As a fifth grader I wanted to always hang out with my best friend. My best friend was Ruby. I met her in fourth grade. Ruby and I always hung out during recess. We even sat together everyday during lunch. Once, in PE, I just walked up to Ruby and said, “Do you want to hang out?”.  And Ruby replied, “Sure!” Later we became best friends. 

Once Ruby invited me for a sleepover at her house. I asked my mom if I could go for a sleepover.  My mom thought I was too immature for a sleepover. But she was thoughtful enough to let me go. I packed my bags and went to her house in the evening. I said bye to my parents and sat next to my friend in the living room. 

I suggested, “Let’s watch something, and could you please get us something to eat?”

She agreed and I sat on the couch waiting like a pigeon. As I waited, she pulled out a bag from the cupboards and poured it into a large bowl. 

Have you ever heard a pop from the microwave?

That pop was from the kernels popping into something creamy. It was white with mustard-yellow spots. Ruby came back with those, mumbling with a mouth full of popcorn, “Do you want some?”. Indeed, what did I want to eat? It was all so very basic. I just wanted to watch a movie with some popcorn, so that I could pass some time in the evening. Nothing else until the sun sets. I had to sleep at 10 pm, so that we could wake up early to have some more fun, before my parents had to pick me up. “You have until tomorrow evening for some fun. If you don’t know how to have fun, ask your friend.” But my parents didn’t know that my best friend was that kind of girl who was obsessed with something that she liked.

As I took a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into my mouth, my best friend turned on the TV. She called out, “How about Leap?” I agreed. She squealed. 

We watched the movie. A girl who wanted to be a ballerina.

The clock struck ten. I wanted to go and sleep but I didn’t want to disappoint my bestie. I have to tell her. I counted down, three, two, one. “Um, Ruby, I think we should go to bed”, I blurted out.  

“Oh, sure.” Ruby said.

I rushed down the stairs and my bestie’s mom made breakfast already. Ruby waited until I came. There, sitting on the couch, staring at the staircase. 

“You should have come like 2 minutes earlier. You missed the squirrels!” Ruby squealed disappointedly.

Well, I thought it was okay.  We played frisbee until we got sick of it. We played Xbox until we got exhausted. 

It was that summer evening, I heard the doorbell ring. I heard it again, and Ruby’s mom opened the door. It was my parents. They came inside and greeted her mom.  

My parents told me and my friend that we are going to meet again. 

I agreed.

She agreed.

We agreed to meet again.

Then, they took me away in their red car.