While I was sitting in that dull and dark classroom, my thoughts were elsewhere. Where was he? Was something wrong or was this a simple absence? The clock was ticking...it ticked and tocked for what felt like hours...this was stupid. I was worrying about my best friend, he had not come into school...we had things to talk about. I knew he wouldn't miss today. My daze was broken by a knock at the door...it was the principal, why did he look so shaken?1

Like a sickening disease his shocked look spread to my teacher...she looked down the room at me in dismay. We had been known as best friends for years...everyone knew. The words came out of her mouth...ones I would never be able to forget.2

"Class, I'm afraid there has been an accident..."3

The rest of her saddening speech became a blur...all that stuck in my mind was his name, Ben. It couldn't be happening, not to me...we always stuck together through the name calling...through everything. As I stood up from my chair the entire class glared at me in shock...I started running and didn't look back. I ignored the roars from the teachers nothing could stop me.4

I passed by the lockers we stood by at lunch break, I pushed open the door that we walked through each morning. I stopped by the tree that we talked by, my mind filled with horror and disbelief. Suddenly I couldn't breath, my life had suffered a blow like never before...it had been hit like Ben, though not by a drunken driver...but by that tragic word, death.5

Now I sit in class, watching the teachers read out his name only to have it all come flooding back.6

"I'm so sorry...my mistake" They say with sadness.