Backpack

I closed my locked for the last time and walked away. "Could this really be it?" I thought. I walked up to Kenny and hugged him. "Well, I did it. And I'm done forever. And I'm never going to have to come back into this school again." Kenny looked so sad. He was my best friend. He was 6'2" and geeky as hell. He wore thick black glasses along with a different colored plaid shirt everyday. He carried around a black backpack which I never knew what he kept inside it. I had become friends with him my freshman year of high school. Even though he was in eighth grade, he took one of the freshman classes here. Since our school was connected to the middle school, it was easy for him to transfer over here once a day. It just so happens that the class that he was in was my AP English class. He was super smart to go along with the geeky. I went up to him the first day of school freshman year and said, "Aren't you in eighth grade?" He looked shocked that someone from high school was talking to him, so he said with a shaky voice, "Yes, they're letting me take this class because they think I'm too advanced to take the eighth grade English class." "Why don't they just bump you up a grade then?" "Because they have advanced classes for everything else in my grade; math, science and history, just not English." I smiled, and said, "I'm Gabriella, you cam relax now." He chuckled, and replied, "I'm Kenny, nice to meet you, Gabriella."
Ever since then we've been inseparable. It was a lot easier to be friends when he actually reached high school, but it sucks that I was always a grade higher than him. Now I'm leaving for college and it's going to be so hard to see him. "What's wrong, Kenny?" he looked like his mind was blank, he was just zoning out. "Sorry, nothing. I just can't believe the day has come. You're done and I still have to be here for another three days." "Sorry, kiddo. And we still have all summer together. Don't be sad. Let's go, walk me to my car."
Even though I felt bad for Kenny having to stay in this shitty high school for another year, I was more than relieved to get out. I spend the next day sleeping until three pm, and eating, and then returning to sleep at 8 pm. I got a call from Kenny at 10 pm which woke me up. "Hey, Kenny, what's wrong?" "Nothing, Gab, I just missed you. And wanted to make sure you're alright." "Yes, I'm fine. But I'm tired and going back to bed now. Plus, you have school tomorrow, kiddo. Goodnight."
The next day I woke up at nine am and couldn't fall back asleep. I couldn't help but lay in bed and think. I got onto the topic of Kenny and just thought about him. It was nice, but sad. I began to think about his backpack, and how after four years I never found out what he kept in it since he was always carrying his books in his hand. I jumped out of bed, and went to my car.
I ran into the school, flustered, forgetting why I was back there. It seems as though two days after I was done, I went back to the high school I'd sworn to leave forever. I ran up to Kenny who happened to be at his locker. He seemed so confused, "Gab?..." I forgot I was still in my pajamas. I cut him off before he could finish. "What do you keep in that backpack, Kenny?" I was, again, too anxious to wait for his answer, so I grabbed it from his hands and ripped open the zipper. I saw a bag full of folded papers. I looked up confused, "What's this?" Kenny's face was sheer white. He looked just like he did the first day I talked to him. "Those are letters. Letters I've been writing to you since freshman year but was too afraid to give to you. I didn't want to ruin our friendship." I was confused, but not at the same time. So what did I do? I just kissed him. Kissed him in the middle of the hallway of the school I promised to never return to again. He pulled away, and smiled, and I felt like I was a freshman all over again.