2 months earlier...
“Hey Dad, I'm home!” Rose exclaimed with the front door of her house closing behind her. There was no answer. That was weird. “Dad? You home?” Still no answer. She raced to the living room, to see her Dad laying on the couch. It didn't look like he was breathing.
Rose screamed at the top of her lungs, when a huge gasp escaped from her father's lips and he jumped up and hugged her saying, “Haha! Got you!” Rose had tears coming down her face. “Hey, Squirt, don't worry. Hey, hey, sh. Calm down. It's ok! I was just kidding! It was a joke. Guess not a very good one,” he said with with an apologetic smile.
“Dad you can't do that to me! I thought you were... dead,” she whispered.
“I'm sorry, Squirt, really I am. It was just a little joke. You ok?” he asked.
“Yeah, I'm ok,” Rose said, wiping away her tears.
Mr. Kelley stepped over to the kitchen and opened the fridge. His arms reached inside and clasped a silver tray with little, pink roses on it. Covering the tray were a pile of chocolate chip cookies, with a small, pink, icing flower on top each. This was Rose's favorite treat.
“Ooooo! Yay! Thank you, Daddy!” Rose jumped up and down, clapping her hands in delight. She grabbed a cookie off the tray and stuffed it into her mouth. She finished the whole thing in two bites.
“Hey, slow down, Squirt! Don't wanna get a stomach ache! Plus, you need to enjoy it!”
“Fine,” Rose said with a giggle. She grabbed another cookie, and this time ate it in several bites. She devoured two more cookies after that, and then swung her backpack off her shoulder and placed it on a stool by the counter. There, she sat down and took out her planner.
“I only have math tonight! That should only take, like, 10 minutes max!” Rose said excitedly.
“Do you wanna have a Peace-Keeper marathon tonight then? There's only five more episodes of the season! What do you think? You, me, and Mom, with a roaring fire, hot cocoa and lots of Peace-Keeper?” Mr. Kelley asked. (Peace-Keeper is their favorite tv show. It's a mystery show about an FBI agent who everyone calls the peace-keeper because he is amazing at solving crimes and working with people.)
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, and double yes! Sounds amazing! I'll just run upstairs and take a quick shower, because I am just so sweaty from soccer practice!”
“Okey-dokey! Don't be too long! You still have your math homework, and Mom comes home at 6:30, so we need to make dinner! I simply cannot make it by myself – you know what will happen if I do that!” Rose's dad laughed.
“Yuck! That will never happen again! I'll be as fast as I can!” Rose sprinted up the stairs and moments later the rush of water was heard.
Mr. Kelley shook his head and laughed, “What would I do without her?” He pulled out a pan, a box of spaghetti, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, and some cherry tomatoes, and placed them on the counter. Then he plopped down at his computer and read an email from the head of the school he worked at.

“And I am back!” Rose exclaimed, only 5 minutes later.
“Wow! That was certainly quick!”
“Yep! Math time, now!” Rose searched through her backpack, grabbed her math textbook, binder and a pencil and opened it up to page 137.

“I'm home!” Mrs. Kelley shouted as she entered into the house.
“Ugh. I wish she would just stay at her stupid lawyer job and never come home. I hate how she pretends to be all sweet and loving and just... Ugh!” Rose mumbled.
However, her dad heard her. “Hey! That is no way to speak of her! Just try to be nice to your mom,” he said with a pleading look.
“She is most certainly NOT my mom!” Rose whispered angrily, and stomped upstairs to her room.
“What was that all about?” Mrs. Kelley asked.
“Oh, nothing. Just another little teen girl tantrum. You know how they get sometimes,” he said.
“Ok. Well doesn't that smell fantastic! What is it? Wait, no, let me guess. Spaghetti? No, lasagna. No, I was right the first time. It's definitely Rose's famous, delicious spaghetti. Am I right?”
“Right as always!” exclaimed Rose's dad. “Hey, Squirt, can you please come down? Dinners ready, and we don't want your amazing spaghetti getting cold!”
Rose came down slowly, as if she wanted to stay as far away from them the longest time possible. She slid into her seat, as the other two joined her. She served herself a mountain of spaghetti, then passed it onto her dad.
“So, I heard its Peace-Keeper marathon night! Does that still sound good?” her mom asked.
Rose perked up at the sound of Peace-Keeper. “Yes, yes, yes!!! Definitely! We need to see if Andrew Matthews gets locked up, and if the big fight continues between Sara and Peter! Its just all so exciting!!!”
Anne and Luis Kelley smiled at each other, happy that their daughter was once more in a great mood.
Once their stomachs were full, they gathered in the living room for their half-marathon. Luis creating a blazing fire that warmed up the cold room. Rose lay down on the side sofa, and Luis and Anne sat next to each other on the front sofa. Blankets wrapped around them, with mugs of hot cocoa in their hands, they started Peace-Keeper. It was a great night, for everyone.

