

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Write as much as you want! Even tho I wont be writing so much bc of school...one day I will prob type all day and catch up..trust me :p. @Payton- Awesome posts :) Hopefully I can catch up soon *Maybe today idk*

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- I would wait for them to catch up (I'll be caught up soon!) but if they don't catch up within a few days, then I would go ahead and write about the rest of the funeral. Or you could just finish it now to get it out of the way. It's up to you

fungirl123 I don't know if I should continue writing or let other people catch up. :\ I have a little bit more to write about the funeral...

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Lol, okay<3

fungirl123 @Payton - oh, you're okay! <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Okay. :) And sorry! I thought you meant they were at the police station. My mistake! :P

fungirl123 Also, I don't know if I made this clear in my paragraph about the killing, but they're at the hospital, not the police station. And I made a mistake: they haven't found the killer yet. That becomes important. :-)

fungirl123 @Payton - good post! :-) I didn't really think about what I wanted them to talk about before. Maybe Skylar's changing attitude about everything and how messed up the world is right now.... :\

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Ohh, I forgot to ask you this! What do you want Chase and Noelle to talk about? I know that in one of your posts, you said Skye saw them talking. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thank you so much! <3 @Everyone- Sorry; I know my posts are kinda choppy. I'm just trying to get them done. :) I'll post again soon.

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ Faintly, I could hear voices whispering. “Is she going to be okay?” someone asked. “Of course. She just fainted. I think she has too much going on,” someone replied. “My poor baby.” “When she wakes up, I want to see her.” “Of course, Jace. You can just wait here for now. She won’t mind.” “Alright.” “See you later dude,” one said. Then footsteps disappeared down the hallway. But I didn’t wake up yet. *** My eyes fluttered open. As my vision came into focus, I saw Jace sitting in a chair beside my bed, looking concerned. He was staring up at the ceiling. “Jace,” I whispered, reaching out and grabbing his hand. He looked down at me, relief flooding his face. “Oh, you’re awake,” he said. He was still wearing his soccer jersey and cleats. I wondered if I was, too. “Jace, what happened?” I asked, confused. As I looked around, I realized that I was in my bedroom. “You fainted when some girl from Elliot kicked the ball straight at your head,” he said. At once, my memory began flooding back to me. “Oh, right. The curly haired girl. The one that was rude to me when I tried to apologize,” I said, yawning a little. He ruffled my hair. “I guess so. But everyone’s worried,” he said. “Why? I’ll be fine. It’s not like I’m in the hospital or anything,” I whispered. “I know. It’s mainly your mom that’s worried.” “My mom? She’s worried about me after how rude I was to her?” I asked, surprised. “Of course. She’s your mom, after all,” he said, ruffling my hair. Before I could say anything else, Kenton burst through the room. “Oh, thank god you’re awake,” he said, breathing a huge sigh of relief. Then he yelled out the door, “Mom, Dad! She’s awake!” At once, footsteps began thudding up the stairs. “Oh, my poor little angel,” Mom said, rushing to my side. She placed a cold rag on my head, and I cringed a little. “It’s okay, Mom.” “Coach Torres has been worried. So have your friends,” Dad said. “What friends?” I asked, wrinkling my nose. “Aradia and Camille,” Kenton said when Dad turned to him in question. I sighed. “Did you tell them I’m okay?” “Yeah,” Jace and Kenton said in perfect unison. “By the way, we won,” Jace said, flashing me a gorgeous smile. I smiled, gripping Jace’s hand harder. All of a sudden, I didn’t want him to leave me. Ever. *** (This is Noelle’s dress for Kenton’s graduation party http://www.polyvore.com/believe_lt/set?id=54773336 ) My house was packed with Kenton’s friends and our family. And we had a pretty large, wealthy family, so of course he was being showered with gifts. And money. Someone knocked at the door, and I opened it to find Aradia and Camille. “Hi, guys!” I chirped happily. “Hey! You’re okay,” Aradia said, giving me a hug. I almost backed away, but I decided to hug her back. “Yeah, I just fainted for a little while. Nothing major,” I said, laughing. I let them in and led them over to the couch. “I’m so glad you guys could come. Kenton’s being showered with gifts and cash. I know he’s going to brag about this for the rest of his life.” I rolled my eyes. “Well, I’m sure you’ll get lots of gifts and money when it’s your turn, too. I mean, you both have the same family,” Aradia said. “Yeah. Maybe you’ll even get more!” Camille said. We all laughed. As the night went on, we talked about how our finals were going and what had happened at Will’s graduation party after I had left. *** Aradia came back from taking a phone call, looking panicked. “I just got a call. Skye is down at the police station,” she said. My eyes popped. Had she gotten in trouble? That seemed highly unlikely. “What? What happened?!” Camille cried, bolting up from the couch. Aradia swallowed hard. “Her-her sister Luna… Someone broke into their house and killed her.” “Oh no,” I said. No matter how rude Skye had been to me, she didn’t deserve this. “We should go down there,” Aradia said quickly, sounding nervous. “Do you want to come?” Camille asked me, picking up her purse. Aradia gave me a questioning look. I shook my head. “No. I can’t just leave my brother’s graduation party. Sorry,” I said. They nodded and I thanked them for coming. Then they left, leaving me feeling truly pained and upset for Skylar.

fungirl123 @Payton - oooh, nice ending! <3

taylorswiftfan1233 I'm going to continue writing! Sorry my last post was so long. :o

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ “I’m so nervous,” I confessed, turning to Lindley. “You’ll do great, Elle. You always do!” she chirped in response. “Yeah. I guess so,” I said, my voice sounding more nervous then intended. We were at Elliot High School. Our entire team was clustered near the bench, talking loudly and excitedly as they nodded toward Elliot High School’s soccer team and snickering. “You’ll do great,” Jace said, appearing behind me. He squeezed my shoulder. Lindley walked away, but my eyes remained on Elliot’s soccer team. They looked really nervous as they whispered to each other. I was sure they were remembering the last time we had played them and how rude we had been. Especially me. I felt bad about that now. “Yeah,” I said, gazing up at Jace, “But I’m never nervous.” “You’re just nervous because Autumn isn’t here,” Jace reassured me. “Right…” Coach Torres blew his whistle and beckoned us closer. When we were standing in a circle around him, he glared at each one of us. “Play as hard as you can. Show them whose boss,” he ordered. I felt sick all of a sudden. “Coach, don’t you think that’s a little extreme? This is just High School soccer!” I exclaimed, the words popping out of my mouth before I could stop them. He turned towards me, his eyes narrowing into little slits. “And that turned out perfectly the last time, didn’t it? We beat them by quite a bit!” he snapped. “Right,” I said. Already, I could feel my pulse racing. This wasn’t fair. “Great,” he said. Then, turning back to the rest of the team, he said, “Play hard.” *** We were only twenty minutes into the game, but I couldn’t even get ahold of the ball. Every time someone passed it to me, I would either miss it or just freeze up. My head was throbbing, my heart was racing, and I was dizzy. I kept having flashbacks of Autumn standing at the goal or kicking the soccer ball away from someone on my team. It was horrible. And to make matters worse, my team was following Coach’s orders. Kids from Elliot were getting kicked in the face and the stomach by the ball, and had to go sit out for a while so they could catch their breath. We were winning already. The score was ten to seven. Elliot was fighting back. Jace passed me the ball, but that was a huge mistake on his part. I actually tripped over the ball and fell flat on my face. I winced, sitting up to pick grass out of my hair. “Are you okay?” Jace asked, rushing to my side and completely forgetting about the ball. “I’m fine,” I said, my voice shaking. He nodded and helped me up. As soon as I was on my feet again, Coach’s voice pierced the air. “Penner! Get over here! NOW!” Jace shot me a sympathetic look, but I ignored it as I raced toward the bench where my Coach was sitting. He stood up and led me away from earshot. But I could feel eyes on me from every direction. “What’s wrong with you? Noelle, I don’t know if you realize this, but Jace and you are our best players!” he said, and I could tell he was trying to stay calm. I nodded. “I know, Coach. It’s just… Autumn died. She was on Elliot’s team and last time I was really mean to her. And now I can’t—“ “Can’t what?” he interrupted, his voice rising, “Play the dang game right? Jace is out there doing all the work! I’m sorry your friend died, Penner, but you have to get out there and play right!” I shook my head, feeling more and more desperate with every word he said. “I’m trying!” “Not hard enough!” he barked, “Now get out there and try again. And this time, you better do it right!” I felt a new feeling rush through me as I jogged back out onto the field. Hurt and panic. What if I got kicked off the team? *** I was still failing majorly. But for some reason, Coach Torres refused to put me on the bench. Finally, he just called a break for everyone. I walked over to get a drink of water, but I felt a rough hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Lindley staring at me. “What the heck are you doing out there?” she cried. “Lindley… I’m just having trouble playing soccer. Autumn died, remember?” I asked weakly. “Who gives a crap if Autumn died? That’s one less person from stupid Elliot that we have to deal with!” she snapped. Then she actually shook my shoulders, causing my teeth to clash together. “Snap out of it, Noelle! Since Coach refuses to bench you, you better put your freaking head in the game. Because right now, Elliot is catching up and you’re making us look lousy.” I could feel tears burning my eyes and I struggled to hold them back. “What’s wrong with you?” I heard a voice practically yell. Lindley froze. Slowly, she turned her head. Behind her was Jace. Arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and looking furious. “I’m just telling Noelle here that she needs to step up her game. That’s all,” Lindley said nervously. “Let her go,” Jace said. When Lindley hesitated, he snapped, “NOW.” Lindley released me quickly. I went stumbling backwards, tripping over the cooler of water. Someone caught me, and I looked up to see Kenton. “What are you doing down here?” I asked, my voice adding even more pain to my headache. “I came down here to see you. And have a little talk with Lindley,” he replied. I could hear Jace saying something to Lindley, but I couldn’t make myself pay attention. “Now, why don’t you just sit down and rest. You’re not looking so good,” Kenton mused. I nodded, gave him a quick hug, and sat down on the bench. I watched Elliot’s soccer team, mixed emotions running through me. I wanted to beat them so badly, but I also felt sorry for them. They had lost Autumn. I found myself getting up and going over to them. At once, their eyes locked on me. I looked down at them and one of them stood up. She was shorter then me and had wild, red curls. I took a deep breath. “Hi, I’m Noelle Pen—“ “Oh, we know who you are,” she said, frowning at me with a look of disgust. I froze. “Yeah, you were one of Autumn’s friends,” a guy said from his spot on the bench. I winced at those words. “Yeah,” I said. “You’re also the jerk that seems to think she’s the best at soccer,” the girl went on, rolling her eyes at me. “That’s not true!” I said quickly. “Oh, it’s not? We SAW you being a jerk to Autumn and her friends. You’re a snobby, rich brat that always gets her way. You live in a fancy house and drive fancy cars. Your parents don’t give a crap about what you do,” she said, glaring up at me. Then she said, “I hate people like that.” I shook my head, feeling on the verge of tears again. “I was just going to say I’m sorry. For everything. I’m sorry that my team plays so hard. It’s just how we’ve been taught,” I said nervously. “Whatever,” the girl said, crossing her arms as she sat back down on the bench. I walked away, shaking my head. *** I was still doing horribly, and we only had thirty more minutes left of the game. Jace was eyeing me with a look of confusion, like he couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. Lindley kept shooting me glares, looking like she wanted to say something. Sitting on the bleachers, I could see my parents and brother, watching me like a hawk. Then there was Camille and Aradia, who both looked like they felt sorry for me. Still, Coach Torres hadn’t put me on the bench. And I couldn’t figure out why. I was standing at the goal, thinking of Autumn, when I saw the curly haired girl kick it super hard. It came sailing towards me. I jumped up to catch it, but I was too late. It smacked me right in the head, adding even more pain to my headache. The last thing I saw was the curly haired girl smirking at me as she gave someone a high five. But then my world went black and I felt myself tumbling towards the ground.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Uhh... Kind of. :P But I'm writing right now! :) Sorry I haven't done it sooner.. I've been really stressed these past couple of days. :/

fungirl123 @Robbi - I know, right?! ^.^ Summer goes wayy too fast... :\

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Everyone- Hey everybody, just thought I'd say that I am starting school Wednesday (Freshman year :)) So I might b a lil slow on the posts getting in2 the school routine again but I'll try to posts as much as possible. Ugh this summer went by 2 fast!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive want Noelle to win or no? bc I can start typing up what happens at the soccer game and then skip to the hospital scene then I can wait till u post so I can fill in more about what happens @ the soccer game before I post mine. Lol did that make sense?

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Really good posts, again very sad too :(. @Payton-I was going to type up what happened @ the soccer game before typing about running to the hospital but I didnt want to do it until u posted ur side since Noelle is in the game, so did u

fungirl123 @Payton - thank you! ^.^ I can't wait to read what you have to write. <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! I promise I'll write soon. :)

fungirl123 @Krysta - thank you! <3

LudaKrys @Haley-Great post :)

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ I sat on the staircase in a black dress (Like this but a bit longer: http://www.forever21.com/Product/Category.aspx?br=f21&category=dress_little_black_dress) and bare feet. My hair was straightened, but still a mess. Tears were falling down my cheeks. I hugged my knees to my chest and leaned against the wall. Damon had insisted on having the funeral at the house. Only a few people were there at the moment. Most of the people here were just neighbors and people from around town. We didn’t have a lot of family that bothered to keep contact with us after Daddy died. So it wasn’t a surprise when I didn’t see any cousins or aunts or uncles there. I could recognize a few people. Mrs. Johansson, Luna and Cord’s babysitter, was sitting on a stool in the kitchen, a handkerchief pressed to her eyes. Ms. Spencer, Luna’s school teacher, and a few other St. Elijah’s teachers, were huddled together in the foyer. A few of our neighbors, like the Fishers, Andersons, and Snyder’s, were scattered about the house. A few policemen, like Parker and some others, were awkwardly standing wherever there weren’t many people. I pulled a small piece of paper from my cardigan’s pocket. It was the last picture I’d gotten with Luna. Cord, Luna, Alice, Damon, and I were standing near the Grand Canyon, smiling into the camera and squinting our eyes against the hot sun. It was taken last summer. The front door of the house opened, and a few others walked in. Ms. Cantwell – my dance teacher – was one of them, looking stern faced and tough. I straightened up, trying to blot away the tears before she saw me. Ballerinas didn’t just break down like this. We were supposed to be tough. I tried to hide my face, and I succeeded. She walked past me, and I continued to cry quietly. She went on to look at Luna’s display. A few more people came in. Among them, I spotted the Powells. Will and Lucy were looking beside themselves. Finally, Chase walked in, and came straight to me. He put his arm around me, and I buried my face in his chest, trying to escape the world around me. A shadow fell over me, though, and didn’t move. “Skylar, come on.” It was Damon. “Wh-What do you want?” I spat, only poking one eye out to look at him. “We have to greet people,” he said, kneeling down next to me, “You’ll like what Alice is doing to Luna’s casket.” I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to leave my hidey-hole in Chase’s arms. Chase attempted to stand up, and he slowly helped me to my feet. “Let’s go,” he whispered, keeping his arm tight around my shoulders. We made our way through the crowd of people. Along the way, I felt warm hands on my shoulders quiet, “that poor girl” come from many. Chase put me in between Damon and Alice, whom had Cord wrapped around her narrow leg. I noticed that stickers were beginning to fill up the outside of Luna’s casket. This was what Alice was doing. She was making it so Luna’s death didn’t seem sad for everyone. It didn’t work for me, though. Luna’s face was pale and covered in makeup powder. I had never pictured Luna wearing makeup. But now, at only seven-years-old, she was caked up in lipstick, powder, and eye shadow. Dead. I looked at Chase for support, but he was in conversation with Noelle. Wait. Noelle? She was here? Honestly, I thought it was quite sweet she’d come, after everything I’d said to her. I hadn’t realized how much of a jerk I’d been until now. “I’m sorry for your loss,” someone said, snapping me from my thoughts. I looked at the person, seeing it was Camille. Thank goodness she was here. She squeezed me into a hug. “Call me anytime you want to talk, okay?” She sounded choked up. She went on to look at Luna. Others passed me, giving me tight hugs and saying sweet things to me. Aradia finally appeared with a boy behind her. “C’mere, sweetie!” she cooed, wrapping her arms around me. She rocked me back and forth. When I pulled away, she looked like she had tears forming in her eyes. “I honestly don’t know what I’d do if I lost my sister.” Before she could cry, she continued on. The boy shook my hand. “I’m sorry for your loss.” He followed Aradia after that. Finally, Damon said I was done greeting people. I hurried away. I made my way back to the staircase where I’d been before. No one was in the foyer. I was safe. I could let the tears slide down my cheeks again with no one watching.

fungirl123 @Krysta - muchas gracias! <3 (AKA, thank you ^.^)

LudaKrys @Haley-Great posts! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- You're welcome<3

fungirl123 @Payton - thank you! <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Amazing posts! They were so sad though. :/

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ The person in the house hadn’t bothered to lock the backdoor, but I still went quietly in. I grabbed the first thing I saw: a knife from the kitchen counter. I didn’t plan on using it, though. I couldn’t hurt someone. I inched my way through the house. The only light was in the kitchen. The rest of the house was as black as pitch. I found the staircase. I held the knife in my left hand and felt against the wall with my right. Then it hit me. I could’ve just called the police. Instead, I’d left my cell phone on the coffee table in front of the TV. Snapping me from my thoughts, a sharp wail erupted from upstairs. It was in my little brother’s bedroom. Cord was awake. I gulped, my breath quickening. Before I could comprehend what I was doing, I was at the top of the staircase. Cord’s room was down the hall. I took each step at a time, trying to be as silent as possible. But I failed. A face appeared in the mirror in front of me, and I shrieked. It was a guy…about fifty years old, in a dark outfit. I took in his features as quickly as possible: salt-and-pepper hair, gray eyes, a beer gut. He smirked. Without making a sound, he continued down the hallway. I went into Cord’s room. He was on the floor, curled up in a ball, whimpering. He wasn’t hurt, though. “Stay here,” I ordered in a whisper. “NOOOO!” he cried, latching onto my leg. I shook him off. Before he could get me again, I closed the door. Now the guy was headed toward my bedroom. The bedroom that I shared with Luna. I walked quickly. He couldn’t take someone from me again. Not again. Before I could react, there was a high-pitched scream that erupted from my bedroom. I broke into a run. I kicked open the door, holding the knife out in front of me. He had his hand cupped around Luna’s mouth, and was pressing the barrel of a gray gun to her temple. Luna stared me down, fear in her eyes. “Please…don’t...,” I croaked. “Why shouldn’t I?” he growled, “I’ve taken one member of your family, and your friend.” He could’ve shot me. I wouldn’t have felt it. I felt completely numb. “PUT HER DOWN!” I thundered, charging toward him with the knife out in front of me. He put his hands up. He shoved Luna off to the side…farther away from me. I ran to her. He was mocking me. Before I could reach her, he held out the gun and pointed it at Luna. I dove for her. I had to shield her, I thought. There was an ear-splitting noise, and the guy ran from the room. I was less than a centimeter from Luna. She was shaking terribly. “Greenlee…,” she croaked. “LUNA!” I screamed, pulling her tighter into my arms. Blood seeped from her stomach into my shirt. I rocked her back and forth, screaming for her to hold on. They couldn’t take her away from me. Not Luna. But she was already gone. Why was this all happening to me? “WHYY?!” I bellowed, collapsing onto the floor with Luna still in my arms. Her face was white and her hair was covering it almost completely. Her body was limp and lifeless. My face was wet with sweat and tears. **** “Skylar!” A body covered me. “Oh…my God…” I held Luna tighter. Chase held me tighter, my face pressed to my chest. “Why did this happen?” I cried, going limp. “I don’t know, Skye.” He wasn’t lying to me. He wasn’t telling me “it’s gonna be okay”. Good. All I wanted was people to tell me that life wasn’t going to go on after this. Because it wasn’t. **** A few hours later, I sat in a hospital private room, people I knew surrounding me. Damon and Alice were sitting in chairs next to me. Cord was sitting on the floor, huddled against Damon’s leg. He was shaking. Chase was squeezing my hand next to me and trying to keep me from screaming again. Chase had given me his large gray sweatshirt to cover up the blood-covered white T-shirt from earlier. Luna’s blood. I was still wearing my polar bear pajama pants from earlier, too, though, and they were partially covered in blood. Suddenly, the door to the room flew open. “I’M HERE!” Three people were dashing in. One of them was Aradia and the other was Camille. They were both dressed nicely, as if they had just come from a party. The last was Will. He was in gray sweatpants and a navy blue sweatshirt. I didn’t move; I just let them attack me with hugs. “Ahem.” Everyone looked up. Sherriff Parker had walked into the room. “If you four could wait outside in the waiting room, that would be good,” he said to Will, Aradia, Chase, and Camille. They conformed and turned to leave. Once Chase shut the door behind him, Parker started talking. “I would like to say that we’re all very sorry for your loss. We know that your family has been through a lot these past few years. The police station plans on paying for the funeral of the little girl, since it was our fault she died in the first place.” We all nodded, and he went on with the questions. “What did the suspect look like, Miss Whitefield?” he asked me. My mind flashed to the moment when I looked at him in the mirror. “Hair that was brown, with flecks of red and gray; gray eyes, stout, a beer gut, and he was wearing a black suit,” I stated flatly. “And you said that he was mocking you? Saying that he was the one who crashed into your father’s and your friend’s car?” I nodded. “Well, miss, you should be thankful that we have him in custody.” I nodded again, feeling a lump in my throat. All of the sudden, Cord began to cry. “I’ll take him out into the waiting room,” I said quickly. I picked him up. He was more than half of my size, so it was a struggle to hold him. I pushed open the door. To my utter surprise, Noelle and someone who I guessed was her older brother were pacing around the room. I couldn’t focus on them right now, though. I sat down in a chair in the corner, and rocked Cord to sleep. A tear slid down my cheek. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. My life was being slowly torn apart. One by one, each of the important people in my life left. “You want me to take him?” I looked up. Will was looming above me. “I have a blanket in my car.” I shook my head. “Skye,” he whispered, kneeling down beside me, “I know it’s hard. But let me help.” Reluctantly, I let Will lift my little brother into his arms and take him away. I stood up to go back into the room where Alice and Damon were. But someone laid a hand on my shoulder. “You don’t have to go back in there, Skylar. You can stay out here…with us.” I could tell Aradia’s soft voice anywhere. I went limp in her arms, sobs racking through me. “Oh, you poor baby.” She walked me to a chair and sat me down, kneeling in front of me. “I don’t know what I’d do if I were you. You’ve been so brave, Skylar. You really have,” she said, her voice cracking. I fell back against the chair in sobs. I couldn’t believe I was living this life.

