Casey and the

Kennedy's

Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy had recently passed away of old age (they're the children of Tanner who you will hear about soon). Their son who had come to get some things went for a walk in 90 degree weather in a black t-shirt and jeans and never came back.

Casey Schillings is a 12 year-old girl. She had just moved into the Kennedy's old place. She was really spooked about the things the kids at school were telling her about her new house. Then after all that she heard moaning and crying noises at night when she was trying to sleep. The sound was pulling at her so she walked toward the sobbing racket. It led to the basement, where Casey completely swore that she saw a 12 year old girl crying.

She felt an icy-cold hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at who it was. She saw a young face with small eyes of crystal clear blue. Despite the pretty features her olive color cheeks had tear streaks down them.

Then the young girl spoke, "Hello, I' m Sarah, Sarah Jane Kennedy."

"Ahh!" Casey shrieked "who are you? And what are you doing in my house?!!" This is so freaky! thought Casey.

"Your house?" Sarah sounded alarmed, "This is my house." All color drained from Casey's face when she said that. She had gone back in time, to Sarah's time 1834!!!!!

Casey started toward the stairs, "Wait! Don't go yet, I want to talk to you!!!" said Sarah.

"Fine," said Casey, clearly annoyed.

"I want you to meet my brother, Tanner Joseph Kennedy!" said Sarah sounding a little excited. Casey turned to look to where Sarah had pointed. A young boy about 10 years of age with scraggly blonde-brown hair emerged from the wall, "Oh glory be," Sarah sighed, "Tanner I thought I told you to stop going out that way. That door frame is getting less sturdy every day."

The young boy, supposedly Tanner, cried out, "I don't CARE" Casey was getting scared. What door did Tanner walk through?

She trembled. "S-Sarah w-why does T-Tanner go in that room?" Casey stammered.

"It's not a room, it goes outside. Our mom and dad are buried there." Sarah said.

"Why doesn't he go through the front door upstairs?"Casey asked timidly.

Sarah thought about that for a while, "Because, our step-dad and his house slave live upstairs and Tanner doesn't like them, and he would have to walk by the slave pens, Tanner doesn't like that either. Tanner's emotionally impaired."

Casey thought about that, "You mean autistic?" Casey suddenly remembered that Sarah might not know that word yet.

Then they heard a screech, a loud and long one. "Tanner!!" yelled Sarah.

Casey looked over and saw the door frame had fallen in through the supposed door. Sarah had dropped to her knees and was getting back up "Thank goodness Tanner was not hurt. See, I hear him laughing outside." And sure enough Casey could here faint, muffled laughter that sounded like a young boy of the age of six but somehow Casey could tell it was Tanner. Casey still wondered why he sounded like a younger boy even though she knew he was autistic. Shouldn't he only act younger? But she did not ask for fear of offending Sarah.

Then Casey said to Sarah "You go get Tanner, I'll be back tomorrow. Use the signal." With that Casey was back up to bed and very happy to have made a friend even though she was not alive!

The next night she waited for the signal she had set up with Sarah. It was flashes of the basement light, on off, on off until Casey responded with her own bedroom light, on off, then she would head down to the basement to meet Sarah. Suddenly she saw a blur of color outside her window and she was in the 1800s again. There was the signal, on off, on off, she responded, on off, and walked down. She gasped she didn't make a shadow anymore. Strange as it was she did not care, she then cheerfully went down to the basement where Sarah was cradling Tanner. "No," Sarah said and then she stopped talking when she saw Casey and she went to go hug her, "Hi Case, I am so glad to see you! Casey, Tanner is sick, something is wrong with him. I'm scared." Sarah was crying now. Casey thought of something quick, "My Mom's a nurse. I just have to go upstairs and get her!" Casey's happy expression was gone when she looked at Sarah's face. "Have you forgotten you're in my time now? Your room is the time travel room of the house." Sarah was exasperated, "anyone who was not in your room can't come here." Suddenly Casey had a brain spark, "He could come back to my time with me then my mom can save him!" Sarah's eyes looked excited.

