What it's Worth

From Day One

Owen:

I could hardly believe it. This was it. After tonight Jane and I would leave and go off on our own for the first time.

Jane was beyond a shadow of a doubt my best friend. Well I mean, that's what she says.

If I'm honest, Jane was so much more than that.

Since the day we met in third grade, Jane has been the love of my life.

It was a sunny day at the elementary school and my friends left me to go play tag. I was sad that whole week because my parents were fighting every night. I knew my mom wanted to leave my dad, but she's never had the courage to do it. I wasn't looking where I was walking when a little girl with a wild head of brown hair and thick blue eyes flew off the monkey bars and knocked me to the ground.

That's when I met my favorite person in this world.

She pulled me to my feet immediately and started apologizing while leaning down to rub the dirt off of my pants.

"No no, it's ok I should have watched where I was walking." I stared at her confused as she inspected the rest of me and brushed off the rest of the dirt.

"Well I mean, I was the one who jumped on top of you so it really is my fault. What's your name kid?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Owen"

"Cool, I'm Jane, and I'll give you half my lunch to make up for me landing on you. Deal?" She asked, sticking her small hand out for me to shake. I took it and smiled at her. I was just starting to see a glimpse of how sassy she could be.

Lunch turned into walking home together, which turned into a play date, that turned into dinner and a thousand dinners after. But the night of our first play date was when I was sure, without a shadow of a doubt that Jane was the only girl I ever wanted to love.

After that first dinner, Jane walked me home and I was terrified that she'd see my parents screaming inside.

Sure enough, as we got to the steps, loud shouts could be heard from outside. Jane's eyes softened, the way they do when she's sees anyone hurting. She's the most compassionate person I've ever met. She grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes, as if she knew everything just from being here for a short while.

"This happens a lot, doesn't it?" She asked, not moving her gaze away from my face. My eyes welled up and I nodded. She then tugged onto my hand and pulled me into a tight hug. At the age of eight, Jane had already changed my life. I cried into her shoulder for awhile, embarrassed but still comfortable with her there. She let me go and grabbed my hand again, leading me inside.

I quickly wiped my eyes and tugged on her hand. She stopped and turned to look at me.

"Wait wait where are you taking me?"

"Inside" she said calmly. "When we go in there I want you to pack a bag for the weekend, ok? Don't worry about anything else."

She started pulling me again and I followed her, she had something in her that made me trust her blindly and with every part of me. That was Jane. Compassionate, determined, driven, and trustworthy. A natural born leader I felt like I was born to follow.

Jane walked up to the door and rang the bell. The yelling was shushed and my mom made her way to the door. It slowly swung open, revealing my tired mother, drying her eyes with the back of her hand.

Jane patted my back and pushed me inside, my cue to go pack a bag. I stopped at the stair case, afraid of what Jane would say to my mom.

"Hello Mrs. Owen's mom! My name is Jane, I'm his best friend at school." My stomach flipped. Best friend? I had just met her that morning! But deep down, something about it felt right. Like the thing I had been waiting for my entire life was here with open arms.