• When I woke up the next morning, I didn’t know it yet but, my life would be changed forever. I woke up, checked the clock, it was 7:45. SCHOOL STARTS IN TEN MINUTES! I looked over and I saw Alex in the chair still sound asleep. “Alex, Alex, wake up!” I shook him awake. he jolted up “What’s... what’s wrong?” he said looking around. “School starts in 10 minutes, we’re gonna be late!” I pulled him out of the chair. “follow me.” I said going up the stairs. When we were both upstairs, I grabbed some skater pants out of my dads closet. “What do you think about these?” I said. “those look okay.” he said grabbing them. I grabbed a Kiss shirt out of his closet. “here go put these on.” I said going down the stairs again “be right back.” he said giving me a kiss.
    I went into my room and went to my closet. “What should I wear, what should I wear.” I said opening my closet doors. “Oh thats pretty.” I said grabbing my deep purple mini skirt. “Now, what will go with this.” I said looking again. “Oh that shirt. That’s perfect.” It was my white tube top. I put them on quickly and went to go get Sarah.
    “Sarah it’s-” I screamed. Sarah way laying there lifelessly in a puddle of what I think was her on blood. there was a dark wound in her chest. “Is, wha-” Alex stopped when he got to the door “why, why would this happen?” I said trying to hold myself together. “I don’t. I don’t know.” I could tell that he was choking back tears. “I, I need, I need to, call mom.” I tried to get the phone. but he held me back. “No first, we need to call the police.” he said, picking me up.
    He walked over to the phone, setting me down and picked up the phone with very shaky fingers. “Hello, um we have had a murder.” He paused, looking at me, stroking my hair “Her name is Sarah Allen, she is,” he paused again “five. her birthday is september 31st” I whispered “five” He said to the phone, another pause “september 31st, 2004” Pause, “We live on 23 Sunny Street, Hampden” Pause, this time longer “yes that’s correct.” Again a pause. “Okay thank you very much” He hung up the phone. “They will be here any minute” He said picking me back up.
    He brought me into the living room and set me on the couch “If it makes you feel any better, you’re looking beautiful today.” He said smiling, pulling a stray piece of hair out of my face. “thanks” I said, I could feel myself blushing, but I was kind of happy when I saw him blush, too.
    Just then I could hear the distant sound of cop sirens, getting louder every second. About a minute later there was a hard knock on the door. “I’ll get it, you stay right here.” He said, getting up. “hello, thank you for getting here so quickly.” I heard Alex say in the front room. I heard some soft mumbling, then I saw what I thought was either a cop or detective, come into the living room. I didn’t notice until then that I was crying.
    “Is it okay if a ask you a few questions, Miss Menteño?” The women said. I sat up, wiping a tear of my face. “sure” I sniffled. The women came over and sat next to me. “my name is detective burns” she said glancing at her badge, I nodded. “If I may, can I get you to tell me what happened last night into this morning?” She started to rub my arm.
    “Well my parents wanted me to watch Sarah, so I came home from school and they left. Then I got a phone call from Alex, the one that let you in, asking if he could come over for awhile, so I said yes and he brought over some pizza and we watched a movie,” I stopped for a second, taking a breath. “When Sarah fell asleep, I brought her into her room and set her on her bed, then I closed the window because it was cold in her room, then I came out and I guess fell asleep on the couch because when I woke I up I was on the couch.” Just as I stopped, Alex came into the room and looked a detective burns, holding my hand, and then said “If you girls are finished, Detective King would like to see you out in the dining room.” She looked at me, Then looked back up at Alex “We’ll be done in a moment, son.” She smiled at him happily. he looked at me and eyed the seat on the other side of me. “Is it okay if he sits here while I finish?” I looked at burns, pleadingly, I might add. She thought about it for a moment before saying. “If it will help you concentrate.” I Smiled at her, remind me to thank her later. He came and sat next to me. he smiled at burns as he took my hand. “Now, you say you closed the window, right?” she questioned. “Yes, then I came out and, I think I fell asleep in Alex’s arms, I don’t remember anything after that until this morning” I said. “Well, why I asked is because, when I looked in her room the window was open.” She looked at me in concern. “you’re joking, right?” I asked, standing up. I went to the door of Sarah’s room, I saw what detective burns was talking about. Then window was wide open and cracked, a lot. “Well, I didn’t notice that.” I said, shaking. Alex wrapped his arms around me “It’s okay, we’ll find out who did this.” he whispered in my ear. “I know” I said, turning around, so I was hugging him, “I’m just scared” I said. He picked grabbed my head in his hands “It’s okay, don’t be