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                                                  Part 1: The Dream 

        Slowly I opened my eyes, as my clock spinned into view. It was just 3 minutes off of 5:00am. For the next 3 minutes, I just laid there, staring at the ceiling. I suddenly jumped at what sounded like a gun, shooting into the morning air. I was already breathing fairly hard, because before I woke, I had the same dream that I've been having for almost 2 months. I shivered at the fact that I was trying to remember it. As I laid in my bed breathing as softly as I could, I thought about my dream.
       It always starts out where I'm in my room, but there was nothing in my room, except for my mirror. It stood tall in the far corner of my room. With out hesitating I walked toward it. With my feet shaking, and my heart racing, I looked into the mirror, but nothing was there I walked fully around the mirror, staring it up and down. I placed my hand as gently as I could on the glass. My heart started racing again. When I took my hand away I saw that someone else in side the glass had their hand where I once held mine. slowly, again I reach out my hand to place it on the glass where the other hand was resting. I jumped back after feeling the body heat of the other hand dance around and in between my fingers. I leaned my head in closer so I could see who was inside my mirror. I was only inches away from the glass when, it suddenly broke. It shattered across the floor in front of me, leaving nothing but broken glass. 
       Then everything went black.      
       
                                                      Part 2: Without a Goodbye

       Again, my eyes were open. my mother was by my window folding back my shades.  "Good morning." I said with a slight moan, as I struggled to sit up in my bed. My heart suddenly dropped when I saw her face. Her eyes were full of tears and her hands were shaking. She drew in a quivering breath as if to say something, but let it out before she could. Finally she whispered something in a soft voice,
     "He's gone." she suddenly grabbed her stomach and held over my trash. Quickly I jumped out of bed, sending one of my pillows flying onto the floor. As I ran out my room, I gave nothing more than a side ways glance at my mirror, watching my reflection fly pass. My mother called after me, "He's gone, Vera. He's gone." I heard her voice getting closer as I stopped to look in my father office. I continued running down the stairs then out of the front door.
       "Please Vera, stop running. He's gone." her words hit the back of my neck like ice, sending instant pain down my spine. 
       Although the air had a 5:00am chill, I kept running. Though, I didn't make it much father because of the fence. I tried to unlock it, but my hands kept shaking. My head was spinning and I couldn't think straight. I only lasted a few seconds on my feet before the ground rushed up to meet me.
       Back inside, my mother and I sat on the couch, my head resting on her lap as she gently stroke the front of my hair.
     "He left," my voice was flat, but I continued. "He left without saying goodbye."
     "Oh baby," she sighed. "Your father, as well as the rest of the world, has no idea of what is to come in the near feature. Which is why we should spend as much time as we can with one another, because with life, there is always a beginning and an end. we can predict when the beginning will start, but the end is almost always a secret." She always had this way of turning words around to make them sound even more beautiful than they really were.
     "Well," she continued as she stood up. "The world will continue to spin, but if we plant our feet where we are now, we'll never know where our life will lead us." She was right, she was always right.

