Our story begins years back in the 1st grade playground. A lone girl sat at a table. Tears were streaming from her eyes, as the others entertained themselves with the swings and slides. She was new. No friends were hers, her mother had left her at school for work, and lowliness took hold.

Her misery had not been unnoticed, for a set of blue eyes had seen her. They belonged to one who was equally lonely. He had always been you see, for no one wanted to be his friend. For unlike the others, he had always been a little, different.

The boy walked over to the girl. He looked at her with concern, for he felt something. Something that he had not before. It was a strange sensation that began in his stomach, and jolted throughout his body.

“H-h-h-h-i,” he mumbled.

The girl stopped. Her teared eyes looked at the boy with alertness.

“I-I-I brought you something.”

The boy handed her a beautiful, white rose. He had brought it to school for sow-in-tell, for he was proud that he had grown it all by himself.

The girl smiled, and carefully plucked it from his hand. She brought it to her face and stole the sweet aroma into her nostrils.

“Thank you,” her voice chimed.

“My name’s Charlie,” said the boy.

“Nice to meet you Charlie,” she replied, “I’m Jamie.”

The boy smiled.

“I’ve got something to show you,” her voice beckoned, “but you can’t laugh.”

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

The girl dug into a pocket of her pink jacket, and pulled out a small creature. It was gray, feathered, with black painting its eyes and bill. To most it would be an ugly site, but not to the boy. He took his finger and rubbed the head of the innocent beast. It playfully nipped him. Both began to laugh at the act.

That day was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Eight years passed before we see the two again. They are found before a lively fountain on the property of the girl. Her fingers twirl in the liquid, as again tears roll down her cheeks, for she had been dumped by a boy that her heart still clunged to. Charlie, still possessing his secret feelings toward her, and being an awesome friend that he is, had rushed to her side for comfort.

“Jamie, it’s going to be ok,” he pleaded. “Don’t you remember the saying, ‘There’s someone out there for everyone.’ ”

“Yeah, everyone but me.”

“Jamie, please, don’t talk that way. Yes, you got dumped, it happens. It just means that you haven’t found that one lucky guy yet. The one who will cherish spending every moment with you, forever,”

Jamie grasped him in her arms and embraced him in thankfulness. They were only separated by the trickle of water from the full grown swan, swarmed in elegance, shaking droplets from its feathers.

“Oh, by the way,” exclaimed Charlie, “I’ve got something for you.”

He delicately took a snowflake colored rose from his pocket and gave it to her. It had become his habit of giving her a rose when ever she was feeling under the weather. For each time, it would bring a smile to her face. The next, always more beautiful then the last.

Another year passed before our story continues. In the main hall of Jamie’s mansion a party is helled. Laughter fills every corner, the punch bowl occupied by gossip, and the dance floor with active fun.

Charlie stands against the wall alone and quiet. He wears a tuxedo that none knows the great price that had to be paid. His eyes gaze towards the stairs that his friend will descend in all her glory, for tonight was more special then all others, her birthday.

He snapped his attention to reality as the scene that had played in his head began to start. A door began to open. It opened slowly, creating suspense that was over whelming, before it revealed it’s treasure. She stepped from the darkness, making the whole room still. All eyes were on her in amazement. Her golden brown hair was fashioned in a unique and beautiful style that no other can mimic. A white dress that shined like the heavens was wrapped around her body.

She smiled before she began to descend the stairs. The crowd could only aw as her silver heels touched each step with elegance. When her journey ended a hand took hers. It was not our good friend Charlie but another, Nick. The two have been lovers for almost six months. Jamie loves him with all her heart and has told this to Charlie several times, not knowing the dark secret.

For Nick pretends to be one thing, but is another. To Jamie he treats her as if she was a goddess, but Charlie, only as scum. For he sees Charlie only as competition. Swirlies, wedgies, lockers, and many others have built there relation. But, even thou he performs these evil deeds, that are numerous and cruel, Charlie does not squeal, for he only wants to see Jamie happy.

Charlie ignores that he is in the scene and focuses on his beloved as the crowd parts when she passes. Her path takes her to the one that loves her the most.

He is too amazed to speak, but offers her the gift which he holds. She takes the small, long box that is held in his hand to find a white rose. This one is far more greater then all that was and beyond compare to what is. The beauty of the white is far more then earthly. A blue clings to the trim of the plant. No thorns touch the smooth, green stem.

