1 Short Story #1

LOSING A BEST FRIEND

Four years ago, I had a best friend. That best friend was not just a best friend, she was the first friend I had ever had. Like, in my entire life!

I was a shy girl that had a really hard time fitting in with anyone. So when I met this girl and we became best friends, I was ecstatic because nobody had ever wanted to be my friend before.

This girl and I had a friendship most people did not understand. She and I were the kind of friends that sat together at lunch, laughed more than they argued, and waited behind for each other when they were talking with a teacher. I get why people did not understand us, because I was shy and wore practically the same outfit every day, and she was slightly overweight and outgoing. But our opposites seemed to bring us closer together, as crazy as that may sound.

One day, she decided to throw a pool party for her birthday, I was invited as well as a couple of other girls that I did not know. Back then in middle school, I was on a medication that was supposed to help me with my severe ADD (attention deficit disorder), which made focusing and communication exceedingly difficult. It was my mother's idea to put me on the medication and I was okay with it because I wanted something that would help me in school so that I could focus better.

My friend, this girl, let's call her Katie, did not know about this medication, because I was not sure it would even work and if I would even stay on it, so I chose not to tell anyone. I was in between doses at the time and was pretty sure none of them I was on were really helping, but I took the pills anyway, because my attention was better on them than not at all.

At the party, everything was fine at first. The girls were super nice and we were all having a great time. I remember, around 3 o'clock, the girls went home, and I stayed behind because me and Katie were going to have a sleepover.

Katie and I swam in her plastic pool in her yard and we were just having a great time. Then, I don't know how or why, but my medication was starting to wear off and I could feel it almost instantly. Katie did not know why I started chasing her around her pool and screaming at her, and I did not tell her. What would I say? "Sorry for acting like an idiot, my medication wore off?" No. I could not say that, so I said nothing.

Katie acted like everything was fine that night, we even had an hour long conversation before falling asleep. Then, in the morning, my mother came and picked me up, and drove me home.

It was not until that morning, two days after the sleepover had already ended, that Katie texted me saying she did not want to be my friend anymore.

I know what you are probably thinking, "why does this matter? This happened four years ago!"

The truth is, yes, this did happen four years ago, but losing your best friend is something that you will always remember. To this day, I am on a dose of medication that has stayed steady for three years, and has proven very effective. I now have many friends in my school and am less shy than I was in middle school. However, I still remember Katie and wish that I could go back. Maybe I would have brought an extra pill, or played cards with her instead of going in the pool, maybe we would still be friends.

Now, I don't really miss Katie, because some friendships just are not meant to last. Instead of missing Katie, I miss her family. Her mom was so nice and her father was so chill and I used to love throwing balls for her german shepherd in her backyard. Katie, if you are reading this, know that I never intended to hurt you and I wish you the best.