fungirl123 I'm working on the next paragraph now. :-) Super dramatic, FYI. ^.^

fungirl123 @Robbi – yeah, it’s fine if Aradia gets sent to the principal’s office. Haha, why wouldn’t it be okay? :-P ~Skylar~ “What was that about?” Chase asked, arriving at my side with two red cups. He must have heard Noelle. “Nothing,” I replied curtly. “Really? Skylar, you’re too readable,” he said, shaking his head and laughing lightly for a moment. “Fine. I’ll tell you. Noelle Penner – she was also one of Autumn’s friends – said that the whole accident was my fault. And then she expected me to just ACCEPT her apology. Just like that. I don’t think she realizes that she doesn’t even deserve it!” Chase sighed, tolerating me. “Gotcha.” “Skye!” I looked up at Will, who was jogging toward me. “Great to see you here,” he said, beaming at me. He was wearing the usual I-Just-Graduated: Khaki shorts, solid-blue button-down, and Vans. It was perfect for the usual backyard graduation party. Will turned to Chase. “Who’s this, Skylar?” I put my hand on my friend’s arm. “My friend. Chase Clayton,” I replied. Chase stuck out his hand, and Will gladly took it. “Nice to meet you.” The rest of the night was filled with awkward conversation with a few relatives of the Powells and some people at the party. When it finally started getting dark around nine o’clock, I decided that it was okay if I left, even though the party didn’t have an ending time. I gave Will a hug, then Chase drove me home. **** Three days later was my last day of school. I had a language arts exam. After that was over, I was allowed to leave school and be free for summer. Last year on my last day, I had been sitting at Autumn’s pool talking listening to her ramble on about her new boyfriend. At the time, it had been a drag listening to her talk about boys. But now, I would do anything to hear her talk about how great Nathan Jackson’s abs were. I zoomed through my final; although, I was still one of the last students done in the classroom. I cleaned out my locker, tossing all of the contents into the trashcan next to me. We’d already turned in all of our textbooks. My pencil bag was ripped and my book socks were all doodled on. So I just tossed them. I waited outside of the door for Chase, and when he came, we left that school as fast as we possibly could. We ended up on my couch that afternoon, a movie playing on the TV screen. There was really nothing else to do. Later, Chase left for home. Luna and Cord needed babysitting. (Note: I know it’d been choppy since the beginning. But it shouldn’t be that way from here out.) We were playing Candyland and watching Hercules. It was pretty much a silent game, since Luna was winning and wasn’t making a sound, of course. “What was Autumn like?” I gasped. The person who’d asked that wasn’t Cord. I looked at Luna. She just spoke an entire sentence. I hadn’t heard her say a full sentence…ever. Only small sounds in her sleep and maybe single words here and there. “She was…a great friend,” I whispered, still in shock. “LUNA’S TALKING!” Cord yelped, slapping a hand over his mouth in astonishment. She only nodded. I looked at my watch, and saw that it was past ten o’clock. “Time for bed, both of you,” I said, standing up. I tucked them each into bed. I spent the next few hours flipping through channels and watching different episodes of dumb reality shows. My cell phone buzzed, indicating a text. *I left my book at your house. Mind if I come get it real quick?* It was from Chase. *Sure.* Suddenly, there was a crashing sound that emerged from our backyard. It sounded as if someone had crashed open our wooden fencing. I could feel my heartbeat speeding up. But I had to investigate. I tip-toed over to the backdoor and slowly turned the doorknob. I flipped on the backyard light. No one. I went out onto the back porch, my heart throbbing in my chest. Right when I thought maybe I was just hearing things, a shadow passed to the left of me. I whipped around, only to see the backdoor close and a figure move around inside. I froze completely. Someone was in the house…with Luna and Cord asleep.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- You're welcome.(:

LudaKrys @Payton and Haley- Thanks! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thanks(: And yay, you're back! :D

fungirl123 Great posts, everyone!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi & Krysta- Great posts!(:

LudaKrys ~Camille~ “Hey sweetheart?” called Nina from her current spot on the couch. “Yeah?” I called back. “Can you go check the mail?” she said sniffling from her cold. “Sure. Do you want me to fix you some soup or something?” I asked. “No, thank you. I can fix it myself.” “Um…that’s fine, but do you really want to poison the rest of us?” I remarked. “Good point…yeah, I could use some soup, please.” “Okay,” I said chuckling. I turned and marched to the door. I slowly made my way outside, studying the driveway as I made my way towards the mailbox. While looking down I spotted a small crack that had led to a chain reaction of several other larger cracks. For some reason this reminded me of Autumn’s death. My thoughts led me back to that day when Autumn’s death happened. I remember it like it was yesterday. How could we have been laughing and talking about the troubles between her and Skylar no more than 2 hours before the accident…wait. Right then something in my mind clicked. I hadn’t even looked at the situation like this before and now it all made since! I was the one responsible for Autumn’s death! It wasn’t Skylar’s fault, like Lucy had thought, or some drunk driver’s. It was mine! I had been the one who told Autumn that she should make up with Skylar! I was the small crack that had led to all of the other cracks, and if people were blaming Skylar for the incident and she was only in the car, what would they do to me? I tried convincing myself in was me to blame. “Skylar was the one who kissed Will, not me! But if I hadn’t of said something then Autumn would have eventually figured out a solution for herself.” No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t think of a reason to pin the situation on someone else, not even the drunkie. I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache come on. I dashed to the mailbox to retrieve all our new letters. “Bill, bill, bill…,” I said as I flipped to the papers, “bill, ooo! Invataion!” I ripped open the envelope knowing it was for me. The card read, “You’ve been invited to attend Will’s Graduation Party!” I didn’t bother with the letter, right then. After all, it was just another reminder of Autumn.***I had basically pulled out every item in my closet. Tonight was Will’s grad party and I was looking for a specific outfit. It was one of the only things in my closet that didn’t cover my legs. I pulled out a spagaitti-strap, turquoise dress with a black belt that synched at the wasted and had ruffles on the upper half. I grabbed my black flats and headed out the door. It took me about 10 min. to get to Autumn’s house on foot. It might have been shorter if I hadn’t walked through the shallower parts of the ocean in the first 5 min. of the walk. I trotted to the door and gave the bell a ring. Will opened the door. “Hey Cam.” “Hey,” I said back. He stepped a side to let me in. “You should know that you don’t have to knock when the party’s already packed, and your coming to my house.” “And you should know by now that I never learn.” He laughed, knowing I would have knocked even if it was my own house. He walked away leaving me in a crowd full of strangers. I sighed, it’s gonna be a looonnng night.

LudaKrys @Payton-it's fine, and great post! :) @Robbi-Great posts!:)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ ‘Hmm what to wear?’ I think to myself as I examine my closet. I had almost forgotten I was invited to Will’s party until I got a reminder in my email it was today. Elliot’s soccer game vs. Washington was today also, so I had to wear something that wasn’t too overkill for a soccer game but not too casual for a graduation party. I decided I’d wear a nice hot pink blouse and some nice khaki Bermuda shorts with sandals. (http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=55618145 what the outfit looks like) Hopefully I wasn’t too overdressed for the party. What I was most worried about though is that this was the first time going into Autumn’s house since she died. She wouldn’t even be there to see her own brother graduate. The sound a truck honking interrupted my train of thought and made me jump, Andrew was here. “Bye!” I yelled to whoever was in the house and slammed the door shut. Jumping into Andrew’s truck I heard Andrew singing to “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Jae Jepson, oh my. “Why don’t you audition for American Idol?” I say sarcastically, he rolled his eyes. “Shut up.” He teased and started backing out my driveway. We were quiet on the way to the party, but I didn’t mind. Before we got out the car, Andrew sighed. “It’s so weird coming to this house and not see Autumn anymore.” I let go of the door handle, nodding my head. “I know, I swear sometimes I forget she’s dead. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.” “Well you know I’ve felt she is always with me, watching over me, kinda like an angel you know?” Now this surprised me, Andrew wasn’t the type to express his feelings like this, and I kinda agreed with him. Maybe that’s why I feel that Autumn isn’t gone, she is always with me. “Wow I never thought of it like that, I think your right.” I say and look up at Andrew, he was staring right at me, I smiled. Andrew didn’t say anything but got out the car, I followed after him. At the door we were greeted by Will, who was wearing a nice pair of khaki pants and a nice, white button down shirt. “Thanks for coming guys!” He says excitedly, his smile reminds me of Autumn’s so much I suddenly got very sympathetic, this must be hard for him. “No problem Will.” Andrew said, “I would never miss my big brother’s graduation party now would I?” I say as I playfully punch him in the arm, he smiled. Even though Will and I didn’t hang out all the time as we use too when we were little, I always looked up to him as brother. One time I remember this kid named Jeremiah threaten to beat me up because I wouldn’t go out with him (In the 4th grade), the kid was crazy I promise you, but Jeremiah was about twice the size of me and I got really intimidated. Autumn was the only person I told since I was so petrified of Jeremy finding out and threating even worse to me, but she was brave enough to confront her brother and tell him the story. As soon as Will found out, he went right up to Jeremiah and slugged him right in the face, also he made sure Jeremiah would not ever threaten me again. Will did get one day in-school suspension, but he always told me it was worth it, I swear whoever marries him is a lucky girl. Andrew and I talked to Will for a little longer until we saw we were holding up a line, and then we went inside. “Hey I’m going to talk to Jacob and some guys from school, do you mind?” “No go ahead!” I shoo Andrew away as he grins at me, making me roll my eyes. The first person I see in the room is Camille, I walk up to her. “Camille!” I exclaimed, she turned around. “Aradia! I haven’t seen you in forever!” She then quickly hugged me and I hugged her back. “I know right? How have you been?” “Good you?” “Good!” Camille and I decided to find a spot on a couch and talk for a little bit. We talked about how’s life’s been going since Autumn’s been gone, it seems I’m not the only one having a hard time. She explained how her surfing skills had been a little off lately and she seemed a little down at times, I told her how lacrosse was getting to my head and my grades were getting lower and lower. That’s when we saw Noelle come in with Jace. I saw Jace go talk to the same group Andrew went to and then she saw Camille and I. “Hey you’re here!” I chirped, she nodded her head. “Uh huh. My brother and Jace are pretty good friends with Will,” She said as she sat down next to Camille. As Noelle talked to Camille, I could tell it was a little awkward. Had they not made up yet? Like they both read my mind, Noelle was brave enough to apologize to Camille and Camille accepted, that made me happy, now at least all three of us were on the same page now. “Hey how’d it go with Andrew?” Noelle asked, I turned to look at Andrew, who was laughing with Will and Kenton. “It went great! We talked, like you said we should, and we’re friends again,” “Awesome!” “Have you apologized to Skylar?” Noelle shook her head. “I’m going to go do that right now since I can’t stay very long. Be right back.” Then she leaped up from the sofa and went up to Skylar, who I didn’t even realize was here. Skye looked really good for recovering after 3 weeks, she wasn’t in a wheelchair anymore but I could tell that under her shirt she had a brace. She was with a boy I’d never seen before; I’m guessing he went to her school. “Um I don’t think it’s going very well.” Camille whispered, I saw Noelle’s fist clenched, she was right. “Uh-oh.” Noelle was then stomping over to us, obviously aggravated, I pretend like I saw nothing and ask, “How’d it go?” “Not very well. She didn’t accept it and I’m mad all over again.” “Oh no.” “Whatever. She can be a little princess if she wants. I don’t need her to accept my apology.” Camille and I went silent, I knew both of us didn’t exactly agree with that statement. “Let’s talk about something else.” Camille interrupted our silence, I couldn’t agree more. “Good idea.” “Like?” Camille brought up the question of how many graduation parties were we invited to. I said a couple, but really only Will’s party I’d been invited to, that was until I was invited to Kenton’s. Noelle said I could bring Imani, so I guess why not? Right after that everyone was brought outside to see a slideshow of Will’s baby pictures to his Senior year, I’d forgotten how cute he was growing up. After that Noelle and Jace left for their game, I wished them good luck and told them I’d come over later in the game.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Okay :) Great post! :D

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*`Aradia`*~ When I got back home from the Frap, I walked into Imani’s room, knowing she was there. “Hey!” She chirped, while checking something on her iPad, I decided to sit next to her on the bed, man her bed was more comfortable than mine. “Hey, so are we still hanging out today?” I asked, she clicked her iPad off. “Actually I can’t, Emily called and asked if we could hang out today and I said yes.” “Oh,” Emily was one of Imani’s friends from highschool, she went to Stanford. “Sorry but she was in town this weekend so I thought I’d take the opportunity and go out with her. We haven’t really hung out at all this semester.” “That’s okay, I have a final to study for anyway.” Imani then decided to hop out of her bed to check her phone. “Hey sorry to cut this conversation so short but I gotta get to the mall or I’m going to be late!” She was already half way down the hallway when she was telling me this, making me go after her. “Well okay I’ll see you later then.” “Cya!” Then the front door slammed. Nonchalantly I walked to my bedroom, plopping on my bed and pulling my phone out, I had two texts from Andrew. -Hey did you know Washington is coming to play Elliot again?—Are you going?- Washington was? Since when? Now I was wondering if I should really even go, I only went to see Autumn play but she obviously wasn’t their anymore. But the last time I went didn’t exactly end well either. Noelle and Jace would be there though, I could cheer them on, even though that might sound a little weird since I go to Elliot, but who cares, there’s nothing wrong in supporting two teams. –Really? Wow umm sure I guess I’ll go. Pick me up? ;)- Reaching for my backpack and pulling out my Spanish book, my phone dinged again. –Of COURSE I can .- I smiled, it felt so good to have Andrew back as a friend. After texting Andrew for a bit I decided to turn off my phone and grab my iPod and plug my earphones in. This time I needed no distractions studying for this final.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Nope that's fine! Sounds good :) @Everyone btw I wrote a post last night so I'm going to post that then do the graduation/soccer game. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta and Robbi- I hope you guys don't mind Noelle inviting them to Kenton's grad party. If you don't want them to come, that's totally fine. I just thought that'd be a way for Noelle and them to maybe get to know each other a little more. :P It was just an idea, but if you don’t like it that’s fine. ~Noelle~ After tying my hair back and putting on my black converse, I ran down the stairs. I skidded to a halt in the kitchen, causing Jace and Kenton to look up from their phones. “Are you finally ready?” my brother asked, rolling his eyes. “Shut up. I didn’t take that long,” I said. He rolled his eyes again and we walked out the door. As we sped down the road in his BMW, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. We were on our way to Will Powell’s graduation party, and I just knew that Skye would be there. Camille and Aradia would too, but I wasn’t worried about them. I wasn’t sure how Camille felt about me. Maybe I would talk to her there. “We can only stay for an hour or so. We have to get to Elliot for the game,” Kenton reminded me for the thousandth time. “I know, I know. I’m super pumped,” I said eagerly. “Me too,” Jace agreed, “It’s going to be awesome.” We pulled up to Autumn’s house and a pang of guilt hit me. Autumn wouldn’t be here for her own brother’s graduation party. That was so unfair! We walked into the Powell’s house with a bunch of other people. “Go. Have fun,” Kenton ordered, shoving me. I glared at him, but obeyed. It was packed. But then again, I knew Kenton’s graduation party would be also. That’s what happens when you’re popular, I guess. “Noelle!” someone called. I turned to see Aradia and Camille sitting on the couch. Aradia was beckoning me over. I looked over my shoulder once to see if Jace was coming, but he was already talking to Will, Kenton, and a bunch of other guys. Then I dashed over to Aradia. “Hey, you’re here!” she chirped happily. “Uh huh. My brother and Jace are pretty good friends with Will,” I answered, sitting down beside Camille. I smiled at her, and she returned it to my surprise. “Nice to see you,” Camille said. “You too.” Camille turned away, but I grabbed her wrist. “Hey, I’m really sorry for being such a jerk to you and the others. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did. I feel really stupid,” I said, “And this time I really mean it.” Camille smiled a little brighter. “It’s okay, Noelle. I shouldn’t have kicked you in the face with a soccer ball.” I laughed, but stopped when I caught sight of Skye coming in with some guy. “Hey, how’d it go with Andrew?” I asked, turning back to Aradia. “It went great! We talked, like you said we should, and we’re friends again,” she replied. “Awesome,” I said. “Have you apologized to Skylar?” Aradia asked. I shook my head and stood up. “I’m going to go do that right now since I can’t stay very long. Be right back.” They nodded and I walked across the room towards Skye. As soon as I was standing in front of her, she took one glance at me and looked away. I looked at the guy. “Hey,” I said. “Hey,” he said looking kind of confused. “I need to talk to Skylar. Could you give us a moment?” I asked, flashing him a smile. He nodded and said to Skylar, “I’ll be back here in a few minutes.” She barely nodded. As soon as he was gone, I said, “Hi, Skye. I just want to say that I’m really sorry for saying that it was your fault that Autumn died at Starbucks the other day. It’s really not your fault, and the only reason I said that was because I was mad and needed someone to take it out on. So, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything I ever said, and I hope we can be friends,” I said. Skye had turned back to face me, and now her eyes had narrowed. “I don’t accept it.” “What?” I asked, unsure of what she was talking about. “I don’t accept your apology,” she said flatly. “You… don’t?” I asked, surprised. “No.” She looked really angry. “Why not?” I questioned. “Look,” Skye said, shaking her head, “I just can’t accept it. Please go away, Noelle.” I glared at her, every ounce of fury back in me. “I can’t believe this! I came out of my way to apologize to you, but you don’t accept it. I take everything I just said back. It WAS your fault, Skylar. And I hope everyone knows that,” I exclaimed. Then I turned on my heel and stormed back over to Aradia and Camille. “How’d it go?” Aradia asked. I turned towards her. “Not very well. She didn’t accept it and I’m mad all over again,” I answered bitterly. “Oh no,” Aradia said. Camille was quiet, looking at my angry expression. I clenched my fist on my lap and said, “Whatever. She can be a little princess if she wants. I don’t need her to accept my apology.” They were silent. Finally, Camille spoke. “Let’s talk about something else.” “Good idea,” Aradia said gratefully. “Like?” I asked. “Um… How many graduation parties have you gotten invited to?” Camille asked. “A LOT!” I said, blowing my bangs upward. “A few,” Aradia said. “Same,” Camille said. “Hey, do you guys want to be invited to another?” I asked, an idea popping into my head. They exchanged glances. “Uh…” Camille said. “Whose?” Aradia asked. “My brother’s, of course! He’s graduating to, you know,” I said. “I don’t know your brother,” Camille said. “I kind of know him,” Aradia said. “He won’t care if you two are there. There’s going to be tons of people anyway,” I said. Seeing their weary expressions, I clasped my hands together. “Please?” I begged. “I don’t know,” Camille said. “Okay…” I said sadly. “I’ll see if I can make it,” Camille said, making the smile appear right back on my face. “Great! What about you, Aradia? I don’t want to be stuck with a bunch of cheerleaders, because that’s who will be there,” I said hopefully again. “I’ll try,” Aradia said. “Awesome! You can bring Imani,” I said. “Okay,” she agreed. And just like that, I had forgotten about Skye.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Thank you!(:

LudaKrys @Payton-btw, Great post! ;)

LudaKrys @Payton-it's fine by me :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Everyone- I hope it's okay that I'm having Washington play Elliot again. I was just going to have that be when Noelle really starts to feel guilty because she feels like she never really forgave Autumn, and she gets mad at some of her team mates For bashing Autumn. And also, this will be where she falls into a funk because she’s bad at soccer.

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ Jace and I walked onto the soccer field. “So, you made up with Aradia?” he asked. “Yeah. She’s actually pretty nice when she’s not punching me,” I said with a smile. Jace rolled his eyes but laughed a little. “I’m sure she thinks the same about you.” My eyes landed on the goal, and memories came flooding back of the night Elliot had played us. How I had kicked Autumn really hard with a soccer ball and then how I was a jerk to her friends afterward. And now Autumn was dead. Had I even really made up with her? “Noelle?” Jace asked, and I snapped back to reality. “What?” “Why’d you stop?” Jace asked, raising his eyebrows. I looked down to see that he was right; I had stopped walking. “I was thinking about Autumn,” I replied, my shoulders sagging. He gave me a sympathetic smile. “Oh.” “Jace, Noelle! Get over here!” Coach Torres boomed. We raced over to him. “We only have a few more practices before the championship, but I’m confident we’ll win,” Coach was saying. Right. The championship was in two weeks. “And then on Saturday night, we’re playing Elliot again.” “WHAT?!” I cried. We had already played them once! Why did we need to play them again? Every head snapped towards me. “Do you have a problem with that, Penner?” Coach asked sharply. “Actually, I do! We already played them, so why do we need to play them again?” I asked bitterly. Jace nudged me, and when I glanced at him, he shook his head. I looked back at the coach. “We’ve run out of teams to play, and since Elliot is pretty good—“ “Pretty good? They suck. And they’re going to suck even worse without Autumn there!” Lindley broke in. I glared at her. “Anyway, we’re playing them again. And if you don’t like that, Noelle, then don’t bother showing up,” Coach Torres said, narrowing his eyes. “Fine,” I huffed, crossing my arms. *** “I don’t understand,” I complained to Jace as we walked to his Mercedes. “We have to play Elliot again! And this was my worst practice EVER,” I went on. “What’s so bad about playing Elliot?” Jace questioned. I groaned, sliding into the passenger seat of his car. “Autumn isn’t there. And that’s just going to remind me of her anymore,” I said. “Right, but you know what? She’d want you to go on and play the game, Elle. So do that for her,” he said. I sighed. “You’re right, Jace. If I can even play.” “What do you mean?” he asked, driving down the street. I rolled my eyes. “You saw me at practice today. I kept missing the ball or getting hit in the head.” At that, I rubbed my forehead. I now had a throbbing headache. “It was just a bad day for you. I’m sure of it,” he reassured me. “I hope so,” I sighed.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Great posts!(:

LudaKrys @Haley and Robbi-Great posts :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Oh no thatx fine! But I just realized…lol like what you did when Skye went to the principal’s office I was literally going to do the EXACT same thing with Aradia…lol…but I was going to say Aradia would have to have summer school…is it ok if Aradia still goes to the principal’s office? I was going to add a twist on it so I was just wondering…good post 

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ “Oh lookie here,” Someone chirped behind me, I groaned. Speaking of the devil herself, it was Samantha behind me. “Andrew and Aradia are on a little date, how cute.” Turning my head her direction I glared. “Samantha please, are you really going to make this a big deal?” Samantha giggled, I rolled my eyes, ugh how I disliked her. “Samantha why don’t you just go on your way and leave us alone.” Now it was Andrew talking behind me, talking louder than before. “Fine whatever,” Sam says raising her arms up in surrender. “But I have one question, why her? I mean there are way prettier girls in our school to go out with, like me.” She smirked while flipping her hair, I gasped. Now as much as she made me mad, I had a way to just ignore girls like her at my school, there was no point in getting mad, because it just makes those snobby rich girls happier, like they just accomplished making my day worst. “Andrew lets go.” I say, getting up from the table, still keeping my gaze on Samantha. “No,” He said firmly, him now getting up from the table too. “Samantha you have some real nerve to say that.” “Andrew it’s no big deal lets ju-“ “I said no. Are you really going to let her push you around like that?” He looked at me, his voice getting louder and louder, honestly it was scaring me, I gulped hard, not being able to say anything. By now Andrew was infront of me, getting closer to Samantha by the minute, she looked like a midget compared to him. “First off Sam, Aradia is one of the most caring, smart, and prettiest girl I’ve ever met, inside and out. She has always had my back and is a girl I can actually trust. Maybe you should take some tips from her and you might learn what real natural beauty is, instead of that fake stuff you put on your face.” Samantha mouth then dropped open, and I was not only shocked at what Andrew said, I was trying not to laugh at her. “UGH! I cannot believe you just said that!” She screamed, stomping away, I waved her a fake goodbye. Some other people around us clapped a little, making me blush again; somehow I was getting really emotional all the sudden. Did Andrew really mean all those things? When Samantha was out of sight, Andrew turned around to me. “Sorry about that Aradia, I didn’t mean to scare you like that.” “It’s okay.” I croaked, smiling wearily, I felt the back of my throat burn. Soon I felt my chin quiver and tears started to fall, Andrew became worried again. “Rad what’s wrong? Was it something I said, was it Samantha?” He was closer to me now, my first reaction was to engulf him in a hug, and so I did, bawling my eyes out. “No one has ever stuck up for me like that before.” I whispered in his ear, he didn’t say anything for a second. “Well now you can remember you always have someone who will.” Oh Lord how that made me cry harder.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ Waking up to the smell of bacon, I stretched my body out in my bed. 11:30 is what read my alarm clock, I smiled, I finally caught up on sleep, that’s what Saturdays were for in my rule book. Slowly I approached my kitchen, greeted by Imani cooking waffles and bacon. “Morning sis!” She exclaimed, I yawned. “Good morning.” I said as I plopped on a stool. She took a waffle off the waffle maker and handed it to me, with a plate full of bacon on the side. “So how are you?” She asked, tilting her head to the side, I shrugged. “Fine I guess.” Suddenly there was an awkward silence between us. “So hey do you want to hang out today?” “Umm sure I guess.” Imani nodded her head and then became absorbed into the TV, making me eat my breakfast in silence. After breakfast I went up to room, changed into jeans and a white tee, I fixed my hair into a ponytail. That’s when my phone dinged. Curious, I checked to see what it was, Andrew, I had almost forgotten I called him last night. –Hey what about 2 o’clock @ the Frap?- The Frap was a café downtown, I didn’t really go to it often, really I had only gone once, but I guess why not. –Sure that’s fine, cya then.- ~ Walking into the Frap with my cross-body satchel handbag and my brown Sperry’s, I looked for Andrew, he wasn’t their yet. Silently I went to a two seat table by a window, waiting for Andrew. Five minutes later he walked in, looking around for me, I waved, he rushed over. “Sorry I was late.” He mumbled, I shook my head. “No no it’s okay, no big deal.” “Oh okay…thanks.” He weakly smiled; his head was down, refusing to look at me. A waiter named Joey then came up to us, asking for our order. “Umm I’ll have a white chocolate mocha cream please?” I asked, he wrote it down on a notepad. “And you?” Joey was referring to Andrew, he looked up. “Umm, just an ice tea please.” When did Andrew like ice tea? “Alright then, your orders will be here in a few minutes.” “Thanks.” Andrew and I said in unison, he looked up at me; his eyes look fatigued and sad. As soon as Joey left, I tried to spark up a conversation. “So how are you?” I asked eagerly, he shrugged. “Could be better, you?” “I’ve had better days…” I chuckled, he looked puzzled. “Hopefully this won’t sound rude, but why are you so happy?” He asked, now I shrugged my shoulders. “Good question, I have no idea. I guess I just woke up on the bright side this morning.” “Oh..” Andrew nervously combed his fingers through his hair, I felt bad for him. “Andrew?” “Yes?” “Are you okay? You seem a little worried…“ “I’m just sorry Aradia…for everything. I should’ve never said any of those things, gotten in your business with your aunt; just anything I said I am truly sorry.” My mouth was still open from being cut off, but it turned into a smile. “It’s okay, but I mean it’s not all your fault, I said some mean things to you too. So don’t blame it all on you. I’m sorry too I should have not blown up on you like that.” “Ya but what I did afterwards, I mean I became so desperate I started hanging out with the basketball team.” He actually shivered when he said that, which made me laugh. “I know.” “And then when the team told me what they said to you in the parking lot, I almost thought of beating down every single of one of those boys.” I felt my face burning at that point, I never blush. “Oh I see, umm thanks.” Just at the right time, Joey came and gave us our drinks. “So when did u like ice tea?” I asked curiously. “Since like forever.” I snorted in my coffee at that comment, he sounded like Samantha on my lacrosse team, and I know he did it on purpose to make me laugh, soon he was laughing too. “Wow I haven’t heard that in a while,” he whispered, “Heard what?” “Your laugh, I missed it, but really most of all I missed you.” Andrew smiled at me then, and I couldn’t help but beam too, looking at anything but him so I wouldn’t blush anymore. I never noticed till now how handsome Andrew really was. Of course he was a cute, even ‘one of the boys’ all the girls were dreaming to date (I’ve eavesdropped on a couple occasions to find that out), but to me he was just one of my best friends.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Okay, I will. :) Great post!

