Always Remember

Patricia's p o v

Archie: "How are you not freaking out right now?"

I looked up to see Archie's eyes filled with wonder and amazement as I shoveled cereal into my mouth. Sighing I wiped my mouth as I explained to the two boys who sat spoon half in air half in bowel. How I wasn't about to let little miss my life's so perfect that I turned out to be a spoiled brat Lucy make me run and hide under the bed.

Patrice: "Do you seriously think I would let Lucy scare me?

"She's hyper she's demented demanding brat, she's a spoiled she's a slut but she doesn't scare me"

Evan and Archie shock their heads looking at me.

Evan: "Well she scares me man I wouldn't cross her"

Patrice: "Evan what's the worst she could do to me?"

They looked at each other and shuddered. Suddenly I was nervous they made slicing actions across their throats. Gulping I played it cool, I mean I knew Lucy well we use to be best friends years ago. I knew her better than most of her so called friends. She wouldn't hurt me.

Keep it cool Patricia maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to do last night but surely Lucy would have bigger things to worry about today than me.

I was mad last night I mean she took my favorite picture of Evan and I and destroyed it lite it on fire and laughed. It was my only copy since she broke my computer and camera last week.

Than Brett was there acting all cool and showing Evan up at every stupid carnival game, Evan was trying so hard to win a stuffed animal for me and Brett came over and pushed him out of the way and won it for Lucy. Poor Evan landed in the mud and Brett was going on and on about how macho and cool he was and there was Evan laying in the mud.

Brett kept trash talking Evan saying he needed to work on his arm muscles not just his brain. That I needed a real man like him not a lose so her like Evan. I could feel Lucy's eyes on me the whole time. I was so mad. I blurted out that he was too chicken to be a real man. He was just a bully so he told me to name the first thing and he would prove he was a man.

It was really Cassie who blurted out sex on the ferris wheel the pig that he is he pumped his fist and said he would do it and naturally Lucy got dragged in on it.

I swallowed as Archie shock his head what did I do? Charlotte told me Lucy was beyond pissed she saw it in her eyes.

Patrice's Mom: "Patricia get ready school starts in 15 minutes!"

Mom screamed I swallowed as I saw Archie pop his meds, Evan kissed my head he is really sweet and I get so pissed when idiots like Brett try to put him down.

I know Evan tells me it's just how boys are but still it doesn't make it right.

Patrice's mom: "Do you kids need a ride?"

Mom appeared looking nervous and worried I shock my head thankfully Evan had gotten his license this summer. I looked at mom who stood next to Mrs. Goldman and Mrs. Walker who looked ready to cry. Why? I mean we were only juniors this year not seniors.

Patrice's mom: "Are you sure it' hot out here!"

Patrice: "No mom were fine chill!"

Archie sighed rolling his eyes Evan started laughing so hard as farting app went off.

Evan: "Man those breakfast burritos are killers

Whew sorry man excuse us"

They both cracked up doubled over as their moms left the room probably to grab cameras while mom just grabbed my i-phone I shrieked ducking.

Patrice: "Mom no!"

Patrice's mom: "Patricia why you are so beautiful

I can't believe my little girl is growing up so fast!

Today a Jr tomorrow you'll be moving out"

Patrice: "Yea mom I don't think it works that way

A little dramatic I'm only 16 mom I have two more years

Seriously mom you preparing for your Oscar?"

She was hugging me tight telling me how proud she was. I practically had to pry her off of me with a crowbar just to pee.

On my way back I stopped over hearing our mom's talk.

Mrs. Walker: "The doctors are sure there's nothing that can be done

It's the twenty first century but there's still no cure

It's just how this blasted disease works

Slowly it cripples you through your muscles and lungs"

I swallowed as his mom cried

"I'm just grateful I got these wonderful 16 years with him

I mean they never excepted him to make it past eight he was so small so sick as a baby

Is he really growing up though?"

Mrs. Goldman: "No Cindy I guess your right he's growing down not up"

I turned away as I flipped through my phone what were they saying? I've known Archie Matthew Walker since we were born our moms are best friends. I mean I knew since I was eleven when mom sat me down and explained to me what Archie had that he wasn't going to grow up and live a full life like I was.

