"You're going to die tomorrow you know."

I looked up sharply, nearly dropping the roll of toilet paper. This isn't the sort of thing I usually heard in Kroger's. Especially coming from a scrawny girl with dirty-blonde hair, skin salted with freckles, wide caramel eyes.

"What?" I sputtered.

"You're going to die tomorrow." She repeated, as if I hadn't heard the first time. I decided to ignore this. No doubt someone would come and pick her up sooner or later. Twelve-year olds usually didn't justwander around the supermarket.

I pushed the cart down the aisle. Her eyes followed me as I pretended to be interested in the Windex ® Glass and Surface Wipes.

"He hurts you, doesn’t he?" She didn't speak especially loud, yet I could hear her clearly from across the tiled floors.

"I love Eric." I replied automatically, turning the cart sharply into "Frozen Goods". All I wanted was to get away from her and those unblinking eyes. I quickly reached into the first bin I saw and pulled out a pizza, crusted over with ice. Pepperoni and mushroom.

"Yes, but he still hurts you, doesn’t he?" Said her voice, a little below my elbow. I jumped back in surprise, the pizza landing in the cart with a crunch. There she stood, as solemn as ever. Now I was annoyed.

"Look kid, I don't know who the hell you are, but-"

"It doesn’t matter who I am." She cut in. "But you still haven't answered my question."

"Why are you following me?" I demanded exasperatedly.

"Because you are going to die tomorrow. Now quit stalling and answer the question."

"Look, Eric is fine. I have no reason to dislike – I mean – For heaven's sake, Eric LOVES me!"

"What about Jake?"

The question hit me in an invisible wave. It took my completely by surprise. I kept my face expressionless, but my mind was in complete turmoil. Who is she? What does she want? Words repeated in a never-ending cycle. Yet never, for one moment, did I doubt she knew.

"What about him? I haven't talked to him for a while now...last time I heard of him, he was still living with that blonde from New York." I spat, turning and shoving the cart viciously ahead.

"But you love him."

I was now angrier than I had ever felt in my entire life. I could feel my blood boiling, my face turning crimson with rage. How dare this little stick come over here and remind me. How dare she remind me of the memories I had worked so hard to forget.

"What if I did? Would it make a damn difference?" I hissed.

"He loves you."

Another shock. The steam left as quickly as it came. I could feel all the energy drain out of my body. I felt so old. So tired.

"Sure he loves me. Don't you think I see? Don't you think my heart broke every time he flirted with those sluts? Don't you think I cried for months after he moved in with her? Yah, he broke my heart, but he still loves me..." I said sarcastically.

"He was trying to make you jealous." She said matter-of-factly.

"Well it doesn’t matter. I can't do anything about it now."

"I thought that, seeing that you will die tomorrow, you might want to get things done today." She remarked, her freckles dancing with impatience.

"That's another thing. What's all this about me dieing tomorrow?" I asked curiously. It was impossible, preposterous. But her serious face made it almost seem true...

"Everyone dies at one point. You are going to die tomorrow." She shrugged. "I'm not allowed to tell you how. But that's not really why I'm here."

"Why are you here then?"

"To tell you to go outside. There is someone you've been waiting for."

I didn't know what she was talking about. But I abandoned the cart and ran. Past all those shoppers and aisles and sections. Through the cashiers, pushing by the customers. The sliding doors split, the slowest second of my entire life.

And he was there.

I cried. Saltiness that poured down my cheeks, stinging my lips. So many years. After such a long time, he was there. Just a step away, a breath away.

Eons away.

And then I felt a little breath on my ear.

"Go for it." A familiar voice whispered.

I ran. I was a little girl again, running for the kid on the sidewalk. The air was filled with the scent of new spring flowers. The boy saw me. He picked me up and swung me around, my skirt billowing in the breeze.

Snap.

Back to reality under the Kroger sign.

But reality was better. Because he was no longer a memory. He was blissfully solid, the warmth of his body seeping into mine as he held me close. His tears mingling with mine as my name fell from his lips in little breaths. Melissa. Melissa. How did he make it resound with such music?

And then I knew the girl was right.

Maybe I would die tomorrow. But there was always today.