Leaving home was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do at the age of seventeen. For seventeen years I lived in the small ranch style house. I always dreamed of leaving, but never thought the time would come. Finally it was here. The day was bright, beautiful and warm. Fall, in Ohio, can only be described as breathtaking. Orange, red and yellow leaves fluttered effortlessly to the ground. Long forgotten nests from the spring, now swayed in the gentle breeze. Beneath the tree, leaves lay scattered. Next door, the smell of fresh cut green grass filled the air. A two-door blue Escort sat in the driveway. Inside, an overnight bag and a small, brown box of pots and pans sat in the front seat. Behind the passenger seat, an old TV was

Before I knew it, Friday had come. After work, I buzzed home, picked up Cagney, and headed to my old apartment. Traffic was not too bad, so I made it with time to spare. As I parked the car, Joe met me at my car. "How's it going?" he asked. "Cool", I said, "I'm just really nervous. I want everything to be perfect." "Guess what? When you move into an apartment now, they are giving away two free champagne glasses and a bottle of champagne." he added. "No way!" I responded. "Yeah, do you want a set?" Joe countered. "Sure, where are they?" I asked. "Over here, follow me." he whispered. I followed Joe across the greenbelt to the empty apartment. The grass was wet and the streetlights had just turned on. People were walking their dogs; still others were running. A few moments later we were at the sliding glass door to an empty apartment. Joe opened the door and true to his word there were two champagne glasses, a bottle of champagne and a warm Thank You note from the apartment complex. Reaching over the bar, he handed me the glasses and champagne. "Enjoy!" he said. I placed the bottle of bubbly under one arm and the slender flutes in my left hand. As I turned to leave Joe started to open the sliding glass door for me.

Running into the house, I was barraged with nothing but questions. "Where were you? What took so long? Why didn't you call?", frantically Dave declared. I fell into the corner crying. Sobs wracked my body; I could not catch my breath. Abruptly, Dave pulled me to my feet. "Are you ok?", he gasped. "Don't tell anyone about this. Do you hear me? I mean it, don't tell anyone.", I declared. Carefully, Dave helped me to the shower. The hot water stung my back. Swirls of steam clouded the mirror as I slowly sank to the bottom of the bathtub. My head was pounding. It felt as though I had been run over by a freight train. I just wanted this night to end.

As a result, Dave and I signed a lease for our new apartment. Ù With Labor Day just around the corner, Dave's parents decided to come for a visit. Before their arrival I wanted to make sure everything was perfect. I cleaned the house, purchased new plants, and even rented new furniture. The only thing left to do was ask Joe to take care of my dog for the week. Joe was the only one I would trust with Cagney, my cocker spaniel. Cagney, a gift from Joe, was my baby. Although not a guard dog, she was my sentinel. Black as the night, only the whites of her eyes could be seen and the sound of her collar could be heard. Later that day I called Joe. "Joe," I asked, " I know it's been awhile since we've talked; but I have a favor. Do you think you could watch Cag

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1805
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)