Oh boy was I jealous of Johnny.
Johnny was like a superhero. He could get hurt a million times but nothing fazes him. I remember in second grade when he fell off the jungle gym. Loads of teachers ran out to help Johnny up, even a few nearby kids ran over once they heard the loud thump his body gave when it made impact with the woodchip-covered ground.  Yet Johnny simply got up from his awkward position and gently brushed the dirt from his knees before the frantic teachers could even reach him. I watched in awe as he repeatedly told everyone “it did not hurt one bit”.
“Oh my! I would’ve been blubbering like a baby if I fell from that high up, “exclaimed my best friend Josh who watched with as much awe as I did.  I nodded in agreement and looked down at my scrawny legs, which I knew without a doubt, would never be able to take a fall like that. This was the day I decided I wanted to be just like Johnny, the strongest guy I know.

By the middle of third grade Johnny’s super strength was known by more kids than just Josh and myself. Soon all the kids were talking about how tough he was and that no one would ever dare mess with Johnny.  Yet despite the fact Johnny was the talk of the school he still remained a quiet guy who mostly kept to himself. In fact, I don’t think he even knew how strong he was.
In English class I would watch from my seat as he sat there avidly listening to the teacher.  When he was not watching her intently he was scribbling down notes in his notebook.  Whenever Ms. Newfield had a question Johnny would always be the first one to put his hand up to answer it. Not only was he super strong but also he was extremely clever.  I was old enough now to know there was no such thing as superheroes but to me Johnny was as close to one as you could get. 

It was the first day of fourth grade and the school was hosting a sport tournament! I was ecstatic when we split into teams for soccer and I was put with Johnny.  I knew we would win this for sure.
The whistle blew and I got to the ball quickly. I looked up for Johnny and found him standing to the side of the pitch looking unsure.  It seemed weird seeing Johnny looking confused, as I always believed he knew exactly what he was doing.  I brushed off my thoughts and sent Johnny the ball with a big kick that soared over the grass and stopped only when it made contact with his knee. Johnny didn’t even wince.  Instead he hesitantly kicked the ball forward and then began a slow dribble down the pitch.  It was not long before a huge kid on the other team ran over and tackled Johnny for the ball.  Johnny fell to the ground but got up quickly and ran after the other player yet it was too late and he had already scored a goal.
“It’s alright Johnny you can do this!” I yelled and took the ball from the goal and when the whistle blew to start the game again I kicked the ball even harder in Johnny’s direction.  This time it hit him right in the stomach and then dropped to the ground in front of him.  Unfazed Johnny began to dribble it forward.  Players on our team yelled at him to pass the ball but he kept it to himself moving forward gracefully.  Suddenly a scrawny boy on the other team jumped in front of Johnny and it was as if the boy was made of brick.  Johnny crashed into him and then crumpled to the floor as if he had lost the feeling in his legs.  The whistle blew to stop the game and teachers flooded in from all around.  I wanted to shout that he was okay.  He was Johnny, nothing could hurt him.  He’s the strongest guy I know!  But for some reason I was at loss of words and could barely utter a sound as I watched four teachers lift Johnny’s lifeless body up and carry him off the field to where our school principal appeared looking extremely worried with a phone by his ear.
All the students were ushered to the next activity, which we did not understand as we never finished our soccer game, until we heard the sound of sirens from down the road which appeared to be getting louder. 
“Why would they call Johnny an ambulance?” Josh asked me as we walked in the direction the other students were being pointed to. 
“I don’t know,” I said honestly looking back to where they were still holding Johnny.  His eyes seemed to be closed and his body was limp in the teachers’ arms.  He looked so frail you would never believe how strong he was if you saw him now.

The next morning Johnny did not return to school.  Nor was he there the next day or the day after that.  Then on the Friday a school wide assembly was called in the morning.  Josh and I sat near to the front and watched as our school principal walked slowly towards the podium.  He told us Johnny had died in the hospital.  It was like a dream to be sitting there.  I felt like I was out of my body and watching myself sit there with a shocked expression on my face.  I could not feel my muscles and I felt like my throat was closing up.  I wanted to choke but couldn’t bring myself to make any sound. 
All I could do was listen as the principal explained that Johnny had congenital analgesia, which is an extremely rare condition in which a person cannot feel physical pain.  Due to this Johnny was unable to feel when he was in pain during Monday’s sports tournament.  The doctors do not know when he was hit but they know it was hard enough to cause Johnny internal bleeding.  Since he could not feel it he did not know that he was in pain or that anything was wrong and continued to participate in the activity until finally his body finally gave way.  That was when he fell during the soccer game.  “Johnny you will forever be in our hearts and prayers, “ was the principal’s closing line before the audience was called to stand and pause for a moment of silence.
I think even if we had not been instructed to be quiet the room still would have been dead silent.  Everyone was probably thinking the same thing.  That we had all been so naïve to believe Johnny had magic powers that made him so tough when in reality he was probably the most delicate person in the room.
“Rest in peace Johnny,” I whispered almost inaudibly with tears building up in my eyes, “still the strongest guy I know.”