{"sf1_id":1098625,"sf2_id":"dePoBE71","title":"Friends, Always","author":"TorrentTantrum","words":1309,"posted_at":"2016-11-22T15:11:00.000Z","tags":["Poetry","free form"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1098625-friends-always","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/dePoBE71","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/14/ba/14ba521b-8f57-4dfc-9135-c90ca1a4032d","description":"Many things in this world are finite. True friendship is not one of those things.","content":"The young boy sat quietly at recess, his stomach grumbling.  \nThe bullies took his meal again. He wanted to get it back,  \nbut they were so much bigger and so much stronger than he.  \nThe boy whined softly to himself, feeling very gloomy and hungry.  \nWhen up around the corner, another boy came, happy as could be.  \n\"Have some of mine!\" he said, bearing an apple for the boy.  \nThe boy took it with glee, quietly munching on the delicious red fruit.  \n\"Thank you, but aren't you hungry too?\" The boy asked.  \n\"Yeah, but I'll be fine! You gotta eat too!\" He explained, drinking milk.  \n\"But don't you want anything from me?\" He asked again, confused.  \n\"Nah, I don't want anything!\" The other boy took to enjoying pizza,  \nof which half he gave to his hungry young acquaintance.  \n\"You're so nice,\" the boy said to complement his good company.  \n\"We're gonna be friends, forever and always!\" He claimed,  \nand the young boy laughed as they enjoyed lunch that day together.  \nA friend. What a nice idea, he thought. He ate away at the apple,  \nas his new friend smiled, happy for him.\n\nThe boy sat in the lunchroom, peering from some few tables away.  \nA wonderful girl, so sweet and so polite. Looking at her,  \nhe would've even mistaken her for an angel. The boy swooned,  \nas did his friend that sat alongside him. His friend looked to him,  \ngiving him a nudge. \"You should go talk to her,\" he suggested.  \n\"But you like her too.\" The boy shuffled in his chair, unsure.  \nHis friend merely looked the boy in the eye, his smile genuine.  \n\"We're friends! Always have and always will be! You deserve to be happy.\"  \nWith those words, the boy drew confidence, standing from the table  \nand walking over to sit next to the girl he had, up until that very moment,  \nadmired from afar for so long. \"Umm, hi,\" he started off, shakily.  \n\"Hi.\" The girl seemed comfortable with him, smiling at him, a smile that  \nwould illuminate that entire room from how beautiful he saw her as.  \nAnd his friend smiled, happy for him.\n\nThe young teen and his girlfriend watched in discomfort and woe,  \nas the boy's friend was struck to the ground, then standing right back up.  \nBullies, vicious grins adorning their faces, would throw blow after blow,  \nbringing great pain to the teen's friend who came to his defense.  \nHe wanted to help...they were so much bigger, so much stronger.  \nHis friend didn't care, though; he stood again, hands bawled,  \ntaking every strike with courage. When the bullies had finished,  \nthey walked away, leaving the injured friend to lick his wounds.  \n\"Go get the first aid,\" he asked his girlfriend, whom did such.  \n\"Look at you...you went through so much trouble for me, why?\"  \nHis friend pulled himself from his grip, standing on his feet.  \n\"We're friends, always have and always will be. You know that  \nI'd never let them hurt you.\" He summoned the will to smile,  \nThat same smile the boy always knew him for. At his worst,  \neven as the first aid staff came to his aid, always that smile.  \nThe young teen took his girlfriend by the hand, the two walking with the staff.  \nAnd his friend smiled, happy for him.\n\nThe young man clutched his rifle, leg absent. All around him,  \nthousands of sounds erupted. Never did they cease, or slow,  \nand neither did his friend. He stumbled into the ruined house,  \nclothing red, breath quiet. Doom swept the young man's face.  \n\"No, please...you have to go, you're hurt..