slide away. (izzy stradlin).

Prologue: When We Were Eleven

Saul and I met the day I turned eleven. My mother and I had just moved from Italy to California, and Saul lived in the house across the street from our new home. I remember him riding his bike and catching my eye with a small smile. His mother, accompanied by him and his younger brother, came over with a tray of cookies to welcome us. From that moment, we became best friends.

Saul had a knack for making me angry. His teasing would make me fume and turn my cheeks red, but there was always laughter. Our giggles created a shrill chorus, especially when we played pranks on the neighbor's dogs until they were foaming at the mouth. He seemed to effortlessly evade punishment and often got me into trouble, but he could just as easily get me out of it.

I spent a lot of time at his house as a kid. It was a refuge, and he knew it. I was never made to feel unwelcome or rushed out. It was a safe haven when my own home felt like a storm.

Sometimes I'd ignore him for months, lost in some new adventure, but he was never upset when I finally reached out again. He always offered honest advice, carefully phrased to avoid causing harm. To me, he was more than a friend; he was one of the cornerstones of my life—my anchor.

By the time he was seventeen, he had dropped out of school. The city was buzzing with new rock bands, and it was no surprise when he got caught up in the fantasy of becoming a rock star. I remember him talking about a band he was in with his friend Steven, whom I met only once. I think their band was called Road Crew. As time passed, we grew more distant, and our encounters became infrequent. It wasn't like I saw him at school.

Now, it's been six years since I last saw him, and the last thing he said to me still echoes in my mind:

"It's not a goodbye; it's a see you later. If you ever need me, I'll always be on the other side of the phone, waiting for you."