It was the 17th of August 1988, the first day of senior year. Never have I been more excited to know that this is the last year I’ll be in this hellhole. I got out of my bed, took a shower, did my hair, got dressed, and put my brand new Vans on. I looked at myself in the mirror and told myself “Keyanu, you’re gonna make it through this last year with no worries. You got this.” I go downstairs to the kitchen to see my parents fighting, but as usual I walk past them as they scream and yell at each other about the same stuff they always fight about, and make myself a bowl of cereal. I go outside to eat because I can eat without hearing my parents rip each other apart, then I pull out my pack of cigarettes and spark one and just think to myself that I’ll be out of all this shit soon, one more year. My parents never really could support me as a child growing up, I didn’t get presents for Christmas a few years and if I did it didn’t even seem like they put in effort. Our family friends felt bad for the situations my parents made me go through so I usually spend the holidays with them. I never asked for anything of the things that they gave me and insisted on giving them to me so I couldn’t really say no to them. I picked up my girlfriend Brooke Faltzer, a few days ago was our 2 year anniversary. Lately I’ve noticed she’s not the same Brooke that I met 2 years ago. Brooke has been really distant towards me the past few months and she’s been short with me whenever I try to talk to her. At a point I don’t even feel like I’m there when I’m around her. 

We get to school about 15 minutes late, Brooke doesn’t even acknowledge me when she gets out and walks into the school. I shake it off and just head  to my 1st period, chemistry. I walk in the classroom, the teacher pauses his lecture and everyone in the class looks at me like they’ve never seen me around before. “You’re late Mr.Horigama, find a seat.” said Mr.Brown. Mr Brown and I have never been on each other’s good sides nor bad sides, we just don’t acknowledge one another unless we have to. I look around the class and it seems like all the seats were taken except one right next to a blonde girl, she looked new. I asked her “This seat taken?” she looked up to me and said “Taken by you now.” She had pretty green eyes, a big smile, and cheek bones that matched her facial structure perfectly. I introduced myself “I’m Keyanu.”. “Like Keanu Reeves?” she replied. “I guess you could say that, what’s yours?” I asked. “Kaitlyn.” she said. “With a K?” I asked. “Yes, you going to the festival this weekend?” she asked. “Yeah, I’ll see you there?” I said, the bell rang and she winked with a bright smile as she walked away. For the rest of the day all I thought about was the new girl, I even tried to not think about her because I felt guilty but it felt almost impossible not to. I had a buzzing feeling inside me all day, haven’t felt this way ever even after when I first met Brooke. Something just clicked with Kaitlyn.

Every other day of that week went the exact same way as the first day went then friday came, the first weekend of the school year and everyone was planning to go to this big music festival after school. So after school got out Brooke and I got ready at my house and waited for my best friend Jake and Brooke’s best friend Kailee. All of them wanted this to be a “double date” or whatever so I really had no choice of going or not. Jake and Kailee walked in the house already drunk and Kailee pulls a mini bag of some powder and tells Brooke that they’re gonna have some fun tonight. I had a bad feeling about Brooke getting into this kind of stuff but I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to ruin or interfere with everyone’s fun tonight. We got into my car and started to head over to the festival, as soon as we got there Brooke and Kailee ran into the festival. Jake asks me how Brooke and I were doing because he could see it in me that I wasn’t how I was when I first met Kailee. I’ve known Jake since 1st grade and we’ve been through thick and thin so he knows me pretty well. I just told him that I’m the one putting in all the effort with nothing in return. Jake tells me that I need to realize that I need to make myself happy before anyone else and have some self-care for myself. I took that to heart like usual and went to go have some fun. “I don’t know how I feel about Brooke taking those drugs.” I told Jake, I just had a bad feeling about the whole situation. “Don’t worry Key Kailee will watch over her dawg!” he replied. 

A few hours go by and I haven’t seen Brooke in a while, it was right in front of the stage where I see Brooke kissing another guy. The crowd split so I could see them perfectly like it was meant for me to see them kiss. I was speechless, I didn’t know what to do or say. I just walked away, Brooke chases behind me and turns me around it was clear she wasn’t sober, she was trying to apologize and explain slurring her words. I just told her “I hope those 2 years meant something to you.” and walked away. 

I found Jake and Kailee, they asked me why I looked so down and where Brooke was but I just told them that I didn’t know and that I was going to get some air. As I walk towards the exit I hear a familiar voice call my name, I look around to see that it was Kaitlyn. “Hey Key! Where do you think you’re going?” she said, “I was just gonna get some air” I replied. “Now that I think of it we barely got to get to know each other in class.” she said, “Well what do you want to know?” I asked. She pauses for a good second looking into my eyes and moves closer to my ear and whispers “Everything.” 

I was heartstuck. I still didn’t know if this girl had any sort of feelings towards me. Something about this girl was different, it’s like she filled a void in me that I’ve been looking to find and it just might be this one girl that’ll do it for me. I didn’t have to feel guilty being around Kaitlyn anymore so I just told myself to shoot my shot before it’s too late. I reach for her hand expecting her to push away but I feel her hand grab mine. Kaitlyn and I didn’t say anything to each other, we looked into each other’s eyes slowly moving closer and closer. I close my eyes to feel her lips against mine, the whole world disappeared like she was the only girl in the world. I felt a fire burning inside of me, but a good fire. All of the negative things in my life vanished and that’s when I knew she was what I needed.