A Moment of Love Between a Laugh, a Kiss, a Cry to Right a Wrong... A Moment...

Sidonie Osborne
Ms. Souza
English I, Period 1
November 16, 2010


“As happens sometimes, a moment settled and hovered and remained for much more than a moment. And sound stopped and movement stopped for much, much more than a moment.” -Of Mice and Men, chapter 5

In 8th grade, every argument with a friend seems more extreme than it is in reality. At my middle school, every year during the spring, the entire class would take a trip to a different environmental camp for 5 days. This trip was called “Outdoor Education” or “Outdoor Ed.” for short. A few weeks before my 8th grade Outdoor Ed. trip to Catalina Island, my best friend, Kevin, and I had gotten into an argument. This argument would soon ruin our friendship, as well as my friendship with the vast majority of the boys in my class of 38 students. Looking back, Kevin and my argument was indeed serious, but during Outdoor Ed, it got out of hand, which led one of the most horrifying moments of my life.
Kevin and I had not spoken in weeks, and I was already miserable because of it. Losing your best friend is never easy especially if you know deep down that it is your fault. I couldn’t stop thinking about Kevin. He and I had been close for years, and it hurt me so much knowing that I had hurt him. On the third day of Outdoor Ed, during one of our free times, I was spending time with my female best friends in their cabin, when one of our other friends comes in.
“Sidonie,” she says, “Kevin told me to tell you he wanted to talk to you. I think he’s going to say he isn’t mad at you anymore.”
Naturally, since Kevin and I had not spoken since our fight, I got excited and nervous all at once. Helen, my current best friend, turned to me and asked if I wanted her to come with me.
“No,” I said. “I have to do this on my own.”
I headed out of their cabin alone and walked the 50 yards or so to the middle of the boys’ camp site and the girls’ camp site. I saw Kevin and a small group of other boys from our class whom had once been my friends walking from their camp site. When Kevin and I stood face to face, he told me to sit, so I did. We both sat on the grass, while the group of boys stood behind Kevin and watched. It seemed like forever before he finally said,
“So…”
“So,” I replied. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Sidonie, I want to be friends again. I miss you so much and can’t believe that we’re not friends anymore,” Kevin said, seemingly sincere, while some of the boys behind him snickered.
“Really?” I asked. Forever seemed to pass again and I watched Kevin pull grass out of the ground.
“No,” said Kevin. He then continued to stand up, scream profanities at me, and walk away with the group of boys, laughing hysterically as I sat there alone.
My face turned red, my heart was raced, my eyes swelled with tears. I couldn’t breathe and it felt like forever before I finally stood up and walked back to my friends’ cabin; red eyed and in hysterics. As soon as I pushed the fabric door away and my friends saw me, they rushed to my side and held me as I cried in their shoulders. They kept asking what had happened, but I couldn’t get the words out. I felt betrayed, as well as obvious sadness and regret.
For the next few hours, I cried in the comforting arms of my friends. I couldn’t believe what had happened, and for weeks after the incident, I was in denial about it. This was one of the most scarring days of my life so far, and even to this day it hurts to think about this moment that seemed to last forever. However, it is moments like this that build character and have made me who I am today.