Beep!
From: Lily
“Hey! Ready for school? Meet me at Flower St. corner in 5 min”

Beep!
From: Rose
“K! Come earlier pls- mom prob”

Beep!
From: Lily
“Got it! So sry :(“

Beep!
From: Rose
“Thanks so much :)”

“So, what's up with the new Mrs. Kelley?” Lily asked as she came running up to Flower St. corner.
“Ugh! She is sooo annoying! She keeps trying to be all nice and mom 'ish. You know what I mean? I just hate how shes trying to replace my mom. And what I hate even more is that my dad seems to have completely forgotten 'bout my real mom,” Rose suddenly burst into tears.
“Oh, Rose! I'm so sorry!” Lily wrapped her arms around her, giving her a comforting hug. “Hey, you know, I really don't think Mr. Kelley has really forgotten about your mom. I think he just married the new Mrs. Kelley to try to soften the pain. When your mom died it didn't only hurt you, it hurt him too. You know that, right? He waited a good year before dating someone again. I think he just needed another companion, and he met your new 'mom' and she seems to help him a lot. He knows that your real mom can never be replaced. Rose, it's really gonna be ok. I'll always be here for you, you know that. And so will your dad. I know you don't like her, but it'll be ok. It really will,” Lily said comforting.
Rose wiped her tears and whispered, “Thanks so much, Lily. You're really an awesome best friend, you know that right?”
“Thanks. We'll always be the Petal Sisters. I will never leave you.” (The Petal Sisters is the name they gave themselves. They're both named after flowers, and they both live on Flower St. When they were little they thought that was amazing so they named themselves the Petal Sisters and it kinda stuck. They promised each other that no matter what, they would never leave each other. They were closer than sisters.)
The two girls skipped up to school together. Yeah, life was hard for Rose. But Lily made it so much easier. She kept her sane. Lily kept her alive.

“Hey Rose, it does no good to just stay in there crying. Mrs. Laine is wondering where you are. She sent me to come get you. Rose, you ok? What happened?” Lily stood outside the bathroom stall Rose was in, trying to get her to come out.
“I don't want to go back to class.”
“But you've been gone for 30 minutes! Shes really starting to get worried. Come out, please Rose.”
The stall door swung open, creaking loudly. As Rose stepped out, Lily gasped and wrapped her arms tightly around Rose. Rose's eyes were big, red and puffy. Her whole face was blotchy and very, very red. It looked like she had been crying for days.
“What happened?!” Lily asked, very concerned.
“Mrs. Laine was talking to me about an extra credit project I could do to bump my grade up 'cause its been dropping a lot lately and the project was... the project was... the project was to write about memories of my mom and that kinda hit me really hard and I... I...” Rose burst into tears again.
“Oh, Rose! I'm so sorry! It's gonna be ok! Hey, hey, Rose I think it may be time to get over this... It's causing way to much pain. Like maybe try to forget or...”
Rose pushed away from Lily. Hers tears dried instantly and her face filled with hatred. “FORGET?! FORGET???!!! YOU WANT ME TO FORGET MY MOM?!”
“Wait, no that's not what I meant-”
“No! You don't get to speak! That is totally NOT ok! Are you serious, Lily?! I thought you were my friend! My petal sister! And you want me to just forget the most amazing person ever, just like... just like that?! Do you know how hard this is?! MY MOM DIED! RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! SHE HAD A HEARTATTACK! ON MY BIRTHDAY! LILY ELIZABETH WHITE, GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW! What you just said is not forgivable. It may be nothing to you, but it is EVERYTHING to me. No. Out. I do not want to speak to you right now... or ever! OUT!” Rose screamed at Lily like never before.
Lily ran out in complete shock. She did not know what had just happened. Had she just lost her best friend, forever? Maybe that was just a meltdown and she'll forget all about it soon.
But she didn't. Rose couldn't forget those words. Those horrible, piercing words. Her best friend – well, x best friend now – wanted her to forget the death of her mother! Many times she had considered just forgetting about what Lily had said and making up but she just... couldn't. She meant what she had said. What she said was simply unforgivable.