"But how, I mean, wow, just… How?!?" Sarah was exclaiming, obviously very excited. "Seriously… How?" she asked after she had calmed down, Casey answered, "I will just have to take him to my room then I will wait like normal for it to blur in the windows, and after that happens I will just take Tanner to my Mom. He will be fine." Casey explained. " Oh, Ok." Sarah sighed, "I just wish I could come, you know, be with him…" Sarah sounded hurt. " But you can! I know that it will be different but I can't wait to take you to the mall… and buy clothes they would look so good on you! Maybe you could stay… In my time, with me, you're my friend… Please Sarah you can keep your name and live with us!" Sarah nodded her head. "Yes? You are going to come!" Casey shouted, "Yes!" Sarah said, "Yes, yes, yes!"

Casey was so happy it was the day when Sarah, Tanner and she were going to go back to her time, 2008. Casey couldn't wait to get home. Mostly because life would be so different with Sarah, Sarah had told Tanner and they had both packed all of their money and pictures of their mom and dad… of course we can get those to be color photos, once we get back, Casey thought.

Sarah and Tanner had told their dad that they were leaving. He did not even care. Sarah was glad that he didn't care because if he did he might have stopped her from going to 2008 with Casey Schillings, her best friend. Of course Tanner was happy with it because he was really sick, and Casey's mom would find out why his legs hurt and why he couldn't walk and why… Sarah had so many questions and she couldn't believe her head hadn't exploded yet. Casey called to her, "Sarah! Time to go! I will help carry Tanner." She could barely carry Tanner because she was shivering with excitement.

"Ok guys, Watch the windows! Suddenly they blurred. Tanner moaned with pain, he was really, really sick. Casey's mom heard him, "Casey are you o- Who the…How did they…What did you do?" Casey's mom finally decided. "Hey Mom, this is my friend Sarah and her brother Tanner. Mom, Tanner is sick, that is why I brought them he can't walk and his legs hurt." Casey said, explanatively. "Oh no," Mrs. Schillings, Casey's mom, said sounding worried, "He probably has some type of disease in his legs. Whoever these kids are, the boy needs a hospital, now!" Mrs. Schillings sounded scared now, "Hurry! I said he needs a hospital girls get him in the car now!" They rushed him, well, carried, him to the car. Mrs. Schillings did the most un-motherly thing ever, she went faster than the speed limit, but her car had little sirens on top, she worked at the hospital and did this kind of thing often, so she was allowed to drive this fast. They reached the hospital, and brought Tanner out but this time they didn't have to carry him. Casey had called the hospital ahead of time when they were in the car and said they would need a wheelchair to be in the parking lot when they arrived. Sarah carefully put him down in the wheelchair that two hospital nurses had brought down from the hospital office. "Thank you." Sarah said kindly, "Your Welcome," one of the nurses said. Casey was glad that Sarah did not seem so concerned because the nurses had told her they had very complex medicines and that her little brother would be alright. So she said that she would go to the mall with Casey, so they went.

At the mall Sarah was amazed with everything. She had brought all of her money, and since the money was the same in her time that it was here she had a lot to do! She bought new clothes immediately at a store Casey said was so expensive and popular that she would be the person everyone talked about at school.

The first day back at school from summer break was getting closer and scarier, but yet Casey still didn't think that she would feel lonely, like the few days of school before school had ended. With Sarah in this time and Tanner's cancer treatment doing well, Casey didn't think it could get any better until Sarah came out of Limited Too with an outfit that matched hers identically! Sarah had said, "Well, if we're going to be sisters… How about we dress the same on the first day of school?!?" and she had responded, "Wow! Really? Well, sure!" That was the best thing that happened to Casey that day, until…

"Hey, Mom how is Tanner?" Casey asked on his third day home, "Yes, Honey! Actually Sarah and I have just received a important phone call from the hospital. Come here please." Casey came like her Mom had asked. "What?" Casey asked when she got there, Tanner was sitting on the couch and watching the SpongeBob on the flat screen T.V. Then Mrs. Schillings said excitedly, "Tanner's cancer is gone! Their still going to take him in for check-ups and things, but it's gone!" Casey was so excited she yelled, "Yay!"

The first day of school was great because Sarah had changed her last name to match Casey's, Schillings. Also because Tanner was better and he only has to use his wheelchair for another few weeks then he should have enough strength to walk. Casey had learned something too, true friends will go to extreme lengths to please each other, she thought of Sarah when she thought of that. Casey finally had learned how it felt to have a friend, how it felt to walk with your head held high, how it felt to have someone who knew the secrets you could never tell. How it felt to have a friend.