fungirl123 @Payton - it doesn't look like I'll have time to finish what I was writing. :-( So you can write about Noelle apologizing. ^.^ I'll write it from Skylar's POV when I get back on Thursday. :-]

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ By the next week, I was walking around without a wheelchair. I only had to wear a brace on my foot and on my back. Standing up and sitting down was drag, but it was possible. My exams were getting to be over, and I knew that I hadn’t done well. A week before I would be finished with school, I was called into the principal’s office. I knew what she would be talking to me about: summer school. I was almost positive that it would be required of me so that I could finish my junior year above average. Over the past month, I had gone from being third in my class…to being near the bottom. “Yes?” I asked Sullivan as I entered her office. “Ah, hello, Skylar.” I took a seat in one of the chairs. “Why did you call me down here?” I asked, wringing my hands together nervously. She pulled out several papers and placed them in front of me. The one on top was a line graph. She pointed to the beginning of the graph, where it was at it’s peak. “This is the beginning of this semester. You were at your best. In the top five of the junior class.” Then she circled the rest of the graph. For about half of it, I was still near the top. But then when I hit May, my grades hit rock bottom. “You see what I’m getting to here, right?” Principal Sullivan asked. I nodded. “Okay, Skylar. I know that summer should be time for having fun. But I highly suggest—“ “Summer school. I know,” I cut in. Mrs. Sullivan looked at me like I had just said something horrible. “No. No, of course not!” she defended, “I was going to say you should get a tutor for the summer to catch up.” I was a bit taken back, but I went along with it. “Okayy…,” I trilled. “I just wanted to suggest that. You can go back to class now.” I nodded, and stood from my chair, confidence filling me. Maybe Autumn was looking out for me. I walked out of the main office and back out into the hallway. All of the happiness was drained from me when I heard a familiar voice call my name. “Hey, Twinkle Toes.” That could only be… “What do you want, Ashley?” I snapped, turning to face her and her minions. “Or should we call her ‘murderess’?” Ashley continued. I stepped back. What the hell. “We know what you did,” Jessica Murphy said, stepping up close to me. “Yeah. You realize that you don’t even deserve to be alive,” Ashley spat. I wanted to run. But I was stationary. And then Chase came to my rescue. “C’mon guys! Just…stop!” He put his arm around my shoulders and turned me around. “Ooh! Chase and Skylar? How adorable!” Ashley cried from behind me. Chase walked faster. Thankfully, it was the end of the day. I didn’t have to deal with anymore of the day. Chase opened my locker, already knowing the combo from a week of spinning it for me. He grabbed my backpack for me, knowing how shocked I was. I couldn’t even put it into words how I was feeling. “Let’s go.” He put his arm around me again and hustled me out the door. It was like he was trying to remove a bomb from someone’s chest before it went off. I was the bomb. The rest of the world was the chest. “Where are we going?” I asked. “Let’s just go on a walk.” He kept my backpack on his shoulder. For another few hours, we walked around town and along the beach. Some of it was just calm conversation, the rest was silence. It was a nice silence. “Can you come with me to a graduation party this weekend?” I finally asked, staring straight ahead. “For who?” he asked. “My dead friend’s older brother Will. I just want someone to be there with me,” I said blandly, not feeling like more explanation was needed. “Sure…of course.” (I’ll write more about this later if I get time. But I’m leaving for a week-long vacation tonight. So I’ll have to see if I get time to type it out before I leave.)

fungirl123 @Payton - okay, I will! :-D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- It doesn't matter. You can if you want or I can(:

fungirl123 @Payton - do you want to write about it?

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- You're welcome(:

fungirl123 @Payton - thanks<3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! And sure, sounds great(:

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ I had exams this week. I already knew I wasn’t going to do well. The teachers at St. Elijah’s weren’t pitiful toward anyone, even if you were in the hospital for two straight weeks. I was taking the dumb final whether I wanted to or not. Chase was being incredibly helpful, though. He was coming over to our house every night now to help me with Language Arts, trigonometry, and psychology. But then he made an announcement one night when we were studying. He was leaving town this week to go to a relative’s house. It was kind of urgent, apparently, for him to leave. So I was left with no one to help me. I had three days left before I had to have all of my late homework turned in, and I wasn’t even close to getting it done. All of my grades were at C’s and D’s. It was horrible. “I CAN’T DO THIS!” I shouted, hurling my trig book across my bedroom. Luna rolled over in bed, and I realized that she had been trying to sleep. After a moment of just staring at me, she pushed the covers off of her and walked over to me on my bed. I hadn’t really been paying much attention to my sweetie little sister. I was too busy worrying about myself. Luna kissed my forehead. Then she went over to the opposite wall from my and picked up my math book. After handing it to me, she got back into bed. Yes, she didn’t actually help me with the work, but she did help me get it done. What would I ever do without her? I went back to my work. So my disappointment, Luna hadn’t helped me this time. I was still struggling with everything. I wanted Chase back. He was the only one would could help me with any of this. But I didn’t want to disturb him when he was with family. The next morning, after walking Cord and Luna to their babysitter, I walked to school. I was there a half-hour before the first bell, so I could go to the library to check out a few books. Miss Kohler, the librarian, was sitting behind her desk, doing the regular checking in books and checking Facebook. I went to the nonfiction aisle and took a seat in one on the stepping stool. I scanned my eyes over the books. I needed to read something. “Skylar..Psst!” I whirled around. To my utter surprise, Will was standing in front of me. “What the—“ I was interrupted by his lips crashing into mine. I yanked away, feeling as if it wasn’t right. He looked into my eyes. “What was that for? I thought you liked me,” he asked, sounding hurt and puzzled. “I-I…Will, I don’t deserve you,” I whispered. He furrowed his brow. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I shrugged. “I just don’t think your family wants you to be around me—“ “You mean Lucy? You REALLY think my entire family thinks like her?” Will cut in, sounding a bit angry. I cringed. I’d always hated being yelled at. Will stepped back. After a moment of letting everything sink it, he reached into his satchel and pulled out a black envelope. “At least come to my grad party. I had to beg my parents just to go on with this party. It’ll light up everyone’s attitude once they see that the Powell’s are once again fine.” He held out my hand and placed the invitation in it. “But I won’t know anyone there.” Will gave me a knowing look. “You know Camille, Aradia, and Noelle, right? We’re inviting a bunch of Autumn’s old friend—“ “I wouldn’t consider ANY of those people my friends. I don’t have any friends, remember?” I growled. Suddenly, we were shushed my Miss Kohler at her desk. “Sorry,” I called back softly. I turned back to Will. “I have to get back to Elliot. I have my last exam today before I’m out for the summer. I’ll see you next Saturday, okay.” he said, phrasing it more as a statement instead of a question. Without another word, he turned on his heel and left. Huh. (@Payton – maybe Noelle can apologize to Skylar at the party? ;-P)

fungirl123 @Robbi - I was going to have Skylar bomb her final, too, since she missed two full weeks of school. :-) I just didn't want you to think I was copying off Aradia.... :\

fungirl123 @Payton - sure! :-D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Thanks(: @Robbi- Aww, thank you!(: @Haley- Okay, I'll do that(: And then should I just have Noelle get angry all over again because Skye doesn't accept it?

fungirl123 @Payton - good post! :-) If you were you going to write about Noelle apologizing, I was thinking that Skylar doesn't accept it. She's going through that "angry" stage of grieving when all she can do is push people away. ;-)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Oh no! Im sorry your first part got deleted, but I love your second part :)!

LudaKrys @Robbi & Payton-Great posts! :) @Haley-I think if your original plan was to save it for later then maybe you should do that, but if your super blocked and don't think you can come up with something in the next day or two, then I would post it. But that's me... ;)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- You're welcome(:

taylorswiftfan1233 UGHHH! I just had my next post... But then it DELETED!!! AHHHHHHHH! So, for now, I'm just going to post the second part. UGH, I am so frustrated now! It took me like an hour to write! But anyway, here is the second part. I might not get to write the First part. ~Noelle~ “No problem!” Aradia chimed. My phone beeped and I jumped up to go look at it. I scanned the text message from Jace. * Just a reminder, we have practice tonight. Just thought I would remind you… Since you’re spacey and grouchy lately. ;) * He meant it as a joke of course, so a smile spread across my face. * I know, Jace. Wow, don’t you know I have an elephant’s memory?(; * I put my phone in my pocket and then sat back down beside Aradia. “Sorry, that was Jace,” I apologized. “Oh that’s okay,” she said. Then after a brief silence, she said, “Noelle?” “Yes?” “I’m sorry for getting in the way of you and Jace’s relationship, I should’ve never done that. I’m really, really, really sorry,” she said apologetically. “It’s okay.” “No it’s not, I mean if you got in the way of me and Andrew’s relationship, I’d would of felt the same way you did, or even worse.” At that, I can’t help but laugh. But a glance at Aradia made me fall silent. All of a sudden, she looked queasy. “Hey, are you okay? You look sick,” I noted, concerned. “Ya, I think so,” she answered, placing a hand on her stomach. “So I’m guessing Andrew was your friend at the hospital?” I asked, trying to make conversation. “Ya,” came her weak reply. “Oh cool, a close guy friend?” I pulled out my phone and checked my new message from Jace. * Wth! Is that a good thing? -Jace * * Uhh, I think so. Do you think so? -Noelle* I texted back. “Ya, but you and Jace’s friendship is probably better than ours at the moment.” I was texting, but at the same time I was listening to her. “What do you mean?” I questioned, not sure whether to feel proud that she thought Jace and I had a strong relationship or not. “Andrew and I had a ‘fight’ you could say.” * Umm… -Jace * *Go ask your little bro. I’ll bet he knows. –Noelle * “Oh, why don’t you go talk to him?” I asked. She laughed. Surprised, I looked up at her. “Pssshh, me talk to him? Like that will ever happen.” I put my phone down on my lap and stared at her. “What happened?” I couldn’t help but ask. Aradia told me the entire story; how at Autumn’s funeral they had gotten into an argument all the way to how she was pretty sure she had failed her final today. “Has he tried calling or texting you?” I asked, ready to help her. She nodded. “Seems to me he wants to talk then.” She groaned loudly. “Shouldn’t he be apologizing though? He’s the one who started it.” I sighed, shaking my head. Truthfully, I had used to think that too. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter who started it, it’s about making up. For instance, Jace and I had a fight, and those next few days were horrible. I had no one to hang out with, no one to talk to, I felt lonely. Have you been feeling like this?” I felt like one of those people that had you come to their office and lie down on a couch as you told them about their feelings. “Yes!” Aradia exclaimed. “Then it’s time for you two to talk. No need to hold grudges it just makes it worst. Trust me, I should know,” I said. To my complete surprised and alarm, she hugged me. At first, I stiffened and didn’t hug her back. But then I gave in and hugged her back. “Thank you Noelle, you seriously don’t know how your advice has just changed my way of thinking. I’ll go talk to him,” she said. Wow. I was surprised she was even TAKING my advice. I had never thought I was good at that kind of stuff, but maybe I was after all. “You’re welcome, Aradia.” I broke the hug and for a moment, we just sat there, thinking. “Hey, I have an idea!” I exclaimed suddenly, my face brightening some more. “What is it?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “How about if I apologize to Skye, you have to talk to Andrew? Deal?” She smiled. “Sounds good to me. Deal.” We shook our hands, which made it official. There was no turning back, no backing out of it. This was a promise. Aradia said goodbye and promised she would stop by later to tell her whether or not she could come with me to see Skye. As soon as she was gone, I smiled a little more. She was right; I needed to apologize to Skylar. Not only that, but I was pretty sure I had a new friend.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @haley-Lmho! Haha really? I love the word deuces too! :p Haha...oh lil Luna is going to die? Aww I liked her! ;,( Lol...how is she going to die? Jw. @Payton- Okie dokie! :) And thanks :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Amazing posts! :D I'll write soon. @Haley- Hmm... Since you're blocked, I would. But that's just me. :) So if you want to, that's up to you. But since you're blocked for the moment, it might be easier.(:

fungirl123 Okay, guys, I need some advice. xD For the story, I was going to have Luna get killed, so that shakes Skylar's world once again. :-( I was planning on doing that later in the story, but since I'm blocked, should I do it now...? :\

fungirl123 @Robbi - LOL, I loved the part of your paragraph when Andrew says DEUCES! Me and my friends always yell that at each other when we're acting like idiots. :-P

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ “No problem!” I replied, all of sudden Noelle’s phone beeps, she jumps up and goes to look at it. After texting back whoever it was, she sits back down next to me. “Sorry that was Jace.” “Oh that’s okay.” Jace. I almost forgotten about him, how I had that little crush on him for a while, but I really don’t anymore, suddenly a pang of guilt hit me. “Noelle?” “Yes?” “I’m sorry for getting in the way of you and Jace’s relationship, I should’ve never done that. I’m really really really sorry.” “It’s okay.” “No it’s not, I mean If you got in the way of me and Andrew’s relationship I’d would of felt the same way you did, or even worse.” She laughed at this, but then I felt my stomach turning. I brought Andrew up again, ugh. “Hey are you okay? You look sick.” I felt sick too. “Ya I think so.” I placed my hand on my stomach; it was literally hurting because of Andrew, what the heck? “So I’m guessing Andrew was your friend at the hospital?” “Ya.” I said weakly. “Oh cool, a close guy friend?” “Ya, but you and Jace’s friendship is probably better than ours at the moment.” Noelle was texting on her phone by now, Jace probably, but was still listening. “What you mean?” “Andrew and I had ‘fight’ you could say.” “Oh, why don’t you go talk to him?” I laughed it this. “Pssshh, me talk to him? Like that will ever happen.” Noelle then asked what happened and I told her the full out story, even about today and the final. “Has he tried calling or texting you?” I nodded my head. “Seems to me he wants to talk then.” I groan. “Shouldn’t he be apologizing to me though? He’s the one who started it.” Noelle sighed, shaking her head. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter who started it, it’s about making up. For instance, Jace and I had a fight, and those next few days were horrible. I had no one to hang out with, no one to talk to, I felt lonely. Have you been feeling like this?” It’s like she read my mind. “Yes!” “Then it’s time for you two to talk. No need to hold grudges, it just makes it worst. Trust me I should know.” Noelle was absolutely right. Right then and there I hugged her, she first seemed alarmed and didn’t hug back, but then she finally did. “Thank you Noelle, you seriously don’t know how your advice has just changed my way of thinking. I’ll go talk to him.” “You’re welcome Aradia,” She separated out of the hug and we just sat there, collecting in our thoughts. “Hey I have an idea!” She exclaimed, I raised an eyebrow. “What is it?” “How about if I apologize to Skye, you have to talk to Andrew? Deal?” I couldn’t help but smile. “Sounds good to me, deal.” We shook hands to make it official, no backing out now. Finally I said goodbye to Noelle, promising I’ll text or stop by later to tell her whether or not I can come with her to see Skye. As soon as I was outside in my truck, I pulled out of my phone. Sheesh, I had spent two hours at Noelle’s house, time flies. I look through my contacts and find Andrew’s number, I push the call button, it rings, but no response. “Hey this is Andrew. Sorry I missed your call but if you leave a message, I’ll try to get back to ya. Deuces!” I rolled my eyes when he said ‘deuces’, he’s always tried to acted gangster in his voicemails. The phone then beeped for me to talk. “Hey Andrew, it’s me Aradia. I know you’ve tried to reach me and I haven’t responded, but I just have needed to have some space. But now I’ve thought things over and I think it’s time to talk. Text me whenever you get this message and we can pick a time and place to talk. Later.”

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ Ringing the doorbell, I looked at Noelle’s house, I almost forgot how huge it was until today. A gust of air hit my face as the door opened, revealing Noelle’s flawless face, she didn’t seem happy to see me. “What do you want?” She growled, crossing her arms. “I want to clear things up.” I said confidently, she uncrossed her arms, and widened the door so I could get through. Following behind Noelle she led me to her room, it was gorgeous. It was like those rooms you see on Tumblr, absolutely perfect with collages of pictures and bright posters of celebrities, I was jealous. “Take a seat.” She chimed, pointing to a beanbag, I followed her command and sat on a orange beanbag. Noelle took a second to check her phone then sat beside me on a hot pink beanbag. “So what do you exactly want to ‘clear up’ between us?” She asked, I took my eyes off the posters on her walls and at her. “Noelle don’t act dumb. You know there is still some tension between us,” I was not trying to sound rude, but that’s the best way I could put it. “Ignoring the situation and pretending nothing happened doesn’t clear things up.” She glared at me, crossed her arms, and sighed. “I guess there is some tension between us.” “Yes. So I just wanted to ask, what exactly are you still mad about? I mean what are you exactly angry about that involves me?” “I’m not exactly angry at you, I’m just…” She stopped; her eyes were staring at the ground, she was afraid to tell me. “Come on tell me, I won’t get mad I swear.” “I just am having a hard time forgiving you, that’s all.” Now I knew that wasn’t the full story. “Noelle, I’m sorry for all the things I did, truly I am. But not to get in your business or anything, but something else is up, what is it?” Noelle took a second to reply, and then finally looked back up at me. “I’ve just had a hard time dealing with Autumn’s death. Not only that, but I just feel that if Skylar wasn’t in that car-“ I gasped. “You think the whole scenario is Skylar’s fault?” Noelle’s eyes then filled with rage, I regret what I said. “See? I knew I shouldn’t of said anything!” Noelle gets up from her beanbag, stomping to the door, I get up and stop her. “Noelle I’m sorry, I’ll be quiet and let you finish, promise.” Without saying anything sits back down and finishes her story. “I just feel that, if Skylar wasn’t in the car, Autumn wouldn’t be dead, and none of us would be like this right now. So yes, I do blame Skylar for the death of Autumn. But the other day I say Skylar and I blew up in her face about how I think she should be blamed and as good as it felt to say it, I feel horrible for saying it.” Noelle voice was cracking by now; I put my hand on her shoulder. “Noelle, it’s not Skye’s fault that Autumn is dead. We don’t even know why those two were in the car together, so it’s unfair for us to blame her if we don’t even know the whole story.” Noelle nodded her head, trying to hold back tears, I continued. “I think you need to apologize to her. Imagine how she feels, right now she is in a wheelchair, her best friend died before her eyes, and who knows how her life is going to change because of this.” I could tell Noelle took a second to really let my words sink in. “Wow Aradia, I never thought of it like that,” She said quietly. “Now I really feel like a jerk.” “Well all you really need to do is apologize to her, heck I’ll even come with you if that makes it any better.” Her face lightened up into a weak smile at that suggestion. “Really?” “Ya sure, I probably should go anyway because I haven’t seen Skye in a while and I want to see how she is doing.” I smiled at Noelle. “Thanks Aradia, that means a lot.”

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive *`~Aradia~`* I slammed my locker door shut, I just wanted today to be over. I just kept to myself this whole day, barely talking to anybody unless I really needed to. Huffing down the junior hallway, I stopped as my eyes wondered to Autumn’s locker. Suddenly I had this feeling of guilt in my stomach. While I am having a little fit over one final, my best friend was dead. How could I forget about this? If Autumn were here, most likely the situation between Andrew and I would be fixed right now. Wait, it wouldn’t of even happen, because Autumn would be alive and we would’ve not even been at the cemetery in the first place. I sighed, Autumn was always the peacemaker. Even before she died she tried to create peace ever since the fight at the soccer field, even though it didn’t really work. Suddenly I thought of Noelle. She and I did apologize, well at least I did, but I feel as though it really didn’t help much. Sure after I apologized she became nicer and talked to me when needed, but I could still feel she didn’t particularly ‘let go and go on’ from what I did to her, personally at this moment I didn’t even blame her. Instead of going straight home, I decided I’d drop by Noelle’s house and hopefully clear things up for good.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Haha ok...but wow it's like 2 pages on Microsoft Word! Lol...I think I write in too much detail, :p. Sorry it will be so long!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Okay. Can't wait to read it!(:

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Sure why not? :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- No! That sounds great!(: We can totally do that! ^.^ Do you want to write first?

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Well I was thinking...Aradia's sees Autumn's old locker afterskool...thinks about memories..yadadada..and realizes Autumn was a peacemaker and that her and Noelle should make up and have peace between each other. Does that sound stupid or no?

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Great! What should they say? And do you want to write about it? :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Sure!! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Thanks, you too!(: And I know earlier you mentioned Aradia and Noelle talking or something... At least I think you did! Do you want them to still, or not really?(:

fungirl123 @Robbi - good paragraph! :-P

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Sorry for the short post…I’m still trying to think of what I want to happen next with Aradia…..~*Aradia*~ I walked out of my calculus class ashamed. I totally bombed that final. No not like I-think-I-bombed-my-test-but-I-get-a-decent-grade bombing, I literally think I got an F on it. You know the feeling when you don’t know the answer to a question so you look around the classroom at all of your classmates and their racing through their test like it’s SO easy? I hate that feeling, and that’s what I felt like the whole calculus hour. I was just staring at the paper, blinking. That whole morning I was reading my textbook like crazy, even quizzed myself, I thought maybe possibly I could get a good C or nice B- but no, when I got that final paper I was doomed. Not knowing a thing at all on the paper, I practically just went with best guess on my final. With four more finals left until the end of the school year, I have already promised myself to study at least two days before each test, and not let one stupid person get in my way of getting good grades.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Krysta and @Payton- Awesome posts :)!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Hmm... Let me think...

fungirl123 Okay, I was going to try to write a lot today...but I'm completely blocked...Any ideas?

fungirl123 @Payton - no problem! :D @Krysta - no problem! :p

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta & Haley- Thanks! :D

LudaKrys @Payton-Thanks and great post! :) @Haley-Thank ya, thank ya very much! ;)

fungirl123 @Krysta & Payton - awesome post!

