She sat down in one of the sofas in the lounge, listening to her I-Pod. Then she slowly stood up and went on her way. “Hey Schannel wait up,” Khyrell called out to his best friend. Schannel looked back at her friend and waited for him to catch up. “Where were you this morning? We had already practiced the last part of the dance,” Schannel asked his friend while he was still trying to catch his breath. “I went to the doctor’s for my monthly check-up. Hey Schannel, can we meet this afternoon at the Coffee Brews? I’ve got something to tell you.” “Sure, no problem,” she happily agreed. “Okay, good. See you this afternoon.” They walked home, separated. That afternoon, they met up at Coffee Brews. Khyrell was first to arrived, as always, so he took the liberty of ordering for the both of them. “What will it be sir?” the waiter asked as Khyrell was looking at the menu. “I’ll have one Mocha Latte and one Cappuccino please.” “Right away sir,” the waiter then hurried off to get his order. “Hey Khyrell,” Schannel called out waving her hand up in the air. She walked to her friend and sat down comfortably. As she sat down, their orders arrived. Then Schannel asked, “So, what were you supposed to tell me?” “Schannel, we’ve been friends since the 1st grade. We’ve been always together since the first day we met. It’s hard to tell you this, but I’m… I’m… leaving.” That word made the rest of her day gloom in darkness. She hated that word since the day her father left her to work for her family. Though once in a while her father visited her, she could never forget that day that her father said that single word. The same word that now her best friend is using. His best friend was leaving her. Her best friend, the one she could run to when she was down, the one who she told all her secrets to. And now, the one who had said to her the same words that her father told her when she was still young. “I’m leaving.” Small words though it struck to her like she a big splinter in her heart. “Tommorow, I’m leaving tomorrow, in the afternoon,” Khyrell finished was he was saying. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I was afraid to tell you. I hope you’ll visit me before I leave.” There was that word again. Khyrell looked down the whole time. And Schannel ran away before she could hear anymore words. She cried through the whole night. The following day, she went to the airport to bid her best friend goodbye carrying with her a scrapbook. “I made this for you, so that you won’t forget me. Call me every night. And don’t forget to finish your song so I could hear it, and…” She stopped. Tears rolled down her eyes. “Passengers of flight 7596, now boarding,” the lady in the desk announced to everyone. “I got to go,” Khyrell told Schannel as she slowly let go of his arm. He walked away, and Schannel cried. Then Khyrell went back and kissed Schannel’s forehead. “I love you, and I will always do,” He whispered to Schannel. Then finally, he walked away. Schannel just stood there, thinking about what Khyrell told her. She went home with tears rollin down her eyes. When she reached her room, she kept thinking. How could she have just let him go like that. How could have she kept one secret to herself and never had the chance to tell her best friend. How could she have kept it all her life. As tears rolled down her eyes, she kept looking at the bear her best friend had given her. She took out the little bottle that was inside the bear and took out the little paper that was inside the bottle. She remembered what she wrote. And she blamed herself for not telling her best friend about it. She read it, “Schannel love Khyrell…”