Yet there's a part of me that never really wanted to believe it. Now as I lay against the wall hearing his mom cry and looking through my pictures I see it.

The ones from two years ago Archie was standing tall and straight with crutches but he was standing on his own smiling and mugging for the lens.

His face was full his eyes gleaming his arms full and strong as he posed.

Than last year he wasn't standing so straight his eyes had dark circles under them still he smiled but he looked tired and thinner.

Glancing at him today I could see the change from a little less than 11 months ago. He was confined to a wheelchair he had lost like 20 lbs he didn't look 16 now he had a harness around his chest to help him sit up straight his checks weren't as red. Now he was paler he looked bony hallowed with dark circles under his eyes bruises, his hair had lost it's curl and lay limp across his side. He no longer had the arm strength to fuss over it Archie loved to fool with his mouse like brown hair.

I guess it's true what they say you don't know how much something could hurt you till you are through the storm, for the millionth time I wondered why? Why would god do this?

Why does he create us? Why does he show us how wonderful life can be when his plan all along is to take us away from us before we can fully experience all it has to offer. Why give us friends if were only going to feel the awful pain of their loss for the rest of our lives?

Why do some kids like Lucy get everything handed to them and have no appreciation of the value that life has?

She's so bitter full of hate why should someone like her have the perfect life? She never does anything productive with her life.

Why give Archie and kids like him brains, dreams and motivations when he gives them so much pain misery fear and in the end...

Archie has MD short for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, MD is a disease where the muscles of your body slowly get weaker and just waste away it starts generally around the age of three or four.

With Archie it was around four he was getting stiffer to walk we would be racing across his apartment complex and he would get short of breath his legs would cramp.

When we were really young he would always beat me than he started to not be able to beat me. I would tease him about it, telling him to get the cotton out of his legs when we were about six he started having trouble getting up from a sitting position or when he was laying down,.

Archie couldn't even shot a basketball or jump without falling down his mom dragged him to every doctor who all said he was just a slow learner or had an attitude some said he was just lazy.

Problem is in a small town like ours the options are limited but his mom knew something was wrong she knew it wasn't laziness or an attitude she was pregnant she was scared she wanted answers.

It took two more years before she got into a doctor in Indianapolis who diganosed him with MD.

There's no cure for it he has an arousal of drugs he does Pt twice a day he takes breathing treatments but eventually MD renders your muscles so weak it attacks your lungs your heart it suffocates you.

You can't catch MD from germs not that it stopped kids from teasing him or acting like you could. You get it from gene's both parents have to be carries but only boys get the worse form.

Girls however have a 50% chance of being carriers.

Sometimes and by sometimes I mean 99% of my life I forget he even has MD, some are mentally affected some have speech issues but Archie he is so smart and so sharp. He's witty and always has plans and scheme's he's musically gifted he was a great dancer before he lost his strength he has an awesome sense of humor and he is always making me laugh a few times I wet myself laughing so hard. He's sarcastic he loves girls he has an amazing voice he isn't bashful he loves to show off.

You forget till something reminds you forces you to think like today.

When you have MD you usually die by your late teens or early twenties.

Archie was doing so well this past year until the end of last year he started having difficulties breathing and ended up falling in rehearsal for the school musical last year.

Kendra rushed in the ambulance with him to the hospital he admitted that he had been having problems for awhile but he didn't want to say anything.

He never regained his strength by the start of summer he was in a wheelchair. I didn't stop to think how he felt cause he acted fine laughing and joking.

Mrs. Walker's next words shocked me.

Mrs. Walker: "He just won't eat anymore he says food has no taste but I think he's giving up"

No way! Archie was no quitter I swallowed against the lump in my throat as I heard footsteps. Quickly I calmed myself before going out.

I promised myself I would forget my problems and focus on Archie but I would not baby him. He hates that deep breath I went out.

Patrice: "Who's ready for an awesome day at school?"

They groaned

Geek

Archie muttered

Perv

I shot back

Evan chuckled as I slipped my arm around his shoulders he pulled me close and kissed me.

Archie: "Gross get a room"

I turned to Evan

Get him!

No!

We attacked Archie as he screamed like a girl while we tickled him ruffed up his hair laughing like crazy as our mom's snapped pictures.