\" Despite his plead,  \nhis friend pulled him over his shoulder, huffing. \"So are you.\"  \n\"I'll just wear you down...please, you've done enough...live...\"  \nHis friend simply held him up tight in his arms, and that smile  \nreturned once more. That same, warming smile as always.  \n\"We're friends; always have, and always will be. Without you,  \nwhat would I live _for?_\" He huffed and strained, carrying him,  \nthe young man unable to stave off sleep any longer...  \nHe awoke, in the back of a truck. In the distance, his friend.  \nWhat felt like miles of sand began to pass by him. Safety.  \nAnd miles more away, his friend smiled...happy for him.\n\nChurch bells rang to mark a solemn dirge. In his hand, the  \nman held the picture of himself, his wife, and his friend.  \nIt felt like a lifetime ago, as did he. Sadness struck his heart.  \nA lifetime ago, he'd do anything for him. A lifetime ago,  \nhe'd always give the man that cheeful smile, no matter what.  \nHis thoughts, interrupted, by his child entering the room  \nwith tears rolling down her cheeks. \"Daddy, we got in a fight.\"  \n\"A fight? Sweetie, who was it?\" He asked with great concern.  \nThe little girl sniffled. \"I don't think she'll be my friend anymore.\"  \nThe man smiled softly, wheeling himself over to sit next to her.  \nHe looked at her in a way only a father could. \"So it's her, huh?\"  \n\"Yeah...I said so many mean things, daddy. What do I do?\"  \nWhile unsure what to say at first, it hit him...and he smiled more.  \n\"You and her are friends, always have and always will be. One  \nlittle fight would never change that; if she's your friend, she'll  \nforgive you.\" He could see in her eyes, and her face, that what  \nhe told her would be held to heart. She kissed him on the cheek,  \nrunning off to her friend's house. \"Thank you, daddy! Love you!\"  \n\"I love you too, sweetie. Be careful!\" She ran off in such glee,  \nand the man smiled, happy for his daughter.\n\nDays spent sore, tired, lonesome. But happy. So, so happy.  \nThe old man laid there in his chair, thinking of the years gone,  \nall the memories and people that passed him by. And..to his  \nfriend, and what he meant to him. It was bittersweet, all in all,  \nbut it was a wonderful thing. To think, it all started from an apple.  \nOut of the corner of his eye, he thought his vision deceived him;  \nso keen, it was, to do such a cruelty to him in his age. However,  \nwhat he saw was the genuine article: it was his friend, the same  \nyoung face he remembered him by. And the same, cheerful smile.  \nSlowly, he picked himself up from his chair, on his crutch, hoping  \nto embrace his friend. It was only then where fate's cruel hand dealt,  \nand he realized he stood only in spirit. The old man sighed, then spoke.  \n\"I have grown old and tired in your absence. Years would go by  \nthat I would regret never repaying you for your virtues. Yet..here you are. Why?\"  \nThe spirit shook its head, that familiar smile creeping along slowly.  \n\"You spent your worries in guilt, but in reality, you already repaid me.  \nYou've lived a happy life, and made the lives of those around you better for it.  \nWe're friends; we always have, and always will be. And it's that friendship  \nthat isn't repaid through gifts and favors, but by sharing that kindness to  \nothers, in the hopes that they'll share that same kindness unto others in turn.  \nTrinkets, places, life itself, they all must fade some day...however,  \nthe memories we make, the virtues we share, the friendships we forge,  \nthey are immortalized forever if we will them to become just that.\"  \nThe old man had finally realized what he missed, all those years ago;  \nhe chuckled, his breathing slow. \"I have grown so weary and exhausted.\"  \n\"You should sleep now, dear friend,\" The spirit beckoned. \"You did well.\"  \nHeeding to just that, the old man hobbled back to his chair, yawning,  \nand closed his eyes one last time. And he did so with a smile.\n\nAnd his friend smiled...happy for him.\n\n  \n  \n\n"}