I almost had a little brother once. It was a long time ago. Well, I think it was a little brother. Mom said it was, but Dad disagreed. He said it could be either and he'd be happy either way. Mom called it 'Mother's intuition.'

At the time, I wanted a little sister. I wanted to dress her up and have someone look up to me. Looking back on it now, I would have rather had a little brother. They're just as annoying, but somehow I know that a little brother would not be stealing my things. Most of my things are very girly and pink. Even if he had wanted to take my things, Dad would have worried, so he wouldn't have done so. It wasn't done in our house.

Looking back, a lot of things weren't done in our house. But that was okay. Because we were allowed to be happy and that was what mattered. Then things started to change. Things weren't so happy anymore. I spent more time outside our house.

I met Matt and Alex then. Alex was slow, but Matt made up for him. Alex lived next door and Matt lived down the street. There was Chris and Katie too and Katie was my best girl friend. It was always hard to choose between the others. Suddenly, it was okay to be happy again.

We would build forts in the island in the center of the road. Chris would climb the trees higher than anyone else. I think he was older... but I can't be sure anymore.

I used to go to class too. There I met Brian, Ryan, Scott and Navidi. I used to tell Mom Navidi was a bad kid, but he didn't turn out that bad in the end. Scott was my "boyfriend." He was the only one I have ever met to keep up with my imagination. And I've met a lot of people since then. We all used to like to play together when Navidi wasn't being mean. I liked them all too, but they were my "at school" friends. Chris, Katie, Matt, and Alex were my "at home" friends.

I think Matt had a younger sister later... but her name escapes me now. She was young when her mother died. But that's all I remember. Matt was always sad and none of us could cheer him up. Sometimes he would climb trees with Chris, but when he got high enough, he would just sit up there and cry until we had the "big boy" down the street go up and get him down.

Not long after that Matt's father took them both far away. I hope Mathew's happy now. That was his full name.

Alex moved before that. But I don't remember what happened with him. I hope they're both okay. I wonder if they're both in college now; I wonder where they are sometimes. I wonder what they would think of the stories I've made up about them.

Chris and Katie didn't move until after we did. When I had left kindergarten and our home hadn't been happy in a long time. I never saw any of the other four boys after that. Though sometimes I go back and visit. I never saw them again. I wonder why I've never written a story about Scott. Maybe because that story's a little to personal. I'd like to keep that one to myself.