What We Were

Chapter 1-Part 1 (Years later)

A lot had changed with me and Noah. We were still best friends. But we went along different paths of interest. For instance, I chose to take up art. Noah on the other hand decided to play the guitar. While I was really interested in sculpting and watercolor techniques, Noah loved football. But nonetheless, I dragged him to every art show I had, and I came to every single one of his games.

        Noah was actually really good. He made 1st string quarterback for the Briarwood Warriors.He was so excited on the night before his first game; he made me stand out in the cold rain to practice with him. You see my biological dad was a big fan of football because used to coach college leagues. He taught me everything about football during the summer when I was nine. Freshman year, I taught Noah, what my dad taught me. That first night, he scored the winning touchdown against the Burkeville Cougars and took us to state championships. I still remember how proud I was of him that night.

        And what was even better was that Noah and I’s parents were all still best friends. Ever since Noah’s parents decided to move across the street from us in 3rd grade. Even after all those years, we still were all like a double decker family. During that summer, we used to have cook outs every night.  I would sing a little and Noah would play guitar, our parents would listen and occasionally sip their wine. It was a magnificent time.

But there was something very special only Noah and I were allowed to do together. We were allowed to have campouts in our backyards. We could roast hotdogs and smore’s. After that, we would tell scary stories that made us both too frightened to go to sleep. Then, the last thing we did on the camp out was to look up at the stars and try to make pictures. We both ended up falling asleep afterwards anyway. We had the best of times in those little tents and around our small fire. So many memories were made there. It was Noah and Julie against the world, partners in crime. Even after years of summer campouts, from junior high through junior year, we always had fun just like when we were kids.  I think my junior year summer was the best. That year, Noah had just gotten his own car and we took it for trips to the beach and parks and such.  We had picnics on the roof and cranked the radio up as we enjoyed the warm weather that we never seemed to get enough of.

But, then the summer ended, and Noah and I had to start our first day of 12th grade together. After a couple of weeks, we started to get pretty comfortable with homework and our classes. He got into football and I was on the school newspaper committee. He started hanging with a new crowd, the jocks. Along with the jocks were the tag-along cheerleaders. They would always be the ones to get drunk at parties that Noah would go to. He would call me up and tell me all about how some girl got naked and went streaking  that night. Or how so-and-so “did it” in the Wendy’s parking lot, someone recorded it, and put it on YouTube. One college guy even brought weed and Budweiser to some after-party and someone called the cops. It usually got pretty out of control but, it was kind of fun to hear about all the crazy stuff that happened, even though I was a senior and still had never been to a real party before. I never wanted Noah to think I was a wimp or that I couldn’t handle it so I never told him.