It all started when me and Desiree were walking home from a study session at a friends house. We heard voices but we didn’t think anything of it. Then I heard my name being called so I turned around. They were right on us. A guy pulled out a gun and in the blink of the eye it went off. I thought they shot me but, I looked over and i saw it. Desiree was lying on the ground. They ran away. She was already gone, no last words. I fell down crying knowing my best friend was gone. Dead! I looked at her and saw she was holding onto the necklace I gave her. I told her that I will avenge her.
A few days later was her funeral and I was to speak. Her mother said that I could stay and sleep in Desiree’s old room. I said thanks but no thanks, I couldn’t live in the room my dead friend slept in. I will be living with my cousin until I get my own place. When I got to the funeral home, I went in and I saw it was an open casket. I walked up to it and when I saw her it was too much. I ran to the restroom. I had taken her necklace that night and I had it in my purse. I took it out and held onto it. When I finally went out it was time for me to speak. I walked to the stand and stood there for a bit, thinking about what I should say. I finally said “Hello everyone. I never thought that I would be up here. Where do I start? Desiree was the best person I have ever met. She was always there. I have known her for so long, she was like a sister to me. No matter what she would always be there for her friends and family. When my parents kicked me out, she opened her home to me, that is a debt I could never repay…” I should go on but it’s to painful. I ran out of the funeral home. Being there was too much for me. So, I stayed outside for the rest of the funeral. I thought to myself that in a few days I will have to go back to school. I don’t know if I could do that.

The next day when I woke up, I saw that I still has my dress on. I took my dress of and took a shower. When I was done I saw the time and it was nine o’clock. I freaked out a little bit because I was supposed to go back to school today. I jumped into some clothes, grabbed my keys and left. When I got there I went to the office and got a pass. My first class was science. Science is my favorite class, i’m glad it’s my first class back. When I walked in everyone turned their heads to see me. I wanted to run out the door but I knew I couldn’t, I knew I had to face my fears. I walked up to the teacher's’ desk and gave her my pass. I walked to my desk where Desiree and I were partners but now it was just me. The teacher gave the instructions for the assignment then came over with some papers and handed them to me and said “You can take as much time as you need.” Then turned and went to her desk. I looked at the papers and there must have been about ten pages of homework I have to do. At lunch that day, I didn’t get anything simply because I was too upset to eat. During lunch I was working on some homework I had to get done. When I looked up, I saw the person I hate the most, Hailey. She sat down next to me thinking that we are friends. “Why did you sit down?” I said just looking at my work. “Because you're my friend also, i’m sorry about what happened to our friend, Desiree.” She said and put her hand on my shoulder. With this I wish Desiree was there with me to hold me back but she wasn’t so it happened so fast, Hailey didn’t see it coming. “What gives you the right to say her name! You never knew her like I did! How dare you call her your friend! Why do you think we are friends!” With this I grabbed my stuff and stormed out the lunch room leaving everyone in shock. I didn’t know where to go so I just went to my favorite teachers room and tried to calm down. It was so hard to stay calm after that. I started crying and I saw a shadow in the door and when it opened I saw that it was the teacher. “Hey what happened in the lunchroom?” She said while coming over to me. “Someone started talking about Desiree and they had no right to.” I said while I wiped the tears away. “ Well I don’t think that gives you the right to yell at them.” She said starting to sit down. “I know it’s just that I don’t want people talking about her if i’m in hearing distance. It’s just too hard right now.”
“I understand. What you should say is, “could you please not talk about her if i’m near.” After this the bell rang and I had to go back to class.

After school was over, I went to Desiree’s grave. During art class I drew a picture and it was specifically for her, no one else. It was a picture of a blooming orchid. Orchids were her favorite flower. I sat there for a bit. when I left, it was 4:30 and i had to get home and do my homework. When I got home it was 5:00. Ever since her death I have not been eating and my parents were obviously scared because of it. “Cheyanne, where have you been? It’s been two hours since school had ended.” My mother says as she walks in wiping her hands on her appren, she was probably making dinner. Not answering her I just go upstairs. I did not look at her but I can tell that she was upset that I did not answer her. It has been a week and all that I have eaten was only a couple of crackers. When I get to my room I locked the door. I set my bag onto the hook that is on my door. When I went to face my bed I saw that there was fifty dollars on my bed with a note. I picked up the note and it said “Dear Cheyanne, I know you have not been eating that much and you need some new clothing. Take this money and go to the mall. Love Dad.” I just throw the note into the trash. I then went onto the firescape, it was my favorite place in the world. I would sit there for the rest of my life if I could.

