In a small town on the edge of pretty much nowhere, a big gorgeous house, lived a young teenage girl, Krista, and her younger brother and sister, Maria,13, and Darrick, 11. Krista’s parents were always working. They never had time for Krista or her little siblings, so Krista often spent her time watching Darrick and Maria outside in the yard while she read. Sometimes she’d even take a break from reading to play games with them, but not all the time. Then, all of a sudden on a hot summer’s day, a car drove by her house and pulled into the driveway next door. Krista walked up to the fence to get a better look with Maria following close behind. As they watched the new comers get out of their car and unpack, Maria asked Krista, “Who are they?” “They must be the new neighbors that Dad began to talk to us about,” Krista replied. Darrick ran up behind, kicking a soccer ball. The final kick made the ball go over the fence. The ball landed a few feet away from their car.

A young teenage boy, about the same age as Krista, put down the box that he was unpacking from the trailer to pick up the ball. He walked up to the fence and asked with a smile, “Is this yours?” Darrick shook his head and the boy handed him the ball. “Thank you,” Darrick spoke. Darrick went back to kicking the ball around. The boy then looked over at Krista and Maria, still them standing on one side of the fence and him on the other. He finally broke the silence and said, “Do you guys live here?” Krista hesitated before speaking, then replied, “Yes, we do. Are you moving in next door?” “Yes...My name is Nathaniel, by the way, but you can call me Nat.” “Oh, I’m Krista, this here is my little sister, Maria, and that is my little brother Darrick.” Nat looked at Krista, admiring her for a moment, before gently whispering her name, letting it run off his lips. “What was that?” Krista asked. Nat replied with a question, “Huh?” “You said my name?” “Yes, I did, didn’t I?” She nodded, then said, “Yes.” “Well, it’s a great name...” Krista looked at him in wonder, then she said, “Ummm...thank you? So is yours.”

Darrick ran up to the fence with the soccer ball in his hands. “Do you want to play with us?” “Sure,” replied Nat with a smile on his face. They chose to play boys against girls. Of course he boys won. After playing for almost two hours, Krista shouted, “Who’s thirsty?” Darrick and Maria raised their hands and replied in unison, “ME!” “Okay. I’ll go get us all something to drink.” Nat looked at Krista and said, “I’ll help.” “Okay.” She smiled and they headed towards the house. When they got into the kitchen, Krista grabbed four glasses out of the cabinet and filled them with ice water.Krista and Nat had a connection.

That day Nat moved next door they swore to be best friends forever. From then on, they did just about everything together. Every night for two years, after Darrick and Maria fell asleep, Krista would sneak out her window on the second floor and climb out onto the roof. Then, Nat would sneak out to her house and climb up onto the roof next to her and look up to the sky. Everything was fine, it was perfectly fine, or at least it seemed to have been. But Krista was keeping a secret hidden from Nat deep inside. She couldn’t find the heart to tell him that they were going to be moving away soon, so that her parents could go on with their work someplace else. She’d probably never see him again and she didn’t want the day, she sees him for the last time, to ever come.

One night, before Nat came over to sit on the roof with her, she decided that she couldn’t keep it in any longer. She took the pocket knife that he had given her on her sixteenth birthday to use if she ever ended up in a situation that she couldn’t get out of. Krista didn’t mean to go too deep. It was only supposed to hurt slightly enough so she could tell Nat the truth that she had been hiding. Nat showed up twenty minutes later, right on time. When he got to the roof he didn’t see her so he climbed over to her window that was cracked, so he climbed into her room.

Nat saw that her bathroom light was on. He went over and whispered into the crack of the door, “Krista?...Krista? Are you in there?” Krista replied faintly, “Nat?” He opened the door. Nat saw her gripped onto her wrist with a soaked, bright red rag, lying up against the cabinets. He ran over to her with a freaked look on his face. “What did you do?!” he shouted in a shocked whisper. “I...I didn’t mean to,” she replied under her breath. Nat sat next to her and leaned up against the cabinets. Then, he gently moved her into his lap and placed a new, clean cloth on her wrist, forcing as much pressure on it as possible to stop the bleeding.

“Why?” he asked. “...We’re moving away, Nat. I might never get to see you again.” “And how’s cutting yourself supposed to help?” “I couldn’t tell you.” Krista started to cry, she could see that she had hurt Nat. “You can tell me anything. You know that,” Nat said to her in a gentle voice. “I was afraid to,” Krista told him with a sob. “You shouldn’t have been” “I know,” Krista replied. A tear started to run down Nat’s face. “Don’t cry,” Krista said, but paused a moment before going on. Then, she asked with a sob, “Do you love me?” Nat looked down at her lying in his lap and moved her hair out of her face then whispered, “Yes...I love you.” She looked up at him with a slight smile. Nat then said, “I will stand by you. I will help you through this. I’m right here. I’m not letting you go..” Nat gently lifted her up and helped her to her feet, then he picked her up and carried her down the stairs and out the front door.

They got to his driveway and he quickly put Krista in the passenger’s seat of his parents’ car. Then, he ran inside and grabbed the keys. When they got to the hospital, the doctors put her into a room. It was before Nat got to see her, so, to pass the time, he called Krista’s parents and his own. His parents told him to tell Krista to get well. Krista’s parents left Maria and Darrick with Nat’s parents and went to meet Nat at the hospital. An hour later, when Krista woke, the doctors came out and the three of them jumped out of their seats anxiously. The doctor looked over at Nat and said, “She wants to see you.” He followed the doctor into the room. Nat looked over at Krista when he walked into the room and her eyes glimmered with joy and relief. He went and sat next to her on the bed and took her hand in his. Nat then spoke, “You’re going to be okay.” “I know...” she replied. Nat kissed her cheek and hesitated, then he whispered, “I love you.” Krista smiled at him and he smiled back slightly and gently. “I love you, too,” Krista said under her breath. They sat still for a moment and then looked up at the door. Nat motioned them to come in.

Krista’s dad kissed her on her forehead and then her mom said, “You’re dad and I came to an agreement...we’re not moving.” Krista looked at her mom in shock, “We’re not?” Her mom shook her head. “But I thought that you and dad had to continue your business elsewhere,” Krista said. “I’ll explain later.” Her mom smiled at her. Then, Krista smiled back in relief. A little more than a week later Krista returned home with Nat and went on as if nothing ever happened, but they’ll never forget that night that they spoke how they felt and still feel to this very day.