[One Best Friend]

[Prologue]

For the longest time, the first nine years of my life, I never had a best friend. Then again, I guess when you're that little your parent's friend's kids are your best friend, but that was a forced friendship. Besides, since I was my parent's first kid, they were way too overprotective and didn't want me to play with the other little germy toddlers.

Anyway, my social indifference only lasted, like, two years, because then my mom decided to go back to work. At first she was one of those I-Am-Going-To-Stay-At-Home-And-Never-Miss-My-Child's-Baby-Years Mother, but I guess she figured it would be more productive to have someone else change my diaper nine through five, so off to preschool I went.

This preschool divided kids based on the school district's cut of day: August 31st. Well, mine was September 9th, and they didn't know what to do with me. I was almost walking, so were the kids born before the 31st, the youngins were just learning how to crawl, so they put me with the older ones based on motor skills, I guess.

From then on, I was Little Caitlyn, dotted on by my older peers, as the young one, to be guarded and protective. They picked me up when I fell and showed me the art of coloring in the lines. But alas, I still did not have that one friend.

Well after all my older pals graduated and went on to the honored kindergarten, I was stuck with all of these... immature kids. I had no idea what to do with them, they didn't even know the alphabet. So I did for them what my other friends did for me, I nurtured them and taught them everything I knew. And I loved it, but it always made me sad that I wasn't Little Caitlyn anymore.

Then, came that fateful first day of 3rd grade, September 9th. What a great birthday present! To finally reach 3rd grade!

I was put in Mrs. Petulant's 36th kindergarten class. She stood us all in a circle and instructed each one of us to get up and tell everyone our name, how old we were, and our birthday. And then, she picked me (ME!) to go first! I loved talking! So I said in one big slur, "I'm Caitlyn Smith, I'm nine–"–and I sucked in the glory of watching all the kids that I could see in the room's look on in amazement–"–and my birthday is today, September 9th." I took a deep breath and felt very proud.

As Mrs. Petulant went down the line, I sized up my new classmates: there was a blondie with pigtails and a corduroy jumper, she looked pretty shifty to me; and that chubby brunette a few down from my left, she looked kind of nice. We were getting back toward my end of the circle, two kids from my left, a little boy with a head of dark curls said softly, his voice cracking, "My name is Ryan Gecert, I'm nine, and my birthday is August 9th." I could barely contain myself! Someone older than me! Finally!

Mrs. Petulant hurriedly assigned us at our desks in pairs of two. I shut my eyes tight and said to my self "Ryan, Ryan, Ryan..."

She slowly paired people off, yet me and Ryan still stood in what was left of the circle.

Finally, much to my joy, she muttered "Ryan and Caitlyn."

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!

Since he was the older one now, I'd have someone to watch over me again! I wanted to be cared for.

I skipped up to Ryan and blunt little me who said whatever was on my mind declared, "Hi, my name is Caitlyn, and you're going to take care of me!"

Ryan looked shocked. I bet no little curly haired girl had said that to him before. He just nodded his head yes.

And, as corny as it sounds, I knew that he would always be my best friend.

A/N: Whoohoo! Here's my revised version, pleeze review, I hope you like it!

Love Always, Sarah