BEST FRIENDS FOREVER: PART ONE WHEN I WAS LITTLE I ONLY HAD ONE FRIEND.WE GREW UP TOGETHER AND BECAME BEST FRIENDS. HIS NAME WAS JUSTIN.HE WAS MY SECOND OLDER BROTHER EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTHS OLDER THEN ME. WE WERE REALLY CLOSE. OUR FAMILIES WERE REALLY CLOSE FRIENDS. THEY WERE OUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS.HE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME.HE WAS THERE WHEN MY PARENTS WERE GETTING A DIVORCE.AND I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE. I FELT LIKE I WAS FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEMAND I HATED IT.WHEN I NEEDED ANYTHING I WOULD TURN TO HIM. IF I NEEDED SOMEONE TO TALK TO OR A SHOULDER TO CRY ON, OR EVEN IF I NEEDED TO GET AWAY FROM THINGS HE WAS THERE BY MY SIDE ALL THE WAY.WE WOULD HANG OUT AND HAVE SO MUCH FUN.WE WOULD PLAY B-BALL, WALK AROUND, OR RIDE BIKES.  BUT THE THING WE BOTH LOVED TO DO WAS SING. WELL IN A YEAR WE WOULD BE IN EIGHTH GRADE.HE HAD TOLD ME ABOUT AN AUDITION HE DID FOR A SHOW CALLED THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB, AND IF HE DID GET THE PART THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE TO ORLANDO.WE WOULD HARDLY EVER GET TO TALK TO EACHOTHER NOT TO MENTION SEE EACHOTHER.HE TOLD ME HE HAD BIG NEWS AND THAT TO MET HIM BY OUR HANGOUT.IT WAS A PLACE WE LOVED TO GO TO. IT WAS ON A HILL BY A LAKE.WE ALWAYS SIT DOWN UNDER A TREE AND TALK. HE TOLD ME HE MADE THE CUT FOR THE SHOW AND THAT HIS FAMILY WOULD BE COMING ALONG WITH HIM.THEY WERE GOING TO LEAVE SOON. I JUST SAT THEIR QUIET. THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS GOING THROUGH MY MIND. LIKE HOW I JUST LOST MY BEST FRIEND AND I WOULD HAVE NO ONE TO TALK TO. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD WRITE EVERDAY AND WOULD CALL ON THE WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS. HED PROMISED WE WOULD ALWAYS STAY IN TOUCH SOMEHOW. HE STARED AT ME FOR AWHILE.I KNEW HE WAS WAITING FOR ME TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT WHAT? " CONGRADULATIONS." I SAID BREAKING THE SILENCE. " THANKS, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO KIDNAP ME AND TIE ME DOWN OR SOMETHING." WE BOTH LAUGHED. "YOU KNOW THAT DOESNT SOUND LIKE A BAD IDEA." I SAID WITH A EVIL SMILE SPREADING ACROSS MY FACE. I JUMPED UP AND I CHASED AFTER HIM TIL WE BOTH GOT TIRED.     SHORTLY AFTER 2 WEEKS THEY HAD SOLD THEIR HOUSE AND WERE ALL PAKED UP READY TO GO? I REMEMBER THAT PAINFUL DAY. I HUGGED JUSTIN AND HELD ON TO HIM TIGHT AS IF IT WAS MY LIFE? I COULDNT STOP CRYING. JUSTIN LOOKED AT ME AND SAID" HERE TAKE CHARLIE, AND EVERYTIME YOU LOOK AT HIM REMEBER THE GOOD OLD DAYS, OK?" I JUST NODED. AND AS THEY TURNED THE CORNER I HUGGED THE STUFFED ANIMAL (PUPPY) IN MY ARMS. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS I GOT MY FIRST LETTER. HE WROTE EVERDAY, IF NOT EVERYOTHER DAY.HE CALLED ON SATURDAYS, BUT WEDIDNT GET TO TALK MUCH.I BET THOSE CALLS WERE EXPENSIVE. AFTER A MONTH OR SO THE CALLS CAME IN LESS AND LESS UNTIL HE STOPPED CALLING.SAME WITH THE LETTERS. THEY DIDNT COME AS OFTEN AND AFTER 2 WEEKS STRAIGHT OF NOT GETTING ANYTHING I REALIZED HE STOPPED WRITING THEM. I STOPPED RUNNING TO THE MAILMAN EVERYDAY ASKING IF I GOT ANYTHING. I WAS SURE THAT I HAD LOST MY BEST FRIEND FOREVER. BUT THAT DIDNT KEEP ME FROM SEEING HIS FACE. SEE DURING THAT TIME ON MMC HE MET UP WITH 4 OTHER GUYS AND BECAME A GROUP. I KNEW THAT JUSTIN WAS ALWAYS