Sit Back, and Relapse Again

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*Flashback*

"I bet you can't climb up here! You're just a girl!" Brendon teased from the top of the tree.

"Watch me!" I yelled back at him as I began to mount my feet on it's trunk.

Brendon and I were next door neighbors. We were basically the best of friends and we hung out everyday. In between both of our houses was a ginormous tree that we played next to. We had always looked at it and wondered how high it was but we didn't dare to climb it. That was until this day. The summer before it all ended.

"I bet I could climb it," Brendon said. And climb it he did.

Now as I stood there ready to climb looking up at him, the tree seemed a lot taller than I thought before. I wasn't about to let Brendon be right though. I had to climb it.

I started up the tree as Brendon yelled taunts at me. I slipped once, but caught myself at the very last second. I took a deep breath and tried to contain myself. 'One step at a time' I thought. I pulled it together and started to look for the next spot to grab and the next spot to place my feet. Before I knew it, I was sitting next to Brendon on the highest and biggest branch in the tree.

"I did it!" I exclaimed.

Then Brendon did something I didn't expect. He smiled at me and said "You know, you're not so bad for a girl. I like you."

I wouldn't let him know this but that compliment meant a lot to me. I would carry those words around with me for a long time.

The world from the tree was incredible. Everything seemed smaller from up here. Our parents cars looked tiny, the houses seemed as if humans couldn't fit inside, and you could see for miles. The whole neighborhood was right there in front of us. I liked it up there.

We sat in the tree for hours until the sun started to set.

"I like it up here. I feel like I'm in control of the world." Brendon said.

I'm not sure how real love can get when you're in 7th grade, but for me, that was it. I loved spending my days with Brendon. He really was all I had. I didn't make many friends then because I had already found my favorite person to spend time with. Why would I keep looking?

A voice interrupted my thoughts. "Brendon, honey, you need to grab your stuff! It's time to go!" It was his mother.

We climbed back down the tree together. When we got to the bottom, we stopped to look at each other.

"Goodbye, Laken. We can climb back up tomorrow!" He said.

"Bye Brenny. See you tomorrow!" I said, and we ran to our separate houses.

I never saw him again.

*End Flashback*

I was sitting in my 7th period senior calculus class staring out the window at a large tree. The tree triggered memories of the various summer adventures that year. I never went back to that tree after the day he left. I remember going outside early that next morning and waiting for him. I figured he got caught up doing chores for a while so I decided to sit down to wait. I sat beneath that tree all day. He never showed up. He never said goodbye.


For a 7th grader, that was heartbreak. I was so upset that I never went to the tree again. I found out later from my parents that Brendon's family had moved away. I can't remember where they went so I could never track him down to talk to him again.

I Won't Give Up Without A Fight // Brendon UrieWhere stories live. Discover now