We grew up together. He was like the brother I never had. We were so close, we never were apart from each other. We both played soccer, we both were into skateboarding and we both liked the color green. I have so many memories with him.
One day we were out on our skateboards and I noticed that he wasn’t acting like he usually did. He was a little more lay back, when that’s usually me. He is the adventurous one, the one that does all the high jumps. I remember I dared him to jump down the stairs with his skateboard, he always did it like a piece of cake. But that day he tried it and he fell of his skateboard. I was a little confused, I remember I ran to help him up.
“Gale, you okay? Are you hurt?”
“It’s okay. I’m fine, I am just not having a good day today.”
The next day I didn’t see him at school. I got a little worried, and so I called him afterschool.
“Hey Gale, what’s up? Why didn’t you go to school today?”
“Oh nothing, I stayed because my momma told me I could stay to watch the Cowboy’s game”
I knew he was lying because, first of all he doesn’t like football at all. Second of all I knew his mom would never stay home for that kind of reason. Third of all, Cowboys didn’t even play that day.
Days went on, and it seemed like our friendship slowly started to fade away. I didn’t know what was happening with Gale, because he started to go less and less to school. I missed the days where we would go skateboarding together, the days were we spent quality time together. I would give up anything for those day to return.
Then one day I received a call from Gale’s number. It wasn’t Gale. It wasn’t a stranger, it was his mom. She spoke to me with a melancholic tone
“Adam, are you there?”
“Yes mam. I am here, Mrs. Palmer”
“I… I have to tell you something.”
I could hear her fearful voice. She trembled as she was saying the words. I felt like she just wanted to break into pieces. I could picture in my mind streams of tears running down her cheeks. 
“I want you to be strong now Adam” Mrs. Palmer told me as if she had no more power to say another word.
“Yes mam”
“I have to tell you that… that. Gale has been diagnosed with a stage IV Cancer which means that the cancer has spread too many distant organs and tissue. The doctors have only gave Gale 3 months of life.”
I couldn’t believe my ears. I felt my whole world just break into pieces. Everything that I was thinking just went blank, I was paralyzed. All those memories, those dreams, the plans I had with him just vanished. Everything that we lived together seem to just disappear into a distant world.
“Ms. Palmer, how? Why? What caused this? This is not happening right now”
“I don’t know my boy. I still can’t believe it myself.”
There at that moment I decided to at least be with my friend for his remaining days. I went bald, I visited him every single day I could. I brought him movies of our favorite skateboarders. I bought him his favorite candy. I did everything I could to keep him happy.
Then the three months were over. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I lied there on his bed, telling him about our memories. I remember clearly that he just had his eyes closed and he was just nodding his head to everything I said. He would smile a little on the funny parts. But then there was a complete silence, I didn’t hear him breathing. I didn’t see him nodding his head anymore. 
“Gale please! Gale wake up, Gale open your eyes. Gale please, I’m begging you. Don’t leave”
He didn’t respond. I remembered I prayed to God so he could wake up. I got on my knees, tears coming down my face one by one like bullets being shot.
“Lord please, please Lord. This cannot be happening. No please!”
It was done. It was over. I wasn’t able to hear him laugh no more. See him nod to our memories. I was totaled. I was depressed. This was my first ever death that I experienced.