Before I Die

Chapter 2

"Knock! Knock!"

3 second pass...

"It's Emily!!!" I heard a familiar shout behind the door.

I knew it was her! Who else would come knocking on people's doors at 7:30am on a Sunday?!?

Oh wait! How stupid of me. Again. I forget to introduce her too! "Wait Emily. I'll be there in a second."

Well, Emily has been my neighbour for...umm...since I was born!

I call her Em as a nickname since I was 3 and learning to talk. I never knew how to say her name so I just called her Em, now I'm so used to calling her Em, that I still do!

Our mums were besties in college. That's why we have known eachother for so long. We were together as babies, toddlers, kids and know even as teenagers. Practically our whole life.

Our biggest dream is to got to Rome together, in Italy. That's where our mums went to college. We want to visit the city so badly, especially the colosseum!!!

Now I better open the door or she will start shouting my name and wake my whole family.

I know her too well.

I stand up and walk to the front door. Then open the door and let her in.

There she is looking at me with her usual big smile on her face, more like a grin I suppose. I can see from the look in her eyes that she knew that she would be waking me up by coming over.

"Hey there Cath!" She smiles suspiciously. "I have something exciting to

show you, real bad! I guess it wouldn't be rude to ask you: May I come in?"

"Sure, come in. You are always welcome. What's so exciting...?" I reply, then yawn really loudly.

We run up the stairs, to my room. We sit on my bed. Just like we usually did when we were 7, playing with our Barbie Dolls in the sweet, violet doll house.

She lifts out a piece of paper from her pocket. Her smile slightly turns in a frown. "I've been writing this since last night, thinking about you. It's a list with all the things we have to do together before you turn 18."

I smile.

Hugging and squeezing her is the only thing I can think about doing know. Where will I find another person like her? Not a single bit selfish, caring and sweet towards me. I don't want her to feel sad about me. She has her own things to think about. Like her dad's death.

I am only a useless, lost cause. People without hope say, I just can't be cured.

That's not me.