“Knock knock. Hey, Squirt. Can I come in?” Mr. Kelley stood outside Rose's bedroom.
“Yeah,” replied Rose quietly.
“What's up?” He sat down next to Rose on her bed. On her lap was a large scrapbook will pictures covering every page. Rose was flipped to a particular page. The page her and her mom had made together only days before she had died. In the top left corner was a picture of them together at the annual county fair, each with candy apples in their hands. In the top right corner was a picture of them when she was little with her new cat, Skippy. (Skippy died two years later) Bottom left corner was a picture of them on one of their Sunday afternoon outings. They were laying down on the grass, heads together, looking up at the sky laughing hysterically. This was the week before she died.  The last picture was the three of them, Mom, Dad and Rose. This picture was a late addition. They're faces glowed so brightly, they were all so happy, without a care in the world. This photo was of them cooking Rose's birthday cake. For her 14th birthday. This was only three hours before her mom would sit on the couch to watch Peace-Keeper as a family for Rose's birthday, and have a small heart attack. She then became unconscious and was rushed to the hospital.
After two hours of no progress, she woke up. Her eyes fluttered open and the family's hearts leaped with joy. She whispered faintly, “I love you two so much. Never forget that. Stay together, and remember that the one's who love you are the one's you can trust. Never forget me. See ya later in Heaven,” and with that her eyes suddenly shut and a BEEP BEEP BEEP went off on the machine she was hooked up to.
  Doctors rushed around her, blocking the family's view from her. The piercing beeping sound stopped at last. But what came next was a trillion times worse. The doctor whispered, “I'm so sorry. She's gone. Her heart just... stopped... There's nothing we could do.” Rose screamed at the top of her lungs. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. Her dad hugged her so tight she could barely breath. But maybe that's because she was so shocked, so upset, so devastated. The two of them lay next to Mrs. Kelley, sobbing for hours. Only when the doctors told them they had to leave was when they finally let go. They cried and cried for the next few weeks.

When the two of them looked down at these pictures, their eyes instantly filled with tears. “Why did you separate from Lily so suddenly? What happened?” He whispered.
“She told me to forget mom... That I just need to get over her... I will never forget what Mom said when she...” Rose could not continue any longer.
“Never forget me,” they said together.
“Dad, are you forgetting Mom because of your new wife?” Rose asked.
“Oh, Squirt, no, no, no. I will never forget your mother. Ever. I met Anne and she really helped me through this difficult time. I just fell in love with her, Rose. So, I married her. But, I asked you first, remember? And you said yes.”
“Yeah I know but... It feels like she's been replaced,” replied Rose.
“Listen to me. Your mother was a very special woman, and she will forever be in my heart. No one will ever replace her. She was the most wonderful, special person I have ever met. Her smile lit up the whole room, no one around her could possibly feel upset. She was so caring, so loving, so amazing. You know, you look just like her. Those bright green eyes and long, dark brown hair. You're growing up to be so much like her. It's really amazing. You're amazing, Rose. I can't imagine going through all of what you've been through at such a young age. Thank you for hanging in with me. It really means a lot,” Mr. Kelley bent over and hugged Rose.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Anytime, Squirt. Know that I will always be here for you, whenever you need me.”
“Yup. Thanks so much.”
“Goodnight, Squirt,” Mr. Kelley bent down and kissed Rose's forehead and took the scrapbook and placed it on her cluttered desk. On the way out he flicked off the light.
“Goodnight, Daddy. I don't know what I'd do without you,” Rose whispered as he left the room.