                                                 Part 3: Memories that Last

       I sat in the far corner of my room, breathing softly into my hands. I remembered my dad. I thought of his voice, kind and relaxed. Don't cry, he would say, I will never leave you. Then he would hold my face close to his, but if one day I do have to go, then I will always remember to say goodbye. I promise. Then he would gently kiss my nose and remind me that everything was going to be alright. I bit my lip trying as hard as I could not to cry. I suddenly jumped as the sound of the doorbell crowded the hallway and rushed into my room. I watched my clock turn from 8:44 to 8:45. I didn't want to think of who could be at my doorstep, especial after my father was just killed.
     I walk down stairs landing each foot on every step that passed. I slowly opened the door. suddenly my heart felt lighter and I swallowed heard. my mouth dropped.
     "Alex?" I chocked. "What are you doing here?"
     "Your mom called me around 6:40 and told me what happen. I left school to see if you were ok."
     "Oh, uh, I-I'm fine thanks." I stuttered. He looked closely around the room.
     "Your mom home?" He asked, still watching my backgrounds.
     "Uh, no." I quickly glanced over his shoulder for my moms car, but it was gone. He took another step towards me. Carefully, he watched for what my next move would be.
     "So are you going to let me in, or should I go?" I widened the door and motioned for him to pass. He rested his back against the wall. "Your mom said that your dad had a little accident." he paused. "Want to tell me your side of the story?" I locked the door behind me, then I sat on the couch staring into his eyes. He held his head back, touching the wall. He closed his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets.
     "He was killed." I suddenly felt stupid as the words stumbled out of my own mouth. Besides the police, and the gun shot I heard that morning, I had no proof that they had found my father. Maybe it wasn't my dad, maybe it was. He quickly lifted his head from the wall and sat next to me. He held my face close to his, the same way my father would. My breath was slow and steady. "When I was little girl, he told me that he would never leave without saying goodbye." 
     "Vera, I'm sure your dad would of been pretty happy to of have called you and say how much hes going to miss you, but when your facing a gun, you don't have many choices." Softly, he wiped my eyes with his thumb.
     "But, he promised." He leaned his head in closer.
     "Sometimes promises have to be broken." I leaned in farther, meeting his lips. He brushed my hair back then pausing for breath, but I pulled him closer. Finally we let go, and I rested my head on his lap. He played with my hair for a wile until we both fell asleep.

                                                       part 4: Before the Party

     "Mom?" I moaned trying to sit up straight. "Your back early."
     "Um, I only went to the store down the street." my head was still hearting. I felt Alex sit up beside me.
     "Oh, good morning Mrs. Harrison." He stretched, almost falling off the couch.
     "Good morning Alex" I looked at her confused. She was never ok with Alex in the house when ever she wasn't home. "Don't worry honey, I told him it was ok to come." He got up from the chair and walked toward the door.
     "Thank you for letting me come, but I should go now." I watched as he opened the door. The air outside was warm and gentle, wrapping around my feet. He stopped before closing the door. "Oh Vera, Tianna told me that she's having this party after school, you coming?" Quickly we both glanced at my mother. She pointed her finger at me and narrow her eyes.
     "No later than 10pm." I nodded my head widely.
     "Thank you Mrs. Harrison." He turned his head, facing me. "It starts at 7:30, so I'll pick you up around 7:15."
     "Ok bye." He closed the door behind him as I ran up stairs to get ready. I stopped for only a few seconds, "Thanks mom" I quickly yelled behind me and ran into my room. I picked the pillow that I had dropped this morning and threw it on my bed. I didn't have alot of color options to choose from since my closet only held clothes of either gray, black, or purple. I threw on a light purple dress that ended right above my knee. It was fit, and didn't have straps. It had a black band that went around the top and the bottom of the dress. The dress wore a design of small black flowers. I stepped in front of my mirror, approving of my looks. I watched my mirror closely, then slowly I held out my hand to touch my mirror. The glass was cold, but unlike my dream, there was no other hand and no shattering of glass. I rubbed my hands together, then grabbed my coat and started downstairs, meeting my mother halfway. She watched me closely.
     "What are you wearing?" She looked as if she had just seen me throw up on her foot.
     "I found it in my closet, I haven't worn this in almost 2 years." I brushed passed her, completing the set of stairs.
     "Well, that answers my first question on why it's so short." Now I wished I had thrown up on her foot.
     "whats wrong with my dress?" It was Alex's favorite dress. I wore it the day we met.
     "I don't like it."
     "Well Alex likes it." I'm going to be at a party with Alex, not her. And to give my opinion, I think it looks cute. Alex's car outside made 2 beeps. My mother looked through the window, then slammed the shades back down.
     "what is he doing here? Its 6:40. I thought he said 7:15?"
     "He text me and said that he wanted to get something to eat and hang out first." I could tell that she was getting annoyed with Alex. she tightly crossed her arms and stared at me waiting for my next excuse, but when it never she blurted, 
     "Why would you go out to eat when there is food here in the house?" she took out a bowl and fork. "Tell him to come, there is food here." she carried a large pot to the table.
     "No, I mean thanks but Alex likes going out to eat." He also said he liked being as far away from my mother as possible, but I decided not to share that. I threw on my coat.
     "Thanks for trying to help, but I'm fine." Again she opened her mouth to say something, but before she could I walked out the door, closing it gently behind me.

