"Cry" by Mandy Moore

It was late in the afternoon and Baljeet was laying on his couch studying for a math exam. This was his idea of paradise, curled up happily with a text book and a calculator by his side. There was no one around to teas or judge him. He was perfectly content. At that moment he felt like he could stay in that position forever, but of course all good moments have to end sometime. Baljeet's cell phone rang loudly disrupting his peaceful mood.

Baljeet groaned as he look at his phone to see that it was Buford. "Hello, what is it?" he said in an irritated tone.

"H….hey, 'Jeet, c…could you come over?" asked a raspy, trembling voice.

"Buford, what is wrong? You sound terrible." Baljeet said slightly concerned.

"C…could you just come over…please?" Buford asked almost begging.

"Umm…Sure, I guess." Baljeet said in a confused voice.

Baljeet got up from his sofa and began to walk to Buford's house. When he got there he walked up to

Buford's bedroom. The room was very dim, the only light emitting into the room was the moon in the dark grey sky that was shining through the window. Buford was sitting alone on his bed staring up at his

window.

"I am here." Baljeet said as he entered the room. "What is going on?" Buford was silent and kept a straight face. Buford's silence was making Baljeet very nervous. Baljeet also couldn't help notice a rank stench coming from somewhere near by. "What is that awful smell?" Baljeet asked.

Buford stayed quiet and grabbed a fish bowl off of his nightstand and handed it to Baljeet. Baljeet looked into the bowl to see Biff, Buford's beloved gold fish, floating dead in the water. "Oh….I am so..Sorry," Baljeet said. He was very aware of how attached Buford was to his goldfish and felt sincere sympathy for him.

Suddenly Buford buried his hands into his face and began to cry. Seeing Buford in such a fragile state gave Baljeet a deep pang in his heart. All Baljeet wanted to was to make the pain go away. Baljeet hesitantly rapped his arms around the larger boy and let him cry on his shoulder. "It will be alright." Baljeet said soothingly.

"H…How do y…you know?" Buford trembled.

"Because, I'm here for you." Baljeet said as he continued to let his friend cry on his shoulder. `