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ I walked into Starbucks. In thirty minutes I would go to Jace’s house, but I needed to think about what I was going to tell him. A few heads turned toward me, but then looked away again. I didn’t see anyone I knew, so I shrugged and walked further inside. Until my eyes landed on her. A small girl with red-velvet cupcake colored hair, who was sitting alone at a table. I made my way to her, anger flowing through me. “What are YOU doing here, Skylar?!” I demanded. She craned her neck to see me. “Yes, Noelle?” she asked, as if she didn’t realize how angry I was. And maybe she didn’t. “I asked you a question.” I took a step towards her. “I just got done with some homework with my tutor,” she stated, looking startled. I laughed, amused. “Oh. Autumn always told me you were super smart. Guess that’s changed since she died.” I knew how mean I sounded, but she deserved it. Everything was her fault. Skylar looked confused. “Huh?” I took another step toward her. Then some more, until I was less than a foot away from her. “You do realize this is all your fault,” I said. I then spun on my heel and went to order my drink. She deserved those words. *** I knocked on Jace’s bedroom door. He opened it and smiled out at me. “Hey, Noelle.” I brushed past him and flopped down onto his bed. He closed the door and sat down beside me. “So are you going to tell me what’s wrong and why you’re being so… difficult at school?” he asked. I was quiet for a moment, but then I opened my mouth. “Everything.” That one word made him look positively confused. “What do you mean, ‘everything’?” he asked. I scratched my head. “I mean, everything that’s happened lately. I guess.” He arched an eyebrow. “Oh, Autumn you mean? Is that the only thing that’s bothering you?” he asked. I swallowed hard, feeling on the verge of tears. “Yes,” I lied, my voice ringing out in the quiet room. He hugged me, and I hugged back, burying my face in his chest. But that only lasted for a few seconds because his mom yelled up the stairs, telling him it was time for supper. “Want to stay for supper? It’s pizza,” Jace offered. I nodded, feeling slightly better after the hug. “Sure.”

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ “Ready for English?” Jace asked, stopping by my locker. I groaned. “No, but I have to go.” He rolled his eyes. “Come on. This is the last class of the day. I’m pretty sure you’ll survive.” I was silent, slamming my locker closed. “Let’s go,” he said, tugging on my arm and leading me down the hall and up the stairs. We finally got there. Jace opened the door, and we walked to our assigned seats. My desk was at the front of the room and I sat in between two snobby cheerleaders. I hated this class so much. Mrs. Reed stepped to the front of the room; her dark curls falling gracefully at her shoulders. Her blue eyes were even brighter and shiner than usual, but she still wore those boring teacher clothes. She was in her early late thirties, but her personality had always been so bubbly. You just didn’t want to make her mad. “Today, we’ll be getting new seating arrangements,” she began. Hearing our groans, she plowed on. “But you can pick where you’re seating, as long as you still pay attention in class and turn in your work on time. Understand?” At those words, everyone looked at their closest friends and smiled. “Yes, Mrs. Reed,” we all said. She smiled. “Fabulous! Go ahead and pick your seats.” I sprang up and grabbed my stuff. Then I dashed over to Jace and sat down beside him. “Hey, best friend,” I said, poking him. He opened his mouth to reply, but Megan, the snobbiest cheerleader of them all, sat on the other side of him. Within seconds, the other seats around us were filled with jocks. Lindley was on my other side at her desk, already filling out her agenda. “Hi, Jace,” Megan said, twirling a lock of shiny blonde hair and adding a flirty giggle. “Hey,” Jace said wearily. He turned towards me quickly and raised his eyebrows. I shrugged. I crossed my eyes and smirked at Megan, who made a sour face and looked away. Mrs. Reed clearing her throat, turning our attention back to her. “Miss Penner, now that you’re in the back row, will that be a problem?” she asked, arching an eyebrow at me. Was that a joke? What had I done wrong? “Uh, no,” I said, trying to keep the bitterness from my voice. She nodded. “I didn’t think so.” Within five minutes, we were going over grammar and what we needed to know for the upcoming test. But I couldn’t stay focused; it was just so boring! I nudged Jace halfway through class. “This is torture,” I whispered when I caught his eyes. He put a finger to his lips, making an attempt to hush me. I looked to Lindley instead, who was doodling in her notebook. “Lindley,” I whispered. She turned to face me. “This is by far the most boring class EVER! Can’t she spice up her teaching in any way?” I whispered, smiling at the idea of this class actually being fun. Like that would ever happen. Lindley shook her head and turned back to face Mrs. Reed. And when I did the same thing, I found Mrs. Reed glaring at me from her spot at the board. I fingered the material on my sweatpants nervously. Mrs. Reed was nice until you created a distraction in class or talked during a lesson. “Noelle, was what you were saying important?” she asked, crossing her arms. “No.” “Well, it must’ve been if you were whispering during class. So, why don’t you tell the others what you were saying?” she asked bitterly. I was silent, staring at her. “Come up to the front of the room and tell them!” she barked, causing me to jump out of my seat. Jace and Lindley shot me sympathetic looks, but there was nothing they could do. I stood beside Mrs. Reed, staring at the faces of the rest of my class. Megan was smirking. I plastered a smile on my face. “Well, since you really want to know,” I began, glancing at my teacher. She nodded, and I did the unthinkable… I called her by her first name. “Barbara.” Her eyes went wide with surprise. Jace looked like he wanted to shake my shoulders. “I was just telling Jace that your class is torture! PURE torture! And then when he ignored me, I told Lindley that your class was the most boring class EVER and that you should really spice it up in some way!” I went on, my voice raising. A few kids gasped. Mrs. Reed marched over to me and said, “Detention. After school.” I smiled sweetly. “Okay… Barbara.” She looked like she wanted to smack me, but of course she couldn’t do that. I was her student. She was a teacher. I walked back to my desk, humming to create even more of a disturbance. I hadn’t had detention for at least two months, but it looked like I would be in the library once again after school. *** At the end of the school day, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and made my way towards the library. But a familiar voice behind me made me come to a quick halt. “Noelle, what were you thinking?” Jace grabbed my shoulders and turned me around so I was facing him. I smiled blithely. “I wanted to spice up her class. And I think I did a pretty good job, wouldn’t you say?” He narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Your parents are going to be so mad,” he said. I smiled a little bigger. “Good.” I turned to go, but he stopped me again. “What’s wrong, Elle?” he asked, his entire demeanor changing. Instead of mad, it was soft and concerned. “Jace, it’s nothing,” I said. “Noelle, I know you too well to know that that’s not true. Are you going to tell me or not?” he asked. The final bell rang, causing me to jump. “I’ll come over to your house tonight, okay? I have to get going now.” He nodded and walked down the hall. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. This was hard.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Great post! I'm working on one right now. :)

LudaKrys Okay so I'm not realy sure why that posted twice but, ya know it happens!! ;)

LudaKrys Sorry, that this is really short but I wanted to write something and this is what came. Also, sorry it’s late! (That’s part of the reason it’s short, lol) :) ~Camille~ I slammed my locker door. I whipped around and was greeted by a very large group of girls, “popular” girls to be more specific. “Problem?” I questioned. “You punched Cecilia,” Morgan said blandly. “She had it coming to her…and if you don’t leave me alone, I’ll pop you in the nose, too,” I growled, take a step towards her. The other girls fanned away, leaving us a big open area for a fight. I pretended to a swing at her and she immediately curled into a ball. I dropped my arm, “That’s what I thought.” I pushed my way through a crowd of smug looks. Ever since my little incident Cecilia, I had gotten myself a little bad girl reputation. With Autumn gone I had no one left to be myself with. I was always being rude and obnoxious. If I were another person I would want to punch me too. I speedily walked through the halls trying to make it to the door before anyone noticed I was teary-eyed. “Hey, Jane! Haven’t seen you at work lately!” shouted Tanner’s voice. I stood still in the middle of the empty hallway with my head down, waiting for Tanner to catch up with me. He placed his hand on my shoulders and then my chin. “Hey? What’s wrong?” he said, noticing my makeup stained face. I quickly wrapped my arms around him. He awkwardly wrapped his around me and then eventually it felt natural. I brought my mouth up to his ear and whispered gently. “No one understands.” He brought me to his front and said, “I understand.” I dug my face into his chest. I sucked in a huge gulp and said, “I wish you did.” He pulled away and looked me in the eye, “Make me understand.” I smiled and wiped my face, “How about a swim?”

LudaKrys Sorry, that this is really short but I wanted to write something and this is what came. Also, sorry it’s late! (That’s part of the reason it’s short, lol) :) ~Camille~ I slammed my locker door. I whipped around and was greeted by a very large group of girls, “popular” girls to be more specific. “Problem?” I questioned. “You punched Cecilia,” Morgan said blandly. “She had it coming to her…and if you don’t leave me alone, I’ll pop you in the nose, too,” I growled, take a step towards her. The other girls fanned away, leaving us a big open area for a fight. I pretended to a swing at her and she immediately curled into a ball. I dropped my arm, “That’s what I thought.” I pushed my way through a crowd of smug looks. Ever since my little incident Cecilia, I had gotten myself a little bad girl reputation. With Autumn gone I had no one left to be myself with. I was always being rude and obnoxious. If I were another person I would want to punch me too. I speedily walked through the halls trying to make it to the door before anyone noticed I was teary-eyed. “Hey, Jane! Haven’t seen you at work lately!” shouted Tanner’s voice. I stood still in the middle of the empty hallway with my head down, waiting for Tanner to catch up with me. He placed his hand on my shoulders and then my chin. “Hey? What’s wrong?” he said, noticing my makeup stained face. I quickly wrapped my arms around him. He awkwardly wrapped his around me and then eventually it felt natural. I brought my mouth up to his ear and whispered gently. “No one understands.” He brought me to his front and said, “I understand.” I dug my face into his chest. I sucked in a huge gulp and said, “I wish you did.” He pulled away and looked me in the eye, “Make me understand.” I smiled and wiped my face, “How about a swim?”

fungirl123 @Payton - thanks. :D

taylorswiftfan1233 Great posts, everyone! Sorry I haven't posted lately; I've been on vacation. :)

fungirl123 @Krysta - thanks. :-)

LudaKrys @Haley- Great post :)

fungirl123 @Robbi - thank you! <3

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @haley-good post ;)

fungirl123 Ah, sorry this is suuuper short. I just needed to post a paragraph. I haven’t really been in the mood for writing this past week or so. ~Skylar~ “How are you feeling, Skylar? Any extra spinal, wrist, et cetera pains that I should know about before you and your brother head out?” Doctor Chandler asked, setting his clipboard down onto my examining table. I shook my head, still staring up at the blue ceiling. I was lain out on a gray, cushioned examining table that had a turned-off light looming above it. The room was smaller than my hospital room from a week ago; probably half that size. “Are you sure?” he asked again. “No.” I watched him shrug. “Okay, then. Have a nice day!” Damon wheeled me out of the exam room and down the wide hallway. “I’ll pick you up after your study session at four-thirty, right?” “Yes,” I stated. I was meeting with Chase to go over math and psych. This ought to be fun. **** “Okay, so (x) 3.2 is your answer,” Chase chirped, pressing Enter in my math calculator. “Okay, got it.” I closed my math book. “Is that all for today?” he asked. I had only gotten less than half of my late work done. But I had until next Monday to finish it. I downed the rest of my Starbucks iced tea. Chase began gathering his school things together. “Need a ride home?” I shook my head. “See you at school tomorrow, then.” He slugged his backpack over his right shoulder and left. I had a few minutes before Damon would be here since he was always on time. It ran in our family that we were always right on time. Never a minute late. Snapping me from my thoughts, I heard a unfamiliar voice behind me. “What are YOU doing here, Skylar?!” I craned my neck to look at who had said that. There she was. In sweatpants, a T-shirt, and Converse. Blonde hair descending her shoulders and back. “Yes, Noelle?” It was then that I noticed her angrily entwined eyebrows, slits for eyes, and how her hands were placed firmly on her hips. “I asked you a question.” She took a step toward me. “I just got done with some homework with my tutor,” I stated, her antagonism startling me greatly. Noelle laughed. “Oh. Autumn always told me you were super smart. Guess that’s changed since she died.” Why was she doing this? “Huh?” Noelle took another step toward me. Then another. Until she was no less than a foot away from me. “You do realize this is all your fault.” With that, she spun on her heel and went to order her drink, leaving me feeling as if I had just been shot.

fungirl123 If anyone still wants to get on, I'm there. :-)

LudaKrys @Haley-Haha, and yay! :D

fungirl123 I'm about to get on PI if anyone wants to chat about the story. :-)

fungirl123 @Krysta - of course we can, meh darlin'! ;)

LudaKrys Okay, so I was thinking, (and I don't know if it's to late to do this) but can we say that Camille had been going to school she was just suspended for like to 2 weeks, and she's been back for a while?

LudaKrys @Robbi-Great post! :)

fungirl123 @Robbi - awesome post! <3

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ When I got the parking lot, I was making a bee-line to my truck, trying to get away from school as fast as possible, but of course my wishes could never come true. Right as I was about to open the front door of my truck, I was interrupted by the sounds of whistles and hollers, I turn. To my surprise, it was the basketball team yelling at me, all of them squished into the back of two trucks. They were all looking at me, some licking their lips like I was piece of meat. Of course they were laughing their heads off too. “I dare you to do that again.” I barked, silence filled the air. “We just thought since you and Andrew aren’t together anymore, you were free on the dating market.” Brenden sneered, I scoffed. Dating market?!? Why did everyone think Andrew and I were together? All I could do was stand there, my hands balled in fists. Right when I was about to say something, a school door opened, I looked, Andrew. Everyone turned there gaze to him too, he stopped. He first looked at his team then at me, his eyes widened. “What did you guys do?!” He yelled, the basketball team started mumbling, I rolled my eyes. “That’s it. I’m done.” I put my hands up in surrender, and went into my truck. I was done. This whole week I’d been asked the questions “You and Andrew broke up?”, “Is Andrew single?”, “What happened with you and Andrew?”. Andrew Andrew Andrew! Why did everyone care so much? I got more questions about Andrew then questions asking me if I was okay since Autumn’s death. When I got home I didn’t even bother saying hello or anything, I just went straight to my room, threw my backpack on my bed, and pulled out my calculus book. I needed to get my mind on school, my calculus final was tomorrow and I hadn’t even touched my book yet to study. I never did this. As I was silently flipping through pages, I became really tired. ~ I woke up to my calculus book on my lap, I looked at the page number, thirty. Suddenly I realized I fell asleep reading, oh no. Rapidly I looked at my phone, this can’t be happening. According to my phone it was midnight and I didn’t remember a thing I read in those thirty pages. My final was today, and it was thirty percent of my grade. I was officially screwed.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ “I’m open!” I yelled, running as fast as I could go to our goal. Lillian throws the ball to me, I reach my stick out as far as it could go. Suddenly I trip, the ball flies over my head, I groan. “Perez!” Coach yelled, signaling for me to come over, I took my mask off and followed. “What’s up with you? You haven’t caught one ball this whole practice!” “I don’t know Coach, I guess my head just not in the game.” Lie. I was still mad at Andrew and I had a final tomorrow, which I hadn’t even studied for, that was what was on my mind. “Well let’s get your head in the game, or you won’t be playing very much in our last game.” I was one of Elliot High School’s best lacrosse players, but I could tell in Coach’s tone she wasn’t joking, I nodded my head and turned to put my helmet on. Getting back in my position, Samantha, one of the ‘popular’ girls on our team, decided she start talking to me. “So I heard you and Andrew broke up.” I snapped my head her direction, I wasn’t in the mood. “We were never dating Sam. We were just friends.” “Sure you were,” She said, gosh how I hated her nasally voice. “So anyway, since you two aren’t talking anymore, all of us girls have been—““Us girls? What are you even talking about Samantha? Does it seem that I even care about what Andrew is doing with his life now? No, I don’t. And second of all, like I said, we never dated. If I find out that a rumor goes around saying we were, guess who I’m going after? You. So best of you to just shut up and turn around and not talk to me about Andrew again. Are we clear?” For a second I couldn’t believe myself that I’d even said all those things, but it definitely shut Sam up. Samantha was speechless; all she did was look at me and nod her head. Thanks to Samantha, the rest of the practice I was thinking of Andrew. Andrew told people about our fight? Are you freaking kidding me? Us girls? What did Samantha mean by that? Had Andrew been talking to the popular girls lately? I became more and more aggravated at these thoughts, but somehow through my anger, I stayed focused. I caught all the lacrosse balls after talking to Coach, I even made a few goals. But the whole time at practice I felt Samantha staring at me, but I didn’t care. She is the type of girl who talks smack but won’t actually fight, so I knew she wasn’t going to touch me. In the locker room after practice, I felt like everyone was staring at me. What was up with that? Quickly I grabbed my things and got out of there, still fuming.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Thats ok...oh i just realized Aradia should prob talk to Noelle too...but that can wait after Skylar and Noelle talk.... @Haley-Lovely post :)

fungirl123 @Payton - sure! :p

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Okay, and do you want it to just be Skylar or do you want Chase to be with her, since he's her tutor? :)

fungirl123 @Payton - just running into each other at anywhere is fine. ^-^

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Hmm... I'll try to think. :) @Haley- Okay, but should they just run into each other or what? I can't think of any ways for them to see each other. =)

fungirl123 @Payton - maybe a confrontation between Skylar and Noelle...? @Krysta - hmmm...

LudaKrys @Haley-Great post! :) @Payton-It's okay!! I'm feeling the same way. ;)

taylorswiftfan1233 Sorry I haven't posted for a while. I just can't think of anything to post. :/

fungirl123 @Payton - thank you! :-)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Awesome post! :)

fungirl123 For those of you who don’t know, a drive-by is a type of murder when, let’s say, a car pulls up next to you and shoots you. It’s not a very common sort of murder, but I learned it from Criminal Minds. ;) @Krysta – thank you! <3 ~Skylar~ I had fortunately made it through most of the day without having a conversation with Chase. The only things I had to ask him for were when I needed to open my locker, dropped something, or to be taken somewhere. Then it came time for lunch. “Where to do you usually sit?” he asked, wheeling me through the outdoor part of the cafeteria. “In the music room.” He pondered the thought of it for a moment. “Really?” I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. It’s not like I have friends to sit with.” He kicked up the front part of my chair and turned me around, going back into the music wing of our school. St. Elijah’s had a whole new building built for music from a grant the principal got. It was because our school had won an international orchestra competition last year, and a national chorus competition two years ago. Slowly, he pulled open the front doors of the James C. Burkett Music Hall and pushed me in. All of the teachers were at school, except for Miss Edwards, the choir teacher. She was munching down on a sandwich in her office with the door wide open. “Where do we go to eat?” Chase asked from behind me, his voice echoing in the empty complex, sounding confused. “Orchestra room,” I answered, picking at the food on my tray, which was sitting on my lap. A minute later, we were sitting in the band room. It was filled with keyboards, violins, trumpets, guitars, drums, saxophones, cellos, French horns…anything instrument you could think of. “What instrument do you play?” Chase asked, picking up his own bass guitar. He was in orchestra with me, unfortunately. “Piano.” “Cool.” Couldn’t this guy just get the hint? I didn’t want him as my friend. He sat down next to me as I began eating my grilled chicken salad. “I thought we could figure out a tutoring schedule today. When are your free days?” he asked after taking a bite of his turkey sandwich. “I don’t have any free days. I have dance every night at six,” I said bluntly. Chase furrowed his brow and jerked his head back. “Dance? Uh…Skylar? I don’t think you can dance in that chair.” Was he asking to be smacked? “I know that, you idiot,” I spat, “but it doesn’t mean I don’t have to go to classes.” He looked offended. But he shook it off, taking another few bits of his sandwich and chicken salad. “Okay then. We can get together Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to get some things done. How about…say, four o’clock to five PM?” he asked. I hated this. Never in my life had I ever needed a tutor. And now I needed one just because I was missing school. “Whatever.” I looked away, rolling my eyes again. He’d probably be a know-it-all throughout the entire process. Surprisingly, Chase stood up, hands to his head in frustration. He turned to me, anger manifest on his dark features. “Can’t you see that I’m just trying to HELP you?!” he thundered. Two could play at that game. “You’re probably just a spoiled rich, teachers’ pet who just looks for more attention, Chase Desman! You don’t know anything!” His eyes widened; a mix of anger and perplexity in them. “You think rich?” He looked away furiously. “You don’t know me, Skylar! Don’t act like you do? Do you REALLY want to know what I’ve gone through?” I nodded, narrowing my eyes. “Okay. My parents were both killed when I was twelve. It was a drive-by in the ghetto. Right in front of my own damn eyes.” My eyes softened. “Oh.” “Yeah. Don’t ever call me spoiled again, Whitefield! I lived in a ghetto foster home for five years, where murders are more familiar than microwaves.” I felt a pang of guilt for calling him spoiled. But before I could apologize, he stomped out of the room. He’d be back. He had to take me to my next class. For the next twenty minutes, I waited, eating my lunch in complete silence. I didn’t even feel like playing my keyboard. Finally, Chase came back in. “Ready to go?” he asked. His voice had changed to a tough, don’t-mess-with-me tone. I nodded. “Wait, though,” I said. He looked confused. “Look, I’ve been to hell, too. As you probably already know, Autumn Powell was killed almost three weeks ago. She was my best friend – my only friend, actually. But my dad was killed when I was twelve. I don’t have a mom in the picture.” Chase didn’t respond for a few minutes, only wheeled me down the hall and back out the door. Damon was coming to pick me up in a bit. “Whitefield?” he asked, like it was becoming my new name. “Yes?” I asked hopefully. “I’m glad I met someone who understands what I’m going through.”

LudaKrys @Haley-Great post! :)

fungirl123 @Robbi - thank you! :-)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Awesome post :)!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- You're welcome. :)

fungirl123 @Payton - thank you! <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post, as usual! :D

fungirl123 I had a longer one typed up, but I, of course, lost it. So I just split it up into two parts. ~Skylar~ “Skylar, this is Chase,” Principal Sullivan said. The boy next to her shook Damon’s hand, who had come with me to school to sign a few back-to-school papers – since I’d been gone for two whole weeks. He had a light toffee-colored skin tone and dark hair falling in subtle waves to the middle of his forehead. He smiled at me, and I noticed his hazel-ish eyes and white teeth. Chase was wearing the usual St. Elijah’s blazer with a white polo and tan khaki shorts. On his feet were black Vans. “Nice to meet you,” he offered, sensing the silence in the room. “Well, Skylar, Chase is your tutor for the next few weeks. Not only that, but since our nursing office knows that you can’t really work your own wheelchair because of your spine, Chase is also your guide to all of your classes – since you two have them all together. And he can just act as your new friend, since I know you don’t…” Principal Sullivan trailed off, although I knew what she was about to say: “Since I know you don’t have many of those.” No, I thought, I don’t have any. I don’t deserve any. “Okay,” I stated. I felt so helpless. “We’ll figure out the tutor schedule at lunch,” Chase said. Gosh, please no. Lunch was my time. My time to think. I sighed, forcing a thin smile. “Whatever.” Damon checked his watch. “I should be heading for work now. But I’ll be picking you up at one o’clock today for another doctor’s appointment.” I nodded. Chase glanced at my brother, a slightly quizzical look passing over his face for a moment. “Are you her dad?” Damon chuckled. “Oh, no. I’m her brother. Our dad died when we were—“ “You said you had to get going, Damon!” I cut in sharply, trying to avoid the hurt of hearing about another death. Damon’s smile faded into a solemn straight line. Clearing his throat, he put his work satchel over his shoulder and left. “We should be heading to class,” Chase said, breaking the pregnant silence in the room. I had gotten here at seven-thirty AM – the usual time I got to school – and it was now nine o’clock. There were so many papers to sign and so many dumb things to discuss. Chase turned my wheelchair around and pushed me down the hall. “Need to go to your locker?” he asked. “Duh.” He didn’t reply. Good, I thought. Maybe now he’d get the message that I didn’t want any friends.

fungirl123 Yeah, I'm rewriting it now. :-)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Oh no! That would suck.. Just post whenever you have the time. :)

fungirl123 GAHHH!!!!! :\ I had such a long paragraph typed up last night...and I forgot to post it! Now it's gonnnee!! >:\ (angry face)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- great post! :D @Krysta- It's okay, just post whenever you can. :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Krysta- LOL no...post whenev u want :)! Your not procrastinating trust me ;)! Thanks btw

LudaKrys Okay, it's official I am becoming a procastinater! :0 @Robbi-Awesome post! :)

fungirl123 @Robbi - yay! :-D Great post!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Plans changed for me today so I actually got to type something up today :)!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~'*Aradia*'~ Today was the day I was the day I dreaded every week. Monday. Which meant school. I hadn't gone to Elliot High School in a week, and I really didn't want to go back. Not that I didn't have friends, I wasn't socially awkward or anything, but I just didn't want to deal with sympathetic teachers or classmates, and I definitely did not want to bump into Andrew. Just over thinking the whole day made my head hurt. I decided today I would just wear dark blue skinny jeans, an oversized light pink sweater, and my black Toms. I put my hair in a high bun and put a little bit of lip gloss on, I was all set. Carrying two textbooks in one hand and about falling over from my oversize backpack, I went into the kitchen. Imani was at the stove cooking something while watching the tv, I grabbed an apple. "Breakfast?" Imani asked, her eyes still glued to the tv, I shook my head. "Nah" I said, biting in my apple. "I only have 10 minutes to get to school anyway." "Oh ok, well, have a good day then!" "Alrighty, see you Friday!" Imani was leaving to go back to her dorm later today in the afternoon, so I wouldn't see her till later on this week. "Yep, remember what I said!" I rolled my eyes, she was referring from our talk sesh the other night. "Yes mom." I said sarcastically, and went out the door to my truck. It had been a while since I rode my own truck, it felt good to go back to normal routine.-- Somehow I was surviving the school day, no one was bugging me too much. But I almost had a breakdown when I saw Autumn's locker covered in photos and flowers, and posters saying: 'We miss you', 'We love you', 'Will always remember you', but I got passed it and moved on. It's lunch that made me mad. A seat was empty next to Paige so I decided to sit by her, she looked up from her book. "Aradia!" She squealed, hugging me tight, almost too hard, but I smiled at the same time. "I've missed you Paige." "Missed me? Girl I've been missing you, and..." She trailed off, I knew she wanted to say Autumn, my smile turned weak. "It's okay, you can say 'Autumn' in front of me." "Are you sure?" "Ya, I mean people shouldn't just pretend she just disappeared, it takes time to get use to it." Paige nodded her head. "Your right. Gosh I missed you." She hugged me again, I felt all air leave my lungs, she had a tough grip. Finally she let go. "So do you need any help on your homework?" She continued, I nodded my head. "Well pull it out!" I started to grab my anatomy homework when all the sudden I heard loud laughter, I looked up. From the other side cafeteria, it was a huge group of basketball jocks talking loud, being obnoxious, I rolled my eyes. But what surprised me was that Andrew was one of them laughing, I scoffed. It looked like he totally forgot about the other night. My face turn grim. Sure Andrew was co-captain of the basketball team, but he never hung out with those guys until practice, and its not even basketball season, he was doing this to get to me, wow. Jerk. "Hey you ok?" Paige asked, interrupting my thoughts. Still leaned over my bag, I grabbed my anatomy book and popped back up to face Paige. "Ya I'm fine," I responded. One more time I looked over at the jock table, staring at Andrew. "Just. Fine."