A few days later I was all caught up on my homework. Lately the crew has been trying to get me to hang out with them today I didn’t want to be alone so I decided to sit by them at lunch. Of course I didn’t have any food. Andy, one of my closests friends came over because he wasn’t there yet. He sat down next to me and said “Well I see you didn’t want to be alone anymore huh?” He said while nudging me and smiling. I look at him and I remembered why I’m in love with him. His beautiful green eyes pierced through me and for a second I loose my breathe but then I remember that I made myself promise that nothing can happen because it would be awkward with the group. So then I simply say “Yea I guess I just missed everyone.” Then I realized that I have been staring at him so I look away. I look at his plate and I see that he has a apple my stomach just starts growling so loudly that I thought everyone in the lunchroom could hear it. I look at him and he is about to grab it so then I look away thinking that I don’t need it. I then feel a arm around me I look and I see that it’s Andy’s arm. My stomach suddenly stops growling and what replaces it is butterflies. He then says “I don’t need it and I noticed you staring at it. Here have it.” I take it and stare at it for a couple seconds and I thought that I forgot how to eat. I put it up to my mouth, put my teeth on it and bite down. I can feel the juice squeezing out of the apple. It is so good, and I take a bite. It felt so good to eat again and next thing I know i'm almost done with the apple. When i’m done with it, I put it back on Andy’s tray and say thank you. For the rest of the lunch hour I almost forgot about Desiree’s death because it has gone off my mind. After lunch we say our goodbyes and head back to class. My next class is history, my second favorite class. When I walk in I look over by my desk and I see that Andy is sitting in the desk next to mine. Confused I walk over there and say “What are you doing here? You are supposed to be in science.” He looks over to me with a smile a says “I decided to switch classes so that you are not alone most of the day.” I think to myself that this is why i’m in love with you. The bell rings and the teacher walks in ready to start the lesson. History being one of my best subjects is not all that important to me for some reason. I thought I would be able to focus with Andy being here but that is not the case. I then hear 0my name being called. “What?” I say realising that the teacher has called on me. “Can you please repeat the question, Mrs. Care?” Unpleased she says “ When did Cleopatra give up the thrown?” Knowing the answer I confidently say “This is a trick question, Cleopatra didn’t give up the thrown she couldn’t cope with the death of her lover, so she committed suicide.” I could tell that everyone was amazed not because I knew the answer, but because I actually spoke. After class Andy came to me and said “Hey do you want to skip the rest of the day with me and the crew?” I looked at him and remember the days when we used to do that every tuesday and thursday. I nodded and we went to the parking lot. Everyone else was there waiting for us. The teachers didn’t care because they think we are doing charity work but we are actually going to the studio and practicing. When we get there I just sat there and watched them because tonight was the next dance competion and I had no idea what the moves where. After they got done practicing Andy came over and asked me to dance with them. I decided that I have not danced since Desiree’s death so I got up and looked at the songs to decide which one I wanted. Then I found it. I put it on a ten second wait and went to the dance floor. When the music started it all came to me. The moves just flowed out of me. My emotions were gone. All that mattered was just me, the music and the space around me. When the song ended I just wanted to keep dancing but I couldn’t. It was amazing to dance again. Everyone came over and told me how amazing I am. After a couple hours of dancing we decided to go to the bar we hang out at. I had to go there anyway because I had to work. They kept trying to get me to have a drink but I never gave in. I hate the taste of beer or any kind of alcohol. Desiree’s mom came over to me and said “How are you doing sweetie?”
“I’m doing a little better.” I said smiling at her. She then said “You know I was thinking, I don’t know what to do with Desiree’s old checks because I already wrote them out. So I decided that I want to give them to you.” She said handing me a piece of paper. I look at her shocked. “What? No I can’t you need that money.” After a little bit of talking she convinced me to take it.

