From Never to Forever

The Beginning of This

Kat laughs as he makes his attempt at a flip. "It's a trampoline park! You get your lift then roll, how is that so hard?" She laughs aloud. Everyone else doesn't notice the girl trying to teach the boy how to do a flip. "I just don't get how you get that much... FLIP!" Laughs Chad as he attempts to crawl out of the foam pit. Kat extends a hand, "Need some leverage?" "Yes please! This stuff is like quicksand!" Replies Chad as he gratefully accepts her extended hand. 'Does this count as holding hands.' Kat thinks and laughs. 

"Guess what kids? It's Serve Day! That means you get to help clean up the school grounds!" Announced the principal. "YES!" Exclaimed Kat. "Hopefully I get partnered with you, or maybe even Chad!!" Whispered K as she giggled with her best friend Mel. "Shoveling Barkdust. Kat, ****, ****, and Chad!" Proclaimed the principal. Kat ran over to Chad. "Dude, were partners!" "Right on!" He agreed and they high-fived. After a couple of hours shoveling barkdust, they were both asked to help some other kids wheelbarrow dirt to a dumping area. Chad was racing around with a wheelbarrow with Kat following close behind when he tripped and the wheelbarrow flipped over. He landed in a heap and Kat asked him if he was ok. "I'm fine!" He laughed and she helped him up, all the while giggling. Later they were screwing around when some kid stole Kat's shoes. Chad helped her chase him but the perpetrator had thrown her shoes into two trees. One of Kat's friends climbed the tree and he retrieved one of her shoes. Kat decided she could the second one herself. It was a relatively small tree with dense branches and her shoe was stuck up inside. She grabbed one of the thickest branches, tested her lightweight flimsy body on the small branch, and hoisted herself high. Kat reached for her shoe and once she had it in her grasp, she turned to face Chad while still hanging shouting, "Aha! I got it!" When the small limb gave way and the whole branch fell on top of her. "Oh my goodness! Are you OK?!?" Chad asked, concerned. Kat burst out laughing and stood up. "I'm perfectly fine. The tree isn't though!" They laughed as she dragged the limb off to the compost pile. Afterwards Kat stole Chad's hat and after returning it, chased him and started running through the halls to get it back again. Her friend El was close behind when El stopped her and asked "Kat, do you have a crush on Chad!?!" Kat blushed and confirmed her theory, then took off after Chad again.

At lunch time, Chad told Kat to remind him to ask her something at the end of the day. "Mental Sticky Note." They said in unison, an inside joke. 

By the end of the day everyone was exhilarated but worm out. Kat walked up to Chad and reminded him of their mental sticky note. He told her to ask him tomorrow, the last day of school. On the last day of school the two hung out together and ran around like good ol' friends. Chad had earlier told her to ask about the mental stocky note, newly dubbed, "The Question". At the end of the day Kat approached Chad again. "Chad, what's 'The Question'???" He replied with, "Ask me at eighth grade graduation tonight, then I promise I'll tell you."

At eighth grade graduation, Kat was there, standing outside on the chilly day dressed in black and red, waiting for Chad to show up. When he finally did show up, clad in blue long-sleeve polo and Calvin&Hobbes tie, they had totally forgotten about "The Question". The ceremony came and went and on her way home Kat realized they had forgot "The Question". She had known that Chad was moving to Minnesota on June 10 and was hoping he'd ask it in-person before (she was sure) he forgot about her and she would never see him again. June 1 was the date, and they had failed to remember. At that moment he texted her: "KAT WE FORGOT 'THE QUESTION'!!!" she responded: "I KNOW!!!" Chad: ok I'll just text you it. Kat: ok shoot. Chad: who do you like? I'll answer after you do. (Kat starts freaking out) Kat: you answer first! Chad: no you it's your Question! Kat: fine but nothing I say changes our friendship, OK? Chad: OK. Kat: Chad, I have a crush on YOU. (Kat thinks, "here comes the 'oh I don't feel the same way' part")Chad: good because I have a crush on you too.

June 2.  Kat gets a text from her friends asking if she's going to the graduates party in a couple of hours. She speeds to her parents and asks if they can take her, she gets dressed, and they head on their way. She arrives and Chad is there! They talk like normal friends and like nothing has changed (thank goodness) and get to bowling and enjoying themselves. But at the end of the day she has the same thought: 'dang I'll never see him again and he'll forget me'. They say their goodbyes and head home.

June 3. **beep beep beep** "Hey that's Chad's text tone I wonder what he wants to talk about." Chad: Hey want to help me plan a party for before I move?

Fast Forward

June 8. **doorbell rings** Chad answers the door. "Kat!" "Chad!" They walk inside and a bunch of their friends are in there. Kat says hello to Mrs. and Mr. Buckingham. Kat sits down at the table where everyone is playing games and she looks over at Chad's phone and freaks out inwardly, 'Ohmygosh! His background photo is the photo I took of my dog that's SUPER amazing!!!' Chad comes and sits down and they start hanging out and laughing and playing card games.

FF AN HOUR

"Oh hey Chad. I forgot to mention my parents have to pick me up soon because we have to run errands." Chad says it's OK and he's glad she could come. After ten minutes someone had the great idea to go out back for some reason and as we are walking out to the yard Kat gets a text from her parents saying they are down the street. Kat tells Chad she has to go and she hands him an envelope which has a letter and a picture of a wolf she drew inside. Chad runs upstairs and comes back down with an envelope too and walks her to the door. They stood there for five minutes, one foot away from each other, bumbling for words and staring. Kat's brother knocks on the door and she says, "It was so much fun getting to see you before you leave! I'm sorry I have to go." And she swooped out the door.