The end of May has been filled with a small amount of sadness for the last 11 years. It's not to say that May hasn't brought a lot of good memories during that time. I graduated from college in May, I've had celebrations with good friends in May. I met Eric at the end of May three years ago! But May 21st, particularly, is always a time that my friend Zach stays close to my heart. To be honest, there isn't really a day I can remember in the last 11 years where Zach hasn't crossed my mind. I guess it's okay to still feel sadness. I don't know if there are rules for losing a friend. Sometimes I wonder if my other classmates still think of him, and I'm almost certain that they do. Since time slips by so fast I want to write about this.
I met my friend Zach when I was in the 8th grade. He went to a different junior high in the same school district as me-so we would end up in high school together. Zach moved into my neighborhood just down the street from me in 8th grade and a mutual friend introduced us. It wasn't until 9th grade that we became friends. We were confined to crutches at the same time, so we would complain about how people tried to help us but we didn't want their help, etc. Zach loved the University of Oklahoma, and I remember when I would go into his house there would always be a book about OU football or something else related to OU on his coffee table. We had a lot in common-his favorite movie was The Breakfast Club-mine is Sixteen Candles. I would tease him about his favorite movie because I swear mine is better ;). Our high school combined junior highs in 10th grade, so the next year we were in school together. Zach turned 16 almost a year before me and he had a vehicle, so he would take me to school when my brother couldn't. I would ride home from school with him sometimes and we would stop by Sonic and get a drink before we went home. We also went to Braum's plenty of times since it was just down the street. My parents didn't really like me hanging out with boys alone, but my mom absolutely adored Zach. She said she always felt I was safe when I was with him. Zach was well liked by anyone who knew him. He had one of the biggest hearts of any one I have ever met-still to this day.
When we were juniors Zach and I went to the pom banquet together. Even though the banquet was in April, I asked him very early in the school year to go with me because I knew someone else would ask him. We had so much fun that night. When we got to the banquet we had to pay to park in a garage-neither of us had the money to pay so we begged the attendant to let us park for free. My mom was not happy when I told her about it when we got home "because I should have had the money". My mom took pictures of us before we left-to this day I don't know where that roll of film is. I think I will make it a goal this summer to find the "lost roll" when I go home.
Early in our Senior year, I got in trouble for staying out until 5 in the morning one weekend. As soon as I drove home and could tell that my mom was awake I hightailed it down to Zach's house. I quickly drove back home so I wouldn't wake him up or get him in trouble-and drove back to my house. The next day my mom told me she went down to Zach's house that night looking for me. When Zach saw me at school that Monday he kept asking me why my mom always went to him when she couldn't find me. I wouldn't know the answer to that question until May 21st. I didn't really enjoy my senior year and was ready to graduate. I felt like I lost a lot of "friends". Zach never turned his back on me. About 2 months before we graduated I got in a lot of trouble for doing something stupid. I asked Zach if he thought I was stupid and he replied "no, you just did a stupid thing". He didn't judge me for it. He didn't stop being my friend. He told me how it was and moved right along. We had a history class together that year and our teacher would constantly separate our little group by an alphabetical seating chart. My last name starts with a 'C', Zach's with a 'K'. Our group would always find a way to slowly sit by each other. We would write each other note's in our textbook so we wouldn't get in trouble for talking.
Our graduation ceremony would take place on a Monday, May 20th. Zach and I were suppose to go take our history final together that Wednesday so we could have a better grade in the class. After graduation was a graduation party. Tuesday would be our senior bowling party. All of the details were final as to who I would be riding to the bowling party with, etc. Before graduation, I hugged Zach, told him I loved him and would see him later. The ceremony lasted for what felt like forever. I'm pretty sure it was close to 10 before we left. I stopped by my house with a friend who would be riding with me. My dad told me something along the lines of "you're an adult now and you can face adult consequences. Be good." I laughed him off and left for the party, which was a lot of fun. I had left the party for a little bit and when I got back almost everyone was gone.
I got home around 5 that morning (this time I didn't get in trouble!) and went to sleep. I had a cell phone and my own phone line at home. My friend had left her car at my house and was suppose to come pick it up that morning, so when I woke up to my phone ringing I didn't think anything was wrong. On the other end was one of my best friends who asked if I had spoken to another one of our friends. I said no. She then just told me that Zach was in an accident. For some reason I feel like the conversation moved fast and slow at the same time. I immediately thought "okay, I will have to go see him. Is he at home, the hospital...?" Then came the words "He hit a tree. He's dead."
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