I stared out the window as I watched Kevin loading his truck we had been best friends for so long. I drifted off in memory.
I was a fourth grader and he was a seventh grader, I had just moved to Lexington with my parents. Everyday I suffered with a couple of bullies that would pick on me. One day as I was on my way home a tall blonde boy tripped me, I fell to the ground scraping my arms and knees.
I held in the tears, my father had taught me to be tough although I was a girl. I stood up dusted myself off and continued to walk, the blonde boy was not satisfied so this time he pushed me to the ground and was about to kick me in the stomach, when a voice was heard “Mike leave her alone!” a tall slender boy with long hair helped me up.
I could hardly hold the tears in “Are you ok?” I nodded, not saying a word “Mike you can’t be doing things like that…get the hell out of here!” The Mike guy ran off, “Seriously are you ok?”
I swallowed down the lump in my throat “Yeah. Thank you.”
I felt on my bloody knees “Ooh your badly hurt come, I will have my mom get you a band aid.” We walked down to his house.
“Hey wait I live there!” I pointed towards the house next to his, we began to giggle “I think I will just go home…Thanks again” he watched as I disappeared.
I came back to reality and wiped the tear that ran down my cheek. That had been so many years ago, but meanwhile we had some really great times.
“Hey I just got this horse you want to ride with me…?” we had gotten acquainted over the years of living next door to each other. I was now in seventh grade and he was a 10th grader.
"So how did you like the horse ride?” he smiled, I smiled back at him as I brushed my long dark brown hair out of my face.
“It was great…I never knew it could be so fun…horses scare me…” we talked till the sun set.
I grabbed the courage to meet Kevin at his truck “Hey you…” I hugged him.
"Hey…I was about to go say good bye. I’m finally leaving this place…ain’t it great?”
I didn’t feel the same excitement he did “Yeah that is great!” I had just graduated myself but my father was not going to let his eighteen year-old daughter move out of state. “I wanted to talk to you…” I stared into his green eyes.
“Sure Kaila…you are acting a little weird. Are you ok?”
I smiled nervously “Well I wanted to thank you for being my best friend and I’m going to miss you.” I hugged him tight and held back my tears.
I stared at nothing while we still embraced, he rambled on about how excited he was about finally getting out of Lexington. I thought he had loved it here…he had lived here all his life and he seemed so happy with his mother and father.
“Hey this reminds me of when my brother left…I was really sad“ He pulled away gently and turned to look at me I continued to look at nothing. I didn‘t really want to look into his green eyes, I knew I would bust out crying and I didn‘t want to show that him leaving hurt me so much.
But it must have been obvious, because he enveloped me again.
“Hey would you go to prom with me…I mean we are best friends…” Kevin smiled as he waited for me to answer.
“But I’m in ninth grade?” I was confused.
“They said you can take anyone you want…hey don’t make me beg.”
I finally smiled “Ok…I’ll go…” he hugged me tight.
“Thanks…”
The day came of prom night, he walked over picked me up, we took pictures, drank punch and danced all night.
“Thanks a lot for going…I hope that you had a lot of fun.”
We stood in front of my house, I felt a tickle in my stomach as I stared into his eyes “I had a wonderful time…Kev…thanks”
I continued to go on with details of the evening and suddenly he leaned in and kissed me, once we separated I blushed and he walked away without another word.
It happened a couple of times, but it never went further then a couple of hugs and kisses here and there..
We separated from our embrace “Hey you can always go with me…I mean we could get an apartment, go to school, get some cool jobs out by the beach.”
I laughed, “You know my father won’t understand that and he would refuse…”
He shrugged “You know I’m going to miss you a lot too…” he said as he looked at his watch impatiently “Listen I have to go, but don’t forget to write to me ok.”
I nodded “But I really want to tell you something…important.”
He stepped into the truck as I stood my head sticking in the window. “Come on Kaila this is already hard…move away from the window…”
He began to back up, but I clasped onto the door “Kevin please don’t go…don’t leave me…I love you Kevin…” he stopped the truck and stared at me, as the tears now ran down my cheeks
“No you don’t, your confused” his eyes began to swell up too “I really have to go…” he backed up the truck and headed down the dirt road…
I ran behind him “Kevin…Kevin…stop” I came to a halt as I saw the truck drive off.
I was really upset that night I couldn’t stop crying.
The days that followed were long and sad and felt endless.