“A rose?” piped a voice

“That’s what he gets her every year,” said another.

The crowd laughed and mocked before they returned to their activities, but not her. For she looks up from her gift and hugs her beloved friend. She offers him a smile before the crowd takes her. Charlie now felt awkward, not knowing what to do he retreated outside to the familiar fountain. He sat apon the rim of the sculpted creation. The swan came to greet him, but not alone, for three others, thou smaller, followed her. Charlie smiled as the babies reminded him of the day they met.

I don not know how long he sat there lost in thought before he was not alone. For an unwelcoming figure had joined him. It stood towering before him. He was hidden in shadow but Charlie knew who it was. Charlie glared at the figure, for it was all he could do.

“You’ve been a bad boy tonight,” creeped the voice.

“I’ve kept my distance,” Charlie answered, “as we agreed on.”

“You could have fooled me,” he countered. “I saw what she gave you for it.”

“It was just a hug.”

“Just a hug! Just a hug! Charlie, I saw it with my own two eyes. It was more then just a hug. I’m sad to say that this now means I have to take action for it.”

Charlie tried to move but was to slow. A knife shanked him in the chest. Nick left before the howl was released. Charlie clutched the wound as blood dripped from it. He fell to the ground in pain.

There were those who had heard the howl and came to see what it was. There were murmurs and screams before Jamie was beside him. The puddle stained her dress but she did not care. Her teared eyes fell apon the weapon. She secretly took it, before the sounds of sirens stole him away. She knew to who the weapon belonged, but could not except it. The only question that filled her head was why.

She felt alone and sadden. The empty white room of the hospital did not provide much comfort. The waiting room had now become her prison. She had learned that the doctors had stabilized his condition but she was not aloud to see him.

“Jamie,” came a low voice that was almost a whisper. She looked up, “Hi, I’m Charlie’s mom.”

Thou they had been friends for years, Jamie had never met his mother. She was taller then her. Gray stained her hair, even thou she had a young complexion. Her eyes were swollen from tears.

“Nice to finally meet you in person Ms. Hagger,” she complied.

“You too sweety. I came over here because you looked exhausted, and, since we can’t do anything more tonight, I was wondering if you wanted to spend the night at my house. That is, if it’s okay with your parents of course.”

“Sure, I’ll come. They won’t mind a bit.”

So the two left the hospital.

She did not know why she did it. Was it because she seeked a companion as equally lonely and scared as her, or was it because she was curious about a part of her friend that she did not know or heard about. Either way she was going.

The car stopped before a lone shack. The two left it and entered the home. Very few furniture was scene, and those who were, were aged. Jamie looked around in amazement, for she had no clue that he was poor.

Almost everything was chipped, cracked, or broken, almost everything, except for pictures of her boy that Ms. Hagger kept. They were in frames, scattered about her and there. Each one brought another memory to she.

“You can look around sweety while I get your bed ready.”

And so, not wanting to be rude, she did. She walked by each room and peered in, that was, before one caught her eye. There was a door, the only door, which was closed. She walked at it and carefully opened it. Her eyes widened from what she saw. The room was like a green house. Everywhere you looked were bushes, bushes full of white roses.

“He spent a lot of time in here,” said a voice.

Jamie turned to see Ms. Hagger behind her.

“He loved gardening, always had. I had given him his first seeds when he was little, for I couldn’t afford a present for him that year. After that, thou I don’t know why, he asked for more every year. I would sometimes sneak in here when he was gone and glance at them. I couldn’t believe how beautiful each came to be.” She sighed. “It was all I could give him after his father left.”

And that’s when it finally hit her. He thought of her more then just friends, he had loved her. More then anything in the entire world. And here she was, committed to another man that had stabbed him. Who knows what else he had done to Charlie, her Charlie. Oh, how could she have been so blind?

It was quiet. Her eyes were apon her lover, as he took his last breaths. The doctors had done all they could but even they could not stand between death. He opened his eyes to her one last time and created a smile.

She forced herself to smile back as tears came. Her mind raced to try and think what to do, for there must be something. Then, the words of the mother came to her, “It was all I could give him.”

“All I could give him,” she repeated in whisper.

She looked at her love and touched his lips with hers. She gave him all she could, the only thing he wanted, her heart. As the kiss began to end his lips became cool, his breath gone.

She sat by the fountain and wept. The swan that had once been there was gone.