Always

Jennifer climbed the wobbly ladder up the tree in her backyard. When her small feet reached the top of the stairs, she walked out onto the balcony. The tree house was built in the biggest tree in the town, and it was right in her backyard. She knocked on the wooden door, smiling to herself.

“Password?” Someone called from inside, with a small voice.

“Pip Pip Cheerio!” Jennifer piped up.

The door creaked open to reveal a plump little boy with shaggy black hair and honey colored eyes. His teeth were slighty crooked, just like his smile, which was something people rarely saw.

“Hi Matty.” She smiled. Her wavy brown hair was pulled back by a pink ribbon and her chocolate brown eyes gleamed with elation.

“Hi Jenny. I've got big news!” Matt exclaimed. Jennifer had never seen her best friend so excited about anything in the eleven years she had known him.

“What is it?” She asked, falling down on a large green beanbag chair. Next to her was a red beanbag chair and all over the wall were pictures from magazines and of the two friends.

“My mum took me to audition for the Harry Potter movie. They've picked me for Neville.” He practically sang, the excitement bubbling out of him.

“Really?!” She yelled, elated for Matt. Jennifer jumped up from the chair and hugged him tight. “This is so awesome. Bigger than any show you've been in.”

Matt just stood there, knowing that with this amazing news, came bad news.

“Jenny, I have to move.”

“What?” The features of her small face sunk.

“I'm moving closer to the set. I'm leaving in four days.” Matt's face mimicked Jennifer's.

Eleven years they had been best friends. Eleven years they had been neighbors. Eleven years they were together. Eleven years had been their entire lives. Jennifer rushed down the ladder and into her house. She was eleven and losing her best friend.

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The doorbell to Jennifer's house rang loud and her mother, who was in the kitchen making cookies, stopped to go answer the door.

“Oh, hello Matthew. I thought your family was moving today.” She spoke, surprised to see the young boy.

“We are. I just wanted to say goodbye to Jenny. I can't leave without saying goodbye.” He pouted.

“She's in the tree house, dear.” Matt turned on the porch, and started to make his way to the backyard when a voice called out, “Be safe, have fun. We'll miss you.”

He yelled thanks back. When he got to the door of the tree house, he didn't knock. He didn't use the password. He opened the door to see Jennifer crying.

“Why are you crying?”

“You're leaving.” She sobbed, curled up in the red bean bag chair.

“Not forever. I've come to say goodbye. But it's not forever.” She jumped out of the chair, hugging her best friend in the entire world.

“Promise you'll come back. Promise you'll remember me.” She asked, letting go.

“I pinky promise.” They laced pinkies, and smiled. Jennifer pulled something out of her jumper pocket.

“I want you to have this to remember me by.” She handed him a a small package. It was wrapped in the comics of the newspaper with a ribbon tired around it.

He unwrapped the paper to reveal a friendship bracelet and a picture of the two together in their tree house. She revealed her bracelet around her her wrist. The blue letters spelled the word 'friends', while Matt's spelled the word 'forever'.

“It's fantastic!” He chirped, as she tied it on his wrist.

“Matt, honey, we're leaving now.” Matt's mother called up to him. He folded the picture and slipped it in his pocket.

“Bye Jennifer.” He pulled her in for one last hug goodbye.

“Bye Matty.” And with that, he was gone.