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Ya I might be busy these upcoming weeks too...but not too bad until August.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Okay. :)

fungirl123 Oh, yeah, I'm going on a mission trip next week to the inner-city parts, so I most likely won't be able to get my hands on someone's laptop. :\ I'll try, though.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- It's totally fine! I won't be able to post for an entire week pretty soon, so no worries<3

fungirl123 @Krysta - you're okay! <3

LudaKrys Sorry I haven't been posting alot. It's like Haley said, this club is hard to write for right now. Plus, I've been really busy, but I'm going to try to post today!! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Great post! :D

fungirl123 @Robbi - no problem! :p

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Ok thanks :)!

fungirl123 @Robbi - haha, you're fine! :-D Good post, btw. :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Hopefully im not posting too much girls! lol sorry..

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ Looking at my alarm, I groaned, 9:30 p.m., I cried myself asleep apparently. To my dismay, I saw my phone light up on my nightstand, as much as I shouldn't of looked at it, I did. Nine missed calls and fifteen text messages from Andrew. Ugh, screw him. Placing my phone back down I get up to change clothes. I was still in my black clothes from the burial, I went to my dresser and found my black yoga pants and a grey hoodie, I slipped them on. Quickly I put my hair in a ponytail and walked out my room. When I'm angry, I go to junk food for comfort, simple as that. Praying their was something in my kitchen cabinet, I found gummybears. Getting excited, I hopped to the freezer, looking for ice cream. "Bingo." I whispered to myself, pulling out a whole gallon of ice cream. Immediately I got everything else I needed, a huge bowl, sprinkles, caramel syrup, a big spoon, and some Oreo crumbs. Before I knew it, I had a masterpiece in front of me. How I have missed doing this. Silently I went back upstairs with my big bowl of ice cream, making sure I didn't wake anyone. At last I got into my room and shut the door. Hopping on my bed, I got my tv remote and turned on the tv, I had to get my mind off things. Soon I was absorbed in an episode of Pretty Little Liars, totally forgetting about what happened today, until I heard a knock at my door. "Can I come in?" It was Imani, I turned my tv volume down. "Ya!" I said, Imani peeked her head into the door. "Oh Lord," she said, I turned around, my mouth stuffed with ice cream. "It's worst than I thought." "What?" I asked, my mouth half stuffed with Oreos and melted ice cream. "You resorted to that," She points at my bowl, I look down at it. "You haven't done this for like months." I rolled my eyes, its like she is trying to start an intervention with me. "So?" "So?! Your also watching Pretty Little Liars, you don't even watch this show!" Damn, she had a point. Silently I turned the tv off and looked at her, waiting for her to say something. "Now that's better." Imani said, I rolled my eyes. "Why are you here?" "To talk to you." Quietly she closed the door and sat on the end of my bed, her hands out. "What?" I said, confused on what she wanted. "The bowl please," She said sweetly, I groaned. That was my sister, always taking my food away saying I had a problem but then she eats it, typical. Without an argue, I handed over the bowl, she started eating. "So what happened?" I sighed and told her the story, she listened while eating the rest of my ice cream. After she ate the last scoop of my ice cream, she decided to speak again. "Sounds like you and Andrew had your first argument." As she mentioned it, she made me realize that this was our first argument. Wow, weird. "Mhhmmm." "So what are you going to do?" "I don't know." "I see, well I think you two should give each other some space, then talk it out." She sounded like a therapist, but it made sense. "Ya I guess, I need some time to think on it anyway." "Think on what Rae? Whether he's your friend or not? Aradia he always will be." I stopped fiddling with my fingers and looked up at her, she nodded her head. "I don't think Andrew wants to be friends right now, not after the way I talked to him." "Rae please," Imani put the bowl down beside her and gripped on my shoulders. "Boys may seem like they are mad at you, but they get over it. It's us girls who can hold a grudge for years and still not forgive the person." As much as I hated talking about it, she was right. I needed to forgive him, but I just felt that I couldn't. "I just can't forgive him right now." Imani took her hands off my shoulders and sighed. "Aradia, I know it's been really tough on you these past two weeks, but you and Andrew have to make up. Autumn's gone now, and Andrew is really the only other person who understands you." When Imani said the words "Autumn's gone", I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach, Autumn was indeed gone and Andrew and I weren't talking, who else would I express my feelings to? I sighed, picked up the bowl and gave it to Imani, she got off the bed. I got off from the bed too and went to my door and opened it, giving the signal Imani needed to leave, she seemed to understand. "Think on it Rae." She whispered, I nodded my head. "Thanks Imani, but I just can't do it yet." With that I shut the door and went back to my bed and slept.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton- Oh ok :)! @Haley-Totally understand what you mean :). Great post!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- No, lol, it's totally fine! :D @Haley- It's okay. Great post! :)

fungirl123 Sorry for my lack of posting! :\ This club is a little tough to write for at the moment. But here ya go… ~Skylar~ Over the next few days, the only faces that appeared in my hospital room were the doctors and nurses and my family. That was why I was so surprised to see Mrs. Sullivan, my principal, walk through the doors after lunch the following Tuesday. “Uh…Hello, Principal Sullivan.” She smiled. “How are you feeling, Skylar?” “Good enough,” I replied. “I’m here to talk about school.” Of course, I thought. Why would she be here for any other reason? “You see,” she began, “since you haven’t been at school, you haven’t been able to do your work properly. We’re talking with Damon about maybe sending you to summer school if you can’t bounce back quick enough—and we’re not expecting you to, Skylar! You’ve missed two weeks of school—for a good reason, of course…but still….” I could tell that Principal Sullivan was trying to be reassuring, but she was failing horribly. “I understand, Ma’am.” She nodded in acknowledgement. “I am of understanding that you should be getting back to school by next Monday. Am I correct?” I nodded. I would be back at school in less than a week. I’d be out of the hospital on Friday. I couldn’t figure out if I was joyful or nervous about it. **** I looked around my bedroom. Alice or Luna must have cleaned it. My bed was neatly made, each one of my stuffed animals sitting next to my pillows. The plush pink curtains on the window above my bed were pinned back painstakingly and the sun was casting beams through it onto my floor. The floor had been swept and you could still see the creases in the soft, white carpeting. It smelled like freshly blooming cherries. I laid down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling. My mind was more mixed than ever. Was I happy to be home? Framed photos were hanging in a cute and orderly display on my nightstand and covering my wall. Autumn was the only friend I had ever known. My only friend ever. Before her—no, without her—I felt like I didn’t have anyone. My favorite photo was the one from seventh grade when we had gotten matching aviators for my birthday. Did I even deserve that photo? Did I deserve to ever call herself my friend? Interrupting my troubling thoughts, Alice’s voice wafted through my upstairs hallway. “Someone’s here to see you.” I sat up in bed. It was the middle of the day. Who would be visiting me? Will walked in. “Hey, Skye.” I smiled dryly in acknowledgement. “Want to go out to lunch?” he asked, jabbing his hands into his pockets. Why was he asking me to lunch? He should hate me right now. “Sure.” You’re dumb, Skylar, I told myself. “Cool. I already talked to your brother. Now let’s just get you down those stairs,” he said, eyeing the wheelchair sitting next to my bed. Damon walked in and helped me into my wheelchair. Together, they carried me down the staircase. Will wheeled me out to the driveway. A black Volvo Wagon was already revved up and waiting for us. “What happened to your motorcycle?” I asked as I got in. “My dad took it away.” He didn’t need to elaborate. Of course. One of his kids was killed in an automobile accident, so obviously a motorcycle wouldn’t be the best choice when it came to safety. **** We arrived at a small non-chain restaurant near the ocean just outside of Pacific Grove. Then I asked the obvious question. “Why did you ask me to lunch? You should hate me.” Will’s eyes widened. “I don’t hate you, Skylar!” I gave him a look. “Damn it, Skylar!” he practically shouted. The entire restaurant grew silent, and I slouched in my chair, blushing. “Why can’t you just be a little more pleasant to be around sometimes?” he asked, lowering his voice slightly. “What do you mean?” I asked quietly. “Stop assuming that everyone hates you—“ “But that’s the thing, Will. Everyone DOES hate me,” I cut in. “Oh, come ON. Sure, maybe Autumn’s gone—but don’t you think I miss her too? She was my damn sister, Skylar. I’ve known her longer than you have!” he exclaimed. I averted my eyes away from him. No one at our table spoke for a few long minutes. “Talk to me Skylar. I feel like I’m talking to a ghost.” I rolled my eyes. “Can you just take me home?” Hurt crossed over his expression…but he still complied.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-Thanks, hopefully that wasn't too much drama..lol. I just thought it would just add more stress to Aradia since her grades will start falling n etc...

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Great post! But so sad. :/

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ I felt like such a wimp crying in front of Andrew, but I just had to let it out. He didn't do anything but hug me back, rubbing my back, trying to calm me down. During my breakdown, I heard someone come up to us, I wept quieter to seem I wasn't paying attention, but enough to hear. "Is she okay?" Someone whispered, it sounded like Aunt Charice. "Not really, but she'll probably calm down soon." "Oh." Why all the sudden does Aunt Charice care about me? Seems like all this week she has been avoiding me. "You guys go, I'll take her home." Andrew said. "Are you sure?" "Ya it's fine. My family already left but I have my truck." "Oh okay then." Suddenly I felt another hand on back, Aunt Charice's, I lightly tried to shrug it off, she took the hint. Aunt Charice sighed, then I heard her footsteps go faint in the distance, I started breathing heavily. "Aradia," Andrew whispered, I didn't respond. "What was that for?" I knew what he was talking about, but I tried to ask innocent."What do you mean?" "What you did to your Aunt, you shrugged her hand off." "So?" "So she was trying to be sympathetic." I looked up at him, was he really going on my Aunt's side on this? "You don't understand." I said forcefully, he rolled his eyes. "Fine whatever." I took a step back from him, completely out of his arms now. "What?" He questioned, I shrugged. "Nothing." "Your lying." "Really?" I say sarcastically, I folded my arms. "Aradia what's been up with you lately? You've just lately been..." "Been what?" Andrew went silent, shaking his head. "Nothing, never mind." "No, I want to hear it." "I said nevermind." He snapped, I uncrossed my arms. "Fine, don't say anything. You want to know what's been up with me?" "What?" He questioned, I glared. "Autumn died, that's what," I point my hand at her tombstone, Andrew stood there, not even looking. "And you haven't seem to show any emotion about her death either!" I was screaming by now, I didn't care anyways, we were the only ones here now anyway. "That's not true." "Oh really? Then why have you been so calm and 'cool' with this whole situation." I put my fingers up in quotation marks when I said 'cool', Andrew's hand tightened. "Well maybe because I'm actually normal and don't freak whenever I'm at a funeral!" I gasped, he didn't just say that. "Ugh!" I screamed, walking away from him, trying to fight back tears. Almost out of the cemetary, I heard Andrew yelling my name, I definitely wasn't stopping now. "Rae!" Andrew took a hold of my arm, I slapped it off. "Don't. Touch. Me. Kay?" "Will you just listen to me?" Andrew begged, I rolled my eyes. "No I don't think I will, as you can tell, I'm kind of angry at the moment." "Aradia I'm so--" "Don't you dare apologize. We aren't just going to be 'buddy buddy' if you even do." My back was still facing him, I couldn't look at him and if I did, I would start crying again. Andrew suddenly became quiet, I just stood there, looking at the road in front of me. "Can I at least can I take you home? It will take an hour for you to get home if you walk." "Whatever." I spat, bumping into him as I turned around to walk to his car. Slamming the car door, I crossed my arms, quickly wiping a tear away before he got in the truck. Silently he shut the door, I could feel him staring at me. "Just drive." He did, not saying a word the whole way to my house. I just looked out the window, getting sleepy. Finally he pulled into my driveway, quickly I got out. Before I closed the door, Andrew tried to talk to me. "Aradia--" "I thought I could trust you." I whispered, a tear slipping down my face. Andrew opened his mouth, but no words came out. Slowly I turned back around, went up my concrete stairs, and shut the front door. Imani was in the living room, watching a marathon of her favorite show, Glee. She turned around to look at me, seeing me all tear stained made her gasp. "What's wrong?" My lip started to quiver. "Everything." Without giving her a time to respond, I ran up the stairs, crying every single step. I leaped in my bed, my face landing into my pillow, I screamed in it. Not only was Autumn buried today, I lost my next best friend, who couldn't be trusted.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi & Haley- Thanks! :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-good post...very emotional :'(

fungirl123 @Payton - great post! :-)

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ I stood between Kenton and Jace, listening to the preacher recite verses from the Bible. Autumn’s casket was chestnut colored. As I thought more and more about it, the harder it was to believe that the girl I had grown up with was lying in that thing, her body lifeless. And the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I was going to cry. And I wasn’t going to cry here. I had already made a vow not to. The wind was blowing, making my hair whip around my head like flames. I knew that curling my hair would be pointless. Every now and then, I would glance at someone, trying to find comfort but failing. My parents and brother weren’t crying, but they looked grim enough. Jace wasn’t crying either, an arm wrapped tightly around my shoulders. Mrs. Powell was crying, of course. I didn’t see Camille, Aradia, or any other familiar faces besides Autumn’s family. I assumed that Skylar hadn’t been able to come, and I was grateful for that. Minutes seemed like hours, hours like days. But finally, they were burying Autumn. Piles and piles of dirt over her casket, and I felt an ache inside that I would probably feel for the rest of my life. Finally, they were done burying her. I saw Aradia place a blue tulip on her tombstone. I was frozen, watching others do the same thing that Aradia had just done. Finally, I turned to my mother and took the rose from her hands. Then I slowly walked over to Autumn’s grave. For a moment, I stared at the tombstone. “Autumn Eloise Powell.” As my eyes continued to scan the rest of the tombstone, my throat grew even tighter. I read the entire thing before the tears actually brimmed in my eyes. I looked up to see my family and Jace waiting for me. I wasn’t being rushed, of course. Their eyes were caring and understanding with the right mixture of kindness. My eyes darted back to Autumn’s grave. I released the tight grip on my hand and watched the rose fall to the tombstone. Soon it would die, too. Then I just stood there, frozen. And I couldn’t help it when a few tears spilled down my face. I don’t know how many minutes passed. But I knew that my family and Jace were still there, watching me. “Maybe one of us should go get her,” Kenton suggested. “I can,” Jace volunteered. A few seconds later, a warm hand was placed on my shoulder. “Let’s go,” Jace murmured. I felt someone else take my hand and when I looked up I realized we were the only ones left. Jace’s family was even gone. I assumed we were giving him a ride. “No,” I squeaked, turning my gaze back to where my friend was lying under the earth. “Noelle, please,” Mom said. I looked down at the hand on mine and realized it was my father’s. “No,” I repeated, my voice a little more firm. “Noelle, now,” Dad said firmly. I felt like I was five again, being pulled away from a toy I wouldn’t put down. But this was different. “No,” I said, my back stiffening. “Come on, Elle,” Jace said. I was silent. “Fine… I’ll get her,” Kenton said with a sigh, “I’m getting used to it anyway.” To my surprise, a pair of hands gripped around my waist and I was hoisted into the air. Jace’s hand fell from my shoulder, my Dad let his hand drop to his side. “Kenton!” I cried, tears spilling down my face. He carried me towards the car. I looked over his shoulder. “NO!” I wailed, my hand stretching out as far as it could; as if I could grab Autumn and make her come to life. “Stop, it’s going to be fine,” Kenton coaxed. And that’s when I actually began to bawl like a baby. “No it’s not and it never will be,” I blubbered, letting my head fall to his shoulder.

fungirl123 @Robbi - great post! :p

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Thanks! :) @Robbi- Thanks, you too! :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Krysta-Thanks :) Good post! @Payton-Good post! @Haley-Oh ok...:(

LudaKrys @Payton and Robbi-Great post! :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~Laying on my bed staring at the ceiling, my phone rang. Slowly I got up and reached for it at the dresser, it was Andrew, I groaned. I loved Andrew, as a good friend, even a brother sometimes, but really? I just left my best friends' funeral, I really didn't want to talk to anyone, I still answered though. "Hello?" "Hey." "Umm...I don't want to sound rude, but why are you calling me?" "I was just...just hoping your okay. That's all." He said quietly, I smiled weakly. "Ya I'm good, I mean, well, I'm not, I mean, Autumn died." "I know that." Andrew said, of course he knew that, why was I acting stupid? "Right, sorry I'm just little..conflicted." Conflicted?! I didn't know what I was saying. "It's all good, well, I was just checking on how you were. By the way, good job with your speech at the funeral." "Thanks." "Ya so I'll see you tomorrow?" "Yes, later." Andrew hung up, I stood beside my dresser, staring blankly at my phone screen. That was the awkwardest phone call, ever. Autumn's voice popped in my head,"You know he's had a crush on you since the 5th grade!" Did he still like me? This boggled my mind, and to make it worst, I was stuttering around him like I liked him. I shook my head, I didn't have time to worry about this. Today was the day I should be mourning because Autumn died, and that's what I decided to do. Putting this situation in the back of my mind, I walked to my closet, took out a photo album, and sat on my closet floor, looking through the photos of Autumn and I. The memories came flooding back.~*Next Day*~ As the preacher was reciting some verses from the Bible, I was staring at the chestnut colored casket in front of me, Autumn's casket. The wind was very breezy and blowing my hair everywhere, which I straightened last night. Sooner than I knew it, they were lowering Autumn down, my heart sunk deeper and deeper. I hadn't really cried much today, it was just like when I was at the hospital the night of the car accident, I was mute today. People were leaving as they were putting the dirt on top of Autumn's casket, I shook my head. My seventeen year old best friend was being buried. Autumn had dreams, dreams of a great future, to raise a family, and now she can't live any of them. This is what killed me inside. I stayed until Autumn was completely buried, then placed a blue tulip on her tombstone, blue was her favorite color. I read the tombstone "Autumn Eloise Powell". Autumn hated her middle name, she never told me why, she just did. I couldn't read the rest of the tombstone without tears brimming in my eyes, I turned away and walked. As I was walking to my car, I got many sympathetic 'I'm very sorry for your loss,' 'She was a good friend,' and more sayings about how good of a person Autumn was. I said my thank yous, but I still didn't feel any better. Looking at the ground, I was speed walking to my car, until I bumped into someone. "Oh sorry." I mumbled, I tried to walk away, but the person took a hold of my arm, I looked up, it was Andrew. "Your not okay." He stated, still holding onto my arms, I looked into his eyes, my eyes began to water again. I couldn't take it anymore. I just broke down and cried in front of Andrew, he hugged me in return. "Im not." I sobbed.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Thanks :p

fungirl123 @Payton - great post! :p

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ That night, I tossed and turned in bed. I thought about my speech, Autumn’s death, and Skylar. Even though I had said that we shouldn’t blame people for Autumn’s death, my thoughts were beginning to change form once again. It was truly that drunk driver’s fault, but it was also Skye’s. Wasn’t it? She was the one that had been in the car with Autumn, she was the one that could’ve dialed 911 a lot sooner instead of waiting for someone else to do it. She had ruined the funeral; she had made Autumn’s sister furious with her. So it was actually beginning to look like Skylar’s fault. And as much as I hated to think it, I knew it was true. I tossed and turned some more before finally falling asleep. All night long, I had dreams about Autumn. *** The next morning, I got ready for the burial. After I had gotten dressed into the same dress as yesterday- I wasn’t in the mood for picking out another dress- I went down to breakfast. There was an awkward silence, as there had been every day since Autumn’s death. Finally, my annoying mother broke it. “Noelle, you should curl your hair.” This was what she wanted to tell me? To curl my hair? How about some words of encouragement? I glared at her. “Why? Do I not look pretty enough for a funeral?” I snapped coldly. “No, you look fine. Forget I said anything,” Mom said quickly. I rolled my eyes. “I’ll curl my hair. But god, let’s worry about other stuff besides our appearances, shall we?” Kenton shot me a look that said, ‘This isn’t the time, Noelle.” But I ignored it. “Just because Autumn died doesn’t mean you can be mean, Noelle,” Dad said. I stood up and without another word, went into the bathroom and curled my hair. “This is all Skylar’s fault!” I muttered to myself. The words were like vinegar coming out of my mouth but I didn’t care because I knew they were true.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Yeah, haha(: @Krysta- Great post! @Haley- Aw, okay. :o

fungirl123 @Krysta - great post! :D @Everyone - I don't think that Skylar will get to go to the burial because the doctors won't let her... :-(

LudaKrys @Skylar-Great post! :) @Payton-Since you're going to do the blame thing then I just stick with Camille being mad at Skylar. (didn't want you to think I was stealing yours and Haley's thing :P) :) ~Camille~ What had gone down at the funeral was bad. Lucy was going through a hard time, just like everybody else, and I’m sure she just was trying to find someone to yell at, but that is no excuse for what she did to Skylar. That’s why I was going to see how Skylar was holding up. She had gotten out of the funeral pretty fast and I didn’t have a chance to talk to her. I walked up to the front desk, “Excuse me, do you know where Greenlee Whitefield’s room is?” I knew where her room was of course, but I didn’t know if she would be not excepting visitors at the time. “Yes, Greenlee’s room number is 108.” “Thanks,” I said walking away thinking about her name. The day…the death happened there was no room with a Skylar in it, just a Greenlee. I wonder why she had told us her name was Skylar. Maybe I would ask her someday. I came up on room 108. The door clicked when I opened it, and it stirred the lump lying in the bed. She must have fallen asleep fast! I seconded guess myself maybe she wasn’t entirely asleep yet. “Skylar?” I whispered. Her eyes immediately popped open. “Why are you here, Camille?” I was surprised by the rude-like tone in her voice. I straightened up ready to make my statement. “I just came to see if you were doing okay,” I said. “I’m fine, thank you very much.” My mind filled with questions that had no answers. Why was she acting like this? Was she angry? Did she pity herself? Should I have just left the sleeping dog lie? “I’ll just leave then?” She nodded her head. That was more of a rhetorical question, because I never in my whole life would have thought she’d say yes. I was starting to feel more anger than sorrow for this girl by the second. “Do you think you’re the only one who’s dying on the inside today Skylar?” Now furious at myself for losing control and mad at her for making me feel this way. Especially since I made a promise a long time ago that I would stay level-headed around people, not including around Kinzie of course. She didn’t give me answer. I decided to continue, “Do you know how many of those casseroles have been coming to my house? Each one is like another stab of pain and memor-“ “Why would you even eat those?” she said interrupting me, “You should have taken it to Autumn’s family? They’re going through ten times more pain than you think you are!” She practically yelled. I stepped back, knowing that if I didn’t it would have gotten ugly real quick. She didn’t know that though. “Okay,” I huffed out. We both turned in unison and I walked out the door without another word. I was stomping my feet as I walked through the hospital. There were so many things I could have said to her. Things that would have stung. Badly. I stopped at the doors. What was I becoming? What had she unleashed? Whatever it was, it was not something you wanted inside of you. Especially, when you’re pretty sure you’ve seen it before, and last time it was enough to get you suspended from school . This time though…this time it was worse.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-oh ok thanks!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton haha same! I haven't gone to a funeral since I was 5/6 and the only burial I went to was my grandpa's and I was in kindergarten...lol. So my memory is kinda messed up too! Ill try to post this weekend, but I make no promises...lol!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Okay. :)

fungirl123 @Robbi - yeah, I'll look at it. :-) I have a Wattpad account, but I just use it to look at writing. I don't actually write on it. @Payton - if I get time, then yes. ;)

taylorswiftfan1233 If someone wants to start writing about the burial, that's fine.. I haven't been to a funeral since my great grandma died of cancer a few years ago, so my memory isn't that great about what happens. :P

