A hero.

I remember the day I met you. I remember the bright sunlight, the leaves falling, the wind that blew through the playground. I remember saying hi. I remember how we became friends right then. 

I remember the first day of first grade. How you’d told me we could be superheroes! We could save the day, and have awesome powers. I remember how we went to my house and made capes for each other. Mine blue, yours red. How we had masks, how we made our own powers and names. 

I remember going to school wearing them. And the teacher taking them for the day. 

I remember second grade. When the rude fifth grade tried to make you climb the fence and get his ball. I remember telling the teacher, and watching him get in trouble. 

I didn’t remember much of third or fourth, but I did remember fifth. We stayed in my basement a lot. We added more super powers, and tried out different names. 

I remember sixth grade. I remember when you started hanging out with the more ‘cool’ kids. I remember how you didn’t have as much time for me anymore. 

I remember in seventh grade. I remember how you’d said I was a baby. I was nothing. 

I Remember how you said that you’d hated me. I remember how I’d cried that night. 

I remember that the next day I tried to find you, but every time I called your name, you would say ‘go away’ until I did. 

I remember when someone dropped an invitation to your eight-grade party on the floor. I remember picking it up. 

I Remember not ever getting one. I remember spending all my nights in the basement, staring at the picture you drew of your superhero. I remember being the sidekick. I remember going to your party, even though you told me not to. I couldn’t help but try to see you again, the friend I thought I knew. 

I remember seeing you before your mom, and you telling me to get out. I remember trying to tell you I would do anything to be your friend again, and I also remember the pain in my eye as you’d slapped me. 

I remember running home after that, never speaking to you again. I remember you spreading rumours around the school about me. I remember that’s why I had no friends. I remember not being able to sleep that night, and I remember my pillow was soaked in tears, looking like it had just come from the washer. 

I remember going to the park, just reading a book when you came by. I remember how you had more friends than anyone. All of you stalking around, causing trouble. I remember how I got up and left. I remember all my nights alone wondering why you didn’t like me anymore. I often wondered that. Why did I do wrong? I remember thinking how if fourth grade we told each other we would be best friends forever, and how we sealed it with blood. I remember my mom constantly asking if I was ok, and I remember always lying and saying yes. 

I remember thinking about your life. Maybe you wanted to be cooler. Maybe your parents were mean. 

Or maybe I just did something wrong. 

I remember high school. I remember in the second year you had another, bigger, party. I remember that, again, everyone was invited.

Except for me. 

I remember sneaking into the party. I remember it was a skydiving one, on a 100 foot tall building. I remember at least ten people went before it was your turn. I remember wishing I could go with you, pretend we were flying. Like we used to. Hero and sidekick. Me and you. Best friends. I knew I couldn't. 

I remember you making a funny face before diving off the ceiling. Something like terror. Then I remember looking at the place where the rope was supposed to be tied. 

It wasn’t tied. 

I remember screaming, and looking over the edge, and nearly throwing up. I remember hearing the crack of bones. The splat as you hit the bottom. The blood around you… 

I remember being the first person to reach the bottom. The first person to see you. The only one who cared. 

I remember, weeks later, the police saying that one of your ‘friends’ had untied the rope on purpose. I remember finding him at recess and punching him until he fell to the ground. 

I remember the hundreds of millions of tears I shed. How many wet pillows I’ve made. How I barely passed any of my classes, because the only thing I could think about was you. I remember how one night, I’d nearly run away, trying to escape school. Trying to escape the world. 

I remember I didn’t, unable to leave my family. I remember nothing about school. Like I just saw some glimpses of it before it was gone. I remember the day I was moving out of the house. I remember going down to the basement after I had packed away everything of mine from the upstairs and my room. 

I remember mom had told me to double check down here. Just in case. I did find something down there, though, even though I thought I wouldn’t. I saw our two capes and masks. Blue and Red. Fire and Ice. oppsites. I remember finding the drawings we each made. Us in capes and masks, flying high above the clouds, saving the world from villains. I remember how I looked at the powers we each had. 

Me: Flight, Invisibility, Teleportation, speed. 

You: Flight, Strength, being the best friend ever. For once, I smiled. I knew that you were my best friend. Even if now you’re not. I knew I would remember the plans we made for life. I knew I would remember you, and I know nothing in this world could stop me from ending up just like you. 

A hero.