A few years later i’m in college. Andy and I have been dating for 3 years. I decided to get a degree to become a wedding planner, because Desiree always said that I would be a great wedding planner with my attention to detail. I’m still friends with the crew but we decided to stop it because we are in college now and we have a lot of stuff to do. I don’t think about Desiree that much anymore. I am sitting at my computer working on homework. I then hear a knock at the door. I get up and see who it is. I see a bouquet of orchids’. With a single rose in the middle. I pick it up thinking it was from Andy, but it has no note. I look at the flowers and then I notice that the rose looks off. I realize that the rose is dead! I throw the flowers down on my bed and a letter falls out from the bottom. I walk over and pick it up and it says “Why have you forgotten about me?” My heart is beating fast. Who would send this? Why would they send it? I pick up my phone and call Andy. I tell him to come to my dorm room now. When he gets there I am sitting on the other side of the room. I could not move, I was frozen in fear. He was able to come in because I gave him a spare key at the beginning of the year. He comes over and tries to comfort me. I then say “Why would someone do this?” I look at the date and I realize it. Today is the anniversary of Desiree’s death. I tell Andy and he says “I don’t think that is happening. I’m sure it’s just a prank.” Looking at him I can feel myself freak out. “Who would know the anniversary of her death, besides the others?” We talk for a bit and decide to get something to eat and try to get our minds off of it. While at the restaurant I was on edge. I kept looking around. When the waiter came over with our food we thank him and I look down at my salad. I take a bite and it tastes funny. I taste something that tastes like metal. I take it out of my mouth and it is exactly what I thought it was. I take my napkin and wipe of the ranch and it is a pendant. I look at Andy and he nods agreeing that I should open it, so I do. I open it and look inside and it is a photo of Desiree and myself hugging. On the other side of the pendant it has something engraved in it I read it and it says “Happy Birthday to my BFF, Desiree!”  I look at Andy and he is already getting money out of his wallet because he knows that I want to leave the restaurant. I get up and walk out and I hear the waiter yelling at me saying that I have to pay for my meal and then I hear Andy telling him that he was paying and then I hear silence. When I am outside, I sit on the bench in front of the water fountain. After a few seconds of trying to calm myself down, a piece of paper hits my foot. I look at it trying to tell myself that I shouldn’t pick it up. But right after I tell myself that I bend down to pick it up. It’s folded twice. When I unfold it, I read what it says “If you didn’t really forget about me, go to where I am buried.” I decide to do so and I go back to the campus, get my keys, leave a note for my roommate, get in my car and drive to where she is buried.

When I get there, it is ten o’clock pm. I go over to her grave and sit there. Thinking “why am I here?” Next thing I know the cemetery is getting foggy. After a bit I start to get a little scared. I decide to leave and then I feel a hand on my shoulder. A slowly turn my head and I see it, or her I should say. I’m about to scream but she covers my mouth. “Shhh, somebody is gonna hear you and they will think you're crazy.” When she says this I can feel that i’m going to faint. “Don’t you think about it Cheyanne.” I look at her and I mean really look at her. She looks exactly like she did the day she died. She didn’t look the slightest bit of ghostly to her. “Desiree? Is it really you?” I say feeling stupid, of course it’s her! “Well i’m not your grandmother now am I?” She says with a smile on her face. “But how? I thought you were dead?” I say sitting down because I know if I stand any longer that I might actually faint. “Of course i’m dead. I just made it so that you can see me. You know that bouquet of flowers that showed up at your door? I sent them. The reason that the dead rose was in there, was so you can see me. The moment you touched it, you were able to see all the ghost who want you to.” She sits down and we start talking for what I think was forever. “So tell me can you go anywhere?” I say leaning like I used to when I really wanted to know something. “Sometimes I can. But the rest of the time I go wherever you go cause when I died you were holding me right?” I nod not wanting to remember that terrible day. “Well apparently whoever is touching you at your last moments alive, you get latched onto them. I have been trying to give you hints that I was there but you just threw it off like it was a coincidence. I mean come on who else would convince you to go into wedding planning?” Now that I think about it, there have been things that I have done that only she would do, like asking out my crush. “Wait so if you could show yourself whenever, then why today, the day of your death?” She looks down as if trying to apologize with her eyes, I missed her doing that. She then sighs and says “Yea sorry about that I have been trying to get you to touch a dead rose but your subconscious was fighting me about it. So I figured that the only way to get you to touch it was if you thought it was from someone you love. And I thought that the orchids would be a huge hint there. I mean I am the only one you know who likes orchids.” We sit there and talk some more on how she was always there and giving hints that she was there with orchids. I then take my phone out after a bit and see that Andy has been trying to get a hold of me. I then see the time and it was one in the morning. “Oh god! I need to go back to the dorms!” I get up and run to my car. “Wait! Can I come with?” Desiree says showing up in front of me. “But I thought that anyone can see you?” I say walking to my car. “No, you idiot…” She says this with a smile so that I know she is joking “Only you can because you touched the rose and, I am letting you see me.” She says walking right next to me. “Oh, ok then, yeah you can come with.” We get into my car and we go back to the campus. When we are there, I show her where my dorm room is and she reminds me that she is attached to me so she knows where everything is. When we are about to go in I reminded her that I have a roommate and she won’t like it if I wake her. When we get in, I grab a notebook so we can still talk. With me in my bed under the covers, I give her the notebook so she can talk to me without me actually talking. But before she can give me the first note I am asleep.

