“What?” “No.” “This can’t be happening to me.” My thoughts were all jumbled up. My mom had just gotten a call from my best friend’s mother. I picked up the phone and listened in on the conversation. I heard intense crying on the other line. “Debra, he’s, he, he, he’s gone.” Once I had heard that, I knew what had happened. My best friend, Shane had died. This wasn’t how everything was supposed to end. Let me rewind a little back.

My name is Melanie and I am in 5th grade. I love playing sports and when I grow up, I want to become a professional basketball player. On June 13th, 2005, I met the most amazing person that I ever could. A new neighbor moved in, and it was a guy my age named Shane. Right from the moment I saw him, I knew that he would somehow change my life. I noticed something a bit odd. He looked different than the rest of the kids at my school. He was a little skinny for his age, but I didn’t judge him.

“Hi, I’m Melanie, your new neighbor, and you are?” “Hi Melanie, I am Shane.” That was our introduction. The moment I found out we were going to the same school, I was ecstatic. We became really good friends and hung out at lunch everyday. One day, something horrible happened. Shane and I were sitting at one of the lunch tables when Burt, the big 6th grader, came up. “Hey Shane, you’re different. You are as skinny as a twig. Are you sure nothing’s wrong with you?” “Burt, go away. Shane’s absolutely perfect, and you don’t judge people.”
After I had defended Shane, I saw him running away teary-eyed. I followed him outside into the school garden. “Is there something wrong, Shane?” I asked him. “Yes actually. I have been meaning to tell you this, but I didn’t know how you were going to react. Burt was right. I am different. You see, about a year ago I was a normal kid doing normal things, but I started changing. I went to the doctor, and they found a tumor in me. I have cancer, Melanie, and I’m estimated to live only 3 more months.” I started crying. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. “Oh my gosh Shane, I am so sorry. I will be by your side every step of the way. You can count on me anytime.” “Thanks Melanie, you’re the best.”

I really did mean what I said. Shane was like the brother I never had. We did everything together from watching movies or me going to his house and keeping him company through hard days. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like for him to go through all of this. One day, I got some upsetting news. It was just another day at school, but Shane was absent. I thought nothing about it until the principal made an announcement. “Melanie Smith, Melanie Smith, please report to the office.” I walked to the office, and saw my mother. “Mother, what are you doing here?” I asked. “Melanie, I am really sorry, but Shane is in the hospital. He collapsed on his way to school, and he’s not doing very well. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

Oh my gosh. My friend was dying. I wanted to see him so badly. When my mom finally got to the hospital, without looking back, I ran into the hospital and into Shane’s room. When I saw him, I was shocked. His face was pale, and his machine was saying his heart beat was slow. I later learned that he was in a coma, and the doctors weren’t sure if he was going to come out.

“Shane, Shane, I’m here okay? I know that you are afraid. I am too. I just want you to know that you will do fine. If you do go away, I want you to know that I have always loved you, just like a brother. Have fun in the Land.” I couldn’t look anymore. I walked into the waiting room, and waited for my mom talking to the doctors. My friend was going to die, and I could do nothing about it. While I sat waiting, I thought about all the good times me and Shane had. I remembered those moments so clearly, from the moment we met to the time he made the announcement he had cancer.

We went home, and the next day, I had to go to school. I couldn’t focus, not with my friend in the hospital dying. My mind wasn’t at school, and my teachers could see. “Is there something you want to talk about, Melanie?” asked Mr. Manson. “No, I am fine.” I replied. Really, I was far from fine. I pushed through the day, barely making it. “Ring!” Finally, school was over. I had to take the school bus home. My mom was waiting outside my house. We walked inside, and I went up to my room to do my homework.

Then, we got the dreaded phone call. Shane’s mom was at the hospital. Shane wasn’t doing well at all, and she had a choice of waiting for her son to come out of the coma which was very unlikely, or take away his air. She chose the air. I was devastated. It felt like I had lost a family member. I considered Shane a brother, the most amazing brother in the world.

Shane’s death hit me hard. I cried everyday for about two weeks straight. Then, I found out that crying wouldn’t do anything. He was gone, and that was it. Now, I visit him every Sunday at the cemetery. I was so glad to have a friend/brother like him. He was the nicest, sweetest person you could ever meet. He trusted me, and came out to me about him having cancer, and that meant the world to him. I will always remember him, and whenever I am down, I will think about Shane, my brother, friend, and inspiration.