"Dad, I'm home!" Rose skipped into the kitchen happily. She had a great day, she didn't even know why it was such a good day. It just... Was. Rose grabbed a flower cookie from the fridge and devoured it in seconds.
"Dad, can you help me with my science homework tonight?" There was no answer. "Dad? You there?"
Rose saw her dad lying on the couch. He looked just like he had the day she thought he had been dead. "Dad, not again! Just get up! Dad, seriously, you can stop with the joke now! Wow, Dad you can really hold your breath for a long time! Dad... Dad just stop!" No breath was coming out... The room was silent and he was not answering. She crouched down and shook him as hard as she could. "Dad wake up!!!! Dad! Dad!" Tears came pouring down her face.
Rose reached in her pocket and grabbed her cellphone. Beep beep beep. She typed in her mom's cellphone number. It rang for what seemed like an eternity, and finally she picked up.
"Hey, Rose! What's up?" Mrs. Kelley asked.
Rose started sobbing, finding it very hard to speak. "You have to come home... Dad is... Dad is..."
"Rose, what's wrong? I'm in the middle of work!"
"You have to come home right now. I think Dad is... I think Dad is dead..."
"Oh my goodness, Rose! I'll be right there! Don't panic, I'm leaving right now!" Rose could hear the fear in her mom's voice, and how she had started to cry.
Rose still was knelt beside her Dad, sobbing. She lay her head down on her Daddy's chest, right where his heart should have been beating. She cried like never before right then.

8 minutes later Mrs. Kelley came rushing in the door. She raced into the living room, and what she saw made her cry even harder. She saw her daughter sobbing over the body of her dead husband. She never imagined this would happen, not now.
Mrs. Kelley stepped over to Rose and knelt beside her. Her hand slid over to where Rose's head was, over by Luis's heart. "Rose was right. He's actually dead..." She thought to herself..
Anne's hands lifted Rose's head up. "I'm so sorry, Rose. I wish I had been here. You know that I will always be here for you, right? I hope I can be even a bit close to how great your mother was."
"YOU WILL NEVER BE MY MOTHER YOU WILL NEVER BE AS GREAT AS HER YOU ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO HER! NO, GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" Rose screamed at her mother, and sprinted out the door, leaving Anne sitting there, sobbing over Luis.
Rose ran as fast as she could, on and on. She didn't know when to stop, but she didn't want to stop running. She wanted to run away from all of her problems, run until her lungs exploded and her heart was officially crushed into a million pieces like it felt like had already been done.
When she finally stopped, she was outside a department store. "This life has no point to it. I will not push through the excruciating pain of life any longer. I just can't." Rose stepped into the department store as calmly as she could and stepped into the isle with kitchen appliances.
On one shelf was multiple different knifes, different shapes and sizes. She picked a medium size one with an extremely sharp blade. The handle was bright, blood red.
She looked up and saw another girl about her age, picking out a blade as well. Her face was streaked with tears just like her own face was likely looking. She doubted it was for using in the kitchen. She was about to leave when the girl spoke. "Hey. My name's April, what's yours?"
"Rose..."
"I'm guessing your getting that knife for the same reason as me."
"Ya, I guess," I replied.
"I'm really sorry... You know, for the thing that's making you do this."
"It's fine... It's obviously not yours, or anyone's fault so don't worry about it..."
"Well maybe we could help each other. Here's my phone number. Text or call me whenever you want - I'm out of school so really anytime. Maybe we can help each other get through these hard days." April handed a little piece of paper to Rose, with her number written down on it.
"Ok. Thanks... I guess..."
Rose and April brought their knives to the counter. Rose carried it out of the store and slid it into her pocket. This is where it stayed for the next three weeks.

It had been a week, and all Rose had done was sit in her bed for hours sobbing. Oh, and text her new friend, April. She knew April was a stranger, but she really comforted her. She was able to tell her everything. Everything about Lily, her former and present mom, and her dad dying. It was so relieving to be able to just let it all out. They got to know each other as the hard days went by.
But no matter what, the feeling of having her heart broken into a million little pieces, the feeling that nothing could ever fix it, never went away.

