Hey, I'm back from my vacation! And on with the story ;)

But, first, I really want to thank everybody who's followed, favorited, reviewed or even just read this story. I really appreciate you all ^^

Chapter 2. –The mind replays

The mind replays what the heart can't delete.

~Author Unknown

I was sitting on Carly's bed, my feet sprawled over her blanket. I had exchanged my tight black dress for a baby-blue robe, covered in bright-purple polka dots. It was obviously Carly's.

I had told Spencer I was going to take a nap, but I knew there was no way I could sleep right now. I was too anxious to sleep –too shaky. But I just couldn't face any company right now. Not even Spencer's.

So I just lay there in the dark, alone. Spencer offered to make me something to eat, but I'd refused. For the first time in my life, I just wasn't hungry. I'd hardly eaten anything all week. Every time I'd even look at food, I'd feel a knot tying my stomach, threatening to launch back up every bite of food I'd send down.

I heard somebody knocking my door. I rolled over, trying to pretend I was asleep. The door shrieked open. "Sam?" It was Carly. She closed the door, and I heard her footsteps coming closer. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Sam, I know you're not asleep, stop pretending you are." I opened my eyes. "How did you know?" I asked with a thick voice. Carly smiled. "Come on Sam, we've been friends long enough for me to know when you're asleep and when you're faking it. Give me some credit!"

Her expression got serious again. "Sam, if you don't want to talk right now, I understand, just say so. And if you want me to go, just tell me, I'll go." I sighed. "I don't want to talk about it." I said. "But… you also don't need to go."

Her eyes smiled. "Then move over, already." She teased. She slid into the bed with me, and I crawled onto her frame. She wrapped her arms around me. "Sam?" I didn't respond. "I love you." She whispered.

I closed my eyes. "I love you too, Carly." I snuggled closer to her, and drifted further and further away. And beyond all expectations, it didn't take long at all before my breathing steadied, and sleep took over.

It was late at night and I was just getting ready for bed, when I heard my mom opening the door downstairs. "Why officer! Won't you come in?" My mom said in a flirty tone. I pricked my ears. Officer? What was the police doing here?

I ran through my week. Nope, I hadn't done anything illegal. Well… Nothing so illegal it required a police visit. They had to be here for my mom then. I wondered what she'd done this time. I went to sit on top of the stairs, trying to overhear their conversation.

"No!" my mom suddenly yelled. "No! It's not true, you're lying!" I flew down the stairs, and yanked the door open. My mom was sitting on the ground, her head in her hands. A fairly-well-handsome police officer stood in the middle of the room.

"What's going on here?" I demanded. "Hello, miss…" he questioned. "Sam." I said impatiently. "Her daughter." I pointed at my mom to clear myself. "Miss Puckett, Sam, why don't you sit down for a moment." He suggested.

"Dude, seriously, start talking already!" I really started to lose my patient. The man sighed. "Miss Puckett, I am sorry to have to inform you that your sister, Melanie Grace Puckett, was in a fatal car accident earlier this night."

At that moment, everything stopped. My heart stopped beating, my lungs stopped breathing, and the world stopped spinning. Melanie. My legs buckled, and I fell down on my knees. "Melanie." I whispered.

And just as quick as it had stopped, everything began working again. The world started spinning again –faster than before, as if it was trying to make up for the wasted time, when it hadn't moved. My heart began beating again, too. Faster and faster. Just like my breathing. As if everything was trying to catch up with time again.

I closed my eyes, trying to escape the spinning, and the dizziness it caused. "Sam? Sam, breathe slowly! Sam?" A familiar voice that I couldn't quite place tried to bring me back to earth. But I just couldn't. I kept drifting further and further away, into the darkness.

"Melanie!" I tried to scream, but I couldn't. In the memory, I couldn't. My voice hadn't been there, at the time. But my voice was back, now. And I screamed my lungs out. "Melanie! Melanie!" I couldn't stop. Tears were streaming down my face, and breathing became impossible.

"Sam!" Someone screamed my name. "Sam, please wake up! Sam!" Carly panicked. "Carly." I didn't even realize I'd said that out loud. "Yes! Yes, Sam, it's me. Sam, breathe slowly. Please, try to breathe slowly."

I did what I was asked. Slowly, very slowly, I gained back the control over my breathing. And slowly, it became steady again. "O, Sammy…" Carly whispered. "Carly." I cried. "Carly, she's gone!" For the first time since Melanie's death, I found the ability to cry.

"I know Sam. I know." She whispered. I laid my head on her chest, and let the tears fall. "She's really gone, Carly." I said. It was as if now only I fully understood that –fully realized that.

Each time spoken, the words felt like a hard slap across my face. But I couldn't stop repeating them.

"Melanie is gone."