Rosemary Bradley was the girl who lived next door. The girl who hung around my house 24/7 and grew up with me. As children, Rosemary and I were inseparable. We had the best adventures. She had this blanket that she took with her wherever she went and she created the most amazing things with it. When you first see it, it’s simply a blue blanket with a teddy bear stitched into the corner, but slowly it shifted into things such as magic carpets, a superhero cape, and whatever she desired it to be. Whenever we went off being the kids we were, the blanket helped create chaotic makeshift forts and whatever was needed in the current quest we were on. It was with her at all times and at all places and there never was a time when I saw her without it. However as we started getting closer to middle school, the blanket that used to be so near and dear to her heart, slowly became the plain simple object that it was. And as we started getting closer to high school, I slowly became the young boy who lived next door.

I’m not exactly sure when we started drifting apart, but I think it’s when she started hanging out with the girls at our middle school. Once they became friends she became a completely different person. She started caring what other people thought, talked differently, and I guess to put it in a very sexist way, she became a “girl.” Rose was always pretty, but when she started brushing her long locks of blonde, putting on mascara, and throwing away her basketball shorts, she became someone on a completely different level of attractiveness. Sooner or later, she started hanging out with the “cool” crowd, and I was sort of pushed away to the side. Our usual hangouts were canceled for several reasons. Some including “Madison invited me to sleepover at her house,” “There’s this pool party on Friday,” “Jake is taking me out on a date,” the list goes on.

I wasn’t really angry or annoyed that she kind left me hanging, it was bound to happen eventually. I mean why would she hang out with a dork like me, when she could be popular and “go party.” I think the only thing that bothers me the most is how she didn’t really stay true to herself. I mean yes people change, but there should still be parts of you that you keep right? She used to be so imaginative and real with people, but now she’s boring and fake. She used to be interested and curious about people and the things around her. She used to say hi to me. Like come on! Is that so hard?? Okay I’m getting all riled up now. Calm down, Mason. Anyways my point is, I wish a small part of the girl who brought her blanket with her wherever she went is still around somewhere deep down inside her.