A little girl got on the bus for the first time. Her mother waved smiling as she made her way to a seat. Every seat she got to was taken. She wasn't 'allowed' to sit with someone, because she was 'new'. She was almost in tears when she heard his voice.
"You can sit with me." She heard come from the seat to her right. She smiled and sat down beside him.
"Thankyou." She said smiling. "I'm going to kindergarden. What grade are you in." The little girl asked.
"I'm going to first." He said smiling. "My name's AJ, what's yours?" He asked as she sat down her lunch box.
"Donna." She replied.
"You're gonna like kindergarden, you get to take naps, and have snack time, and recess." He said going on like he was an expert.
"I'm getting big, so I don't have nap time anymore." He said proud of that fact. On their way to school he went on about his Kindergarden year, and his teacher he had. Once they got to school, he showed her to where her room was and waved goodbye.
That was how it started between the two. They would sit with each other everyday on the way to school and then everyday back. They soon came to realise that they only lived two blocks away from each other, and would play at the other's house everyday. Their mother's became good friends and would visit each other's houses a lot also.
They spent the night with each other every weekend, and were best friends. They even kissed once, but decided that it was 'gross' and would wait until they were older to try it again.
They were there for each other whenever one needed the other. Donna went to ever play AJ was in. When he was in Snow White as Dopey, she was there to watch him run around. The show also brought on his nickname, Dopey. When he had a dance recital, she was there to clap for him. She even was at the Latino Carnival to cheer him on for his one man puppet show. He had always made her laugh with his puppets. As the years moved on they grew closer like the sister he never had and the brother she never had. But, as the years moved on also, her parent's grew further and further apart.
"AJ?" Donna asked her best friend on the phone. She was now eleven and he was twelve. "Do you think I can spend the night with you again." She asked over the phone. AJ could hear the screaming in the background.
"Sure come on over, I'll tell mom." He said reasurring her. He had said those words a lot over the last year.
"Thanks." She said with a touch of tears in her voice.
AJ hung the phone up and walked up to his mom.
"Mom, Donna's coming over to spend the night." He said grabbing a cookie.
Denise looked at her son and knew why she was coming. It was almost expected every night to hear a call from her. But because she knew the situation, and knew Donna's mother, Pam, so well, she was like a second mother to Donna.
After a few minute's the doorbell rung, and Donna stood with her bag.
"Thank's Mom." Donna told her. Since she had met Denise, she had always called her mom. She called her own mother Mommy.
"No problem sweetie." She said kissing the top of her head.
"Come on let's go play some video games." AJ said pulling Donna into his room. Over the next few months, one of AJ's other friends was killed, and Donna was there to help AJ through it.
One day Donna was dropped off at her bus stop and waved good-bye to AJ.
She walked up her driveway and saw her father's car in the front. It was unusual for him to be home at this time of the day. She walked into the house and soon saw her mother sitting on the couch.
"Hi Mommy." She said pulling her bookbag off. Her mother looked up with red eyes.
"Come here for a minute honey." She said sniffing and opening her arms.
"Why's Dad home?" Donna asked sitting down beside her mother. Her father came from his bedroom and saw Donna. He sighed and walked over.
"Honey, Daddy and I need to talk to you about something." Her mother said looking at her husband.
"Donna, we've decided that Mommy and I need to be apart. We love you more than the world, but we just don't love each other." He said talking to his daughter.
Donna looked at her mother then father.
"Mommy and you are going to stay with Grandma for a while." He said.
"But I don't want to go." She said not understanding what was going on.
"I know sweetie, but it's the best thing for me and Daddy." Her mother said reasurring her.
"What about AJ? I don't want to leave him." She said starting to cry.
"We know honey. We're leaving tomorrow, so you can spend the night with him tonight if you'd like." Her mother said gently. Donna got up and picked the phone up doing the usual routine. AJ told her she could spend the night like it was any other night.
Once she got there Denise knew about what was going on.
"Donna, why don't you go get some cookies." Denise told her. She stopped AJ and bent down to his level.
"Sweetie, you need to know something." She said softly.
"What?" He asked.
"Donna is going to be going away for a while after tomorrow." She said.
"Where's she going?" He asked.
"She's moving away with her mother." She said as AJ's face dropped.
"But she can't leave. She's my best friend." He said as his mother's heart felt like it was about to break for her son.
"I know. But we have to be strong for Donna tonight." She said trying not to let her son start crying. "It's her last night here. We have to show her that everything is going to be alright." She said as he nodded. Donna came back in holding four cookies and handing two to AJ.
"Let's go play video games." Donna said smiling and forgetting all about what tomorrow was gonna bring.