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! And I can make Noelle think it's Skylar's fault. :) @Robbi- I'll read it soon! :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Loved your post btw :) Forgot to say that! haha

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Ok so Idk if you girls know what Wattpad is, but I love it! It's when you read people's story they made, fanfics, etc etc. So I finally made one...lol...I was bored one day soo..haha. This is only the first chapter, but my story is called "Awaiting the Storm." Tell me if its bad/good (Its ok if its bad...i like constructive critism..:) Or if their is any mistakes bc I can fix them! Haha ok so here it is...I hope you girls like it! http://www.wattpad.com/5594193-awaiting-the-storm

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive (cont) but if no1 can, I'll try to twist Aradia's point of view out if needed! :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-You mean...like not visit her at the hospital and ignore her or something? I can do that...Idk if I can make Aradia blame Skye for Autumn's death tho since she just told Lucy to apologize...like idk would that make sense? Lol

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ I was once again in the hospital for more examining. Now I felt like one of those animals being tested. People in white coats surrounded me. It kind of killed me on the inside to have to leave my deceased best friend’s funeral early because I was causing trouble. I didn’t blame anyone for feeling that way, though. “We’ll get you out of here as soon as possible, Skylar,” Doctor Sean explained. I nodded. “How long? I just want to go back home.” Doctor Sean bit his lower lip. “It might be a week or longer before that happens,” he said solemnly. I frowned. “Can you guys just leave me alone? I really just want to go to sleep.” All of the white-coated doctors and nurses left the room as I slowly drifted off to sleep. **** “Skylar.” I easily recognized the light brown hair and the black dress. “Why are you here, Camille?” She looked a little taken back by the coldness of my tone. But I wasn’t in a very light mood. But who WAS the day of their best friend’s funeral? “I just came to visit you to see if you were doing okay,” she said matter-of-factly. “I’m fine, thank you very much.” She furrowed her brows together and stepped back, evidently puzzled. “I’ll just leave then?” she said, phrasing it more like a question than a statement. I nodded. “Do you think that you’re the only one who’s dying on the inside today, Skylar?” she asked icily. I didn’t reply. “Do you know how many of those casseroles have been coming to my house? Each one is like another stab of pain and memor—“ “Why would you even eat those? You should have just taken it to Autumn’s family? They’re going through ten times more pain than YOU think you are!” I spat. She stepped back again. “Okay.” Without another word, I turned over on my bed and went back to sleep. **** “Skylar.” “Stop waking me up!” I growled, once again opening my eyes. But this time it was Will that hovered over me. “You know that Lucy didn’t mean anything that she said before?” I rolled my eyes. “Can you just leave me alone, Will? I’m really not in the mood.” (I’ll write more later. I’m super exhausted.)

fungirl123 I was wondering if you guys could have your characters kind of forget about Skylar for awhile. Just kind of have them be like, "Your second priority." It's going to be a huge plot twist for Skylar later. It would be even better if one of the girls actually blamed her for Autumn's death. Trust me, it's important. ;)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- That's fine(:

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great!(:

LudaKrys @Haley-Yay! @Everyone-Tonight I'm going to my bestie's house so, I probably won't be able to post cause that's usually when I start typing. I might attempt to write something, though! :)

fungirl123 I'm back from church camp! :D I'll be posting again tomorrow after I catch up on my sleep since I've been sleeping in a lumpy bunk bed since Sunday. ;)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Mine was good, too. :) And I'll probably write later... I have a class to go to this morning, from 9 to at least 12. :p

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-I had a good one...wbu? Does anyone want to start the next part of the story...? lol.

taylorswiftfan1233 Happy Fourth of July, guys! I hope you all have a good one!(:

taylorswiftfan1233 Great! :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Krysta @Payton- Thanks and ok! :)

LudaKrys @Robbi-Awesome post! I think we should have the funeral and burial on two days like you said. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Great post! And I think that would be a good idea. The funeral could be one day, the burial the next. :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ Right as Skye was about to speak, Lucy interrupts. "Don't let her talk." I snapped my head at Lucy, this wasn't a time for her to act smart. Lucy and I had an 'ok' relationship, but sometimes she can be a real brat. Lucy goes up to Skye, her face inches away from Skye's. "You think you were even worthy of being Autumn's friend? Now you aren't. You do realize that should of been y--" "LUCY!" Steven, Autumn's father, and Will yelled, they were running up to Lucy. I gasped at Lucy's remark, how could she say that? I looked at Skye, she looked hurt, I gulped hard. Will and Steven started yelling at Lucy infront of everyone, Lucy was in tears. Skye's brother, which I couldn't remember his name, wheeled Skylar out of the room, Will stared at Skye until she left the room. "Damn you Lucy!" he cried, he was completely in rage now, Lucy stepped back. "Just because Autumn died doesn't mean Skye should of died either, It is not her fault! Would Autumn want you to act like this? Would she?" Lucy stared at Will, tears streaming down her face. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out, she looked around the room, looking at everybody, then ran out of the room as fast she could. Will was standing up, then he slowly went back to his spot he looked like he was about to break down and cry. I turned back around in my seat, this wasnt how the funeral should of gone. Larissa got up to the front, trying to get everyone to calm down. More people got up to talk about Autumn, but I was barely listening. My mind was racing, racing of totally random things, I couldn't concentrate. Sooner than I knew it, Andrew, Will, Jace, Kenton and Steven got up to carry the casket, everyone stood up. I heard Larissa crying from all the way across the room, I just watched the casket get closer to the door. I just couldn't believe Autumn's body was in their, just lifeless. Soon I realized I was sobbing too, I couldn't control myself. When the casket was gone, everyone went up to Larissa, talking very sympathetic, it was a huge line, and I was in the way back. With my arms crossed, I looked around, their was people I didn't know, hugging one another, while I just stood their, completely alone. Aunt Charice of course up the front, trying to calm Larissa down, and I don't know where Imani, Uncle Kazi, or Rocco was. After several minutes I was face to face with Larisaa, we stood for second, staring, then suddenly hugged each other, crying our eyes out. "Thank you for coming Aradia." "Wouldn't ever miss it for the world. Now I want you to stay strong!" "I'm going to try to do my best." "Do it for Autumn." Larissa went silent, but nodded her head. "Your exactly right, I'll do it for my daughter." "You know she is always going to be here, watching over you." Larissa managed to get a laugh through her tears, she smiled. "I know, she is watching over all of us." "She is in a better place." "Indeed." I gave Larissa one more tight hug, then walked away. I walked out of the Powell's house and sat down on the front steps. "Hey." Someone said behind me, I turned around, it was Jace. "Hi." I said sniffing, he sat down next to me. "You did great going up their today." "Thanks." We both went silent, it had been a week or so since I talked to Jace. "Well I better go--" "Jace?" "Ya?" "Their isn't anything...awkward between us their is it?" He took a second to respond. "Umm...well, personally I don't know." "Ya I know what you mean, I was just wondering." "Ya...maybe we should put it all behind us...?" He was waiting for me to respond, I nodded. "Agreed." Jace smiled. "Now here's the big question, did you and Noelle make up?" "Uhh...I-I don't know." "Maybe I should--" "No don't. I think that's why she got even more mad in the first place, you got involved." "Oh..." "I didn't mean that in the bad way! I just think--" "You think you two need to make up without any help." "Yes exactly," I chimed. "It seems like she's trying to be nice, but I know inside she is still mad. And personally, I don't blame her. This week has been the worst week of my life. Noelle and I lost one of the most important people in our lives, Autumn. I think Noelle and I just need to talk." "Sounds like a good plan." He replied. All of the sudden a car came up in front, it was Jace's family. "Well hey I gotta go, it was nice talking to you. I hope it works out between you and Noelle." "Same, and I hope too. Cya around Jace." "Later." He quickly waved and jogged up to his car, the car was soon gone. The Powell's house was practically empty now, only a few families were still inside. I decided to go inside and try to find mine, I couldn't find them, I groaned, I went to find Larissa, couldn't find her either. The first person I saw that I knew was Lucy, she was sitting on her sofa, tissues in hand, I walked up to her. "Hey Luce, have u seen my family anywhere?" She blew her nose, it seemed she did it on purpose, I rolled my eyes. "Why would I care?" She snapped, I put my hands up. "Okay, geez, just wondering. Guess I asked the wrong person." I was about to walk away until Lucy started talking. "Aradia?" "Yes?" I moaned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it so mean, it's just--" "Dont use an excuse Lucy. Autumn died, it hurts us all, that gives no excuse to be a brat, or to yell at people." I snapped, she blinked at my remark. "It's just...damn't your right Aradia. Gosh I've screwed up, big time." "Ya Lucy, you did, you practically ruined the funeral." She looked hurt when I said it, but she might as well know the truth. "I know, now I just don't know what to do." "Thats easy Luce, apologize. Apologize to your family, apologize to the families that came today, and most of all, apologize to Skylar. If I was Skylar, I would have said something, but she was nice and didn't. Consider yourself lucky." "Ugh your right." She was about to pick up her glass of wine, I stopped her. Lucy was only 21 but was in love with wine. "Don't start with this Luce, it's not worth it." She gulped, but nodded. "Your right. Thanks Aradia." she softly smiled. "Hey Rae we are leaving." Rocco said, popping his head into the door, I nodded. Saying goodbye to Lucy I walk behind Rocco and out to the car. I looked at the time, it was only 2 in the afternoon, I sighed. It feels like such a long day. None of us said anything on the way home. **Author's note: I know some people who do the funeral one day and the burial the next...do you want to do this? If you guys don't, I can change my ending of this post.**

taylorswiftfan1233 You're welcome<3

LudaKrys @Payton-thanks! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Great post!(:

LudaKrys ~Camille~ I rapidly tapped my feet. I was so anxious, about the entire funeral. I was doing my best to stop crying but it wasn’t working. I was glad I had been smart and skipped the makeup today; otherwise it would have been so runny. I had been one of the first people here because I left super early so I knew I would make it. I decided I would walk while the rest of the family slept in and drove to Ms. Powell’s house. When Nina questioned why I was going to walk I told her it was because I needed to be alone. She reluctantly agreed to it, but was hoping she wouldn’t. The truth was, I didn’t want to be alone, I just was having a growing fear of cars lately. When I tried to cross the street the other day I had looked back and forth 24 times before even getting on the sidewalk. I wiped under my eyes, a habitat I had picked up from wearing makeup all the time. I looked up as my family walked in along with another crowd of people I didn’t know, and Noelle. Instead of going straight to my family I went to Noelle, because right now I needed someone who understood. I didn’t say hello, I didn’t say anything. The second she avoided my eyes, I knew she wasn’t in the mood for talking. Ms. Powell walked over and asked if we would give a little speech. I didn’t give her answer. For some reason I was totally mute. “I’m going,” Noelle said, finally breaking the silence. I nodded as a reply and that seemed to satisfy her because she whirled around as soon as the gesture was given. I paused not really sure if I should follow. I made my decision and quietly followed making no noise at all. I stood behind her feeling a slight awkwardness. What was I doing? I should be with my family not stalking Noelle. Still I stayed not really having a choice because my feet were like 50 lbs. bricks. The noise in the crowd slowly subdued with only a quite murmur buzzing around the room. The funeral couldn’t be starting already, people were still walking in. I looked back only to see Skylar’s familiar face looking down at her hands and she was being wheeled around by the boy who had interrupted our talk for pudding. I didn’t want it to look like I was staring so I mouthed the word ‘hi’ but I don’t think she saw me. I turned back around only to see Aradia sitting with us. *** Aradia’s and Noelle’s speeches flew by so fast I didn’t even remember half of what they said. Soon enough it was my turn and I hadn’t thought of anything to say. I stood in front of all the chairs now looking out at the crowd. I must have stood there one to many seconds long because people were fake coughing to get me out of my daze. I shook my head and opened my mouth…but no words came. I closed my eyes and began once more. “I bet…Autumn never told you how we met. It was at one of my first surfing competitions. We were in the same age category and I was super nervous. After all, I was only about eight years old. For some reason, I decided I was going to eat fries before we were going to go in the waves. I guess when I sat down the ketchup packets exploded and I had a red stain all over my butt. Autumn, was the lucky girl who was first to notice and she made her brother, Will,” I gestured my hand toward Will, “Give me his swim trunks and wear my bottoms. It was a really funny sight of both me, and Will. Him in what looked like a speedo and me in slipping down trunks. After the competition was over, which might I add neither of us won, we laughed and giggled till the sunset. After that, we spent practically every day with each other. Pretty soon we knew every single secret about each other.” I looked up at the crowd to see everyone reactions. Most of them just had a confused look. “So, the point of my story was that Autumn was someone everyone trusted. She knew all your secrets, but not by being sneaky, it was because you told them to her. Autumn was someone you wanted to know, and if you were determined enough, you could easily make it happen. She was a natural at getting friends.” I had no clue what I was saying but I kept going. “And I think that if she were here…she would want you to remember her greatly…but remember that life is a gift and don’t waste it. So don’t worry about something you can’t fix, repair, or undo and keep her in your heart but don’t kill yourself from the inside always thinking you could’ve done something. You wanna know what you should do? Don’t drink and drive.” I walked off the stage while everyone was still silent. I glided over to Skylar, now starting to cry again, but not as hard as before. I kneeled down and whispered, “Your turn.”

taylorswiftfan1233 Yay! :)

LudaKrys Great post everyone! Mine will be up soon. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Kk! And have fun at camp. :)

fungirl123 Everyone, I'm going to be gone this entire week at camp, so no phone, laptop, etc for me. I'll be back Friday. :D

fungirl123 @Payton - lol, no, it's completely fine. Just a little opinion for the future. :-)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Should I rewrite it or something? :p

taylorswiftfan1233 Thanks. :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payton-awesome post...very sad :(

fungirl123 @Payton - great post! :p Although, I do think it's a little early for everyone to be in the mood, "Let's forgive and forget"...since it is only the beginning of the story. ;)

taylorswiftfan1233 I hope it's okay about what I made Noelle say. :P

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ I sat in the backseat, gazing out the window sullenly. Every now and then, Kenton would glance over at me, but I paid no attention. My parents, who were up in the front seat of their BMW, pulled up to Autumn’s house where the funeral would take place. I opened the car door and walked into the house, leaving them behind. As soon as I was inside, I walked to the library. As soon as I was in there, I spotted Camille. She walked over beside me, but I avoided her eyes. Mrs. Powell dashed over to us and it broke my heart to see her. Her face was tearstained and her eyes sad and lifeless. “Hi, girls. I just wanted to tell you that I would like it if any close friends of Autumn’s spoke today in front of everyone,” she said. I shook my head. “I don’t think I can do that,” I said. Camille was silent, probably unsure of what to say. Mrs. Powell gave me a pleading look. “Oh, please, Noelle. You had so much in common with Autumn, and I think people would love to hear you speak,” she begged. I sighed. “Fine, I’ll do it.” Mrs. Powell smiled and patted me on the shoulder before turning around and walking over to someone else. I stole a glance at Camille, who looked totally upset. I wasn’t crying. I didn’t want to make a scene in front of all these people. “I’m going,” I said dryly. She looked over at me and nodded. I walked into the living room. I wasn’t sure if Camille followed me; I was tuning everyone else out. Strangers milled about, talking quietly. Who were all these people? Before I could do anything or say anything, everyone went quiet. I turned to see that sure enough, Camille was behind me. Did she think we had to stick together or something? I sighed, and looked for the source of quietness. A girl with red hair was in a wheelchair, which was being pushed by someone. It was Skylar. I looked away from her, feeling a stab of pain in my heart. Everyone began talking quietly again, but I knew they were staring at her. “Let’s go. Everyone is going into the family room,” Camille said softly. I shrugged and walked ahead of her, letting her hurry after me. When we got in there, I saw my family. I saw Kenton and Jace sitting side by side. But I ignored them, and went to the front of the room. Camille actually stood beside me. Only a few seconds later, Aradia appeared on my other side. She looked like she wanted to say something to me, but before she could Mrs. Powell got up and began speaking. “Thank you all for coming,” she began. Her voice was crackly, like she had been crying some more. “Autumn’s good friends have something to say. They were through it all.” She then walked away. None of us got up to talk. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Instead, I nudged Aradia. When she looked at me, I nodded my head to the front of the room, where Mrs. Powell had just been standing. She sighed and made her way over there. Since we were standing so close to the casket, I looked over at it. My heart skipped a beat and I felt like throwing up. But I didn’t, of course. I just listened to Aradia talk. Finally, she sat down next to someone. Camille nodded a little at me. I wanted to protest, but I knew that this is what Autumn would have done for me. I made my way over to the front, away from the casket. Then I began to speak. “Hello,” I began, my voice calm. Before giving them a chance to say hello in return, I went on ahead. And even though most people probably never said their name when they were speaking at a funeral, I did anyway. “My name is Noelle Penner. Autumn and I have been really close friends for as long as I can remember. She played soccer, just like I do. She used to come over all the time and practice with me. Autumn was amazing; she was beautiful; and she was just really smart and athletic. She was the entire package. She put up with me, even when I was a total jerk to her friends. But enough about that,” I said, clearing my throat a little. “Everyone loved Autumn. And why wouldn’t they? She was so much fun to be around and people just simply adored her. She forgave everyone and had so many friends. It’s hard to believe that she died at such a young age. Everyone expected her to go on and become a published writer and do so many great things in her life,” I went on. Mrs. Powell had more tears streaming down her face by this point. “But when you think about it, she already did. She was probably the best soccer player at Elliot High School. She helped people that needed help. And she was just amazing. And when you think about it even more, all of us… everyone sitting in this room? We all having something in common. We all loved Autumn and we were all really close friends with her. So if we stop pointing fingers at some people,” I began, glancing over at Skylar, “Then maybe you all would just realize this. It’s not about the drunk driver that killed her. It’s not even about why you’re mad at him or Skylar, or whoever else. No, it’s about Autumn and her death. So please just remember that. If Autumn was here, I know she would agree with me.” I looked at Lucy, who wasn’t paying hardly any attention as she shot dagger eyes at poor Skye. I sighed and said, “That’s all.” A few people clapped but I hurried over and sat in the empty seat beside my mother, who gave me a tight hug. Time for Camille to speak.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley & Robbi- Great, but sad posts. ;/

fungirl123 @Robbi - upsetting post. :\

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ The second I got in the Powell's library room, I burst into tears, for no reason. Through the blurry vision I had from my tears, I saw Imani's eyes widen. "Rae!" She whispered. "Sorry, I-I dont know what happen-" Before I could finish my sentence, Larissa came up to us two, her face clearly tear stained. "Sorry girls for interrupting, but I would like any close friends of Autumn to speak infront of everyone." I gulped hard, I knew she meant me. Without hesitation, I answered. "Sure." I know Autumn would want her friends to, I just had a feeling, Larrisa smiled weakly. "Thank you." She touched my arm, then slowly walked away, my gaze turned back to Imani. "I'm going to sit down next to Aunt Charice." I nodded, she went her way. Now I was standing by myself, in a room, with people I barely knew, I didn't even see Noelle, Andrew Camillie, none of Autumn's close friends in sight. Wiping my tears, I went out of the family library and into the living room, where tons of strangers were sitting around, conversing. I sat down in a chair I got myself together. Suddenly it got quiet, I looked up, everyone was staring, at a girl, in a wheelchair. Focusing my eyes more I realized it was Skye, I gasped. She came! Quickly I got up and followed behind the crowd, everyone was going into the family room, the funeral was about to start. But before I went in the family room, I went into the library to talk to Skye quickly. "Hey Skyar." I said, I bent down to her level. "Hi." "I'm glad you could come, Skye..." I felt like crying again, everyone was staring at us, whispering, I knew it was uncomfortable for Skylar. "M-Mrs. Powell wants us to say something up front..." Suddently tears were brimming in my eyes, I quickly wiped them off. "Okay." Skylar then stop paying attention to me, I didn't blame her. Slowly I got back up, took a look at Skye and turned, trying to prevent myself from crying. From my gaze I saw Andrew coming across the room and toward me, soon we were face-to-face. "Mrs. Powell wants us in the family room." My eyes widened, it was time. All I could do was nod, I was scared, correction: terrified. All I could imagine was running, just like when I was 4, but I knew I couldn't, and I wouldn't. I followed Andrew into the family room and up to the front, I was litterally 10 feet away from the casket, I heard myself hypervenalating. I looked at who was around me, Noelle was next to me, Camille was beside her, Will and Andrew were on the other side of the casket. Before I could say something to Noelle, Larissa got up and started talking. "Thank You all for coming," She started, her voice was very crackly. "Autumn's good friends have something to say. They were through it all." Larissa walked away, no one got up to talk, we were all afraid. Noelle nudged me, I snapped my head, her head pointed to the front, I sighed. I guess I'm going first. Slowly I got up, scared for my life. "Um hi," Some people said hello back. "Well, we all know what we are here for, to pay respects to Autumn." I was definitely the worst public speaker. "But as many of you know, Autumn was a very close friend to me. She was always there for me, always kept my secrets, and was there when I needed a shoulder to cry on. Many of you don't know though is my parents are marine biologists. When I was 10, my parents got a job to research about marine animals in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. So that's how I'm here, after my parents took the job, we moved from Boston to here in Pacific Grove. I knew no one here, except my family of course, and I wasn't really good at making friends. But Autumn..." My lip began to quiver, I was replaying my first day of school in my head. "She took me under her wing that first day of school. She introduced me to all her friends, made me feel welcome. Since then we were inseparable. Without her I truly don't know where I'd be today. But now, she's gone," My throat was burning, tears just were trying to flow, but I refuse to let them come out. "So enough of my story, what I want to say about Autumn, was that...she was my best friend. We are here because Autumn touched our hearts in some way, and she will never be forgotten." I stepped away from the front, Larissa hugged me before I went to my seat. "Thank you" she whispered in my ear, I replied. "Stay strong mommy #2." As she loosen her grip I softly smiled, then I took my seat next to Uncle Kazi, he put his arm around me, patting me on the back, a tear streamed down my face. Noelle was up next.

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Great post! Oh in my post I said they were going to a church but having the funeral at Autumn's house sounds better :)!

