High school, you either love it or hate it. Especially in a small town. If you always stay near that small town you will always seem to bump into people you loved/ hated, you will always know the gossip that is going on, and you will always hold the people you loved closer than ever. During those rough years in high school, you always have the friends you hold close.
I always drifted from group to group (I am not going to lie I never really could fit in with any group.) I always had a good friendship with one person though. He would annoy me, but sometimes we had moments where he would give me the best advice ever. I never thought I could lose him, he was someone we could drift and then come back and be the usual friends we were before. One night changed everything, and one night I never got to tell him how much he impacted my life.
His name was Jordan Queen. He was extremely intelligent, funny, and trustworthy. Our main gimmick? How many jokes he could make about my short stature. The winner, of course, was Gimli. You know, the short dwarf on "Lord Of The Rings." He would always come up to me and say "Hey Gimli, where's your battleaxe?" (honestly, the entire school basically called me Gimli, and when I dye my hair red there maybe a small resemblance. Take away the beard, though.) I knew he was just joking with me, and he knew I could take that joke and not be upset.
He would always take things that I said the wrong way, because half the time I can never make sense of my own thoughts. He knew what I meant, but he also knew that making fun of me was even better. I mean what is the true foundation of a great friendship? Making fun of each other till the other one does not have any better of a comeback. It was always like that. We would laugh, joke, and talk. We had a tight knit group at lunch and jordan and I would always sit by each other. I would steal his glasses and he would make fun of ,me. Win, win right?
The worst thing about friendships is that sometime they become distant, and they drift apart. Summer came and we did not talk as much. The last real conversation was over text message and its stayed in my mind for years. I was talking about a guy I was with that I had become increasingly unhappy with. He told me that, "Lauren, you are worth much more than this." Words like that are powerful.
It was so unlike him to say something this sweet, but having a relationship based on jabs to each other can make perception of a person unclear. I remember when school started again, and that we would pass but we would talk less and less. I remember missing him and our friendship so much. One day, I came up to him and said "hey, I changed my number. I am going to text you tonight to talk." He said okay, and we had a small conversation before we went off to class. That was the last time I got to talk to him.
I was at church, I remember it like yesterday The service was over with and all the people I went to school with sat together and talked. I had gotten my phone out to text Jordan like I told him I would earlier, Thats when I found out. Jordan was killed in a car accident. I thought it was a joke. I was a wreck for days. I never knew what it felt like to never really say how much you care and love for someone. When they're gone, They're gone and you cannot get a second chance. A beautiful soul was lost, but his legacy lives on in my heart.
Years go by, but I always still get a little bit nostalgic when that day comes near. I have a son now, and everyday I hope he is just as amazing and intelligent as Jordan was. I never let the people I love leave without telling them how much I care. I will always remember his friendship. Forever a trojan, Jordan Queen. We love you.
