Small Town Friendship
It was the summer before I was going off to college; ever since I was in middle school, my best friend was Adam. We met at recess one day; he was nice enough to let me climb the monkey bars first. Ever since that day, we always hung out, all through high school and up to now. I was going off to the big city to pursue acting at a prestigious school in New York. Adam had decided to stay in town and just work for a while until he decided what he wanted to do. We agreed that since I was moving away for school, then the summer before I left, we would spend as much of our time together as possible.
Adam and I would do lots of things together that summer; we went to the movies, went shopping at the mall, hung out at one of our houses, and watched movies, and ate dinner. We were almost inseparable. Adam did have to work part-time at the local movie theater, so we didn’t spend every second together but close enough. My birthday was also at the end of summer, so Adam told me that he wanted to throw me a birthday bash before I left. I didn’t want him to go through all the trouble, but he insisted. Since we lived in a small town, he decided to invite our whole graduating class; it was pretty small; only about 20 students graduated this year. Adam had also asked his manager at the movie theater if he could use the space after hours to throw my party; the manager was friendly enough to agree because he knew how responsible Adam was.
The night of my party, Adam decided to come and pick me up and bring me to the movie theater. It was a lovely night filled with stars in the sky, and a cool breeze swept through the town. I had decided to get semi-dressed up and wore a cute black cocktail dress that I had bought from a local boutique. It wasn’t too expensive, but my parents decided to gift it to me as an early birthday present. When we got to the movie theater, it was filled with twinkling lights that were lined all over the theater. Adam had purchased refreshments and snacks from the local grocery store and had them laid out in big party bowls. It was lovely, definitely the best birthday I had ever had. Most of our school friends filled the theater’s lobby while some were in the theater rooms watching the latest releases. It was so lovely to be surrounded by friends and to have a good time chatting with people.
We were at the theater pretty late; after talking to multiple people, eating the snacks, and watching a movie or two for free, it was time to close up shop and have Adam drive me home. I had helped him clean up since it was slightly messy, and then we locked up and drove back to my house. When we got to my driveway, Adam parked the car and turned to look at me.
“I have something for you,” he said.
“Adam,” I replied, “You have done enough for me by throwing the party.”
“I saw this in a store window and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy it for you,” he said, smiling.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box. As he handed it to me, I wondered what could be inside such a small box. I slowly unwrapped it to discover a necklace with a dainty chain, with a centerpiece of a small heart sterling silver pendant. The inscription on the box read, “True friends are never apart. maybe in distance but never in heart!” It was the most precious gift I have ever received. I loved the heartfelt saying attached. I started to cry; it was such a simple necklace with a significant meaning behind it.
“Are you ok?” Adam asked.
“Yes,” I replied, “This is the perfect gift. The necklace is going to be the best keepsake for me to remember you by, but it must have cost you a fortune.”
“It was actually a very budget-friendly necklace, so don’t you dare feel bad about accepting this. Ok?” he said.
“Ok,” I said, smiling. “Thank you so much for this thoughtful gift; I really appreciate it.”
Adam smiled as I hugged him; he was so happy that I loved his gift. I immediately asked him to help me put it on. I loved it so much I could never bring myself to take it off. It paired with everything I owned, and the necklace had so much sentimental value to me. Adam had no idea how much this small gesture means to me. Every time I would look at it in the mirror or would touch the cold metal in class, I would think of him and all the good times we had together.
After the summer ended, I went to college, but I never stopped thinking about Adam and the necklace even while I was away. I could never really concentrate on school and learning; my mind always drifted back to my small town and the amazing boy I left behind there. I tried to make it in the acting world after school ended, but I could never really catch a break. So, I ended up moving back to my small town. I ran into Adam a few months later, and the rest is history.
We re-connected and eventually got married and started a family. He had changed my life by giving me that necklace. To this day, I still wear the necklace. It reminds me not only of the girl I was but the girl I became. I am very thankful to Adam. If he didn’t give me that necklace, then my life could have taken a different turn, but instead of getting fame and fortune, I was taught how important love is in your life, and I got my lesson in the form of a beautiful necklace.
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