"Hey, Rosie. Can I come in?" Mrs. Kelley stood by Rose's door.
"Ya, whatever. I don't care," Rose said, wiping away the tears from her face.
"You ok?" Anne Kelley asked.
"What do you think?" Rose hated the "are you ok?" question. 'Like, do they think I'm ok?! My mom and dad died! I lost my best friend! How could I possibly be ok?!' This is what she always thought when her new mom asked her this, which was about five million times a day.
"I know this is hard-"
"Hah. No kidding. What do you want?" Rose was hating her mom more and more every day.
"I just wanted to say... To say that I really do love you and I'm here for you."
"Great. Thanks. That's really great, really. Anything else you wanna tell me, perhaps something you haven't told me a bagillion times yet?"
"Um no... I guess not... I'm so sorry," and with that Mrs. Kelley left the room, very upset that she wasn't able to comfort her daughter.

Beep!
From: Lily
"Hey"

Rose picked up her phone, hoping it was April, but it wasn't. She dropped the phone back onto her bed.

Beep!
From: Lily
"Hey rose im reallyyyyy srry. Like really really really really really x 1 million srrys. Seriously. I didnt mean wat i said. Rose please answer me."

Knock, knock, knock! Lily opened Rose's door a little. "Hey, Rose. Your um... mom let me in."
"Leave. I don't want to see you. I thought I made that perfectly clear."
"I know but... I just had to see you. I miss you so much. I never meant to hurt you! Your my best friend and-"
"You are NOT my best friend. You wanted me to FORGET my mom!"
"No... No... I am so sorry. I never meant to upset you... I didn't mean what I said. Rose you are everything to me. You've been my petal sister since we were 2 when I moved here! That's over a decade!"
"I know! I can do math you know. I'm not stupid."
"I know Rose, I know. I know that you've gotten straight A's since... Forever! Until your mom died, and that's when your grades became more like B's and C's. If you ever were told this, you would never, EVER have believed. I know you! You never used to hold grudges or... Or be sad or anything. I'm really sorry and never wanted to hurt you. You know that! Where's that little, innocent, happy, friendly girl I became sisters with all those years ago?!" Lily began to cry, hoping that Rose would forgive her.
"That girl is gone! My mom and dad are dead! I have gone through so much... So, so much. I have been through more than you could ever imagine. Ok, I've let you apologize. Countless times. But no, I'm sorry, but I don't forgive you. You know what, no I'm not sorry. It's not my fault you betrayed me. It's not my fault my parents are dead! I didn't ask for any of this! Leave, Lily. And never, EVER come back!" Rose stood up, pushed her out of the room, and slammed the door behind her.
Rose dropped down on her bed, and sobbed. She cried and cried and cried for the rest of the afternoon and night.
But she wasn't the only one. Lily cried like never before that afternoon and night.
And so did Mrs. Kelley. She wanted her husband back. She wanted her daughter to listen to her. She wanted to be able to comfort her daughter. But she couldn't. No, no one could. Rose had hardened her heart, unable to forgive or love. It was a burden that she can't get rid of or fix on her own.

It had been a long night of sobbing and pain and it was just... Torture. But she had to go to school. It had been 2 weeks, and she had to go back to school, else she would flunk everything. Rose Kelley never flunked. Yes, she got C's, but never F's. It was time to enter prison, but really, it couldn't be any worse than the prison of her own room, locked in with only her thoughts.
Rose slid on the pair of jeans she had been wearing on the death day, and then pulled on a huge, black sweatshirt. A brush was yanked through her hair, and eventually given up on. She stumbled down the stairs for the first time in a week, and made a quick berry smoothie, which she gulped down as fast as she could. She did not want to see her mom that morning. She just wanted to leave. The cup was thrown into the sink, and the door was slammed behind her.
She slowly trudged to school, her mind wandering to a million places. It felt weird to be wearing a backpack. She hadn't done that in a while.
A cold, wintery wind swept through the air, whipping her face. Her small, delicate, shivering hands slid into her jean pockets, where her fingers met the blade she had placed in their weeks ago. Countless times she had taken the knife out, she had even found a spot in a dark alley 15 minutes away to kill herself in, but she couldn't do it. She didn't even know why. She just... Couldn't do it. Something inside her was holding her back.
Bzzzz.... Her phone vibrated in her back pocket.

From: April
"Hey! Do you wanna grab some frozen yogurt after skool? My treat! :)"

Beep!
From: Rose
"Hey! Sounds good. 1st day of skool in a wile 4 u 2?"

