• My brother and I waited queitly down in the basement, watching television. I heard the door up the stairs open slowly and my heart lept, it was okay, she was fine, nothing had happened. As my parents came down the satirs and onto the green carpet, my father looked lifeless, my mother was rubbing his back soothingly. At this, my heart stopped jumping for joy and just beat steadily. My mother led my father over to the red chair, sitting him on the footstool. She knelt next to him, looking at us trying to repress tears herself. "Kids, Gigi, she er.........passed away this afternoon." I laughed, but I was the only one that did. My brother was gaping, open mouthed at my mother, not knowing what to say. A single tear rolled down my father's cheek. "You're joking, right? I'm being, like, punked right now, aren't I?" I asked hopefully. My mother shook her head. I could feel my heart skip a beat. I repressed tears, "But-but the doctors, they-they said she'd-that she'd be okay!" I said, standing up angrily. My father shook his head, "I'm sorry Erica. She's gone." he said. "NO! No she can't be!" I screamed. I stormed upstairs, tears rolling down my face as soon as my foot hit the bottom stair. I ran through the halls to my room and slammed myself into my bed. She couldn't be, she had fought off cancer twice. This was a joke, and any minute now my Gigi would pop out and hug me, brushing my hair soothingly, and say, "It's okay petunia, it was just a joke." She'd hug me and I'd cry into her shirt. I closed my eyes and pictured her one last time and said out loud, "I love you." I reached over to find nothing there, not even my brother. I fell face first into the comforter, not bothering to open my eyes, for more tears would just roll down my face if I had done so. I wiped my nose on my arm and opened my eyes, expecting to see my grandmother there, but she wasn't. My tears' pace increasing, I went into my closet and sat in my dirty laundry basket, hugging my knees. I closed my eyes, trying to stifle my tears, but instead I drifted to sleep.
    When I awoke I was lying on my bed, my parents sitting on the side of my bed facing the door and my brother, Ricky, staring out of my window mindlessly. I sat up, my parents turning to look at me, but Ricky didn't move. "Are you okay?" My mother asked. I shook my head. What kind of a question was that?! My Gigi had just died! "I'm sorry Erica," she said looking at me lovingly. Tears began rolling down my already-damp face and my dad hugged me, crying also. "You know we are here for each other," he said, "If you want to cry, you come to me. I promise, I'll be there." he said softly into my ear. I hugged him tighter. I wondered what my Grandad was feeling, or thinking right now. Was he by her side? That's where I wanted to be. "She died in her sleep, the way that we all want to go." My mother said, moving over to my brother. She higged him, but he remained stationary, saying nothing.

    The next day at school, I was lifeless. One of the best parts in my life had departed this life, forever. I repressed tears all day. I was hit with a volleyball three times in gym because I had been spacing. Finally, during Literature my friend Lauren had had enough. "Alright Erica, what's wrong with you?" she asked, turning around in her seat. I stared at her blankly. "ERICA!" she whisper-yelled waving her hand in front of me. I didn't move my gaze but my lips moved and said, "What?" in a monotone voice. "What's wrong?" she asked. "My grandma, she, she died." I choaked. I gulped as the whole room went quiet. Ms. Wetteroth had stopped writing and dropped her pen and her jaw. She looked at me. Ms. Wetteroth had known my grandmother, pretty well. In fact, most people in town had known my grandmother, and a lot of people out of town had too. My friend Kat turned to me and came and hugged me. "It's okay," she cooed. I let tears roll down my face silently as mutters picked up all over the room. Lauren looked at me and said, "Erica, I'm sure she's in heaven." I nodded, still crying. Kat let go of me as I walked up to Ms. Wetteroth. "May I go to the restroom?" I asked breathlessly. She nodded and as I started to walk out she said, "And Erica?" I turned around switly to look at her. "I'm sorry......you know about your-" but I cut her off, I couldn't hear anymore, so I croaked, "Thanks."