DETERMINED TO BECOME A SINGER I JUST DIDNT KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE SO SOON AND ALSO I DIDNT REALIZE IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH OUT ME BEING BY HIS SIDE. WED ALWAYS THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO MAKE IT TOGETHER. IT HAD BEEN 6 ALMOST 7 YEARS THAT HAD PASSED BY. I WAS ABOUT TO TURN 18 AND WAS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS GOING TO GRADUATE SOON ENOUGH.I HAD JUST GOTTEN HOME FROM SCHOOLAND WAS ABOUT TO START MY RESEARCH PAPER WHEN THE PHONE RANG. I WASNT EXPECTING ANYONE TO CALL.ESPECIALLY CUS I LIVED BY MYSELF AND NO ONE CALLED ME.MY DAD LEFT AFTER THE DIVORCE.MY MOM DIED FROM DEPRESSION AND STRESS. MY SISTER MOVED OUT BECUZ OF ALL THE BAD MEMORIES, AND MY BROTHER GOT MARRIED AND LIVED IN NY.AND HE ONLY CALLED ON HOLIDAYS TO CHECK UP ON ME.EVER SINCE I LOST JUSTIN I WAS AFARID OF MAKING NEW FRIENDS SCARED THAT THEY MIGHT LEAVE ME TOO. I ONLY HAD 2 FRIENDS, MONIKA AND PAM, WHO WERE AT WORK.I PICKED UP THE PHONE ANYWAYS. "HELLO?"   " HI, BY ANYCHANCE DOES MARY STILL LIVE THERE?"   WHY DOES THIS VOICE SOUND SO FAMILIAR I THOUGHT TO MYSELF.   "YEAH THIS IS HER, WHO IS THIS?" I ASKED.   MARY, DONT YOU RECONIZE MY VOICE, THEN AGAIN IT’S BEEN SO MANY YEARS.ITS JUSTIN!"   MY HEART SKIPPED A BEAT AND I TRIED TO SIT DOWN BUT I ONLY MISSED BY LIKE A MILE AND FELL TO THE FLOOR WITH A BIG THUD!     "HELLO? MARY? ARE YOU OK?" JUSTIN ASKED.    "HUH? YEAH IM FINE. I CAN’T BELIEVE ITS YOU! I HAVE MISSED YOU SO MUCH! AND WHAT DO I OWE THE HONOR OFYOU REMEMBERING LIL OLD ME? I SAID IN MY LITTLE ACCENT. (PAM YOU KNOW WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT.LOL) WE BOTH LAUGHED AND HE SAID,”ILL BE COMING TO PERFORM IN YOUR TOWN SOON AND I WAS WONDERING IF ME AND THE GUYS COULD STOP BY?'   JUSTIN, YOU KNOW YOU DONT HAVE TO ASK.JUST STOP BY.I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU AGAIN AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS."   "OK, ILL BUZZ YA WHEN I GET THERE.BUT I GOTTA GO TALK TO YA SOON OK."    "ALRIGHT ILL BE WAITING. BYE" I SAID AS I HUNG UP.  I WAS SO HAPPY I WAS GOING TO SEE HIM AGAIN.THEN A COUPLE OF MINUTES WENT BY AND THE DOORBELL RANG. I JUMPED UP AND RAN FOR THE DOOR.I DID A QUICK CHECK IN THE MIRROR TO SEE HOW I LOOKED.THEN TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND TURNED THE DOOE KNOB. I LOOKED OUTSIDE ONLY TO FIND A NOTE ON MY PORCH.IT SAID:                   DONT WORRY ILL BE THERE BEFORE                   YOU KNOW IT.I MISS YOU TOO!                                  YOU’RE OLD BUDDY,                                            JUSTIN                    P.S. I KNOW YOU THOUGHT IT WAS                     GOING TO ME AT YOUR DOOR. I CLOSED THE DOOR AND WALKED BACK TO MY DESK.I LOOKED AT MY PAPERTHAT I HAD TO WRITE.I SAT THER WITH MY PEN IN MY HAND AND STARING BLANKLY AT THE PAPER.I JUST COULDNT CONCENTRATE. (I WONDER WHY.) I DECIDED TO TAKE A BREAK.I HEADED TO THE KITCHEN TO GET A GLASS OF LEMONADE.THEN I WENT TO MY LIVING ROOM TO WATCH TV.AFTER FLIPPING CHANNELS I STAYED ON MTV.THEY HAD NEWS ON NYSNC THE BAND JUSTIN WAS IN. IT WAS JUSIN MAKING AN ANNOUCEMENT THAT THEY HAD TO CANCEL A SHOW.AND ME BEING SO LUCKY THAT IT WAS THE SHOW IN MY TOWN. (ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO ME~ PAM YOU FEEL MY PAIN!) I SAT THERE VERY DISAPPOINTED. I FELT A TEAR COMING DOWN MY CHEEK THEN ANOTHER ONE AND BEFORE I KNEW IT I WAS CRYING.

Chapter2