My Perspective:

If you ever looked at me, you'd never guess that I had Osteogenic Sarcoma (or bone cancer). Everyone at school thinks that I'm some idiot that doesn't know anything. My disease has brought my whole family together. Every Friday, we have a family night. It was our way of getting back what we loved to do before my diagnosis.

What I didn't know was that my world was about to be turned upside down. Living in the small town of Bayport, New York, I always figured we were safe. Not too safe, but at least we were safe.

As I walked to school Friday morning, I saw kids in cars heading for the High School. I saw the Hardy's go by & knew I was never going to be what people thought as cool. I got to my first period before right before the bell rang.

School went by in a flash & I headed to the elementary school to pick up my twin brothers' & my sister. Sam was at football practice with Joe Hardy & wouldn't be home till at least 4:30pm. It was a family night, so we all wanted to get home & do our chores.

When we got home, we did our chores in record time. Sam got home a little after our parents did & I went out to say hi to Joe. After Joe left saying he'd see Sam on Monday, our parents took us out to dinner & then to the movies.

I remember falling asleep in the car & then waking up to Sam's arms around me. I moaned & felt his arms tighten around me in a protective way. I remember Sam putting me into bed & then pulling up my desk chair & sat down next to my bed. He knew that I was getting worse. Every night I would wake up screaming, but this night was different. Instead of waking up to my screaming, I woke up to someone in the house. I got out of bed & tiptoed to Sam's room. What I saw made me scream. I guess the neighbors heard because I heard sirens after a while. I was still in Sam's room.

"C'mon Sam," I cried, pumping his chest, "you've got to wake up. Please don't do this to me, I need you." I felt someone's arms around me. Then I was outside

I was taken over to the paramedics & set down, oblivious to the fact that I was utterly alone.

"Whose blood is this? Miss… miss?" the lady paramedic tried to get my attention. I didn't answer, I couldn't.

When I saw Mr. Hardy, I didn't know what to think. I figured because he was a cop, he was always called. I don't recall the ride to the hospital or even knowing why I was there. I do remember pushing the doctors away from me when they tried to take my clothes off to see if I was injured. I smelled like Sam & that's the way I wanted to smell. My own pain was drowned out by the reporters that had snaked their way into the E.R. to see the only survivor of a multiple homicide. The last thing I remember is passing out after trying to get off the gurney to go to the bathroom. I felt someone pick me up & lay me on the gurney then nothing more till I woke up in a hospital room.