Sync in 3, 2, 1.

The goodbye.

It was 12:30am when I got the text telling me to come outside. I was wearing my pajamas, baggy track and field t-shirt from seventh grade with my hair fashioned into a wet ponytail. I’ve gotten into the habit of pinning my bangs back but this time I felt too lazy and did my best to ignore them when they slipped over my glasses and in front of my eyes. I didn’t even put make-up on. Too cut it short, I looked like a mess.

I shut my laptop, pocketed my phone, and walked out the door without putting shoes on. We went for a walk and talked about everything ranging from our fears about college (and beyond) along with trivial things like elementary school crushes and our most embarrassing moments.

We did so many scattered laps around the various courts in my neighborhood. I picked up on little things. Each street seemed to make a different noise when I walked on it and each lawn had a distinct feel. We passed each house so many times, I had the opportunity to decide which lawn had the best and softest grass.

The walk had a sad undertone to it. We both laughed most of the time, but after each fit of laughter there would be a pause. So we would just walk past a few houses in silence until one of us would say something else. It was one of those moments where you think to yourself, ‘gosh, this isn’t going to happen for a while.’

Around 1:30am, we ended up back on my driveway. We were awkwardly standing there. The whole walk, we found things to walk about but at that moment, there really wasn’t anything to say. So we stood there for a while. Eventually, we talked about how we would keep in touch and how we would Skype from the Starbucks where we became regulars so we could keep that title.

It was our goal to become regulars there and finally one of the employees said, “You two are becoming quite the regulars here.” When they turned around to make our drinks, we high-fived as we found the cure for cancer. It took an entire summer and countless passion teas and java chip frappuccino to gain that title, we both agreed it would be a shame to lose it.

Once we established that we would keep in touch, we hugged. It was a funny and awkward one where we didn’t really know how which way the other was going to go. We readjusted ourselves to a more natural pose and we stood there for a bit. We hugged maybe five times our entire friendship. Following the hug, we said bid each other farewell. I started to walk towards my house and he turned to walk to his vehicle. After a few steps, I turned and said “Until our paths cross again.”

It’s weird to think that a day before that, he was going through drive thru while I was working to deliver a gorgeous bouquet of flowers for my birthday. I was surprised and everyone there automatically fell in love with him. Well, that’s what they told me. The girls were jealous and the guys told me that he made them look like assholes.

And today, I got a text saying the codename was galoshes so I would know it was safe. I didn’t understand until I walked out to my car and saw a blue flavored Kool-Aid burst behind my passenger tire with a note underneath. The note had galoshes written on it. Inside was a piece of gum and a message. The gum was an inside joke, not an insult to my hygiene. One time he offered me gum and I had to explain that you don’t offer someone gum unless they have awful breath. That day, I jokingly promised to teach him how to talk to girls.

He will be hours away within the next morning.

Now, I’m writing all of this and feeling disappointed that I don’t have more time with him, one of my best friends.