He thought there were no doors left; another one had slammed right in his face.

RING! School was now in session. From my perspective, today was going to be a typical day. Time was already flying by but it wasn’t until third hour that my opinion was brought back to reality. Something was wrong. I didn’t know what had happened or if something was going to happen, but I could feel a sense of alarm. The further and further I journeyed through the halls, the more I began to think about it. Just as I turned the corner, I could see a large crowd of people hovering over something. From my standpoint I couldn’t see anything so I veered in closer to get a better vantage point. Instantly, my heart started to race. I could not believe what I was seeing. Alex’s face was dripping blood.

RING! Since that was the lunch bell, the crowd quickly dispersed, leaving Alex all alone. Sorrowfully, I walked up to Alex and said, “Are you all right?”

Alex, trying to hold in his tears, replied “I’m fine. Just leave me alone. It was just a fight. I don’t need anyone’s help.”

Granting his wish, I started to walk away. Even though he said he was fine, I could still feel my conscience telling me that something was not right. Who knows, though? Hopefully lunch hour could take my mind off the situation. On the way to my locker, my friend Joe ran up to me and said, “Let’s go play some football outside; all the guys are waiting for you; c’mon.”

That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. A good game of football would take my mind off Alex. hearing this news, we immediately bolted outside.

“Almost there,” Joe told me. “All right, end zones are the two trees and the baseball diamond. “
As Joe pointed toward the trees, I caught a glimpse of Alex sitting all alone.

“Joe, tell the guys to start without me. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Walking over to Alex I said, “Hey do you want to play some football?”
“No, I’m horrible.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’re just playing for fun.”
“Ok.”

Already late for the game, we sprinted over to the field. “Hey guys, do you mind if Alex plays?”
With looks of disgust one of the guys selfishly replied, “We already picked teams.”
I could see the look of ostracism in Alex’s eyes. “I’ll sit out. He can take my spot.” The guys all glared at me while Alex’s face beamed with delight.
“All right, whatever, he can play.”

After football, Alex and I went to the next class together. We talked and laughed in between classes: and at the end of the day, he invited me over to his house. I accepted his invitation. As soon as we got inside, he directed me a specific room. Not knowing what to expect, he slowly opened the door. I saw a rope and a chair.
He told me, “Not until this afternoon did I find someone who actually cares. Today was going to be my last day. I would not have seen tomorrow. Words are not strong enough to tell you how grateful I am you ran into me.”

Door slam after door slam, the one that mattered most managed to stay open. Since that day, Alex and I have became the closest of friends. I don’t care what people around me think. To this day, I am proud to say, he is my best friend.