Beep!
From: April
"Yup... Cant b much worse then being stuck at home"

Beep!
From: Rose
"My thoughts exactly"

Beep!
From: April
"C ya at 4 at the corner of River St."

Beep!
From: Rose
"K"

"Oh my goodness I really don't know what I would do without April. She's just... Amazing! She totally gets me! When were with each other were so much happier because we actually feel like we understand each other," Rose said to herself as she walked up to school.

Ding-a-ling! 1st period - Algebra 2. Easy. Normally, Rose's hand shot up into the air at every question but now... Silence is the key to being invisible, and right now, Rose definitely wanted to be invisible.
And it was working! Throughout the entire day, not a single teacher called on her, not a single student talked to her. Just the way she wanted. Perfect.

Ding-a-ling! "Finally school is over!" Rose thought in her head. She grabbed her bag and rushed out of the room. She walked as fast as she possibly could out of the building, the started sprinting to River St.
"Rose!" Someone yelled. Rose halted, spinning around to see who called her. It was Lily.
"Hey! I see your back in school!"
"Yup..." Rose turned and continued walking. Lily never gave up though. She sprinted up to Rose, walking in sync with her. "Go away! Haven't I made it clear I haven't forgiven you?!"
"Ya, you have. But I miss you. Can I at least walk with you, in silence if you want, to wherever your rushing to?" Lily begged.
"Fine. Whatever," Rose replied harshly, walking speedily towards where her and April were meeting.
"So, where are you going?" Lily asked, persistently. No answer. "Fine. I guess silence is what you want."
They walked step by step, Rose completely ignoring Lily. Truthfully, Rose missed this. She missed walking with her best friend. But would she ever tell Lily that? No. Never.
The sign for River St. was right ahead but... No April. Just a woman, who, as she walked closer, looked more and more like an older version of April. Huh. That's weird.
Once April got to the sign, the woman waved to her, calling her by name.
"Hi, Rose. I know you don't know me, but I'm April's aunt. She wanted to let you know... Let you know that her Dad just died..."
Rose gasped, so shocked. "I'm so, so sorry!"
"Ya... Well... After it happened she... She committed suicide. I'm so sorry, Rose. I know you two were getting close. In her death letter she left she specifically told me to tell you this in person. I'm so, so sorry."
Rose burst into tears. She felt light-headed. She couldn't believe it. This was just death after death.
Rose started sprinting, faster and faster, towards her home. She just had to get home. She had a letter to write now.
Still sobbing uncontrollably, she entered the empty house and galloped up the stairs to her room. With a paper and pen out, she wrote her suicide letter.

Dear new Mom,
My mom, dad, and now my best friend have all died. (April just killed herself. Wait you don't know who that is. Never mind. You wouldn't care anyways) I can't handle this anymore. There is no point to life. I have no friends. I'm so sorry if I ever hurt you, I really never meant to. I am truly sorry. I'm sorry that your whole family has died, but
now you know what I felt like. I hope you have a great life. Please don't worry about me, I'll probably already be dead when you read this. Please tell Lily that she has been an amazing friend all these years, and that I am sorry for not forgiving her. I just can't get
past what she said to me. Please tell Lily yourself. I'm really sorry, but life is way too torturous. Goodbye.
- Rose

"Well that's that," Rose whispered. She folded the letter and placed it into an envelope, then put it on her perfectly neat bed. Checking that the knife was still in her pocket, she left the house, saying goodbye to everything as she walked. "Goodbye room. Goodbye house. Goodbye Flower St." And on and on just like that.
She walked on and on. She finally felt ready to die. Now she realized what was holding her back. April. She had grown such a strong connection to April that she didn't want to let go. But now she could. Rose Kelley was ready to die.

