Author's Note: Hope you're excited as I am. :]

I snapped up in bed. I had one of those things where your stomach feels like you're falling, and you pop up in your bed. Most people I know say they can't stand that feeling. But to me, it feels wonderful. It's like the first hill on a roller coaster: scary, but thrilling.

The blinds are open and I quickly sink my face back in my pillow to shield my eyes from the intruding sun. I roll over so my face is turned away from the window, towards the door of my room. And shriek.

A hand clamps over my mouth.

"What the hell is your problem, Marli?" Leah. It all came rushing back to me. The night before. Me and Leah staying up for hours, talking. Just like we used to. I pounced on her to give her a bear hug. My arms wrapped around her shoulders, and my cheek brushed against hers as I buried my head in her neck. She was here. Real. Tangible.

"You know, you really need to get a grip, Marli. You can't attack me every time you see me," she responds to my actions.

"I know, sorry," I say, releasing my hold on her, "I just… I just feel like at any moment you could disappear or leave and I won't have any say in it. Like one moment you'll be with me and the next you'll be gone. I mean you're dead, Leah." I told her, "None of this should even be possible. No don't be upset, Leah. I'm just explaining myself." A few tears escape her eyes.

"I don't know any more than you do, Marli. As far as I know, I'm not going anywhere. So let's not worry about anything unless we have to, okay? Let's be happy. I'm back and that's what matters."

"Yeah, it is," I say, nodding. "Wait, what time is it?"

"Umm," her face scrunches weird for a second and she tilts her head a little to the left, "7:32," she says putting emphasis on the two.

"Is that some sort of freaky ghost thing?" I ask.

"I guess. It's like I just know what time it is constantly. One of the perks of being dead," she says with a sly smile.

"Oh shit. I have to go to school today. Doesn't it start at like nine? And I still have to take a shower and dry my hair and get dressed, crap crap crap," I keep rambling.

A weird look flashes across her face.

"What?" I ask.

A sly smile creeps across her face.

"Can I come?"

My mom drives me to school. I'm in the front seat. Leah's in the back. She keeps talking to me and I really just want to tell her to shut up because she knows I can't talk to her in front of my mom. She would never believe me. I know this. So finally, I turn my face to look behind me, pretend I'm picking a hair off my jacket, and whisper to Leah to be quiet until were alone.

"What was that Marli?" My mom asks.

"Oh, I was just thinking how nice it would be to have a scone," I ramble something that sounds similar to alone.

"What? A scone?"

"You know mom, like Starbucks has those really great scones, the pumpkin ones. I just you know was thinking about them for some reason," I dish out something stupid but believable.

"You know honey, maybe you're not ready to be going back already. You only have three weeks of school and then December break so if you need to maybe you should stay home for the rest of the week," she says, concerned.

"Mom, it's okay. School will keep my mind off things. Besides, I was the one who liked school, remember?" I say, trying to make her laugh, smile, something.

It works. "Yeah. Yeah, you were, weren't you?" she smiled, and for a moment it actually reached her eyes.

I turn around, having forgotten that Leah was in the backseat. She's watching my mom, smiling. "Try to keep her happy, Marli," she says.

Always do, I think, hoping this is one of those times that she can hear my thoughts.

She smiles at me, confirming that she got the message.

Author's note: I know, really fucking short. But I thought it was a good place to stop, plus I want her first day of school to be its own chapter :]

Anyways, so I know what you're thinking. Seven months? Yeah, I'm thinking that too. It's just a bunch of procrastination. Over the summer, I told myself that I would write when my friends left but I just kept procrastinating. But, no more! I know most of you probably won't even read it anymore because I took so long but I hope you will.

So, I plan on dishing out that next chapter within the next 3-4 days.

Til then,

Taryn