Battling Life

Chapter 1

There are two kinds of shock. They kind where you're extremely happy, or the kind where you're confusedly shook, because you're thinking "why now?"

I got a mix of both today when Ethan called.

Ethan is my best friend. Or I should say ex-best friend.

Ethan Knight had moved to Texas last year, our junior year of high school, and I didn't know about it until his friends told me a week after he moved.

But before that we were literally the ideal best friends with the excessive amounts of sleepovers, movie nights and pizza parties. And the best part was that we would do those things with just the two of us. Sure we hung with other friends, but we would never have nearly as much fun as we do with each other.

We met as neighbors in the second grade. We stayed neighbors and best friends till our junior year. But now, I'm not so sure. I haven't found anyone who can replace him. My friend Kendall Johnson does come almost neck to neck, though.

After he moved, I got really angry that he moved, and angry that he didn't tell me. I mean the way we used to be, it would be mind-blowing to know that he didn't tell me before leaving.

If I do look back to the last time I saw him, he was wearing a long sleeved polo shirt with cream colored pants. We were coming back from the movies, and he was talking about how he really needs to go shopping and get clothes. He sounded pretty normal.

I actually still don't know the reason he left. Some say it's because of his dad's work. Mr. Knight was New York's leading advocate, so I don't any reason on why he would move to Texas. Others say that his mother wasn't doing so well, so it was just time for him to go. I don't know so much about that one. Ethan's father and mother got divorced, because his mother was too abusive to him. She cheated on his father a lot, and would be drunk all the time. I remember in fifth grade when I went to his house for a project, she was sitting on the million dollar couch with a bottle of whiskey in her hand, trying to force Ethan into drinking it.

Whatever the reason was, I always wondered why he would run away without telling me. I didn't call him after that, and neither did he.

He didn't until today.

I was up on the attic looking for my dad's old song albums for a project, when my phone buzzed. I picked it up and saw a random number on the screen. I ignored the call, as I thought that it was probably some commercial call.

A few seconds later, I got a call from the same number again. I picked it up this time to hear a familiar voice.

"Hey Jules"

My heart dropped. My throat was dry and I was speechless. I wanted to open my mouth up and say hello, but I couldn't. I remained silent.

"I'm in New York right now. Want to meet?"

Though I was still in the same state, I found my voice.

"Uh... I'm sorry who this is?" I asked faintly though I knew the answer.

"Nice joke. Who else calls you Jules? Anyways, sorry I got to go, but we'll meet at Starbucks at 5 PM?"

"Um... yeah"

Ethan was back.