When I wake up it is seven o’clock. When I get up my roommate is gone because her courses are earlier than mine. I get out of bed I see Desiree looking in my closet. “What are you doing in my closet?” I say still shocked from last night. “Well last night when you ditched me to sleep, I found a note from your professor and saw that they think you should dress better and not in baggy clothes. Which by the way, why are you wearing baggy clothes? Especially if you are studying to become a wedding planner?” She grabs a pair of my favorite sweat pants and says “Seriously? The sweat pants from high school?” She throws them in the trash can that is right next to my dresser. After a bit of arguing on what I should throw out (which is pretty much everything) I tell her “You know what, I get paid today so after my last class we can go shopping ok.” We agree to this, so I get dressed in the best clothes I have (a blue highlow dress that has a sparkly waist) and we head off to my first class. She tells me to sit in the back off the room, so we can talk. In the middle of the class I look over at Desiree I almost giggle because she is pretending to sleep. “What are you doing?” I say lowering my voice so that I don’t get yelled at. She opens her eyes and laughs. “Man I have no idea that wedding planning would be so boring.” Then she disappears, I start to freak out and then I see her down by the professor and I squint trying to figure out what she is doing, then I see it, she is mocking the professor. She then comes back up to sit next to me again. “That is the most fun I have ever had in this room.” I say and she nods and says “When you couldn't see me I would be doing that everyday. One time you did laugh and I thought I had gotten through to you but it was just that Andy set you a text.” I look down because I still have to pay attention even though I'm still talking to Desiree. After the bell rings I get up and I am about to walk out the door until I hear my name “Cheyanne. Can I speak to you.” I turn around and see my professor is leaning on her desk. I start walking toward her and she starts talking,”Cheyanne, may I ask you a question?” I am now a few feet away from her “Yeah of course you can professor.” She goes around her desk to grab something, it looks like a piece of paper. “I found a piece of paper that had your name on it and I was curious so I decided to read it. I was halfway through when I realized it was a story. Cheyanne, I asked you to stay back because I don’t think you should be a wedding planner…” At this I am very nervous and I feel like i’m going to faint. “...I think you should transfer to literature instead.” She says handing the story to me. “Really professor? But I don’t know if i’m good enough to get a degree in literature.” I see Desiree standing next to the chalkboard and she rolls her eyes. “Are you serious Cheyanne, you are a fantastic writer. You even won the writers contest in high school.” I nod knowing that she is right. “So you agree then?” I hear my professor say. I look at her and I say “Yes, I think so. Thank you professor.” She nods and I walk away with Desiree at my side. “I knew you would do it. You are a gifted writer Cheyanne.” Desiree says looping her arm around mine. I try to hide that my arm is out a bit because her arm in mine. We walk by a girl who has blueish green hair looking a bit lost. “She we help her?” I whisper to Desiree. “Yea you should. You are the one who has a kind heart in this friendship.” I nod and I unloop my arm from Desiree’s and walk over to the girl. “You seem lost, do you need help?” I say with a friendly smile. “Yeah, I do thank you. I am new and i’m looking for world history.” She says handing me her schedule. I look at it and see that she is in the same class as me. “I was just heading there. Come on i’ll show you the way, …” I look at the top of the page for her name, “Gabrionna.” I give her back her schedule. “Thanks, you can just call me Gabby. Uh I’m sorry what’s your name?” She says grabbing her schedule back from me. I then remember I haven’t told her my name. “Oh sorry, my name is Cheyanne. Now we should get to class.” I say moving her hand that we have to go the way I was walking. We talk about what we are majoring in and we find out that we used to live close to each other. She is a year younger than me. That makes sense because she has introduction to a college environment on her schedule. I tell her that class is going to be boring because I was in that class last year, and the administrative office puts all the new kids in it. We keep talking until we are in front of the door for our next class. I tell her to go talk to the professor and I go take my seat all the way up of the classroom. I can feel Desiree following me but I am already used to the feeling. “Do you think she will be our friend?” I ask Desiree. She just shrugs and looks at me. “You’re not going to forget about me will you?” I am shocked after she says this. She should know that she is my best friend no matter what happens. I hit her with my elbow and say “Of course I won’t. Even in death, you're my best friend.” During the entire class I am writing notes and Desiree is trying to make me laugh and talking to me. At the near end of the lesson, she goes down by the professor and mimics him. When the bell rings she comes back up to me and when she gets by my side, my phone goes off. I see it is a text from Andy. I unlock my phone and read his text. It read “Hey Samantha, I can’t wait to see you later after I deal with Cheyanne. I will be by your dorm around 7. Luv u <3” I look at Desiree and she says “You should call him and ask what he is doing around 7. See if he will lie to you.” I nod and I call him when he answers, he says,
“Hey sweetie, what’s up?”
“Oh nothing just got out of world history.”
“Yeah, that class is boring.”
“Yeah it is. Babe I got a question, what are you doing around 7 tonight? I could really use a movie night.” he pauses at this then eventually says
“Oh I would love to, but I can’t because I have a lot of homework and need to study for a exam tomorrow.”
“Oh ok then. I guess I will see you tomorrow then.” then we hang up. I look over at Desiree and I think I can see steam coming from her ears. She tells me that “We are not going to let him get away with this.” She tells me that we will go to Samantha’s dorm room and wait for him to show, then if he does, we walk into the room a few minutes afterwards. So I nod and go on to my next class.