New Kid

Goodbye

    " I have to go back home, as soon as possible." " My grandfather isn't doing so well, he only has a few months at most, to live." I was shocked. Ed had never even mentioned his grandfather being sick. " Why didn't you tell me he is sick?" " I didn't know myself, until I went back home." " Honestly, I was too worried about Annabelle." " I thought there was a slight chance she was telling the truth, or so I feared." " I am taking my final exams early, I already have permission." " I will be leaving on Friday." " Are you coming back next year?" He paused bwfore replying, "I'm not sure, I want to, I mean, to see you, but I've missed my home." I told Ed I understood. It couldn't have been easy for him to make that decision to even come back. " Ed, you never told me the real reason you came to the States." "What happened back home?"
    After an hour, I knew the whole story. I really felt terrible. To think he lost a friend, well a girl he really liked, and he felt responsible, because he didn't do anything. I told him it wasn't  his fault, he shouldn't feel guilty. He told me he has made peace with it but he also said he was glad he had to go through that, because he met me. I smiled really big, Ed is so sweet!
    Ed and I talked every night, after I was sure everyone in my house was asleep. We spent alot of time together, when Ed wasn't studying, of course. I didn't want to say goodbye. Ed didn't know if  he would even be able to visit this summer, it all depended on what happened with his grandfather.
    My mom, for once, did not bother me the Saturday after Ed left. She knew I cared about him. I played the song Ed wrote for me over and over again. He said he would call me as soon as he could.
     My summer wasn't the same, but Ed and I Face-timed practically every day. I missed him alot. Annabelle made some new friends, older girls, some were in college. Michaela talked to her from time to time. She was bragging about how she was going to go to her first frat party in September. I was doing okay. I practiced playing the guitar and Ed said I was doing really good with it and I should keep practicing and not give up.
     Before I knew it, school was starting again. I was a little older and wiser. Annabelle no longer sat with us at lunch, she was too busy with her new friends. Anyways, I didn't like her much. Everytime I turned a corner, I expected to see Ed standing there. In my dreams, he was playing a new song he wrote or giving me a bunch of flowers he had picked from someone's yard. We talked less and less. I knew that would happen but I still missed him terribly.