My Best Friend

Elementary School

The rest of elementary school was really a blur. It was fun and had it's ups and downs, I learned cursive, and math, and my times tables. I now considered myself officially smarter than my intelligent best friend.

Heather and I became closer and Noah and I drifted as the years went on and I guess that's just part of life. We were on rival swim teams and we had both just made age groups. We saw each other at meets, but never really talked.

Speaking of swim team, Bo had become the mascot of my team. He came to practices every morning and wouldn't leave my coaches side from the time I got in to the time I got out. If we were talking and not paying attention, Bo would bark at us as if to tell us to shut up and pay attention. My coach adored him. He even got to come to our meets!

My little brother was growing up too, he was getting bigger and running around and getting into trouble. My parents solution? Get him his own Bo. I was thrilled because we were getting another puppy. Bo was thrilled because I was thrilled....that was soon to change.

My parents decided to get a feisty little Australian Shepard girl. We decided on the name Maisy. It seemed to suit the little fluff-ball. Bo sniffed her and whined and looked at me, confused as to why this little dog was invading his space. In return she licked his nose and he backed up and pressed against me.

It took a few days but he got used to having Maisy around and even helped out with her training, being sort of a guide for her to copy. Like Bo had been with me, Maisy was always by Jake's side, and like Bo was mine, she became his best friend.

As fifth grade ended and middle school rapidly approached, I was nervous. Bigger school, bigger people, more than one classroom! It was a lot to take in. I spent the summer before just having fun and not worrying about the years that rapidly approached.