Echoes never die

Chapter 1

In advance I'm really sorry about all of the grammar and spelling mistakes. I bet there are many, probably even in this sentence.

Pearls of water drip down my face, clinging to my lashes and sparking in the light. I stare into the mirror taking in everyone of my imperfect features. Somedays are worse than others today is one of those days, one of the days where when I look at myself all I can think is ugly, ugly, ugly. My pale chapped lips, strange blue, gray, green eyes, tangled blonde hair, a face full of small pimples.I sigh and dry off my face. If only my brain would shut up sometimes.

I slip into the dress. Me and my mom found it at some random store in town. Its honestly really pretty, a moss green dress with lighter green flowers all over the fabric and a bow that you can tie around the waist. It smells like those sticks that they burn in spas and like something else that I can't put my finger on.

"hey Mama, can you braid my hair?" I poke my head out of the bathroom and stare into the big open space beyond. "sure Grace, one second," answers my moms voice from the distant reaches of the kitchen. I stare into the mirror again, getting lost in the small details of my face, trying to describe them. Finally my mom comes in and gets to work at my hair. I watch her fingers as the weave the strands over and under each other until two perfect small braids hand on either side of my face. "your welcome," says Mama.

My mom is kind of tall and very strong. Our bodies look mostly the same but other than that we are pretty different, her with very dark brown hair so dark it's almost black and an angular face. Where as my face is round and my hair is a bright blonde.

"Can you put these flowers in my hair?" I ask and hold out six vibrant pink flowers. Mama takes them and places them carefully between the weaved strands. I look back up into the mirror, sometimes I feel like I don't know what to do with my body but now clothed in a dress with flowers in my hair it feels like my body finally has a point, to be soft and beautiful.

I tap the home button on my iPod and the home screen flashes up the numbers 5:49 glowing brightly up at me. I sweep out of the bathroom my dress swishing softly at my calfs. "Papa, let's go," I inform my father, who is currently staring at his phone, his back inches away from the blazing fireplace in our living room. "I'm coming, I'm coming," He says and stands up, straitening up to his full imposing height.

"Bye Mama," I call as I step out the door. "Have fun," she answers but I'm not even really paying attention anymore, my mind is swirling around the possible outcomes of todays dance. School dances are always a big drama causer, big is an understatement really. The first dance was really just a giant asking out festival and then come the dance non of the "couples" even danced with each other. Speaking from experience here.

I get into the car, my hand pulling the door shut behind me. "Papa, can I have your phone?" I ask and my dad silently hands me the device as he pulls out of the drive way. I click on the top of liked songs and Glass Animals starts playing out of the speakers as we drive down the spiraling road toward the hotel the dance would be hosted at. I had never been to a dance before I came to this school, let alone one at a hotel. Now I know that they are just pure awkwardness and bad Raley's food.

I watch the cars swish past or be left behind as we rush down the highway. When we pull into the parking lot of the hotel the pre dance panic really sets in. I clutch the necklace that dangles just above my collarbones and hold it tight. "Do you have everything?" asks my dad,"Money, permission slip?". I nod and pat the leather pouch that hangs at my side. "well then, have fun," my dad kisses my forehead, his lips lingering just a second longer than normal. Oh man, those poor parents. Their children growing up so fast, sob, sob.

I open the door and stumble into the cooling air outside, my hand still holding tight to the necklace. "Goodbye," calls my dad out the window and when I enter the building I'm pretty sure he's still standing there. Inside there is a table and then a doorway decorated in what looks like a doorway of balloons. I can hear the music throbbing from inside.

This is where shit gets real people.