Gone

          Sixth grade. Middle school. Be cool. Those were the only thoughts on my mind as I walked into class the first day of sixth grade. I looked around at the sea of unfamiliar faces and shivered. Everyone had a friend to sit next to, but I didn’t, so I found a random empty seat and crumpled into the chair. I had moved to Terman from Noble Elementary in San Jose, so I was utterly alone in this new environment. The kid sitting next to me was Mexican with short hair that stood straight out across his forehead. He had dark brown eyes and a rather round face. He wore one of those jackets a skater or jockey would wear, but he had an aura of friendliness. For the first few days, we didn’t talk much, only asking one another for help on the class work if we needed any. On the second or third week of school, the teacher had us play a math game with our table partner. It was then that I got to know this kid who, until then, had been nothing more than “the kid who sits next to me in math and science.” His name was Luis. Luis Galicia. We began to laugh as the game progressed, laughing and making jokes as if we’d been friends for ages. That day at lunch, he led me to the stage in the E wing so I could hang with him and his friends. His “homeboys” were not the best group to hang out with. They swore and picked on each other. But I was desperate for friends back then, so I stuck with the group. Hey, it was better than wandering around campus everyday with nothing to do. Even so, they sort of made fun of me. They called me a nerd because I had glasses and because I had good grades. They taught me about things I shouldn’t have learned until sex ed in seventh grade. Yeah, I made the wrong choice of friends, but they were friends all the same.

            After science camp, I befriended another boy by the name of Shazer. He was a much better guy then those other gangster wanna-be’s. I’ll admit; I sort of pushed him around at first, just because he was different. He was skinny and would sometimes fall on his back when somebody confronted him. But his kindness and innocence eventually influenced me, and I changed into a better person. He continues to have this influence on me, and I’m always in high spirits when I have my one-on-one chats with him.

I tried to convince Luis that his group of “friends” was bad news, and that he should join me and Shazer. “No way, I don’t want to be a bunch of weirdoes like you guys,” was his response. I knew it was a joke, because that’s just how we teenagers joke around: we insult each other. He would stick up for his group, and I don’t know why. They were obviously not the best lot to hang out with at school. But no matter what, Luis was my friend, and I knew he was a good person, even if the rest of his friends weren’t. Because I decided to hang out with Shazer, Luis and I slowly drifted farther and farther apart. We never totally forgot each other though. We would say “hi” in the hallways and we would occasionally have a talk during brunch. We were complete opposites in terms of social standards, him with the popular guys, and I was with Shazer and the so-called “weirdoes.” Luis soon became nothing more than “the guy I used to hang with.” I almost forgot him. After seventh grade, he moved away. Where? I don’t know. I didn’t even notice he was gone until one of his former friends reminded me about a month into eighth grade. I became extremely depressed for a while, though I tried not to show it at school. I felt as if I should have gotten to know him better. I didn’t even get a chance to say a good-bye. He was the one who brought me out of the pit of loneliness when I was new to the school, and for that, I will always remember him. I hope he knows how thankful I am.