Amanda

The first memory I have of Amanda was in the office. We had talked several times before, mostly because her dark complexion and short bangs reminded me of myself when I was younger, and I was automatically drawn to her. But, in the office that day, Amanda didn't really want to talk to me. It was obvious that she had done something wrong. As I sat with her in silence for a little bit, she leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I'm selling candy to give money to homeless people." I believed her but was later told by others, who are less naive, that that was just a story.

Regardless, I became Amanda's cheerleader last year. Whenever she saw me she would tell me the behavior color she was on. We would talk about the choices she made and what she could do for the rest of the day to make sure she was on the path to college. Slowly through the year, she was a Bruin Champion more and more often.

She was always one who cheered me up after hard days. She wrapped her arms around me with surprise hugs often. My heart grew for her and I looked forward to having her in my class one day.

But, today, we had to say goodbye. Her family moved and the drive was too hard on them. As I held her for, possibly the last time, my heart ached. I'm going to miss her smile, having her in my room sharpening my pencils, the surprise hugs...I will miss those hugs. It was so hard not to cry, and she was holding back tears as well.

Goodbyes are always so hard.