11 years ago this week...

I was a junior in highschool.
I was waiting outside for my friend to pick me up. We were going out that night. My mom was sitting on the porch with me.
My friend pulled up and got out of her car. There was a sadness in her eyes that I'll never forget.
She told me that our friend had died.
Our classmate.
Our friend that we had just partied a week prior with after prom.
Our friend that had just helped me get my piece of crap car started the day before at school.
A friend that I (along with many other girls, I'd imagine) secretly had a crush on.
Someone who was friends with everyone, no matter which grade, no matter how 'cool' they were, no matter how smart or athletic or rich or poor they were.
Someone you just knew was going to be 'someone' someday.
Seeing this friend made me feel excited about the future.
If he was so comfortable in his skin, if he knew he was important, then maybe I was too!
We were in track together. We did the same events, so we hung out every day after school in practice.
He did long jump, I did triple jump. We both used the same starting point, so we always took turns marking our spot with tape. We always marked it with a 'B' for his name. Remember, having a crush at that age...I was gladly to start my stride on the 'B'. (BTW~he was really good at long jump, I sucked at triple jump)
He was at his best friends house.
They were target shooting. Stupid.
They each had a beer(not even a whole beer), but of course BEER on the scene everyone spread rumors they were drunk.
His best friend shot, but he thought the gun was empty.
It wasn't. He walked by as the trigger was pulled.
I saw him in the hospital, I don't know how I got in really, as there were about 50 students at the hospital.
I couldn't speak.
They donated all of his organs that they could.
His death saved so many people.
He was 17.
He was the oldest. He had 2 younger siblings.
I remember how weird it was whey they became older than he was able to live.
He would have been a great man today.
I'm quite positive he would be married with a large family.
Its funny you know, because there are only a very few amount of people that I talk to from highschool, so I'm quite sure I wouldn't speak to him today, if he were alive.
Yet, I still remember this week each year.
It puts me back to school. I was almost 17yrs old.
I had a crush on a guy.
Life was simple until that day.