“Has anyone seen Jessica?”

It was a typical day at Mt. Shirley’s. Us girls were all huddled behind the playground, hiding from a mob of boys who just spent the past 15 minutes chasing us around the school. Don’t be the slowest, don’t stand alone. Those were the rules I lived by. I didn’t know what would happen if I was caught - still don’t - but the thought alone kept me running. All was good until the day Jessica went missing. Jessica was my best friend at the time, and the thought of her lost on the other side of the lot was enough to push me into leaving the group to venture out on my own to find her.

In my mind I was an adventurer, lasting hours on my own searching high and low for my best friend. I couldn’t of lasted more than minutes. I remember standing atop one of the slides looking out for a glimpse of my friend, but instead caught the attention of the boys in our class who began climbing the stairs of the playground I was on. I was trapped. Next thing I knew I’d been kicked in the back, and I’m flying down the slide, embarrassed and confused. When I turn around, instead of the 5 guys I expected to see laughing down at me, I saw you. Standing between myself and the others.

We locked eyes, determination shining in yours, what I could only imagine as confusion in mine.

“Go!” you shouted before turning your back to me to deal with the chaos above.

So I did.

When Jessica thanked me for coming back for her I told her to direct her thanks to you. I didn’t know your name at the time - that’s something I wouldn’t learn for two more years - but I kept an eye out for you from that day forward in class.

Little did I know how big an impact you’d come to have on my life…