Memoir Draft

Every day before class started I would meet with my friend Anthony. Our classes were connecting through one door that was always kept locked unless an activity was planned, which happened rarely. Anthony was always there lined up outside the classroom before me since his mom drove him to school every day and I was a bus rider. Once I got to class we would wait outside chatting about anything that could pop in our mind before the bell would ring and we got separated until the end of the day. Anthony was taller than your average fourth grader with sparklingly blue eyes and a tan complex. His hair was golden blond and reminded me of silky rays of sun sitting on top of his head. His uniform was always perfectly pressed and fitted to the t; unlike all the other fourth grade boys. Anthony always had a giant smile of his face and knew exactly what to say when someone was feeling down. He had a great insight if someone was upset no matter how good they thought they were hiding it. He was always prepared with a joke that seemed to make all the trouble ease away. It was like he had a gift for making all the rough mornings smooth, like we were living in a perfect world. There was not one student or teacher that did not like him; he was perfect in every single way. Anthony was my best friend and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

When I got to my class something was different. Parents were outside the classrooms with flowers and numerous kids from the classes around had swollen eyes with tears running down. I immediately started looking for Anthony to find out what was wrong. He wasn’t anywhere in sight, so I starting asking my friends and their tears grew harder. My mind was going a hundred miles a minute and I had no idea what was going on, I just wanted to find Anthony he would make everything better as always. As my blurry vision cleared from the haze of my mind I saw Anthony’s mother, I started to approach her and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. She was the one receiving all the flowers and something had happened to Anthony. I stood there stunned telling myself that nothing happened to him and this was all a bad dream. I started pinching myself but nothing would wake me from this horrible dream. I felt someone pulling at my arm and taking me into my classroom room, it was my teacher. She took me to the corner, sat me down, and began saying, “Kellsey, I know Anthony and you were very close, but something happened. Last night when Anthony’s family was driving to get a Christmas tree there was an accident. Anthony did make it.” I couldn’t breathe, I felt like I was drowning in a waterless ocean. Tears starting rolling down my face as I was gasping for air. How could of this happened to such a wonderful kid, it wasn’t fair and I wouldn’t believe it. Maybe someone was playing a sick April Fool’s joke on us, but it was December and my heart wouldn’t let me believe that Anthony would only remain in my memories.

The rest of the day the connecting door was open and everyone was paying our respects to Anthony’s mother. She told us stories of him growing up and how he loved everyone of just like we were family. We went around in a circle and starting sharing our memories of Anthony with her. I let her know how he always had a smile on his face and could light up anyone’s day with only a couple of words. A couple of kids were saying a couple of the jokes that Anthony had used to make them feel better when they were in a rough spot. I actually had a smile on my face and was laughing at the jokes just like Anthony had intended. Our class felt like a family and Anthony’s memories had brought us closer together. All the cliques had broken down that day and the enemies had become friends. We were all one group now because of Anthony.

When I got on the bus for the ride home I was actually happy. I just sat the whole ride to my stop thinking of all the wonder chances I had with Anthony glad I was he was in my life. When I was approaching my stop I was my mother’s car in the distance. My mother and I got along like mice and cats. When the bus stopped I walked slowly off trying to think of what I did wrong. When I was fully off the steps my mother came running up to me and hugged me the tightest she had ever. She kept repeat, “I love you and I never will you please don’t ever leave me,” as tears were rolling down her cheeks. The whole walk back to the car her arm was around me and she was constantly kissing my forehead. When we got in the car we sat there for hours as I told her about Anthony. She already knew about the accident, but wanted to know about his life and what he was like. I told her everything including the new things I had learned today from his mother and my personal experiences. She told me that she wished she would have meet him and promised she would take a more active role in my life and get to know everyone that I cared about. To this day my mother has kept her promise. I may have lost a best friend, but the same day I gained a new one.