Jake and I survived High School. The moment in which our bodies suffer changes, our personalities are shaped, and in which searched for a place to belong. Jake was my best friend throughout high school. How was I going to survive college without him? He was going to the West Coast while I was going to the East Coast.

After the prom, Neil, another friend, organized a party at his home. His parents were out of town so we could listen to very loud music and drink booze, without being bothered. It was the last time I would enjoy a party with Jake. I did not know what would happen to our lives.



‘You are awesome, Mike.’ Jake told me while he was trying to pop a ping pong ball in a vase filled with beer. The ball touched the vase.

‘You’re the best, Jake.’ I replied to him. He gave a big smile. It was my turn to shoot.

‘Don’t worry, Mike. We’ll keep in contact with each other. We’ll meet again in the holidays. We can make video calls and have social media.’ He told me while I was throwing the ball which cleanly popped into the vase. However, we had one vase left.

‘And we have this.’ I showed him the bracelets that we wore. We won them at the arcades to which we went every Friday. Now, that was coming to an end as well as play station nights or summer camps. We were becoming adults and were going to university. And high school would be just a memory.

‘Of course, my friend. I’ll never take it off.’ He promised me when the ball entered into the last vase. Now, it was my turn to drink.

‘Cheers!!!’ I shouted and drank the vase in one shot.



College was a whole new world. I didn’t have to study Math, Physics, or Chemistry, all subjects I hated. I took the courses I desired, and which were essential for my future. Of course, I had more responsibilities and my first job to cover the expenses, but I didn’t miss high school. I had to move on and focused on my future.

After high school, the first time I reencountered with Jake was before Christmas. He was studying Law in LA while I was studying Social Communication in Illinois. We met at the arcade we used to go to. We spent a lot of time and money in that arcade.

‘Oh, man. I missed this’ He told me.

‘Me too. None of my classmates go to an arcade.’ I admitted him while I was steering the car to the left.

‘There are other priorities. College is not so bad. There are more responsibilities, but the priorities are others.’ He affirmed.

‘Yeah. Parties in dorms, dates, basketball or football matches…’ I said focused on winning the race. We were entering into the last lap.

‘Nothing stays the same. Everything changes.’ Jake added coldly. Every one of his words were true.

‘Yes!!! I won.’ I jumped euphorically while Jake slowly stood up with a smile.



Each time I returned to my parents’ home for the holidays, I met with Jake. We gossiped about our high school classmates and college roommates, and we talked about our programs. However, that was not going to last forever.

After two years, our meetings started to decline as well as the interest in arranging one. When I returned to my parents’ home for Thanksgiving, I sent a message to Jake.



‘Hi there. Are you free this weekend?’ I asked him. The hours passed, but he did not answer. Then, the phone vibrated.

‘Hi, Mike. Let me see… maybe we can meet.’ He answered.

‘Do you want to go to the arcade?’ I asked him, trying to revive old times.

‘Mmm… I don’t know.’ He answered.

‘Or we can go somewhere else. Anywhere you want.’ I suggested, trying to convince him.

‘I think about it. We keep in touch.’ He told me and I waited for a message, but I did not receive anything.



Back at college again, while I was playing FIFA with my roommate, I noticed something missing from my right hand. A green and blue bracelet was on the floor. It was broken.



‘Oh, dude. That’s a pity. It was really important to you?’ Jerry, my roommate, asked me. I observed the bracelet and dropped it in the trash can.

‘No. It was just a bracelet.’ I answered him and continued the match we were playing. Did I forget Jake? No. We just stopped texting and seeing each other. I stopped following him on social media, and he did the same. I didn’t hate him. Our paths intertwined at high school, and we separated at a crossroads. That is life: a trip with many paths.



After graduating from college, I moved to New York with Jerry and Matthew, another friend from college. I got a job at a local newspaper, but I was searching for another job with a higher salary and more related to my career. I liked living with Jerry and Matt, but it was time to live alone.

Before an interview at a big newspaper company, I went to a cafe in the Financial District. When I was about to pay for my cappuccino, I dropped my wallet, and someone picked it up.

‘Sorry, sir, you dropped your wallet.’ The voice seemed familiar to me.

‘Oh, thank you.’ I told a tall man with his hair neatly arranged. He gave a big smile.

‘You’re welcome.’ He replied to me, and I paid and sat at a table next to the street.

I watched that man reading a newspaper while drinking his cup of coffee. When I looked at the hour, I picked up my things and left the café. Before leaving that place, I stood still at the door for some seconds and watched that man one last time. Finally, I left the café and headed to the interview.


© Jero Gandini