My dad flashed the light on and loudly commanded, “Olivia, wake up!”

“Why dad?” I tried to flop the blanket over my head and go back to my dreams.

He cheerily reminded me, “It’s your first day of school!”

“Ugh…” I did not want to go to school because I never talk to anyone on my block. I knew that it would not be fun. I did not want to be lonely.

This was all before I met my best friend, and without him I would not be the same. I would have been the same kid I was when I was six: the kid that hated talking to anyone. I was a kid that went to school and did nothing. Day after day, still nothing happened in my life, but I never gave up on looking for a friend. I kept on looking and soon enough I found one. Not just any friend. A great one.

It was Halloween night, and I was going trick or treating with my mom and my sister. I remember the night I knocked on the door and said trick or treat in my little red Mario suit. Then I opened the door and a familiar face that I had seen before said, “Hey Olivia!”

“Max!?” It was Max, a kid from school, and he remembered me! I was shocked. I guess Max had finished trick or treating, so he was the one handing out candy, and that’s why he opened the door. I’m glad he opened the door that day, and I always will be.

That was the moment I realized I had found a friend. To this day he is still a great friend. And I think he always will be. I have no doubt about it. He is a friend that I can trust. I know that he will be my friend for a long time. He is my friend, even if we don’t talk for a month we will still meet up and act like nothing ever happened. Because nothing happened, we are still the same best friends.

Then in the fifth grade we met Dexter because Dexter sat by me. I hated him. I don’t know why, but he did snitch on me once and that started it. That was a massive mistake. We started to hang out and we got closer as friends. Then we started hanging outside of school at parks and whatnot.

As we grew closer and closer, we relied on each other for friendship. He has done dumb things to make me laugh and it works. I showed Dexter to Max and they clicked. We all had a blast together and we still do. We all are the best of friends.

Now, middle school has changed everything and nothing at all. Max is now not as short, and he makes fun of me being short. However, Dexter is still short like me. Dexter makes everyone laugh every day. He is really funny and fun to be around. He is a blast to hang out with. Dexter never liked middle school and I don’t either; however, middle school has given me this opportunity to write this. Overall, he is the best! He is really funny to be around, and he makes a lot of jokes. Max and Dexter together in the same room they can be a handful, but they are my friends and I can deal with them. We will always be best friends, and no one will ever break my friendship with Max and Dexter. I was really lonely before, but I won’t be lonely anymore.

© Olivia. All rights reserved. If you are interested in quoting this story, contact the national team and we can put you in touch with the author’s teacher.