Listen to 'The Dream Must Stay Alive' by The Tribes while reading this. It's where I got the inspiration from. The words in italics are lyrics of the song.

 

 

Look in to the future, what do you see?

I really need to know now, is there a place for me?

Tell me where do we go from here

 

"Miss! Mark copied my work again!" I complained.

"What? No way! Why would I copy her? She's lying!"

As the two of us bickered like usual, we didn't realize that our teacher was sighing, rubbing her temples. "That's it," she snapped, finally having enough of our arguments. "I have a project for you two. From now on, I want you two to interview each other, asking questions like family, hobbies, likes and dislikes. And I want a report two weeks from now. Maybe you two would find a way to tolerate each other as well."

"What?!"

"No! That's not fair!"

But no matter how hard we protested, our teacher was adamant.

 

Three months later . . .

"Hey best friend!" he called as he walked into class. He sat next to me, beaming as he dropped his bag.

I smiled back. "Hey, did you hear about -"

"I see that you two are getting along well," our teacher said, obviously very pleased with herself as she was the reason why we were friends.

We exchanged glances and shrugged, smiling.

 

Take me as you find me, for what I am

And when I make mistakes, please understand

And as long as I know you're near

There is nothing for me to fear

 

"Damnit, you're so stubborn!" I cried out in frustration, tearing my hair out.

"Me?" he said in disbelief. "You're the one being all thickhead and you're calling me the stubborn person?" Mark shot back.

"Yes," I snapped. "I'm not as stubborn as the guy who thinks he's so -"

"So what?" he challenged me.

"Superbly smart when he got the easiest question wrong!" I glared at him.

He narrowed his eyes and we had a little stare-down, our frowns deepening, our arms crossed. Then we burst out laughing, realizing how silly we must have looked.

"Crazy," he remarked, ruffling my hair.

I whacked the back of his head. "Stop it!"

"Hey, don't hit me!"

And the bickering started all over again.

 

Out of the darkness, a light shines

Burning through the coldest night

And we can find a way (together we'll make it)

With every step we take (moving be closer together)

If we're gonna survive

The dream must stay alive

 

"Guess who?" someone said, covering my eyes from behind, leaving me in total darkness. Or, partially, as he tried to cover my eyes with only one hand.

"Gee, is it Mark the Idiot?" I teased and he dropped my hands. I turned around and gasped.

He grinned, showing me a box in his hand. "For you," he said shyly, gesturing for me to take it.

I took it from him carefully and opened it to reveal a beautiful heart-shape locket in gold chains sitting on velvet cloth. "Wow, this is beautiful," I breathed.

He beamed. "You like it?" he asked as he helped me fastened it around my neck.

I threw my arms around him, hugging him. "Thank you!"

"Open the locket," he told me.

I opened the locket and saw a picture of us on each side of the heart. One was just a picture of us smiling at the camera. The other was of us making funny faces. 

I hugged him, very touched. "But why are you suddenly doing this?" I asked.

he shrugged, shoving his hands inside his jean pockets. "Oh, no reasons, really," he replied casually. He seemed really happy that I loved it.

"I'll never take it off," I promised as we walked to class.

 

Baby will you hold me, when I'm afraid?

See me through the danger, till the break of day

If there's love there's a chance for me

Just believe in yourself you'll see

 

"Mark," I whimpered as we were locked inside a room with nothing but darkness. The powers were off and somehow we'd managed to get ourselves locked up in there.

He hugged me tightly in his arms. "Shh, it's all right," he said soothingly. "I'm here."

I was immediately calmed after hearing his voice. I hugged him back, burying my face into his chest. "Sing me a song," I whispered.

"But you know I can't sing to save my life," he replied hesitantly.

"Pleeeaaasseeee?"

He started humming an unfamiliar song (later I found out it was Through It All) but it was all right because just having him there to hold me was enough. I could feel his breath on me but it was comforting.

"I love you," he blurted out all of a sudden.

I smiled at him, a little bemused. "I love you too. What's with the randomness?"

