That day, everything felt strangely sad, as if the world around me had lost its colors. Seven years ago, Noah invited me to a farewell barbecue because he was moving away—this thought haunted me all morning, bringing tears to my eyes. In my room, filled with childhood memories, I hugged the teddy bear he once gave me, feeling like the world I knew was crumbling. But I promised myself I wouldn't cry when I left the house. I didn’t want Noah to see me like that, afraid he’d remember me as a crybaby. I wanted his last memory of me to be different. Deep down, I believed that if he saw how brave I was, he’d want to stay friends, even if we were far apart.
Once I managed to stop the tears, I tried to cheer myself up by thinking about funny cat videos I’d watched on YouTube that morning. I glanced at the clock—only 20 minutes left before I had to leave. My heart started racing. I rushed to my closet and pulled out the dress I had picked for this day. It was lilac with tiny golden flowers, delicate and special, like it would give me courage. I put it on quickly, tied my hair into a loose ponytail, and ran down the stairs, feeling the dress swirl around me, creating a sense of lightness I desperately needed.
Downstairs, Dad was waiting for me by the door, with a concerned expression on his face. His quiet gaze, full of understanding, said more than words could express. He looked sad, as if he knew I had been crying just a moment ago. But he didn’t say anything, for which I was grateful. Dad always knew when to leave me alone with my thoughts. I smiled at him as widely as I could and started putting on my sandals.
"Are you sure you can do this?" he asked softly, looking at me with concern. His voice was warm, full of the gentleness I needed at that moment.
"Yes, Dad. I want Noah to remember me smiling," I replied, trying to sound confident, though inside, my heart was aching.
Dad was silent the whole drive to Noah’s, but I saw him glancing at me in the mirror, as if to make sure I was really okay. The ride wasn’t long since it was still early, and there were hardly any cars on the road. Every house we passed, every turn, brought me closer to the moment I dreaded. When we arrived, I took a deep breath, hugged Dad tightly, and quickly jumped out of the car, not looking back. I wanted to be brave.
From a distance, I saw Noah walking towards me. He looked just the same—smiling, with his messy hair and that same sparkle in his eyes that always made me feel better. But our greeting was a bit awkward, which surprised me because we were always so close. We smiled shyly at each other and hugged gently, as if we were both afraid of what was coming.
We spent the whole day pretending it was just another carefree day. Noah, as usual, teased me—splashing water from a small inflatable pool, shooting foam darts at me with his toy gun, and making silly faces that made me laugh. It felt like our way of pretending that tomorrow, nothing would change, that everything would stay the same. But as the evening came, and the sun began to set, it hit us that something was ending. We sat on the grass, far from his parents, who were busy with the barbecue. I felt my heart tighten, but I tried to stay brave.
Noah looked at me and quietly said, "You know, Emily… we’ll still see each other. Moving won’t change anything."
His words were meant to comfort me, but deep down, I knew things would be different. I was scared that our friendship would never be the same, that the distance would change us.
Noah seemed to notice because he suddenly picked a flower growing nearby—a forget-me-not. He handed it to me with a slight smile.
"Maybe this will be our symbol," he said, tucking the flower behind my ear. "A forget-me-not. A sign that we won’t forget each other. Every time we see one, we’ll think of each other."
Tears welled up in my eyes again, but I quickly turned away so Noah wouldn’t see. In his eyes, I saw something I’d never seen before—uncertainty, maybe even embarrassment. His cheeks turned red, which surprised me. I’d never seen Noah embarrassed before. I felt my own cheeks heat up, so I quickly stood up and started brushing the grass off my dress.
I looked at my phone and saw that I only had 15 minutes until Dad would pick me up. I felt a pang of sadness but also relief because I didn’t know how to act after what had just happened. I walked over to Noah’s parents— Susie and Adam, who had always been so close to me. As I hugged them, tears started rolling down my cheeks. Susie, with a warm smile, told me their door would always be open for me, and that I could visit anytime I wanted.
"You’ll always be part of our family, Emily," she added, hugging me tightly. I knew it was true, but deep down, I felt that everything was about to change.