                                                              Part 5:

     The air was still cool, but I still had this cold feeling running through my body. I close the car door as loud as I could. Still annoyed, I kicked the door with the side of my foot, ignoring the burning pain the shot up my leg, past my knee. I held my bottom lip between my teeth and bit as hard as I could. Although, it was no use in trying to hide my pain.
     "Vera, are you ok?" His voice was worried but his eyes danced with laughter.
     "Stop laughing at me." I hissed
     "I'm not laughing." he said, trying to fight back a smile.
     "But you want to." I muttered. He widened his smile. When I didn't say anything, he took of his cap and placed it backward on my head.
     "So where to?" I felt the car move as he started to drive. I jumped as my phone vibrated in my hand. It was a text from Tianna.
     "The store." I moaned.. He looked confused.
     "Why?" We turned a sharp corner and I fought to keep my body from falling on him
     "Ti said she needed drinks." again my phone rang with vibration. "And whoever is buying, she promises to pay back when we get to her house." He unbuckled and got out the car. I did the same but this time shutting the door gently behind me.
     "She say what kind?" I shook my head.
     "Nope." We walked into the store. It was pretty much empty besides the little girl with her father in one of the aisle.
     "Daddy, can we get this." She said as she held up a bottle of sprite in the direction of her father. Her eyes were bright and hopeful, but they soon turned dark with disappointment as her father spoke.
     "Your mother said no sodas after six, you heard her." he took the drink from the small girl and placed it back on its shelf, but he still held the drink, watching his daughter. She smiled as he gave her back the bottle. Before letting it go he he said, "You never got this from me, ok?" she nodded
     "I love you daddy."
     "Whats going to happen when I'm gone. There's going to be just you and mommy, and when mommy says no, it's no." 
     "But you cant leave me, I need you." she looked as if she was going to cry. Her father bent down to her size. 
     "I know, and I wont." he kissed her forehead and walked her to the desk to pay. don't count on that for too long. I decided not to say that out loud, afraid that they might hear. Suddenly my legs started to melt and I couldn't stand on my own. Alex got board of watching the two strangers so he went to look for drinks. My head began to spin faster and I closed my eyes, ready to vomit.
     "Vera!" Alex grabbed my arm and pulled me back up to my feet. I opened my eyes but all that I could see was the the little girl with her father, but instead of two strangers the little girl was me and that was my father. Faster my surroundings span and images of a thousand mirror shattered before my feet. I coughed as Alex squeezed me against his body. Slowly my head stopped spinning and I found my strength again. "Are you ok? What happened?" His voice was rising.
     "I'm fine, I just had a bad memory. Please Alex stop yelling," I hushed "my head hurts enough."
     "I'm sorry."  He picked up a pack of sodas and showed it to the lady at the desk, then he threw her a 20 dollar bill and we rushed out the store. he dropped the sodas in the back seat and opened the door for me. He started to buckle my seat belt for me.
     "I said I'm fine." My voice came out colder than I had meant for it to be. He went to the drivers seat and backed out of the parking lot.
     " Are you sure your ok?" Was he really going to make me say 'im fine' again? I watched him as his hand continued to shake on the stairing wheel. I gently warmed his hands with my  own.
     "How many times do I have to say im fine for you to believe me?" His eyes told me that he was going to answer that.
     "Seventy-five times, and you can only take 4 breathes, go!" He smiled widely. I tried to fight back a smile.
     "Not funny."
We pulled infront of a white house. Alex grabbed the cans that were in the back.
     "We're here." We got out of the car, music broke through the air. "Ready?" He shouted over the music. I nodded.

                                               part 6:

     The inside of Tianna's house was