Forever

I took my coffee out of the microwave. It was hot. I took a sip and let the steam warm my face. I needed my coffee in the mornings. Shoot, I needed coffee all the time. It seemed like the only thing that got me going early in the morning.
I sat down at the table with my coffee and my sketch book. I looked out the window. It's been a long time since I have dragged out this old sketch book. I had it when I was 16. I looked down and flipped through at my old art work. A page caught my eye. I flipped back to it. A rose. A single rose with dew dripping from a pedal. You have to know, I don't draw roses. I don't draw rainbows and unicorns. I draw comics, superheroes, guy stuff. However, this chapter of my life, this rose has more meaning in my life than you can ever imagine.

I want to tell you about a girl that I have known forever. I want to take you down the road to my early life. A part of my life, a part of who I am today.
I met her when I was nine. She moved in a few houses down from Mikey and I. I peeked out the window to see the movers unloading furniture and boxes in the home. I saw this girl, black laced shirt, jeans and black and white converse that looked to be worn for about a year or two. Milky white skin. Black straight hair pulled up into a messy ponytail.
I threw my coat on and went to go over and say hi. I guess at nine, you are braver than nineteen, twenty nine, or any age and you grow older.
She was going through a box, looking frustrated.
"Need some help?" I asked.
She jumped at me standing close to her I suppose.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I saw you looking through this box and thought maybe you could use some help."
"Oh, " she smiled at me, the sun catching her eyes. They looked like a golden brown. Maybe hazel, I'm not quite sure. "thanks, I was looking for, um, a book. Actually a sketch book." she said searching the box again.
As soon as she said this, I knew this girl would be in my life forever.

Her name is Allison Lane. Later nicknamed Allie by Mikey, my little brother, and I. We were about 2 blocks from grade school. We walked there together in the mornings, had classes together, had lunch together, and walked home together. Sometimes we would race home, and damn was she fast. Well, for a girl. I usually always won of course. Allie in a close second and poor Mikey always in third, having to pull out his inhaler by the time we arrived in front of our house. We would throw our book bags on the front lawn and run to tag the front door. One time she pushed me so hard out of the way that I fell off the steps that led up to the house. Tore my jeans and skinned my knee. She won by tagging the door first that day. But she felt bad about it. I will never forget the look on her face. She tagged the door, grinning ear to ear and screaming, " I beat you! I beat you this time!" as she turned around, out of breath, saw me on the ground holding my leg. Mikey running over to see if I was okay. She ran down the steps, fell on the ground next to me. "Oh my God, are you okay?"
I layed back on the grass laughing hysterically. I looked up at the clear blue sky. Laughing. That was so much fun that day, I was exploding with happiness.
I looked over at her. Her face still in a state of panic, as if I had a heart attack or something. Mikey was standing over me smiling. Her fear turning to relief. She started laughing with me. She gave me a gentle shove as she layed on the ground next to me. We looked up at the sky together, with Mikey hovering in our vision. Mikey ploppled down in the grass next to us, then laying across Allie and I, squishing us. We all laughed.
I still hear the faint laughter in my mind. Echoing. So far away, but so close to my heart. We were about eleven then. Two years had flown by.

At age thirteen was when I noticed her. Really noticed her. She comes over all the time unannounced. I was sitting on my bed, listening to my headphones. Back then it was a cassette player. If you wanted to hear your favorite song, you had to be patient and rewind it back to the beginning. Not like the ipods today with the click of one button and the song immediately starts over. I sat drawing as usual. Just doodling this day really. She walked into my room and sat down next to Mikey, whom I shared a room with. He was also at his bed, but reading one of his favorite comics. I looked up and saw her and Mikey laughing. It was like slow motion, like a movie, or a music video. She laughed, he laughed, the music blaring in my ears. I sat speechless staring at her. The sun shining off her silky straight hair that was now long, almost to her waist. She wore little eyeliner. Not alot, just enough to highlight her eyes. Her brown, golden, hazel eyes.
I knew Allie since I was nine, we were best friends. Her, Mikey and I. We did everything together. For some reason, I started to look at her differently. I wasn't sure if it was my hormones, my age, the years and time we had already shared together..but I loved her. I knew it that day. I couldn't explain it. Not like a puppy dog love. Not like a girlfriend boyfriend kinda love. Just love. A pure, honest love.