​ She walked on and on, alone, tired, and hurt. Her heart was aching like never before. If she just looked around she would see that she was never alone, but maybe she wanted everything to end. Maybe that's why she kept walking, farther and farther into the cold, dark world. Maybe she just wanted to die. And that's easier to do when you think no one will miss you. All she knew, was that she just wanted to end the pain and misery she was going through.
​ She quickened her pace, just wanting to reach her destination. On and on she walked. Oh how she wished this walk was shorter. But she had to find her perfect spot she had picked out weeks ago.
Her mind wandered to her perfectly clean room, where a goodbye letter was placed on her bed. She shook her head, trying to erase that thought,
the thought of her mom reading that letter. But would she cry while reading it? No. She didn't care about her. She never had.
​ The girl glanced up. There she was. Her corner. It was a dark alley, dusty, moldy, and very cold. She raced into it, hoping no one had seen her. In the far right corner was a chair, hard, wooden, and spider-webbed. She brushed off the sticky webs and sat down. ​ Her hand slid into her pocket once more. Her fingers closed around the handle
and pulled it out. Rose raised the knife to her neck. "I will finally be reunited with
all of you," she whispered. She began to press down with the knife, when a piercing scream came from the end of the alley. All she could see was the silhouette, and it yelled, "No Rose, you mustn’t!"
Her hand jerked, making a small cut in her neck. The person at the end
came walking towards her. It was Lily. "You can't do this!" Lily shouted.
"Ya, I can. What's the point of living, anyways? It's just painful. What is the point if I have absolutely nothing to live for?" Rose asked, raising the knife to her neck once more.
"Stop! You do have something to live for! You have a best friend who loves you more than you could EVER imagine! Seriously, I can't live without you. You are everything in my life. Without you, I'm nothing. Absolutely nothing. You are my petal sister! I NEED YOU!!! No, you don't have Dad, and barely a Mom. But... But you have me! I asked my mom, and your mom, and they said you could come live with me! Your mom is moving away, back to New York, where she used to live. I want you to live with me! Then we would truly be sisters! Seriously! My parents are ligit willing to adopt you! Rose, I need you in my life!!! Please, don't kill youself. Please," Lily wept, trying to convince Rose.
Rose was sobbing by now. How could she not forgive Lily?! She obviously hadn't meant what she had said. Rose forced a weak smile, and Lily ran, huge smile on her face, and wrapped her arms around Rose.
"I'm sorry, Lily. I'm sorry for not forgiving you. I'm sorry for ignoring you. I need you too! I forgive you, Lily. And yes! Yes, yes, yes! I will move in with you! That is like... A dream! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You are the best friend ever!!!" They cried for what felt like an eternity, still hugging. Finally, they were able to control themselves again.
"By the way, how did you know I was here?" Rose asked.
"I knew after April died you would want to kill yourself, so I followed you to your house, hid outside, then followed you to this place."
"Oh. Thanks. Can we make a promise to never leave eachother ever again?"
"Together forever and always!" Lily said, as they once again hugged.
Lily was like the peace-keeper. She always fixed everything. She kept Rose alive. And Rose was forever in her debt. The two girls walked home, arms linked. They would never be seperated again.
Once home, Rose raced into her house, finding her mom in her room, sobbing while reading the letter over and over.
"Hey Mom," Rose whispered.
Mrs. Kelley jumped, letter falling out of her hand. She raced to Rose and gave her the biggest hug she ever had. "I thought... I thought..."
"Ya, I know. Lily saved me. Um, so Lily told me you were moving back to New York... Without me. And that I would live with Lily now. Is that true?" Rose asked.
"Oh... Yes. It is. I love you so much, but am not oblivious of how you feel about me. It's ok. I know I can never truly be your mom because, well, you've already got one. She's in Heaven, but she's still your real mom. I realize that. I will help you pack your things so you can move into Lily's house."
"Thank you so much," whispered Rose.
Together, and with the help of Lily, they packed all of her things and had her moved in a few days.

"Goodbye," Rose waved as her "mom" drove away to the airport to leave for New York.
"Come on, it's time for lunch, Rose!" Mrs. Andrews, Lily's, and now Rose's, mom yelled from inside the house.
Rose skipped inside and jumped onto the kitched stool. There she was given a sandwich, which she gobbled down. She ran upstairs and collapsed on her new bed. This would be a very different, much happier life for Rose. She had her best friend as her sister, along with some new half-parents that really cared for her.
Her life was almost perfect. But Rose was ok with that. Who really has a perfect life? No one. Rose and Lily stayed best friends for forever. They lived together
until their mid-twenties, which is when they got married. But they were still next door neighbors.
They kept their promise to each other. Together forever and always.