Friendship Lasts Forever

Friendship Lasts Forever

On the first day of school, Jared, like all high school students, had a different outlook on school. All summer long he had been thinking of the ways he could improve his grades, his friendships, and how he could make this year, his senior year, the best one yet. Jared knew all the steps he had to take after three long months of the summer that seems like wasted time, worrying about what his life would bring him to after college. College? That is still a process that he has not even considered yet. Growing up, he had always just assumed that he would join his father in the auto industry at the Chevrolet dealership he owned near his home in Louisville, Kentucky. Although last year his dad had sold more cars than any of his competitors, work started to slow down rapidly, and his dad wasn't sure on how long his occupation would hold for him. This made Jared feel confused and he now realized he would have to open up to a whole new realm of thought for his own future.
College was now his best bet for his future. Although he thought his plans had all been figured out, he had chosen a new path. He knew he had always had an interest in science, and he had also been a sports enthusiast, but had never been good enough to actually participate in any team sport. He had decided that he would go into a sports medicine field, where he can be in the environment of the team, but not actually be on the team. He could travel with the team, and get paid a decent amount because of his medical degree. This means he would have to take an extra science course this year so that he could get ready for college level science courses that would need to be taken for the medical degree. The only thing he had thought about college was the very often connection with partying. He knew this would not be the smart decision, but once in a while wouldn’t hurt. Making his decision about college, he would now decide to go to the same college as his friend since the fourth grade, Travis. Travis had plans of attending the University of Kansas for Engineering.

College excited them both, with further conversations about getting an apartment together, throwing parties, and basically doing what they choose. College was supposed to be fun, right? After all, they haven’t made anything out of high school, so they decided it would be the right time to start having the fun that they thought they deserved. They began having some radical plans, both being eighteen, deciding to get into smoking and chewing. They wanted to bring out the rebellious sides in themselves, and nothing would stop them. Every day walking into the school, Principal Conway made Jared spit his chew out. Little did he know during his next period he would only proceed to dig the can from out underneath of his phone in his pocket, open the seal to the brand new can he had picked up on his way to school, and put another dip in, knowing he would be able to get away with it from his teachers that he knew would not pay much attention to him, being the quiet kid in every class who people never even seemed to know his name. Jared didn’t care too much, because the thought of conversation during the grueling school day seemed exhausting to Jared, so he would have better luck getting through the day on his own.

Jared had gone through the same routine day after day. After his mother coming into his room to wake him up, he would walk straight to the shower to let the hot water wake him up. After about five minutes in the shower, he figured he was awake enough to drive to school. Walking back across the hallway to get to his room, he would find the closest clean pair of pants, and the first shirt he saw in his closet. He obviously wasn’t in school to impress anybody. Half of his classmates never learned his name anyways, so why would he care about what people thought of him? After getting his clothes on, he would grab the keys to the new truck he had gotten from his dads dealership, a brand new 2006 three-quarter ton chevy. He liked his truck, but his dad had driven it more than him, because of Jareds lack of necessity for it. After heading to the garage and pulling out onto the driveway, he wouldn’t bother closing the door, because he knew his mother would also do this for him. After making the short drive to school, he would simply walk into school and go on with his day. Jared had recently been doing as little work as possible, because of his previous thinking of having his future set for him. Because of getting into this bad habit, he knew that he should try and get his grades up for college, but really hadn’t put any effort into reaching his goals. His only friend being Travis didn’t do him much help, because Travis was usually the first one to slack on his work, only encouraging Jared to not do his work either. It seemed like the only things they had been concerned with at this point in their senior years were finishing the years with passing grades, tobacco, and their party house they would get in college. As their days continue to end, every day ending the same way, they just kept reminding themselves that they do not have much left to go. Thirty-seven days left of their year and they would be off to college. Travis getting a new truck, courtesy of Jareds dad trying to increase his business, caused them to learn a little bit more about living life. They were soon racing trucks, having the same 6.6 liter Duramax turbo diesel motors. This caused them both to drive recklessly, finally getting comfortable with their vehicles. Driving on their way to school, on their way home, and anywhere they could possibly think of, they would drive obeying close to none of the laws that had been set. One day after the usual day at school, Jared had gotten a text from Travis. The message read, “Jared, why don’t you come to my”. Jared was confused, and answered the message saying, ”Come to your house in assuming. You’re a terrible texter Travis. On my way.” With his usual driving habits, Jared had taken route to Travis’ house. Passing the school, Jared had noticed the parking lot was full because of the football game that night. He wondered who his school had been playing that night, but soon let his mind focus elsewhere, not really caring about the game. He saw flashing lights ahead of him. “Cops got someone again. This area is crazy for cops.” Soon, Jared had realized that he had seen more lights than he had expected, and a few stray emergency vehicles. Something major might have happened. Suddenly, Jared looked at his phone in question, wondering if Travis had answered his text back. He had not. In fact, he didn’t even read it yet. Jared started putting all of the pieces together. Travis not finishing his text. Travis not reading the message Jared had sent. This had been weird, because Travis had nothing better to do, he always texts back on point. Finally, the last clue, the dark gray Duramax sitting on the side of the road. It had been Travis. He had pulled up as close as he could without the cops dragging him out of his own truck. Jared had to explain to the police that Travis was his best friend. The police had lowered his head, and started to explain to Jared that his friend had been texting and driving, when the gravel below him gave out the back end of the truck, and he had uncontrollably drifted into the ditch. Jared immediately began thinking of the times where they would drift on purpose, both of them having plenty of experience of saving a drift, avoiding over-correction. The cop explained that he was going at a minimum of 75 miles per hour, and he understood why Travis had not been able to correct his drift back to center. Travis had passed away on impact, leaving his phone on his lap with the text message waiting on someone who could not reply. Jared had looked at his now lit up phone, wondering if this message had been the reason that Travis had lost control.

Jared felt like he had never felt before, and he felt like it was all of his fault. His single friend he had since the begin of fourth grade had now lost his life, possibly because of his one single text message. Jared now understands the need of friendship, even though he now has nobody to spend time with. Jared is back to the beginning, with no plan for his life, and considers joining his friend in an eternal rest. They had always spoke of being friends until the day they had died. Jareds memory of their past conversations had brought tears to his eyes, knowing these conversations could never be finished, and no new ones could come about it either. Jared knew instantly what he wanted to do, and what he considered best for him. Pulling out of the driveway in his truck, Jared began to drive down his road for one last time. 75 miles per hour had been the speed limit, destination; the memory of Travis.