A Memoir By Benjamin A. Gipson

I just stood there waiting for this terrible nightmare to end, waiting for some one to tell me that none of this was happening, that I didn't have to go. No one did come to tell that this wasn't real instead my best friend comes and tells me that its time to go. I toss my bags in the back of her dad truck then walk to my seat and buckle in. Brittany's dad, Ben, is already in the driver's seat and waiting there along with her family, Brittany looks in my direction and asks if I'm ready? I look at her, and tell her that I don't think I'll ever be ready. She puts on a fake smile and tells me that she doesn't think she'll ever be ready to. Ben starts the car and we head off.

I look out the truck window watching all the trees go by, and start thinking about how much I'm going to miss everyone, and about the first time I met Brittany. Her mom Carolyn was my little brother's Day Care teacher. It was Carolyn's annual Fourth of July party when we meet. Brittany had some friends with her and introduced herself and her friends, then ask if I wanted to hang out with them. I tell her that would be cool and she took me into the family room which a big group of kids were gathered around watching two guy's playing a PS2 which they had to dance on a mat. The two guys finished their turn and stepped off, allowing another two people to play.

The bigger of the two guys went to the coffee table next to the couch and picked up a water bottle. Brittany tells me that she wanted me to meet her brother, so I followed her though the crowd, we came up to the guy that just finish playing the game and he said hi to his sister and asked who I was. Brittany laughed and tells her brother she forgot to

ask my name. I laughed when I realized that I never told her my name. I tell them my name and Brittany's brother tells me that his name is Justin. Then Brittany tells me that their dad's name is also Ben.

I ask Justin what game he was playing. He looks at me in amassment and asks me you never played DDR? I say to him "that I've heard of it but never knew what it was." He say's to me "then you have to try it." Ill go get Melanie, Brittany says to both Justin and me as she was walking away. So my mom said that your family are moving over is that true? Justin asks me when Brittany disappeared into the crowed. I tell him that it true but not for a year or two. Brittany's coming back and a little girl is trailing behind her. Justin must have seen them to and tells me that the girl is their little sister. Brittany introduces Melanie while Justin sets up DDR for us. That night we spent hours laughing and dancing.

Brittany asks me if I'm aright tell her I'm fine and turn my head towards the window again, Everyone was quiet in the car, I turn to see why everyone is quiet and saw them all looking out the window, then turn a little more and see my bags. I think to myself that this isn't the first time I was headed to the airport with the Flores family. One summer the Flores family and my family decided to go to Walt Disney World, so we rented a two story house in Florida for three weeks.

Those three weeks were the best time in my life. Wile in Florida Brittany and I got closer and now became best friends. Every day Brittany Justin and I broke off and enjoyed the wonderful sites I still remember to this day Brittany grabbing my hand and leading me though the magical city of Disney world though out those three weeks. Disney World

wasn't the only good part of Florida but days and nights at the two-story house were memorable too. Brittany and I always found was to spend time, if we weren't playing hide and seek, or other games we were hanging out in the pool talking and having a good time.

After that summer my family moved closer by the Flores's, and when school began I was going to Brittany's school. Brittany introduced me to all her friends and we hanged out for the whole year. Brittany and I always went and saw a movie or hung out during the weekend. As months passed by our friendship drew bigger and bigger, now Brittany was the greatest friend I ever had. The school year was now finished but it just gave us more time to be with each other, every day hanging out and having the times of our lives. Every thing was perfect, but nothing lasts forever.

A week after high school was when the living nightmare started. That week I found out that I was moving. I nearly died at the terrible news, but what hurt me most was when I had to tell Brittany. When I told Brittany the terrible news we both fail to our knees crying. That was the first time I saw her cried and that was the day my heart broke. After telling her the news it only made us hang out more, and only made us closer.

We pulled in the airport parking lot. It took us about two minutes to find a place to park. I began to unload my bags and headed toward the ticketing area. I look at Brittany and Justin and saw that they too were about to cry. I hated knowing that I wasn't going to see them for years. I looked at the clock and said to myself, "damn I only got seven more minute, how I wish it was seven more days, or weeks." Brittany must have heard me and tells me that she wished it were seven more years. This time a faked a smile. Now it was time for our good-byes.

Memories filled my head and heart of the unforgettable time's Brittany and I have spent together. I remember how it felt when my mom and Carolyn told Brittany and I that I could stay at their house for a month till school ended. When they told me that I could stay just a little longer my heart stopped, and then life seemed worth living again, and happiness seemed to come out of my empty heart. To know I still had a month with Brittany felt like an impassable dream, but it was real.

That month Brittany and me came closer than ever before, and grew the love of brother and sister. We spent every second we could with each other staying up till three in the morning. Weekends were the best of that month. We always spent a day at the mall just buying stuff and hanging out with our other friends to, then we would go see a movie and eat after. Nights were the best though, we always had some people spending the night (though we never slept).

During the night we had a campfire going all night, telling each other stories or whom we thought were hot, all the stupid things teenagers talk about. Everyone has a good time. Sometime we brought the TV out and watch a movie or played DDR or on another TV had a game of Halo always going on. At school that's all people talked about going over to the weekend campfire. When every headed home Brittany and I always had our own campfire on Sunday night, talking for hours and trying to make the most of what little time we have left. During the last week we started to call each other Bro, and Sis couple week I was there, and it was the week Carolyn and Ben said that I was part of there family.

Everyone couldn't hold it in any more and the all cried our whole family. We exchanged hugs and kisses and I head off into the empty halls. Pain began to spread more and more as I stepped. It was the saddest time of my life and the hardest. No person should have to go through that. The pain of not only losing a dear friend but a family. I needed some one to be there but no one came, no one came to cheer me up, no one to wake me of this terrible dream.

I walk through those hallways as empty as them, with all hope gone, sadness and loneness engulfing me. Thinking about how I got here, and what went wrong. The world was empty now with out friends or anyone to talk to. I stepped on that plane being nothing now, nothing but a soulless body taking up a seat. I opened my bag to look for something, anything really, I wasn't expecting a thing I just wanted to something to help me forget what's happening. When i found it, my new soul, the thing to keep me away from reality. A post it note was on it," hey Ben I'm going to miss you so much I no how you like fantasy and all so I got you this...love Sis". I opened it and began to read, for once I felt no pain, and I found another world a world away from this one. The terrible nightmare gone.