I laughed as I fell into a pile of leaves, and looking up at the tree canopies and the small triangles of blue sky. It was a beautiful day in October. The air was a bit chilly, but warm and sunny otherwise. The knees of my faded jeans were ripped and had grass stains - but, which nine year old's weren't?
"Kat?" Matt said, I looked over to him.
"Yeah?" I said looking back up at the tree canopies.
"Do you think we'll be friends forever?" he asked, almost hesitantly.
"Yes, silly!" I replied laughing, "We are friends forever," I said looking over at him, smiling.
Matt smiled back at looking at our matching friendship bracelets we had made last year. He was the only true friend I'd known. Everyone else thought I was different because of my American accent, they'd been polite, but I'd never fit in. Matt and I just clicked. It was one of those true and rare friendships.
"Can I tell you a secret?" I asked, sitting up.
Matt nodded his head; we often told each other secrets. It was one of the things that kept us close.
"I'm afraid of change," I whispered softly.
"Its ok. I am, too. I don't anything to change - ever," Matt said giving me a comforting smile.
"Lets keep everything the way it is. Promise?" I said, extending my pinky finger for the pinky swear vow.
Matt hooked his pinky around mine, and we vowed. Little did I know soon everything would change.
• • •
I was sitting a a rock by the creek, splashing around my feet. School had just ended two days ago, and I was beyond happy it was summer. I was a bit nervous that next year would be middle school, but I didn't want to think about that just yet. It was time to enjoy summer.
I heard footsteps behind me, I turned around to see Matt walking towards me with a sad look on his face
"What's wrong?" I called out.
"Kat..." he began, taking a seat next to me.
Something was wrong. I could tell. My heart beating fast, I anxiously waited for Matt to tell what was going on.
"I'm moving," was all he said.
There was a silence while the words started to make sense in my head. Moving. Matt's moving.
"What?" I said, even though I knew what he had just said.
"You know those Harry Potter auditions I went to? We got a phone call right now that I got the part of one of the characters. I'm moving, Kat. I'm leaving," Matt said looking down.
That's when tears started rolling down my cheeks, "No, no. You can't be moving,"
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, not looking at me.
"You can't be leaving me alone. You can't," I said in denial, each word coming out with more sobs.
Matt just looked at me, there was nothing else to say. This would be one of the last times we could be together. I would be alone after that.
• • •
A few days after that I sat next to Matt on his porch silently watching his parents put the last boxes in the moving truck.
"I'll miss you," I said softly.
"I'll miss you, too, Kitty," Matt said calling me by my nickname he had given me when we were five.
His mother called him. We stood up. I knew this would be the last time I would see Matt, like this. As best friends. I knew we would call and write to each other. But, it just wouldn't be the same. I hugged him, tears falling from my eyes.
"Goodbye, Matt," I said waving to him as he walked toward the truck.
"Bye, Kat,"
And he was gone.
