I Never Meant To

I remember most of my life growing up, there was one person I could count on for everything, and anything. She was always there for me, when something was out of place or went wrong. I don’t think there was ever a day we went without seeing the other.

Adalynn was my dad’s best friends, daughter, like them, we were best friends. I was born exactly seven months before Adalynn was born, and as our fathers used to always remind us, that if we were without the other for more than fifteen hours, there would be tons of crying.

We shared a lot of the same things, same favorite color, same crib when our parents were hanging out, same play pin, same plate, same taste in Disney Movies, and most of all growing up we shared the same friendship, and secrets.

I never meant to leave Adalynn in Phoenix Arizona, one month after my birthday, I never meant to get on that flight to England, I never meant to leave behind everything that we shared. My father who was my other best friend and my hero, died on my fourteenth birthday, after stepping on a land mine in Iraq.

Adalynn’s father was the one to call my mother during the moment, of our friends Slade, Mike, Greg, and Adam, sang me happy birthday, and just as the last words were about to be sang, I remember my mother dropping the house phone to the ground, and falling to the floor with heavy sobs escaping her chest

Adalynn and I got up from our chairs, running to my mothers side, where Adalynn took the phone, while my arms were secure around my mothers body, Regina my little sister ran over also holding tightly to both of us, I watched as my best friend hung up the phone tears streaming down her face, she put her arms around me.

You can call it instincts, and it probably was just my instincts, I knew something had happened to my Dad, he always prepared me for this, when he would get ready to leave he would always remind me, that if something were to happen, I was to look after Regina and Mum, to be the big girl. I was to never give up on my hopes and dreams, frankly I never did.

I can still remember the day, that my mother took us to the airport where we said our goodbye’s to Adalynn’s family, as we cried.

I stared up at Uncle Marks face, as he looked down at me, he took my hand in his left, and with the right, he dropped my fathers dog tags into my hand, closing it tightly around them, Uncle Mark, hadn’t been able to say much to me since he came home.

Many people said that I looked and acted just like my father did when he was my age. I was hard headed and never gave up on the things I wanted. He pulled me strongly into his arms where he hugged me as tightly as he could, I wanted to cry, but I wasn’t going to do it in front of Regina.

Uncle Mark let me go as Aunt Abigail, kissed my forehead, saying I could come to visit as much and whenever I wanted, that I was her favorite niece, although I was her only one, after she let me go, I looked over at Adalynn, she was a spitting image of both her mother and father.

I could no longer hold back my tears anymore, neither could Adalynn, we quickly pulled each other into our arms and we cried, on each other shoulders. We had never spent more then twelve hours away from each other, we always got sick together, always did the same thing, whether it was the swim team, soccer team, or even, the track team.

“I wish you didn’t have to go, because I’ll have no one to help me watch the boys at practice.” I nodded my head in agreement. i would no longer be able to watch the guys at band practice or go walk down the street to the ice cream parlor.

“I’m sorry I’m leaving you Ada,” I used her nickname I gave her when we were just two years old, only I was allowed to call her that, just like she was the only one to call me Twilight, after my dad named me that, one evening when he took us to see Fourth of July fireworks.

“Twilight, you can’t help it, your mother is dieing here, I just wish you guys were leaving on better circumstances.” I couldn’t help but agree more with Adalynn, I wish we were leaving on a vacation, and we were taking her with us.

“Ada, promise me you’ll never replace me,” reaching into my pocket I pulled out two friendship bracelets, that I had made for the two of us, last night. Adalynn sniffled as she took one out of my hand putting it around her wrist.

“Twilight, I promise to never replace you, as long as you promise to never replace me.” I could only nod my head, because I was holding back a sob, quickly swallowing the sob down, I whispered, I promised to her, as we hugged each other tighter.

“Flight Four-Twenty-Two, first class now boarding.”

When it came to that moment me and Adalynn knew this was our see you later, because she would be coming out in a month and a half to visit us. We didn’t say any words, just looked at each other, and did our little hand shake that we had come up with years ago.

Regina pulled me away from Adalynn, who just simply waved at us goodbye, I did the same looking back, but when Regina gave me a hard pull on the hand I looked straight forward, I had no idea that, that very day, mine and Adalynn’s life would change.

I felt Tom’s fingers lace with mine, I looked over at him with a smile, then back out the window of the airplane, I was no longer the same Kay-Lynn, I was a different girl, who sang and modeled for her career, I also knew Adalynn wasn’t the same as she used to be, and I couldn’t help but feel the nerves, in my stomach start to jumble.