I could feel him shrugging. "I just wanted to say it."

Yet I knew his sentence was unfinished. "Just in case . . .?" I urged.

"Nothing."

I frowned, turning to him. "Don't lie to me. I'm able to tell when you're lying, remember?"

"It's really nothing!" he insisted.

I opened my mouth to try persuade him a bit more but just then lights flooded the room as they finally managed to unlock the door, freeing us. His dad was waiting for him so he waved goodbye at me before I had a chance to ask him about it.

Dang . . .

 

Out of the darkness, a light shines

Burning through the coldest night

And we can find a way (together we'll make it)

With every step we take (moving be closer together)

If we're gonna survive

The dream must stay alive

 

I sat on the bench, waiting for him to arrive. When he did, I did not move. I watched as he kicked his shoes off, his bag slung over his shoulders. He smiled at me. "Hi," he said.

"You didn't come last week."

He nodded. "Er, yeah," he said, getting a bit flustered. "Sorry." His bag slipped and he bent over to pick it up. "My dad had a lunch with his company and I was supposed to go. Sorry, I should've called." He straightened and opened his arms wide for a hug.

But I didn't hug him. Instead, I punched his chest.

"What was that for?" he gasped, rubbing his chest, wincing in pain.

"You liar!" I cried.

"What did I lie to you about?"

"Everything just now! Why didn't you tell me you had leukemia?"

He froze, his eyes growing wide. "Where did you hear that?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

I told him that since he didn't come last week, I asked our teacher and our teacher told me of his condition: that he was at the hospital for treatment.

"Is it true?" I asked, hoping it wasn't.

He slumped down on the bench, his head facing down. "Yes . . . I'm sorry."

"I hate you! I hate you for not telling me! How could you not tell me? I thought I was your best friend!" I shouted at him, tears falling down. I turned and ran.

Mark called out my name but I ignored him.

I ran.

 

Guitar solo

 

I ran blindly, not caring where I was going. I refused to believe that my best friend is dying. He can't die! He's so young!

Mark, my best friend, the only one who can read me like an open book, the only one I trusted, who knew me better than I did.

He's dying.

I stopped running, crying. I crouched down, hugging my knees. Few seconds later, I felt him wrapping his arms around me as he pulled me off the road, onto the pavement. We collapsed on the pavement together and he held me in his arms as I cried.

"Don't leave me," I begged. "I can't - it hurts. Please, Mark."

 

And as long as I know you're near

There is nothing for me to fear

 

I held onto him tighter, clenching my fist into a tight ball in his shirt. "Please . . ."

"I'm sorry. But . . . they've tried everything. And I'm sick of being sick all the time."

"So you're just going to die?"

He nodded gravely, his eyes clearly filled with remorse as he watched me break down. He hugged me. "Don't cry. As long as I'm here, you'll be fine." He placed a hand over his heart.

I shook my head. "How could you still make jokes like this?" I scolded through my tears.

He wiped my tears away, hugging me.  He closed his eyes, murmuring my name. I hugged him.

I can't believe it.

I'm losing my best friend.

 

Out of the darkness, a light shines

Burning through the coldest night

And we can find a way (together we'll make it)

With every step we take (moving be closer together)

If we're gonna survive

The dream must stay alive

 

I stood numbly at the spot where we used to hang out. Mark was gone. He's gone, just like that, on February 28, 2011. I haven't shed a tear for him but I know I will soon.

I took out the old spoon that no one will notice missing and kneeled down by the tree. I began to dig. I dug a hole not too shallow but not too deep. Then I took off the necklace he gave me to. I stared at it, mesmerized, as I remembered the day he gave it to me. I could even hear his laughter.

I dropped the necklace into the hole.

I put the soil back and stood up after placing a flower there. "Mark," I whispered. "I love you. Thank you, for everything. Thank you, for being my best friend. For making the past year fun. I promise I'll move on. But you better be happy, all right? Mark, I love you. Rest in peace, you crazy fella."

I turned around and walked away, never once looking back.