People say that after high school is when you fully grow up and mature but I believe that is not true on all cases because people most people don’t understand what you have been through. Or that I see George when I walk into the instrument room and look where his trumpet should be but is not and glancing over while we are warming up and realizing that he’s not sitting there making funny faces at you to make you laugh and in the end make Mr.Wharman yell at me. I think of the 7th grade band festival when we first started becoming friends. We where all plied in the back of the bus surrounded by the 8th graders because we where very mature for our age. That last summer, the summer of 2010 we lost a classmate and good friend Noah Keller in a car accident.

So naturally we where more mature for our age because all we have gone through. The group of us 7th graders where playing truth or dare, a typical game played on long bus rides. People say that after high school is when you fully grow up and mature but I believe that is not true on all cases. I fell like I had to grow up in 6th grade because that was the first time I had ever lost someone Noah Keller. I see him every time I ride a bike because it reminds me when my friend Taylor and I where riding our bikes around the block. We where around 11 years old so we where still in our awkward stage with boys but not around Noah. Noah lived on the other side of the block from Taylors house. We peddled around Lampman Street because we where still to scarred to go to far so we would just would go around the block about 600 times. Like usual Noah was playing basketball in is driveway. He was 12 years old and about 5'9 so you could say his height was a defendant advantage for him but he also had a God given talent. So we crossed the street towards his house. As we where about 200 feet away from him and I see him turn around and the next thing you know BAM I slammed into the mailbox. Honestly it hurt pretty badly but I just played it off cool because he was a cute boy and I was an awkward 5th grader. Being the gentleman he was he helped me up glasses tiled to the side and a forming burse on my knee. That is only one story that portrays Noah and all of his greatness. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss that 5’9 blue-eyed boy. I will always remember Kellys mother Marybeth standing up during the vigil and turning towards the crowd of people and saying, “ I know that I speak for all the mothers here could agree with me when I say I wanted Noah to take Kelly on her first date or even marry her.” That my have seen like a very bold statement but I couldn’t not agree more with Marybeth.

As the past three years have gone it is easy to think people have forgotten about him but I couldn’t disagree more I hear people talk about him everyday. At least I know I think and talk to him everyday. I will forever wear my no faded light lime green wristband that reads IN MEMORY OF NOAH KELLER I wear it to remember all of the good times I had with him and to keep in mind that he is not gone forever.

This July 13th I lost another friend George Friesen. He and Noah had many things in common. One thing that sticks out most to me would be there contagious smiles. From rivals in sports to the janitor walking down the hall. They where the types of boys that not matter what you day was like they could always put a smile on your face. We are where incoming freshman last year, it was a whole new ball game compared to middle school but we are a very close class which is very lucky. We can say we hate each other which is normal but at the end of the day we all love each other. We have seen each other at our best, our worst and the worst of the worst. Say this boy is making you mad or annoyed which is a high school boy’s profession but you can’t stay mad forever best you have seen them break down at the funeral for his best friend. Before the last summer of George’s life while we where still in school the band went on a trip to Denver, CO. You could only imagine telling a group of high school kids that they had to go on an 8-hour and 42 minuets buss ride. I have to admit that I was one of the people who really were not looking forward to it but little did I know that it would be the most rewarding part of our trip for me.

Meg sat by me George and Connor sat behind us. To take up some of the 8 hours and 42 minuets was to watch some movies as a buss. Who knew that a group of high schoolers, out of all of the movies we had, pick The Lion King. I know many would disagree but I know the whole buss at one time or another was singing “The Circle of Life” and/or “ Can You Feel The Love Tonight”. Sadly neither Meg nor I have been able to watch The Lion King. Joe and Leah Keller have been a big part of my life if they know that or not. After George’s vigil Leah stopped me out side while I was walking to the car. She stopped me in my tracks and threw her arms around me. That warm embrace gave me a since of peace. I truly knew in that moment that Noah (her son) presence was with us at that moment. She whispered into my ear and said words that I will never forget nor take for granted that she chose me to share this information with. She said, “ Gabby, the first thing I told Lisa today is that our sons are in heaven together. They are up there right now looking down on us and most likely tossing a football around.” That may not strike you as much as it did me. It made me think that George and Noah are up there always looking down at us.

I see George’s laugh in his mom when we reminisce old memories about him. Seeing someone that as gone through so much still is able to laugh gives me hope that even though you go through very hard times you can still be able to have good times. Lisa, Karin , Barclay, Hope, Ellie and I talked with Lisa for 3 hours about what was going on in our lives and class at school. The way she talked about George was unlike any other it was like he was sitting right there with all of us girls and I bet his spirit was. If there is one thing Lisa and Leah did right in raising those boys was that they are the true definition of a gentleman. That talk meant the world to me it was a way of reminding all of us that George and Noah are always right there with us at the first football game, the World History final exam and will be with us when we walk all together for the last time while the band is playing Pomp and Circumstance at graduation in 2016.

Death. I will never fully understand it. The purpose, meaning, or just simply why it happens. The phrase the good die young is true. One minute it's the first day of seventh grade and you finally come to terms that Noah wont be there. Flash forward three years and it is your freshman year and you have no idea what to expect because high school is a whole different ball game because yet again you are at the bottom on the food chain. The next thing you know you are talking to him on the last day of school. It's not just anyone it's George. Your best guy friend. You look up to him like an older brother and a best friend at the same time. He was your Hero.