Dad had already pulled up to the house, though it felt like only five minutes had passed. Time suddenly sped up, as if trying to take away my last moments with Noah. I said goodbye to Susie and Adam, giving them a kiss on the cheek, as we always did. When I walked over to Noah, I felt my heart breaking. He hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear to remember our promise.
"I won’t forget," I replied, smiling widely, though inside, it felt like my world was ending. I walked towards Dad’s car, trying not to look back.
Noah and I had always been inseparable. Now, it felt like someone had ripped a part of me away, leaving an emptiness that couldn’t be filled. That day, I learned that goodbyes are hard, and promises, though sincere, aren’t always easy to keep. I felt like something had ended, and I didn’t yet know what the future would bring.
A few weeks later
I was sitting on my bed, holding my sketchbook on my lap, lazily drawing circles on one of the blank pages. My thoughts were tangled, and my heart ached with longing. Noah, my best friend, had left, leaving behind a void I didn’t know how to fill. It felt like everything that had been important to me faded away with his departure. My days dragged on endlessly—I lay there, staring at the ceiling, while the passions that once brought me joy, like drawing, dancing, or spending time with family, no longer made me happy.
A loud notification sound snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked at my phone and saw a message from Alice, a classmate I’d talked to a few times at school. She invited me to hang out in the park with a few other girls. For a moment, I considered staying home, where at least I wouldn’t be disappointed. But then I thought about how depressing it was to stare at the wall all day. Maybe this hangout was a chance for something new?
I got up from the bed with a sudden burst of energy. Changing into olive-green, flowy shorts and a cream tank top with a butterfly on it, I felt ready for a change. My town, Santa Barbara, was always full of life—palm trees swaying in the breeze, blue skies, and the sun reflecting off the ocean waves created a picturesque landscape. But since Noah left, it all seemed dull. Even the most beautiful places had lost their charm. Still, I couldn’t give up. Maybe this day in the park would be the beginning of something new.
I walked slowly through the park, enjoying the greenery of the grass and the flowers lining the path. The sun shone so brightly that I had to squint, and there was a joyful atmosphere everywhere—kids laughing on the playground, families picnicking on blankets. Everything was so lively, yet I felt something was off inside, as if I were cut off from that joy.
When I saw Alice standing with a few other girls, my heart started to race. She waved at me with a smile, and I walked towards her, trying to look happy, though I felt a bit nervous inside. Alice, always full of energy and life, greeted me warmly.
“Hey, Emily! I’m glad you came!” she called out, her eyes sparkling with joy.
“Hey, Alice,” I replied, trying to smile.
“Girls, this is Emily,” she introduced me to the others, and I just nodded, feeling my cheeks start to blush. Jess, one of the girls, had dark hair and eyes that seemed to look right through me.
“Hey, Emily—I heard you’re good at drawing. Will you show us something sometime?” she asked, her deep-set eyes watching me with interest.
“Maybe…” I replied quietly, surprised by her question. I never thought anyone would actually want to see my drawings.
The conversation flowed on—the girls talked about school, new clothes, and weekend plans. I tried to listen, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Noah. What was he doing now? Did he feel as lonely as I did, missing what we used to have?
Suddenly, Alice grabbed my hand. “Emily, we’re going for ice cream!” she announced, grinning widely. When she ordered me chocolate ice cream with sprinkles, I felt like maybe this day wouldn’t be so bad.
We sat on a bench, laughing and talking, and I suddenly realized I hadn’t thought about Noah for a while. It felt strange but also like a relief. Maybe I could live without Noah? Maybe life could be normal again? My heart still ached, but it wasn’t as bad as before. I felt like I had found something new—a friendship that, while different from what I had with Noah, could also be special.
As I walked back home that evening, I noticed a small forget-me-not flower growing by the path. I bent down and picked it up, smiling to myself. I still missed Noah and our friendship, but I also felt ready for a new chapter. The promise I made to Noah would always stay with me, but maybe it was time to add new promises—to myself and the new friends I was starting to find.
