Friends

It was a couple days after everything that I got the plane ticket to New York from my dad. I was excited to be back in the city. Around Mrs. Calderon, too. But as soon as I saw her I could tell something was different. She was divorced. It turns out Mr. Calderon cheated on her for almost the whole time they were married. That night I told her what happened back home. She said, "It happens at different times for different people, but it happens to everybody. It's the worst part about growing up - heartbreak. But it's a part of life." I told her it seems like a pretty big part. Through her tears she smiled and said,

"That's why you have to believe that life is more than the sum of its parts, kiddo."

I kind of felt my heart breaking for her but I knew that was no good. I wanted to do something for her but there wasn't anything. There wasn't one thing I could really do. The electricity wasn't in her eyes anymore. Her eyes were still reflecting what was there, but now it was the sadness. I started to see it everywhere.

It covers my eyes. Say there's some kids playing baseball. All I see is the one kid they won't let play because he tells corny jokes. And no one thinks they're funny. Or I see a boy and a girl in love and kissing. I just see that they're gonna be one of those sad old couples one day - who just cheats on each other and can't even look at each other in the eye. And I feel it. I feel all of their sadness. I feel it probably even worse than that sad old couple or that corny kid will ever feel it.