As we moved from our messy, scraped-knee existence into the more structured world of elementary school, our bond remained strong.
We were in the same class every year, which was great. Ethan would always sit in front of me, that is until one day when he was seated far away from me. The teacher said we talked too much and we needed to focus. I was sad.
Throughout the entire class we tried to catch each other's eyes. It was a difficult day since we hadn't been separated from each other before.
Our classroom was our own personal battleground. Ethan's desk was always littered with half-finished drawings, and my notebook was filled with doodles of dragons and knights.
He was always getting told off by the teacher meanwhile I was always the teacher's pet. It amused me how different we were. I was always a quiet student who focused on the class, meanwhile Ethan was always causing some kind of chaos in the class.
Our secret language evolved. Hand signals across the room, whispered jokes during story time, and coded messages passed under the table. He would make funny faces at me until I busted out laughing. We were two mischievous peas in a pod. Although I was much more quiet than him I was never as innocent as people thought.
One day, during recess, Ethan and I were sitting under the sprawling oak tree in the playground. He was meticulously trying to teach me how to do a handstand. The problem was I had no strength. After several failed attempts I gave up. "You are hopeless," he said with a grin. "But don't worry I will teach you one day."
"Thanks I guess," I said sarcastically.
It was more than just words between us; it was the knowing glances, the shared smiles, the unspoken understanding of each other's thoughts. We just got each other. It was the kind of connection that made me feel like I could conquer the world, as long as he was by my side.
That year, I met Clara and Ellie, two girls in my class who lived just a few blocks from me and Ethan.
Clara had fiery red hair, always styled in a messy braid, with a loud and infectious laugh.
Ellie was more quiet and reserved with a gentle nature and she also loved reading. Clara was the complete opposite. She was a whirlwind of energy, just like Ethan, but without the same mischievous glint that Ethan possessed. She was like a puppy, always happy and jumping around.
We clicked immediately and we spent most of our days doing girlie stuff. Being with them was different than being with Ethan. I could be myself without the constant teasing. They became the sisters I never had. We traded secrets, painted our nails, and dreamed of becoming famous singers.
However, despite our girlie days, I still wanted to spend most of my days with Ethan. He was like gravity to me, always pulling me back.
Ethan, meanwhile, had his own pack. There were two guys in our year, Cole, who was a tall, lanky kid with a laid-back attitude, and Gavin, who was always eager to play any game.
They were just as chaotic as Ethan, which was a recipe for trouble. Together, they would dominate the playground, their boisterous laughs and shouts echoing across the field.
Cole was a bit of a goofball while Gavin was more serious. They were polar opposites. I would watch them from afar, sometimes a flicker of something akin to jealousy would tug at me, wondering if Ethan would ever choose his rowdy friends over me.
He would always come back to me. After they finished their rowdiness they would come back to my side where my two friends were. We would all spend the rest of the day together.
One day while we were all playing at the park, Ethan was trying to show Cole and Gavin how to climb the tree. He was always trying to show off his skills. He finally managed to reach the top and he smiled down at me. "You see! I told you that one day I would climb this tree," he yelled out loud,
I giggled looking at him. I rolled my eyes at him but a smile was plastered on my face. Cole and Gavin started to cheer him on. I looked at my two best friends with a cheeky grin. "He is so going to fall," I said making them giggle. "Don't say that Lily! You are so mean!" said Ellie making Clara and me laugh even more.
Ethan was trying to do some kind of trick when suddenly the branch broke and he fell straight to the ground. "Ethan!" we all shouted at the same time, even Clara and Ellie who did not get along with Ethan very much. We rushed to his side with worry. He looked up at us with a cheeky grin, he was not hurt, thank god.
"What did I tell you!" I said with a mocking tone. He laughed. "You are not good at listening, you are so stubborn," I said, crossing my arms.
"You are just jealous that you could never do that," he said with his own mocking tone making me roll my eyes. "Don't ever do that again," I said with genuine worry, he just laughed again.
He never listened to me. Our world was perfect. It was simple and complicated at the same time. Everything was right. I knew that Ethan was my person. My best friend forever.