“911, how can I help you?” The voice on the other end said when they finally answered. My hands were bloody and tears were streaming down my face. “I-I..” I choked out. “I-I’m dead.”
~One Week Earlier~
My name is Zayden O’Hara and I’m 16 years old. Just last year I was diagnosed with some kind of weird disease that I don’t know the name of. They said I’d only have a few years to live so I planned on living life to the fullest from now. So far I’ve done quite a lot, but there is one thing I wanted to do yet before I pass… Fall in love. You see, I’m not the captain of the football team or even mildly popular. I never had a girlfriend before, but I’ve been crushing on the most popular girl in school for the longest time. Emily Sheffield.
I walked up to her on that Friday, chewing on my bottom lip, and taking deep breaths. “Uh.. E-Emily..” I muttered softly. “Oh, hey. Zayden, right?” She asked. My eyes grew wide. “You-You know my name.” I said. “Uh, yeah..” She laughed. “You’re in my Spanish class, remember?” She smiled. I nodded. “Oh.. Yeah. Right. I forgot.” I said, looking away for a moment.
“Don’t look away.” She said as I looked back at her with a soft small. “Uh. Okay.” “I like your smile. It’s cute.” She grinned. “Really?” I asked, smiling wider. She nodded. “Well, uh.. Would you like to maybe go to Sno-ball with me?” I asked shyly.
“I would love to.” She smiled. “I’ll, uh talk to you later alright? Just give me a call.” She said as she grabbed my pen from me. She wrote down her number on my hand before she kissed my cheek and walked past me towards her next class.
~Saturday, January 14~
I woke up around 4:00 in the morning seeing as my disease and coughing kept me up. It was the day of the dance and I already had everything picked out and ready for tonight. I must have left my phone somewhere downstairs because it wasn’t on my bedside table.
I went downstairs to look for it, but everywhere I looked there was nothing. It wasn’t in the living room, it wasn’t in the kitchen, and it wasn’t in the family room. I trudged into the last room that I had been in last night: the dining room. It was dark, but I managed to find the light switch and turn it on.
My mom had been at work since 5:45 last night and she wouldn’t be home until 7. I had 3 hours left so I decided to grab my phone, which was sitting on the dinner table, and headed into the kitchen to find something to snack on. Nothing too big seeing as it was 4 in the morning. Maybe just a small bag of chips and a sandwich would be good. I got out the stuff needed to make a sandwich and a small bag of Dieffenbach chips. I quickly put together my sandwich – PB&J, of course – and I started to eat it as I sat around and watched some television.
It didn’t take long for me to finish my sandwich and chips so I just sat around and started to read my book as I waited for my mom to get home. It was quite boring without her around, but I got used to it. My dad had died when I was only 4 so I don’t have much of a father figure except my step-dad. He’s a jerk and I don’t really get along with him well.
~7:00 AM~
7 o’clock came around and my mom and stepped inside from the cold. She closed the door and took off her coat and shoes as she joined me in the living room with a smile. “How’s it going?” She asked me. I smiled. “Good, I guess.. Not much better than last month or the month before.” I shrugged. “Well, just hang in there. We’ll find a way to help you get better.” I nodded as she spoke, not really caring about getting better or not. I got a date with the most popular girl in school, my crush, Emily Sheffield. I was happy and my life, for once, felt complete.
~7:50 PM~

Finally, it was 7:50. Ten minutes before the dance and I was all dressed up. Now, all I had to do was pick her up and get to the school. It was about a 5 minute drive to her house and a 2 minute drive from her house to the school so we got there just in time. I pulled my ticket out of my jacket pocket and handed it to the ticket collector at the door. She did the same.

We walked inside and I smiled as I saw the decorations. Emily was by far the most beautiful girl in the room. I took her hand and I led her to a table and helped her sit down. “Would you like a drink?” I asked. “Fruit punch, please.” She smiled. I nodded before heading over to the refreshments table and grabbing two fruit punches and taking them back over to our table.

“Thank you.” She said, taking a sip. “You’re welcome.” I said, sitting down as more people piled in. The music pounded through the speakers and I bounced my leg to the music before turning to her.

“Would you like to dance?” I asked and she nodded. I stood up, holding out my hand for her, and she took it. We headed out onto the dance floor and joined our friends near the DJ.

~10:48~
12 minutes until the dance is over and I never got to slow dance yet. I can’t slow dance.. or I don’t think I can anyway. I’m all awkward and I’m sure she thinks I’m a nerd. Look at her over there by the food table with her friends. She’s so gorgeous and I still can’t believe she said yes.
“Snap out of it Zayden.” I said to myself as I looked away so she wouldn’t think I’m staring even though I kind of was.
“Zayden,” She called and I looked up, but she walked right past me. She didn’t see me. “Zayden, it’s the last dance. Come on.” She said, smiling at someone sitting down. I couldn’t tell what he looked like because she was blocking his view, but he was probably better looking than me.
I watched and sat in the corner as they danced the rest of the night away. It was sort of dark so I couldn’t really tell, but he looked sort of like me.
~11:00~
The dance is over and I watched as Emily and the other guy walked out of the cafeteria. Whoever he was, he sounded really ill and you would think he should’ve stayed home, but he didn’t.
His coughing got worse and then I heard screaming. I walked out into the hallway and saw him, whoever he was, writhing around on the floor. I couldn’t see much because everyone was crowded around him, but he looked sort of like me.
“What happened?” I asked. No answer. “Um.. Excuse me? Who is this kid?” I asked, tapping people on the shoulder, but no one would turn around or even notice my presence.
I moved closer to the guy on the floor and I couldn’t believe what I saw. The guy looked exactly like me in every way possible: same hair, same eyes, same facial expressions, and same suit.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone and dialed 911. “911, how can I help you?” The voice on the other end said when they finally answered. My hands were bloody and tears were streaming down my face. “I-I..” I choked out. “I-I’m dead.”
They obviously didn’t believe me because when I said that, there was a pause. “Now sir if you were dead how would we be talking to you?” The girl asked. “I don’t know, but no one is even noticing me and someone that looks exactly like me is on the floor, coughing up blood and rolling around.” I stated panicked.
“Just stay calm and tell me where you are and I’ll send an ambulance over right away.” She said. “Okay, I’m at 405 N Ocean Boulevard,” I said clearly. “Please hurry.”
After getting off the phone, I only had to wait 10 minutes before the ambulance had arrived and I watched as they wasted no time to get me on the stretcher and roll me into the back. I waited. I didn’t want to go with my body to the hospital and watch them work on me. I’d feel too weird, so I waited.
I watched as everyone headed home as their parents picked them up or drove home in their own cars. Emily was the last to wait. Had her parents forgotten about her?
She turned to where I was as I continued to watch her. “Zayden, do you think he’s okay?” She asked softly. I furrowed my eyebrows. “You-You can see me? But.. I..” I gave up. “Your brother.. Your twin brother.” She clarified. “Do you think he’ll be okay?” I thought long and hard. I had no idea I had a twin brother and it was pretty weird I only ever met him now. Then again I do remember a few faint memories of when I was younger, but every time I asked my mom said he was just a figment of my imagination.
“Yeah..” I finally said. “He’ll be okay. We both will.” I smiled as I took off my jacket and slung it over her shoulders. She smiled as I did so and I just pulled her close as we watched and waited for nothing in particular.