scared.” he said, wiping a tear of my cheek. I put head back on his chest. “I’ll try not to be.” I completely broke down in his arms. “It’s okay, it’s okay, calm down, shh, shh” Alex said stroking my hair. “hun, calm down, it’s okay.” he hugged me tight forever, and when we pulled apart, burns looked at me, “I think it would be best, if its okay with you,Alex, that you stay at his house.” she looked at Alex, who looked down at me. “oh course, anything for my baby.” I blushed as tears welled up in my eyes. “thanks, Oh this will be nice, I will get to see your new house.” I gave him a long romantic kiss, as I shooed away burns with my hand. “I’ll be right back.” She whispered. I don’t think Alex heard because he went on as if nothing was wrong. He put his arms around me, and intwined his fingers through my hair. I did the same, I felt like I could have stood here just like this forever. Wait, what am I doing, my sister has just died, I should be helping find her killer. I tried to pull away, but Alex wouldn’t let me. I tried once again, this time he let me go. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “‘What’s wrong?’ I’ll tell you what’s wrong, my sister is dead.” I said breaking down again, again falling into his arms. “Oh honey, It’s okay, I‘m sorry, I didn’t mean to distract you.” He said putting his arms around me, rubbing my head “But you do know I love more then any one can, right?” He asked. “I know, and I love you even more, but I need to have my full attention on finding my sister’s killer.” I said. Just as I said that, Burns came in. “then why don’t we finish talking?” she said. I nodded, walking back into the living room. “Okay, you were going up stair to get clothes for Alex.” She said grabbing her note pad again. “Well, I went up to get clothes for Alex, then I came back down to get clothes for me, after, I went into Sarah’s room and found her like that.” I said, pointing to her room. It had gotten to the point that I couldn’t talk, I was crying so hard. “ I think she needs to take a break from this for a little while, let’s go pack a bag and I’ll drive you to my house.” He said pulling my hand into my room. I followed, still trying to pull myself together. I grabbed my duffle bag out from under my bed, emptying, the contents on the bed. A bra had fallen out on the top and I scrambled to cover it before Alex saw it. “How long do you think I’m gonna be at your house?” I asked Alex setting my bag down. “Pack, oh, um... 3 days? if you’re gonna be any longer we’ll get more clothes.” He said opening my closet. I pushed in front of him. “Hey what are you doing?” I asked. “who said you could get into my closet?” I looked at him, I couldn’t help but let out a little giggle. “I did.” He said. “Really, though I don’t want you in here, I have stuff you can’t see.” In the corner my eye I could see one of my bras. He chuckled. “Okay, I’ll stay in the bed and watch you pack.” he said, sitting down. I smiled, turning around to face the closet. I grabbed 4 outfits, one for each day and a pair of pajamas. “I’m ready.” I said zipping up my bag. “Okay, let’ go.” He said grabbing the bag from my hand and slinging it over his shoulder. I walked out into the dining room and Burns and King were talking. “Is there anything else that you need?” I asked coming up to the table, Alex following close behind. “No I think we are okay, but if you have any information, or just need to talk, Here’s my number, I’m almost always available.” She said handing me a small piece of paper. I took the paper. “thank you, very much.” I said. “Well if that’s all we should get going.” He looked at me. “yea we should. Oh wait, what are we going to do about school?” I asked, looking at both burns and Alex. “Well I’ll go in long enough to say a brief summery of what is going on, and tell them that neither of us will be in for a week. If they make me stay I’ll call you.” Alex said. I nodded, walking towards the door. “I’ll talk to you guys later.” I called back to Burns and King. “Remember, call me if you need anything at all.” Burns said. “I know.” I said walking out the door. “Hun, are you sure you’re okay, you still seem pretty shook up.” Alex said putting his arms around me. “Well, I still am pretty shook up, but I’m okay.” I said, what did he think, MY SISTER JUST GOT KILLED!!!!! I won’t tell him that though. “hey, come on, we need to get going.” I said taking his arms around me. I walked towards the truck and he put the bag in the back. I tried getting into the truck, but it was just to big for me, I couldn’t get up. Alex just chuckled and came to help me up. “I forgot you were so short.” He said picking me up. I giggled. “Hey that’s not fair! you’re just too tall.” I said as he sat me down in the seat. “okay you believe that.” He said, kissing me on the forehead. “I will.” I said when he closed the door, so he couldn’t hear me. He got into the drivers side, put the key in the car and started the truck. He had one hand on the driving wheel, and grabbed my hand with his other hand. “I really love you.” He said. “I love you, too, Alex.” I said lifting his hand, and giving it a kiss.


    chapter 3 coming soon