"Okay," I sighed, picking up the invitation that was in front of me. "How many people have RSVP'd to Katie's surprise party on Friday night?" "Out of the twenty-five people that we have invited, all of them have replied." My twin sister, Claire, informed. "That's good." Giving my sister a thoughtful look, I asked, "So, out of the twenty-five guests that were invited, how many will be able to make it to the party?" "Twenty-five." "That's good." I replied, breathing a sigh of relief. "That is extremely good." On Friday, Katie Russell, my sister's and my best friend in the entire world, will be...

This is not how it was supposed to go, I thought as I laced up tennis shoes. My friends weren't supposed to abandon me. It was the last game before Christmas break began, and my mind was anywhere else but. As a matter of fact, it's been that way since the beginning of November. Before I get into that, however, let me fill you in on how it all began. On the last week of school, tryouts for the Assistant Captain of the Varsity girl's A basketball team had been held. Due to the fact that only seniors could be the captain of their teams, only juniors could try out for Asst. Captain. With this...

"I can't wrap my head around the fact that Kendall is gone." Katie James sniffed, retrieving yet another tissue. "It hurts too much." "I know, sweetie." Ashley Martin whispered, wrapping her arm around her best friend. It was Tuesday morning, and the girls were huddled together on the Johnson's sofa. Their best friend, Andrea O' Connell, was in in the same situation. Without it being said, the girls were grateful to have one another to lean on. This was truer now more than ever. Four days ago, Kendall Johnson and Jake Knight had been killed in a car accident. The fact that they had been two...

The air was crisp and the leaves covered every inch of the tree tops and ground. The scent of freshly cooked turkey and mouth-watering pies wafted through out the James household. Laughter and chatter filled the entire living room and kitchen. Due to recent events, the James' family decided to host a Thanksgiving lunch for Andrea O'Connell, Ashley Martin, and their families. Without a doubt, Ryan Swiss was included. It was nice to be together on this special day. It was also a necessity. Due to Kendall Johnson and Jake Knight's passing in late October, the girls and their families had decided...

For a moment, Katie felt as if her rear end was glued to the seat. The fact that her legs felt like jelly didn't help the situation, at all. Had Principal Clarkson just asked her to come up on stage? Had she really been nominated for homecoming queen? There was no way that this was possible. This had to be a wonderful dream. It just had to be. Katie had always wanted to be nominated for such a prestigious title as this. However, she had never in her wildest dreams imagined that this would actually happen. Taking a deep breath, Katie rose from her chair. This is going to be a very long walk,...