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ (Dress: http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=dress_maxi&ProductID=2000042686&VariantID=) Alice straightened out the bottom of my dress and slowly helped me back down into the seat of my wheelchair. The dress was long and loose and went all the way to my calves. It fit comfortably over my back and midsection, which was covered by the bulky brace, which also had a neck piece. I could barely look to the side without sending a feeling of searing pain through my spine. We arrived at the funeral a few minutes later, which was held at the Powell’s home for comfort. Damon had dropped Luna and Cord off at their babysitter’s since they were obviously too young to attend a funeral. Right now, I wished I was them. If only Luna and I could switch lives; she would have handled this much better – pathetic, Skye, I thought. Luna was seven. I was almost an adult. Damon opened the front door of the Powell’s house. I looked up, then straight back down. Everyone was in tears. I stared at my hands in my lap. Did I look selfish because I wasn’t crying? Did I look self-absorbed? Now all I wanted was to cry. I wanted to blend in. But no, everyone’s eyes were on the girl being wheeled in through the door. The girl that could have stopped Autumn’s death. Then I felt Damon’s breath on my ear. “Hey, sis, we can leave if you want.” He regretted his words right away. I just whispered, “No.” Damon wheeled me over to a couch where he sat down and positioned me next to him. This used to be the Powell family library, the place where Autumn – an avid reader – kept all of their books. Of course, now it was full of Autumn’s mourners. Mr. Powell was an English professor at Pacific Grove University, and Mrs. Powell was a journalist. Autumn wanted to be a writer. That had always been her dream, her goals. All I heard around me was whispers. All I felt was eyes shooting daggers at my back. I continued staring at my hands until I heard a voice next to me. “Hey, Skylar.” Aradia sounded like she had just been sobbing – her voice was crackly and her nose sounded stuffed. I was a jerk for not crying. She bent down next to me. “Hi,” I replied. “I’m glad you could come, Skye. M-Mrs. Powell wants us to say something…” She put a hand to her eyes and wiped the tears that had brimmed. “Okay,” I said bluntly. Without another word, Aradia spun slowly on her heel and walked away, her face in her hands. Why didn’t I feel anything? Why wasn’t I crying? “Skye.” Will stood in front of me – I could tell by his voice. I didn’t look up. “Mom wants you in the family room.” “Okay,” I said. Damon slowly got up next to me and wheeled me into the family room. Autumn’s display and her casket – closed – were in there. I looked at all of the pictures. Most of them were of her family, but others were with her friends. Mrs. Powell stood in front of them, and called for the attention of everyone. Everyone stopped their talking a looked up at her. “Autumn’s good friends have something to say. They were here through it all.” I tuned out Camille, Aradia, and Noelle’s speaking and listened to the mourner’s mourning. Maybe I could try to cry? Maybe I wouldn’t stand out more if I did that? But then Camille bent down next to me. “Your turn,” she said, then continued sobbing. “Don’t let her talk.” That was the voice of Lucy, Autumn’s equally-loved elder sister. I gulped and finally looked up. Lucy was making her way through the crowd and coming straight for me. “You think you were even worthy of being Autumn’s friend? Now you aren’t. You do realize that it should have been y—“ “LUCY!” Will and Mr. Powell were stomping through the crowd and toward Lucy. I averted my eyes back to my hands, which were incredibly clammy. I didn’t listen as they scolded her. But she was just being honest. Damon knelt down beside me. “We’re going outside for some air.” The crowd parted, making a path for us to the back door. I could feel eyes on me. They were all thinking the same thing as Lucy was. And, quite frankly, I did, too.

fungirl123 @Robbi - I don't really know what I want to happen; I just know what I want Skylar to do. So...you can still post. ;) Nice paragraph, BTW. :-D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Nice post(:

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Krysta..thx :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Thx every1! @Haley I will let you post want u want to happen @ the funeral and ill post later....haha procrastinating like runs in my family...totally understand what u mean...haha

LudaKrys @Robbi-great post! :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ I yawned as I got out of my bed, walking to my closet. That night I fell asleep at 4 in the morning, I was beyond restless. I was going to my best friends' funeral, that just couldn't surpass in my mind. In my closet I get out my dress, ( http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=dress_little_black_dress&ProductID=2000040987&VariantID= - I want the dress to be a little longer than it is in the picture, a little above Aradia's knees...sorry that dress just seems a little short for a funeral! Lol...but I like the style of it.) which was completely black, the one color I wasn't really fond of, it made this whole scenario more depressing. As I'm getting my dress on, I heard footsteps outside my door, going across the hallway, somehow a chill went down my spine at the sound of them. Just calm down, I thought, you have to make it through this funeral. In the bathroom I put my hair in curly high bun (http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lp2dr9fIi81qfep67o1_500.jpg) with a skinny blue headband. Walking out my bathroom I go to my white vanity, as I was searching for a bracelet, I stopped, my throat suddenly tightened. Realizing what was in my hand, I became dizzy and sat on the carpet. It was a bracelet Autumn made me in 6th grade. The bracelet was sky blue colored and had the words "Autumn" beaded across it. I made her one, but I made hers say "Aradia" on it. I remember the exact words Autumn said to me when she gave it to me. "Always think of me when you see this bracelet, and I'll do the same with yours." My eyes were tearing up just thinking of the flashback. Quickly I put the bracelet on, wiping tears as I was going down the stairs. I looked up to see everyone was waiting for me, no one saying I word. Silently I put my black heels on, everyone was heading to Uncle Kazi's SUV, I filed after them, still no one was saying anything. As my uncle was driving, I looked out the car window, watching every surrounding zoom past. Sooner than I knew it we were at the church, people all in black walking up the stairs, my family was getting out, I hesitated. With my doors still closed, Imani opened it, her hand reaching out, I grabbed it. I got out the car, my hand still holding Imani's, Imani knew exactly why I was hesitating, she was their when it happened at Grandma Louise's funeral. Rocco wasn't even born yet when it happened, and Aunt Charice and Uncle Kazi were on vacation at that time, only Imani knew about my 'incident'. "Just breathe" She whispered, I tried to breathe, never knew it be so hard to. As we were getting in the doors, I stopped. "I don't think I can do this." Imani turned her head. "You can Rae. Do you want to miss your best friends funeral?" I shook my head. "Never." "Then we gotta go in." I sighed very nervously, nodding my head as I gulped. I have to do this, for Autumn, but also for myself. Imani and I walked into the doors

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Haha, it's okay... I'm a procrastinator also. :p

LudaKrys @Robbi-awesome post! :D @Haley-Great! :)

fungirl123 I'll try to post today, since I know what I want to happen at the funeral. I'm just procrastinating. :p

fungirl123 @Robbi - great post! <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Great post! :D

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~*Aradia*~ That next day I decided I should go to the hospital and visit Skye. I know how depressing and boring a hospital can be, if I were in Skye's position I would want people to visit me, get my mind off things. Coincidentally, Noelle, Camille, and I all came at the same time, I ran up to them in the hospital hallway. "Hi." I said quietly, Camille softly smiled and Noelle didn't say anything, we rounded the corner into Skye's room. "Hi Skylar." Noelle said, her voice wary, I turned to look at Noelle, I couldn't tell if she was mad at me anymore or not. "How are you feeling?" Camille asked. "Not well." Skylar replied, she looked miserable, I felt horrible for her. Suddenly their was a silence between us four, I butted in. "We thought we'd spend a few hours here. Have a lot of people visited you?" "No." "Oh..." "Yeah a lot more people would be visiting this room if i wasn't the one in it." I tilted my head, did she literally think what I thought she meant? "What do you mean?" I asked, she shook her head slightly. "Never mind." She quickly said, she was hiding something. "So what's wrong with your...uhh...body?" Noelle asked shyly, I could tell she didn't know how to explain, Skye's face went dull. "I broke my collarbone, I had glass and metal in my head, I sprained my left wrist...and I have whiplash and a damaged spine." I could hear some sarcasm in Skye's voice, but at the same time she was serious. I silently gasped, she was really injured. "Oh...when do you think you'll be out?" Camille asked. "I haven't asked yet." Camille leaned in to whisper to me. "Holy crap, she really got hit. Do you think she will be able to attend the funeral?" "Ya that's a good question, you should go ask her Aradia." Noelle stated, I glared, I looked back up at Skye . "Mrs. Powell says the funeral is Thursday. Do you think you can come?" It felt really weird calling Autumn's mom Mrs. Powell...it had been years since I did. Skye's eyes shut, I was hoping she wasn't about to cry, maybe it was bad to ask. Camille looked out the door, my gaze followed hers, the nurse was coming in. "Well...it looks like the nurse wants to run a test with you. We'll see you in a few hours?" Camille stated directly to Skye, she nodded. I forced a smiled and said goodbye to Skye. Noelle, Camille, and I filed one-by-one out the door. Without saying anything, we all went our separate ways. Visiting Skye went better than I expected, I thought I might of broke down and cried, I didn't though, but just looking at Skye made my body ache. As I hopped into my truck, I exhaled loudly. Tomorrow as Autumn's funeral, and I wasn't ready.

taylorswiftfan1233 .... Yeah.... all the time. :o

fungirl123 ....the awkward moment when you don't know what to post as an update..... -.-

taylorswiftfan1233 Yupp(:

fungirl123 Thanks :)

LudaKrys @Haley-great post! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 You're welcome(:

fungirl123 Thanks. :D

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Nice post! :) @Robbi- It's okay, like I said before, you don't have to post every single day. :D

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Awesome posts! Sorry guys I really have been super busy...I'll probably won't be able to post till tomorrow :/. Sorry!

fungirl123 I know this is super short; I just needed to post something about this topic. ~Skylar~ My doctor walked in. “How are you feeling, Skylar?” he asked. “Good. I need to ask you something,” I said flatly. I could see the confusion on his expression. “Yes?” “I need to go somewhere on Thursday—,” “I don’t think that’s going to happen—,” “It’s my best friend’s funeral!” I interrupted. He went silent. Then he took a deep breath and continued, “Your not in any shape to be out, Skylar. There is very little chance that you can even sit in a wheelchair properly. Your back is too damaged.” I looked down at my hands. This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t. “We have two whole days until the funeral. Can’t I just…learn to do it?” I begged, desperation dripping from every word. He sighed. “I don’t know about that, Skylar. It seems nearly impossible for you to sit up at this early of a stage of recovery. I’ll talk to Nurse Eliza about it.” I could feel a smile spread over my face. He raised his eyebrows warningly. “I’m not promising anything!” **** It was the next day before I heard anything back about getting to go to the funeral. My doctor and a few nurses came into my room again. One of them was holding a stiff, gray and black brace. “This might hurt your muscles just a little bit, since you’ve barely moved them in four days. But it’s the only way for you to get to this event,” one of the male nurses said. I nodded. Slowly, they raised me up from the soft bed just long enough for them to secure the brace around my back and neck. Then they set me carefully into a wheelchair. I was sitting up straight! Sure, it hurt my spine a bit to do it. But I could do it! “Okay, we’ll need to have a nurse go with her to make sure that she doesn’t do anything to hurt herself.” Eliza turned to me. “And your coming straight back to the hospital for another few days.” I nodded. I wheeled around in the chair for a few minutes. Then I called Alice and told her to bring me some clothes for the funeral. #Author’s Note: I know it seems happy that she is getting to go to the funeral, but that will change.#

taylorswiftfan1233 Welcome! :)

LudaKrys @Payton-Thanks! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Great post :)

LudaKrys @Haley-Thanks! :)

fungirl123 @Krysta - haha, good post! :P

LudaKrys Sorry that posted twice. My bad! ;P

LudaKrys ~Camille~ “Skylar?” I whispered through the door. “Mmmm,”she replied. “Skylar, it’s me Camille.” She turned to me with a questioning look on her face. I really wasn’t supposed to be here without the nurse’s consent. “Remember what you said earlier? About how more people would be in here if you weren’t the one in it?” She nodded her head. I could see the grief and pain her face. I moved over to the edge of the bed and carefully sat down, making sure I didn’t sit on her. “I know, that we aren’t the best of friends, but…” I stopped myself, “I know what you’re thinking. You’re blaming yourself. You think that it should have been you dead not Autumn.” She scrunched her eyes and turned her head, not caring if it hurt. I raced to the direction she was looking and got down on my knees to see her eye to eye. “ Well, I don’t believe that. I don’t believe it, okay. Autumn was our best friend. Neither of you should have died. Autumn did but not you, and you can’t blame yourself for this!” She looked me in the eye. “But I can. If I hadn’t of kissed Will, then we wouldn’t have had to talk about it.” She bit her lip thinking that she had released too much. “Skylar,” she turned again, “Skye, it wasn’t your fault,” I could feel tears swelling up. “If anything, it was mine, Skylar. I’m the one who told her that she should forgive you. You probably wouldn’t have even been in that car if I had told her to go forgive you,” I sat on the chair, sighing from the relief and pain I was letting out. I looked up at her. Her eyes were darting all over me. Finally, her eyes stopped at mine. For a moment I felt her pain. They way her face stung, the pain all over, and the grief in her heart, all of it. I felt all of it. “Okay, so I brought pudding. I know, it’s not-“An older boy, probably her brother, interrupted our stares. “Oh, um…I’ll just wait outside,” he said closing the door behind him. I looked back at Skylar. I smiled. “Well, I’d better go.” I reached for the door handle. “Camille?” I looked over at her, “Yes?” “Autumn loves you. She wanted me to tell you that but I…I couldn’t. I just didn’t believe that she had died. Forgive me for not telling you sooner, but I…I don’t know…” I looked at her. I was hurt that she didn’t tell me sooner, but I understood why she held it in. “I forgive you.” I turned to leave once more. “Hey, um…see you tomorrow?” “Yeah,” I said gently, “see you tomorrow.”

LudaKrys ~Camille~ “Skylar?” I whispered through the door. “Mmmm,”she replied. “Skylar, it’s me Camille.” She turned to me with a questioning look on her face. I really wasn’t supposed to be here without the nurse’s consent. “Remember what you said earlier? About how more people would be in here if you weren’t the one in it?” She nodded her head. I could see the grief and pain her face. I moved over to the edge of the bed and carefully sat down, making sure I didn’t sit on her. “I know, that we aren’t the best of friends, but…” I stopped myself, “I know what you’re thinking. You’re blaming yourself. You think that it should have been you dead not Autumn.” She scrunched her eyes and turned her head, not caring if it hurt. I raced to the direction she was looking and got down on my knees to see her eye to eye. “ Well, I don’t believe that. I don’t believe it, okay. Autumn was our best friend. Neither of you should have died. Autumn did but not you, and you can’t blame yourself for this!” She looked me in the eye. “But I can. If I hadn’t of kissed Will, then we wouldn’t have had to talk about it.” She bit her lip thinking that she had released too much. “Skylar,” she turned again, “Skye, it wasn’t your fault,” I could feel tears swelling up. “If anything, it was mine, Skylar. I’m the one who told her that she should forgive you. You probably wouldn’t have even been in that car if I had told her to go forgive you,” I sat on the chair, sighing from the relief and pain I was letting out. I looked up at her. Her eyes were darting all over me. Finally, her eyes stopped at mine. For a moment I felt her pain. They way her face stung, the pain all over, and the grief in her heart, all of it. I felt all of it. “Okay, so I brought pudding. I know, it’s not-“An older boy, probably her brother, interrupted our stares. “Oh, um…I’ll just wait outside,” he said closing the door behind him. I looked back at Skylar. I smiled. “Well, I’d better go.” I reached for the door handle. “Camille?” I looked over at her, “Yes?” “Autumn loves you. She wanted me to tell you that but I…I couldn’t. I just didn’t believe that she had died. Forgive me for not telling you sooner, but I…I don’t know…” I looked at her. I was hurt that she didn’t tell me sooner, but I understood why she held it in. “I forgive you.” I turned to leave once more. “Hey, um…see you tomorrow?” “Yeah,” I said gently, “see you tomorrow.”

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta & Haley- Thanks. Same to you, too. :)

LudaKrys @Haley and Payton- Good posts, you two! :) (Just thought I'd add this in) ~Camille~ I just couldn't do it. At least not now, I had to go back to see Skylar.

LudaKrys ~Camille~ I sucked in a big breath of sea salty air. I had just finished my prep push-ups, and I was ready to go out on the water. I pulled my board out of the sand and brought it to my side. I closed my eyes for a moment, picturing Autumn telling me to touch the water. I flung my eyes open and raced to the waves. I tried to run through the water to where it was deeper, but I wasn’t getting my knees high up enough so I just kept falling. I made my first attempt to get on the surf board but I just managed to jump over it. After a few more fails, I finally got on the board. I was doing this too roughly. Rather than making easy, gentle moves, I was thrashing around like a fish out of water. I took in a huge breath. ‘Smooth gentle strokes’ I thought. I laid down on the board ready for a wave to come. But none did. I looked at the sun. I had come out a sunrise and now the sun was beating down above me. I had been out here till at least noon with no action. “Ahhhhhhh!!” I screamed. I couldn’t do this. I just couldn’t.

fungirl123 @Payton - good post. Sad. :\

fungirl123 I know that we’re skipping to the funeral, but I just thought I’d toss this in. It’s pretty short. ~Skylar~ I awoke to another shooting pain in my body. This happened whenever I shifted the slightest bit. And it made it hell to sleep. I didn’t sleep the rest of the night. The beeping of the machine next to me helped to keep me alert. I just waited until I once again heard the clacking of footsteps in the hospital again. Around nine o’clock AM, I spotted a familiar flash of dark hair. Two girls followed her and right into my room. “Hi, Skylar,” Noelle greeted, but I could hear the wariness in her voice. “How are you feeling?” Camille asked, gazing around the room. “Not well,” I replied. No, it was more like a croak. There was a silence. “We thought we’d spend a few hours here. Have a lot of people come to visit you?” Aradia asked, almost like a suggestion of conversation. “No.” My eyelids were heavy, but my body wasn’t about to let me fall asleep again. “Oh.” “Yeah, a lot more people would be visiting this room if I wasn’t the one in it,” I said, hearing the coldness of my own tone. Aradia furrowed her brows together. “What do you mean?” I gave a slight shake of my head. I shouldn’t have brought the conversation up. “Never mind,” I said. There was yet another silence. “So…what’s wrong with…your – um – body…?” Noelle asked, searching for the right words. “I broke my collarbone, I had glass and metal in my head, I sprained my left wrist…” There was another thing – no, two more things. Then I remembered. “And I have whiplash and a damaged spine.” I was like being hit hard – really hard – in the chest having to say it out loud. I couldn’t dance anymore. “Oh…when do you think you’ll be out?” Camille asked, seeming oddly surprised. “I haven’t asked yet.” They all nodded, comprehending each of my replies to fill the silence. They murmured a few words to each other. Finally, Aradia looked up. “Mrs. Powell says the funeral is Thursday. Do you think you’ll be able to come?” I squeezed my eyelids shut. They couldn’t keep me here and make me miss my own best friend’s funeral. No. They couldn’t. Saving me from answering, Camille said, “Well…it looks like the nurse wants to run a test with you. We’ll see you in a few hours?” I nodded my head once. They all seemed to force a smile before leaving. Camille wasn’t lying. The nurse came in and rubbed more of that stings-like-hell cream on my face. It didn’t hurt as much this time. All I had to think about was how much pain Autumn was in. Then the pain of the ointment left me…and grief replaced it. And it smarted me much worse.

taylorswiftfan1233 I'll finish that later. :)

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ Tomorrow was the day of Autumn’s funeral. My throat got tight just thinking about it. School had gone as usual this past week. Not as many people had known her, but it was still awkward and upsetting. Everyone was quiet… even if they hadn’t known Autumn. It was sad to think that so many people were going to miss her and how her life had ended so sudden. Even my parents had been quiet around the house. I could hardly do my homework without looking out at the backyard, where I had used to play soccer with Autumn. I got a huge lump in my throat and I felt tears sting my eyes. I ran out the back door quickly and then grabbed my soccer ball. I began to try and play by myself, just to keep my mind of things. But I wasn’t doing very well. My foot kept missing the ball. I groaned, chucking it at the fence. Then I went back inside and to my bedroom, slamming my bedroom door. ***The next day, I looked glumly into my closet. I needed black. Finally, I found a black dress. It had a little belt around the middle but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get today over with. (http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=dress_little_black_dress&ProductID=2086806350&VariantID= ) I then did my straight brown hair into a bun with black headband and added a black bracelet to my wrist and a pair of black flats. I was funeral ready.

taylorswiftfan1233 Okay. :)

LudaKrys Skipping the funeral is fine wiht me. ;)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Haha, it's fine! You don't have to post every day. :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Ok...I'm not exactly sure I'll be able to post tonight tho...:/

taylorswiftfan1233 Okay. :)

fungirl123 Sure. :P

taylorswiftfan1233 Hmm... Since there really is nothing else to write, then yeah, we could just skip to the funeral. Is that okay with everyone? :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Idk what else to write...are we gonna just skip to the funeral or no? Jw

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Wow...that was so weird! Lol...thanks :)!

fungirl123 @Robbi - haha, that's happened to me before, too

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- LOL, it's fine! :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive WHOA girls...girlslife had a glitch! Lol I posted this on one of my other clubs and somehow it posted on here?!?! Wtheck?!? I'm sorry! Haha...that's so weird! LOL! :p

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive oh sorry guys! the whole link wont show up :( If u just look on austin mahone's twitter it will be on there!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive http://s3.amazonaws.com/ology/bundles/ologysocial/up/img/post/post_large/post_4fe331a506fd72.19286441.jpg

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive AHHH AUSTIN MAHONE MET JUSTIN BIEBER TODAY! LOOK AT THE PHOTO! <3 http://s3.amazonaws.com/ology/bundles/ologysocial/up/img/post/post_large/post_4fe331a506fd72.19286441.jpg

fungirl123 Your not the only one. ;)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Sorry guys...writers blocked today :/

taylorswiftfan1233 Thanks :)

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Great posts @Krysta and @Payton :) @Haley- Oh ok! :) thanks!

LudaKrys @Payton-Good post and thanks! :) @Haley-Thank you as well! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 *Falling* not fell. :p

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ My head throbbed. I was having a nightmare where Elliot High School and Washington High School were playing against each other in the championship of the year. Washington and Elliot were both tied, and the crowd was starting to get anxious. I kicked the soccer ball super hard to the goal, where Autumn was goalie. She jumped up to get it, but it hit her in the face. She fell to the ground limp. I ran to check on her and found blood trickling down her face. Her body was limp and her eyes closed. Her chest no longer rose up and down with each breath. I touched her face. It was cold, as if she had been dead for hours. Suddenly, I was lifted into the air. “We won!” my team cried as the buzzer went off. I began to cry. “No, I killed Autumn!” I sobbed. They ignored my desperate cries and pleading. All they cared about was winning. The crowd cheered, balloons and streamers somehow feel from the sky. Everyone was smiling, except for Aradia, Camille, and Skye. I woke up and let out a piercing scream. I looked around frantically, only to find myself in my messy bedroom. My mother rushed in but I barely noticed. “It’s okay, honey. It was a dream,” she said, smoothing down my hair. After a little while, she left. I tried to get to sleep, but I couldn’t. It was impossible. Three words kept playing through my mind: Autumn. Is. Dead. ***The next morning, I begged my dad to stay home. He agreed. Kenton went to school so he could get my homework for me. I was home alone. There were casseroles in the fridge from people I didn’t even know. To me they were just a bunch of guilt gifts. But I ate some anyway, trying to keep my mind busy. After lunch I watched a soccer game. But I hastily turned it off when the goalie got hit in the face. To my surprise, Mom walked in just then. “Are you okay, sweetie? I think you had a nightmare last night,” she said, sitting on the couch beside me. I nodded. “It was terrible.” She looked at me for a moment, taking one of my hands in her own. “Listen, Noelle… I know that this is really hard on you. It is on everyone. But you’re going to have to get over this sooner or later. Even when someone dies life goes on,” she said gently. That was my mom. Always saying something that others didn’t want to hear. We had a lot in common when it came to stuff like that. I clenched my teeth tightly and jerked my hand out of hers. “I know. But you don’t have to tell me that,” I snapped. She pursed her lips. “I’m just trying to help you,” she said. “That’s the thing! You never help!” I cried. Seeing her hurt expression, my face softened and my voice lowered. “Look, I know that I’ll have to get over Autumn’s death. Everyone will. I wish the world would stop for Autumn, but it can’t. Life goes on. People move on. And in time, everyone will probably forget about this. I’m going to try my best to do the same. I’m going to try to be nicer to Autumn’s friends, also. But who knows? That might be impossible! It’s me we’re talking about,” I said. She nodded and sighed. Neither of us said anymore. The discussion was closed.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- Great post :)

fungirl123 @Krysta - good post! :-]

LudaKrys ~Camille~ I woke up still feeling like I hadn’t slept in ages. Last night the dreams had been more peaceful than before. My job at the diner was at a halt, so I wasn’t sure if I should get ready or go back to bed. I set my eyes on the clock, 3:34 p.m. Yep, it was time to get up. I slid out of my sheets but I took the comforter with me. I slumped down the stairs and into the kitchen. When I opened the fridge I was overwhelmed by the hundreds of Tupperware dishes. Why was it that when someone died everyone thought you should eat casseroles for the rest of the year? I began to pop off the lids to each one, examining it thoroughly. Broccoli and cheese casserole, tater tot casserole, mystery meat casserole, the list went on. I finally opened the meat drawer and grabbed some turkey slices. It wasn’t the right time to eat a meal, and I wasn’t in the mood for casserole. I sat at the kitchen table rather than on the couch and began to munch. “Are you going to get ready anytime soon?” asked Nina. Her face was as blotchy as mine. I sighed and managed to squeak out an, “I don’t think so.” “Well I don’t blame you. But sweet heart, you can’t keep your mind in the past forever. Why don’t you go surfing today? You need the fresh air.” I smiled. “Maybe I will,” I said. Maybe I will.

