13 hours, 826 miles, but only a click away. The blond hair, hazel eyed boy, has been there for me, even when I’ve wanted to be alone… he’s still there. He makes sure I’m okay and is there to tell me I’m beautiful, when I’m at my lowest point. He’s been my best friend for 4 years, but the only problem is, he lives in Florence, New Jersey. He’s a dedicated friend, and may I say probably one of the best considering I’ve never gotten to see him except behind a phone, or a camera hooked up to his computer. He’s always willing to drop everything and facetime with me when I need him., He won’t hesitate to press call. He’s all ears, and I think he even handles my problems better than I do.

In January of 2013, my grandma had passed away. It was the night of freshman orientation, and I can not tell you how hard it was to put on a smile and pretend I was okay. When I found out, my life went into a downward spiral. My grades started dropping, my friend group got smaller, and my tolerance of people became microscopic. For weeks after the tragic event, I hated myself and told myself it was my fault she was gone, when in reality, it was no one but the doctors. I remember crying my eyes out for days, until one day, when a familiar name popped up on my screen, signalling someone had messaged me on facebook

Hey, I heard about your grandma, I’m so sorry, Kasia. I love you, I hope you’re okay.

It was Will. I hadn’t talked to him in months due to the fact that he had gotten me angry and I didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

Thanks, Willy. I guess I’ll be okay, eventually at least. Haha.

He messaged me back almost instantaneously

Facetime me.

I composed myself with the last ounce of strength I had and called him.

He picked up on the first ring, “Kasia.”

He had asked what had gone on weeks before, tears brimming my eyes as I told him the story. He cried with me. That was the first, and the only time I’ve ever seen him cry. I told him how much I hated myself for letting my grandma died. I believed it was my fault.

“You’re wrong, beautiful. This isn’t your fault. God made a hasty decision and took away your grandma. And I’m so sorry that he did. I would hug you if I could, but I can’t. You’re too far away and all I want to do right now is hug you.” He croaked.

He never fails to amaze me with his kind words, and his sincerity in his voice. He made me feel like I had nothing to hurt about, and in that moment, I forgot about the world. It was like WIll and I were the only two people left, and that’s all that mattered. We had laughed and had a good time, and I wasn’t sad until that night when he had to leave me.

I remember one time Will and I had gotten into a fight, I bet you it was stupid, because I can no longer remember what we fought about. I told him I never wanted to talk to him again, and blocked him out of my life, and every couple of days, he would text me.

I’m so sorry.

But at the moment, it never mattered what he said, because I no longer cared what he had to say. But he never gave up on me.

I’ll never give up on you, ever. I promise. Even when we’re older, and when we’re married to other people, I’ll never give up on you.

And for four years, he has never once given up on me. No matter how many times he’s told me he’s done, it’s been a joke, or a minor fluke in our relationship. He’s never left my side, even in my times of isolation. When I tell him I want to be alone, he becomes frustrated with me and lashes out. Taking all of his energy and focusing it on me like I’m the last person in the world.

I promise, when we meet, I’ll cook us a fancy dinner, and we can dress up, or we can go out for dinner then go to a movie. I promise. Just stay strong and I’ll be there soon.

He’s always there to lift me up when I’m down. He is the most inspirational person to me because he has such a positive attitude after everything he’s been through. A little over 3 months ago, his mother was admitted into a hospital for alcoholism. A couple weeks ago, his dad was caught with marijuana at work, and he had THC in his system. Through all of that, he’s still able to smile and be positive. I know that if that was me, I would never be able to do that even if I tried. He inspires me to keep going every day.

Stay strong, and be happy. I love you.

He always knew a way to keep me happy. He was really the reason why I rolled out of bed each morning. I knew that if I got through the day, I could see him at the end of it. He always made me feel better. He would tell me stories of the latest news in New Jersey, and how much his high school sucked. He would make me laugh with all of his stories of pregnant girls, and stupid relationships he’s seen and how he wish he could have one. He could never fail to make me laugh. No matter what he did, I always had a smile on my face because half of my heart was in New Jersey and half of it was here.

No one really gets what he’s done for me, and to be honest, I really don’t know either, but there’s a message in here somewhere. A message of strength. Without Will, it’s safe to say I would be a different person if it wasn’t for him. He’s made me an all around better person, not perfect, but better. He’ll always have a place in my heart, and I don’t know if he’ll ever realize how much he means to me. I don’t know if anyone really realizes how much he means to me, including myself. I don’t think anyone understands how a boy 826 miles away could mean so much to a girl that’s almost half-way around the country. But believe me, he does. He does.