LudaKrys @Robbi-Amazing post! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Great post! :)

fungirl123 @Robbi - thank you! :P And here is the link to the novel. It's not finished yet. I've barely added to it in the past week, though...: http://figment.com/books/287172-Louisa-s-War-

fungirl123 @Robbi - great post! :P Btw, people, I'm not positive but I'm pretty sure that the casket would be closed during the funeral because her body was so beaten up. That's what they had to do at a friend of mine's funeral awhile ago...so yeah... ^_^

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Omgosh i love that cover! Wat was the link to that novel again? Good post btw!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ I woke up to my clock saying 3:00 p.m. I groaned, I remembered crying myself to sleep. Getting up from my bed I looked in my full-body mirror, I looked horrific. My eyes were swollen and my face was still tear stained, my eyes were crusty from sleeping so much. I went into my bathroom and washed my face, the cool water hitting my face felt so good. My hair was still straighten but curls were coming through, I put it up in a bun, I changed into grey sweats and a hot pink tank, I was to lazy to take a shower. When I got out of my bathroom a sudden knock was at my door, I jumped. "Hey its me." Andrew. "Come in." I said, taking a seat on my bed, he opened the door. He must of went to school because he had his backpack on his shoulder, he put it on my desk chair. "I got your homework from today." He took out my textbooks, I groaned. "Gah...homework! Thanks though." "No problem." "How was school?" His face turn grim. "Everyone knows," I went silent, I nodded like I understood. Word must of gone around fast, people probably watched the news and saw it. "School was like quiet today, like everyone was mourning." Autumn was a special person, doesn't surprise me people were sad. "Oh." I said. "How are you?" He asked, I took a long time to answer. "Not well." He probably suspected that answer, but wanted to ask anyway. "I heard that Autumn's funeral is probably going to be this week." I gulped really hard. Funeral? I almost forgot, of course she was going to have a funeral. My stomach all the sudden started hurting, Andrew looked concerned. "Are you ok? Your face is really pale." I didn't respond. I was frightened by funerals deeply. When I was 4, I went to my Grandma Louise's funeral and at the sight of the casket, I ran out of the room, screaming and bawling my eyes out. Since I made such an entrance Aunt Beliz, my other aunt and my mom's oldest sister, asked if our family could leave because I was a disturbance and I was making the situation of Grandma Louise's death even worse. I definitely did not want that same thing happening at Autumn's wedding. Now I was terrified, just seeing the casket is going to make me want to run. And all close friends and family are in the front, even closer to the casket. I stood up. "I really need some air." Andrew looked confused, I ran out the room, practically knocking over Rocco. "Hey!" Rocco said, I said sorry in response. I slammed the front door and started walking on the sidewalk, it was surprisingly cloudy. Rounding around the block I heard a voice. "Aradia!" Andrew yelled, I walked evening faster, practically running, he caught onto my arm, I whirred around. "What Andrew?" I snapped, he looked offended. "What did I say to make you freak out?" "Nothing, I just wanted to get some air." I lied. "Your lying to me." He stared me down, I couldn't take it. "Fine! So I'm afraid of going to funerals! You happy?!" I yelled, walking away, he got a hold of me again. "Aradia why didn't you just say that?" "Because I sound pathetic when I say it." "No you don't, sounds pretty normal to me. I get pretty creeped out at funerals too, by the fact a dead person is about 20 feet away from me." I squinted me eyes at him, then I relaxed. "I guess since you put it that way..." Suddenly the wind kicked up, I rubbed my arms. "Here." Andrew gave me his jacket, I'd never felt so warm. "Thanks." "No problem." "Sooo...." "Sooo..." This situation just got very awkward. "I can't believe you walked around the block in your slippers." He pointed to my feet, I realized I had my Daisy Duck slippers still on. "It's a talent." I smirked, he rolled his eyes. "Lets go back to your house, your going to need help with Calculus homework." We walked back to my house, talking about anything but Autumn.

LudaKrys @Haley-Great post! :)

fungirl123 Yeah, I kind of agree... :\

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Oh, I love that cover! It's so pretty! :) @GirlyGirl4455- I don't think so. I don't want to come across as rude, but you only posted ONCE during the last story. You're a great writer, but we need to make sure we post. Understand? :(

fungirl123 I chose the cover for my new novel! :D Here is the finished piece (with my alias on it): http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l544/Yourlovelychica555/34a-1.jpg

fungirl123 Thank you! <3

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Nice post!

taylorswiftfan1233 @Everyone- Good posts. :( But so sad. @Haley- Lol. :)

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ The nurse came in. Her nametag showed that her name was Eliza. “You’ll need to put this on your forehead for awhile, sweetie.” Nurse Eliza pulled out a large navy blue squishy thing and placed it over my forehead. The ice-coldness of it felt like heaven against my searing and throbbing head. “Also, I need to check and see if the cuts on your face are healing okay.” She came closer to me and peeled away a strip of white bandage and gauze that was over my cheek. The sting of the air in the room against my fleshy cheek actually felt good. But not when she lightly dabbed on a healing ointment. It burned like hell on earth! I yelped out in pain, and Damon jumped from his chair. Nurse Eliza quickly put another cold icepack on it. Then she turned to Damon. “We need you over here, big brother.” He nodded and came over. She whispered something in his ear…and he seemed to reluctantly nod. “What?” I croaked. “You’re gonna have to stay still okay. Either that or I leave the wound on your face to blister and get infected. I nodded, gulping. Damon held onto my hand. Then the nurse smeared on more yellowish oil. I squeezed Damon’s hand, trying to keep from screaming from the pain. But then I remembered that Autumn had gone through pain much worse than this. I can just picture her lying with a piece of metal jabbed into her chest. Or the feeling of hitting a windshield so hard that it shattered. The seatbelt choking you. Or glass getting stuck in your eye. The pain of the ointment was gone…and only tears filled my eyes. **** I opened my eyes. Four new people were standing at the far end of the room. I recognized a long blonde girl with an athletic figure and piercing blue eyes. Autumn. “She’s awake, Mom.” No. It wasn’t Autumn. It was her older sister, Lucy. And her eyes didn’t have that Autumn-like softness to it….they were glaring right into mine. The entire Powell family was silent for a bit. “It should have been you,” I heard Lucy snarl. “Lucy Zoe Powell!” her mother scolded. I squeezed my eyes shut. “What? How many friends did Skylar have? One. How many people loved Autumn…? Like a million!” Well…She was right. “Just shut up! You’re making it worse for everyone!” Will shouted. “Whatever,” Lucy spat, mostly toward me, and then she stomped out of the room. “We’ll go see to her. Stay here, Skylar,” Mr. Powell said. Then he instantly regretted his words. Yeah, like I was going anywhere. But he left the room with his grief-stricken wife, leaving Will and I face-to-face. “It’s all my fault, you know?” I said matter-of-factly. He frowned. “Who blamed you? You realize that my sister is just hurt, right?” “Yes, but she was right. How many people would have cared if I died? Maybe like five. How many people are in tears now that Autumn’s just died. Just about the entire city,” I said, my voice cracking. (I’ll continue later…)

LudaKrys @Haley-lol, XD!!! lol...again. :P

fungirl123 Yeah...I'm working on a post right now. :P

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Haley-Bahhaa nice! :p

fungirl123 @Everyone - great posts! :P @Krysta - LOL, whoops. :P I named Autumn's older sister Nina -- it being the first name to come to mind -- and I forgot about Camille's family member being named Nina. Haha, ROFL. xD

LudaKrys @Robbi-So sad. Good, but sad. D:

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive @Payon and @Krysta-Lovely post :'(

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ Hugging my knees to my chest, I became to sob in my room. I had only gotten two hours of sleep this whole night, and those two hours were nightmares. First my dream was happy, it was Autumn and I hanging out in the diner, playing around. Then all the sudden I dissapeared and the scene changed to Autumn and Skye in her car. Autumn was driving when all the sudden three cars hit her all at once, it was all in slow motion. Glass flew everywhere, the pink Prius flipped in the air, Autumn flew out the window. Skye's body somehow stayed in the car, but her head was gushing with blood, her eyes closed. Within the mist of it all, those three cars just magically appeared to not have any damages, and they sped away, like it was nothing. I appeared back in the scene, running to Autumn. Tapping her, she didn't move, I shook her, nothing. Not knowing what to do I ran back to Skye, who was still in the car. Pulling with all my might, I tried to get the passenger door to open, it was stuck. I began screaming Skye's name but she didn't move either, like she was dead. Soon I was just screaming, screaming both their names, screaming for help, no one came. I fell to the ground, rolled up in ball, crying hysterically, when all the sudden I saw a light, I looked up. It was coming closer and closer, I couldn't figure out what it was until it was 20 feet away from me, a car. Going full speed, it was coming right toward me, not stopping. Right before it hit me, I woke up. Immediately I turned my lamp on, trying to calm myself down. I was in a cold sweat and panting, like I was actually trying to rescue Skye and Autumn in that dream. As I was getting myself back together, a rage of anger hit me. I became so mad I threw one of my pillows, knocking a bunch of candles, photos, and trophies onto the floor. Then I began punching my pillow, with tears streaming down my face. It finally hit me. No more classes together, no more 'naming that car' anymore, no more soccer games, no more 'making trouble' at the diner, no more long talks on the phone, Autumn wasn't here. She was dead. I began to get so upset, I ran to the bathroom and threw up, it was the worst feeling. I hadn't ate anything in twelve hours, so it felt like I was throwing up whatever food was left in by body, but I couldn't stop. When I was done, my throat felt like it was on fire, but I didn't get a drink of water, instead I went back to my room, hiding myself in my sheets, thinking. Thinking about all the great times Autumn and I had, the secrets we shared, and how it ended like this. The last two weeks I had been fighting with Autumn's other friends, making Autumn be in the middle, not knowing what to do. To think I was barely even hanging out with Autumn before she died made me feel even more hurt, that I wasn't a good friend. I even felt cliche to say it in my mind, but it was true. I never even got to say goodbye.

LudaKrys @Payton-2 thumbs up for your post! :)

LudaKrys ~Camille~ I sat motionless and stared at the ocean, waiting for Autumn to come out of the waves like always, and tell me it was my turn to ride. The sun looked so beautiful rising out of the waves. Autumn would have loved it. Last night the nurse told us to go home and get some rest, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t even remember coming home. It was like all that happened had made me drunk, or something. My eyes were getting droopy and really I should have gone to bed but I kept waking up with nightmares. Every time I closed my eyes I thought of a new way she died. One of my first nightmares was Autumn choking me and telling me that I could have saved her. “Are you ever going to go out there?” said a familiar voice that I recognized as Kinzie’s. I didn’t respond to her question. Even if I had wanted to I don’t think I could have. My throat was so dry from all that crying. “Hey, I know it’s hard to lose people, especially when they’re so close to you….And I know that I haven’t been the best sister to you, but you were there for me when I needed you,” she said gently. I must have had a confused look on my face because then she said, “How you didn’t rat me out when we went to that soccer game, even after I left you there. If someone asked me one word to describe my sister, I would have to say that she was pretty cool,” she said grabbing my shoulder. I just looked down. What was I supposed to say after all these years of hatred and evil looks? She sighed and stood up to leave. I heard her take a few steps before stopping and turning around. “Remember Autumn is the one who died, not you.”

taylorswiftfan1233 ~Noelle~ I stared at Skye for a moment. She looked so young. Fourteen, maybe, even though I knew she was at least my age. But it broke my heart to see her lying so motionless on a hospital bed, a machine beeping away. I looked up to see Aradia hurry out of the room. I walked out after her and found her leaning up against a wall, trying to take deep breaths. “Are you okay, Aradia?” I asked. I felt like I should be nice to Camille and her. That was all Autumn had asked me to do. Be nice to her friends. “No, I’m not!” Aradia cried. I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Just breath, girl,” I said. My own voice was calm. Aradia took deep breaths. After a moment, I saw a nurse go into Skye’s room. Aradia and I exchanged glances before following her into the room. She turned to face us. “It’s best of you girls to leave to get some rest,” she said quietly. We nodded and left silently. All three of us girls were quiet on the way back to the lobby, not speaking. I felt a headache coming on and the bright lights of the hospital hurt my eyes. Aradia and a boy exchanged a few words, causing him to frown. Aradia and him waved sadly to us and then left. I stood in front of Jace and Kenton, looking up at both of them. “Can we go home?” I begged. “Of course,” Kenton said quickly. We walked out of the hospital quietly. Kenton walked over to the BMW, but Jace grabbed my wrist before I could follow him. He gave me a long hug and then we pulled apart. And I admit… I didn’t want to let go. “Stay strong, Noelle,” he said. Then he walked away towards his Mercedes, and I got into Kenton’s car, glaring down at my hands. For some reason, I was furious that Autumn had died. If she was in a wreck, didn’t that mean that someone basically killed her? If I ever saw the person that did… He would be extremely sorry even if it had been just an accident.

LudaKrys @Haley and Robbi-good posts! :)

taylorswiftfan1233 @Robbi- Thank you(: and great post!

fungirl123 @Robbi - haha, thanks! <3

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive Sorry guys I didn't post till now...I was really busy today! I loved all your guys post <3...really sad and hooking! Awesome job :)!

MusicTaughtMeHowToLive ~`*Aradia*`~ Uncle Kazi and Imani went home, while Aunt Charice was somewhere in the hospital with Larissa. Five minutes after my family left, the nurse asked us if we wanted to see Skye, we agreed. Walking to Skye's room was a blur, I rememeber talking a couple of times, getting a little tense about something Noelle said, but that was all. The second I walked in, I couldn't bare it. Quickly, I walked out the room, leaning my back against the wall near the door, trying to breathe. This was all too much. The site of Skylar's motionless body made me want to cry. She just laid in her hospital bed, in a deep sleep. "Are you okay Aradia?" Noelle said, coming out the room, I shook my head. "No, I'm not!" I cried, I couldn't take it. Noelle put her hand on my shoulder, she was being awfulyl nice. "Just breathe girl." Taking deep breathes, I took her advice. One of the nurses soon went into Skye's room, Noelle and I looked at each other and followed. "It's best of you girls to leave to get some rest." The nurse announced, we all nodded our heads, quietly leaving the room. Their were jackets scattered around the room, Skye's family must of been in the building. Without a peep from any of us girls, we went back to the lobby. Andrew waited for me in the lobby with Jace and Kenton. "How is she?" Andrew ask anxiously, I gave a relieving smile. "Well she's alive," He smiled, I could tell he was happy to hear some good news. "But she is practically motionless. It was so overwhelming I had to leave the room." His smile soon turned into a frown. "I'm sorry, I should've came in but I wanted you girls to just have time with Skye." "That's okay, we can come back tomorrow." I don't know why I said that, because I probably wouldn't have the courage to see her tomorrow like that again. "Oh ok." With a wave of goodbye to Noelle, Camille, Kenton, and Jace, Andrew and I both walked out the doors, the warm breeze hit our faces. Right before we separated I had to tell Andrew something. "Hey I don't think I'm going to make it to school tomorrow." Andrew turned his cat-like hazel eyes directly at me, staring. "Okay, I understand." Before he left, he went up and hugged me, it never felt so good, tears started to flow again. "Be brave Rae." He whispered before he let go. Wiping my tears with my arm, I walked to my truck. I had to occupy myself, get my mind off all of this. I started the ignition, tears still falling. There was definitely not a chance of sleeping tonight. Tomorrow it will definitely sink in that Autumn was dead.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Haley- Great post! :( But so sad.

fungirl123 ~Skylar~ I awoke. I could see Damon’s tall and broad silhouette standing by the window, looking out at the dark, night world. I could see dawn coming, though. The last time I had seen him doing that in a hospital room was after Daddy died. When I looked down at the end of my bed, I saw Luna sleeping at my feet, her body evenly inhaling and exhaling. Cord was sleeping with a pillow on the chair at the far end of the room. Alice was stroking his hair lightly. I opened my mouth to call out to my brother. At first, nothing came out. But then I attempted to clear my throat and called out louder, which wasn’t a very good advance. It was barely a strangled whisper. “Damo…” With only that, he whirled around, his eyes wide. Alice looked up. “How are you feeling?” he asked, coming toward me with caution. “It hurts…” I murmured, my throat scratchy and achy. “What hurts?” Alice asked, “Do you want me to fetch a nurse for you?” I gave a shake of my head – actually, I only turned my head to the side because my neck hurt so much – but Alice knew what it meant. “Everything hurts.” All of my muscles were aching. My leg was hanging on a pad over my bed. It must be broken, or sprained, I think. “You inhaled a lot of smoke in the wreck. If I were you, I’d focus on drinking a lot of water before you talk a lot. Try not to use your vocal cords a lot,” Damon said, sounding similar to a doctor. I wanted to ask about Autumn. But there was no use. “Your friends were here earlier. But the doctor told them to go home and get some sleep in,” Damon informed me. “Friends?” I furrowed my brow. I only had one friend. “There were about three girls here earlier.” Oh, I thought. The doctor walked in. “Oh, you’re awake, Skylar…” It was Doctor Dean, the old gray-haired hilarious guy who had been my family’s doctor for as long as I could remember. “How’s my pretty patient?” That’s what he had always called me. I could feel a smile creep across my face. “Let’s see…You endured some pretty bad injuries. We’ve had you under anesthesia medication since around seven o’clock PM last night, when they got you into the ambulance. Luckily, they got you into surgery before something too bad happened. There were several pieces of metal and glass stuck in your head and neck. You got pretty bad whiplash from the impact. You broke your collarbone, sprained your left wrist, and…” He closed his eyes and gulped, and then he continued. “permanently damaging your back. Listen, Skylar, I don’t know about your dancing and horseback riding…” Right now, I didn’t care. “Would you like to see her X-rays, big brother,” he asked Damon. One thing ran through my mind. “Can I see her?” I asked urgently. Doctor Dean looked troubled. He knew who I was talking about. “Are you sure you want to see her?” I nodded – well, a slight now, with my head. Doctor Dean let out a reluctant sigh. Finally, he called for doctors and they wheeled me down on a stretcher. They swung open to door to the place where they kept the bodies…and there she was. Autumn. Or what was Autumn. What used to be the fun-loving and exciting teenage girl. Now she was nothing but a lifeless, limp, bloodied body lying on a metal table. I gritted my teeth. Blood covered her lower half’s clothing. She was still wearing the yellow and white sundress. But now it didn’t only have yellow and white on it…it had red added to it. Her hair was disheveled around her head. Her eyes were shut. Tears brimmed in my eyes. “Take her back,” Damon ordered. He sounded angry. I had never seen him that angry. I let them wheel me back down the hall on the stretcher. When I was secure in my hospital room again, I averted my eyes to Damon. “What was the accident, Damo?” He turned to me, and I saw his eyes brim with tears. Then they were gone. “Drunken driving.” I gritted my teeth together, fighting off the angry tears. Same way my father had died…Four years and eight days ago.

taylorswiftfan1233 @Krysta- I know. These are so sad. I feel like crying. :'(

LudaKrys @Haley-Tell me about it! These are so sad! :(

fungirl123 @Krysta - upsetting post... :-(

LudaKrys ~Camille~ We sat there waiting. No one was saying anything. People came and went, one boy even came in with a broken arm. I looked at the people around me, Aradia, Noelle, and probably some of their family. I felt like I should call someone, maybe Nina. No, they wouldn’t understand. My family doesn’t deal with loss very well. I remember when I was eight we went to our 2nd cousin twice removed funeral, and I kept asking Nina what was wrong. She had hardly known the guy, and she was bawling her eyes out. Maybe things were going to be better, maybe someday I would sit on the porch swing with Autumn laughing about how she knew that pink car was too good to be true. I was gripping the chair way too hard, something was bothering me. Autumn had lots of friends, but only two were here, not including myself. I remembered Autumn talking about her friend, Skylar, and she was like a sister to her. So, if she was like a sister to her why wasn’t she here? I began to rapidly moving back and forth, but I was interrupted by a man who had just come in. The doctor. “Is she okay?” pleaded Aradia. I could see his gulp when she said those words. “Autumn already died,” he replied. He sounded a little surprised that we didn’t already know. Everyone was silent. I decided I would break it. “ You- you mean she died?” I said not even believing my own voice. “I’m afraid so. She had already died in the car.” That was all I needed to here. I closed my eyes and tears started to trickle out. At this point I really wished that I had called someone, anyone. I wanted someone to hold me and tell me it wasn’t true. How could I have been sitting with Autumn no more than 2 hours before I had lost her? I looked at the doctor, and felt his pain. His sympathy wasn’t fake. It must be hard to lose a patient, especially one so young and helpless. “I’m truly sorry for your loss,” he added as he turned to leave. Noelle jumped up and shouted at him. “Why didn’t you try to do something?” she screamed. I began to speak, softly, but still speaking. “Noelle stop. Stop it,” I whispered I don’t even think she could hear me. I doubt anyone could. Still she dragged on, “This is your fault! Autumn was amazing and you just watched her die! You probably think this is funny and-“ she went silent. I looked up knowing how awful I looked, but I didn’t care. Her brother carried her back over to her chair, not even flinching when she kicked him. The doctor bustled out while he still could. I looked over at Noelle, being able to understand her pain. This would be the 3rd death of someone important to me. 4th if you count my father, because in my eyes he was already dead. I guess you learn how to act after this many times being in a hospital, not knowing whether scream, cry, punch something, or all of the above. I dropped my stair and began to weep once again, this time harder than before. Someone came over and began to stroke my back and head. It felt nice having someone there who understood. “Autumn can’t be dead!” I said. I knew I was kidding myself, but dreams were all I had left. “I wish I could believe that,” said the kind still unknown person. I looked up and saw Aradia’s crystal blue eyes, staring back at me. Suddenly I felt a little self-cautious, knowing my face was a mix of black streaks and blotchy red spots. She gave a soft smile. “How are you so calm?” “Calm?” “Ya, I mean, I see you crying but I mean, you’re talking normal and everything.” “I…I don’t know, I didn’t realize I was.” I gave a small smile. “Have you ever been to the roller rink?” I asked. It was an odd question, I know but, better have my mind on something else right now. “I think I did go when I was little, why?” I couldn’t think of a reason why so I just said, “Because I can’t skate, and I was wondering if you could.” We went on to talk about how many times we had fallen and such. “Well, I better go be with my family,” she said. “Yeah, I understand.” She was getting up to move when I said, “Hey, um, Aradia? Thank you.” She nodded and walked away. I looked at my watch. Time was ticking and I still had to tell my family. I pulled out my phone and went to Kinzie’s number. I started to type in that Autumn was dead I needed someone to come and get me, but I erased it as soon as I typed it. Instead I called her. “Hello?” she answered. “Hey, Kinzie, it’s me Cam. I need you to tell Nina and Dad to come and get me. I’m at the hospital.” She paused. “Are you okay? Is Linda there?” “Yes, I’m fine, but…but…” “Just spit it out Camille!” Those words stung. That’s what Autumn had told me. “Autumn is dead, okay! Are you happy? Now, hurry up!” I said as I hung up the phone. People began to look at me but I was saved by a nurse who came over. “If you would like, you can see Greenlee Whitefield.” I thought about this. Was she the one who had hit Autumn? No…she was with Autumn. That was Skylar! Skylar Whitefield! “Okay,” I heard Aradia say. I remained seated, not knowing if I could stand yet, till someone tapped me on the shoulder. I stood up so I could face Noelle, about to cry yet again. “Yes?” “Um…who’s Greenlee Whitefield?” “She’s one of Autumn’s friends. She was in the accident with her.” “Um…is she okay? She didn’t die right?” I really didn’t know what to say at this point. “No, I think she’s fine. Though she probably has really bad injuries,” mentioned Aradia. My eyes darted back and forth watching Noelle and Aradia stare at each other. I really hoped they wouldn’t fight. Not here not now. I went to wait by the