I loved my best friend. He was always there for me. I brought him home on my own when I was young, but my parents didn’t like him at all. They would always yell at me whenever I’d share my food with him at the dinner table. He wasn’t exactly the most well mannered eater around. They made me take care of him by myself, which I was okay with. But they didn’t want to deal with him at all. They ignored and neglected him when I wasn’t home.My parents insisted that they still loved me, but my friend was just too troublesome and would have to go. I refused.
Like all best friends, he was super fun! We played fetch even though he wasn’t too good at it. We also played outside with tennis balls and frisbees… again, he wasn’t too good. But he did know how to do all sorts of tricks! And he was really good at playing hide-and-seek; better than all of my other friends. He also helped me overcome my fear of being in public places. He wasn’t shy at all and was able to walk up to tons of different people on his own.
One day, my mom placed her hand on my forehead and told me that I may be coming down with something. I felt fine, but I trusted my mom because she was a nurse… and of course, because she was my mom. I told her that my friend had to come with us because dad was at work. She agreed. My friend was so excited.
“You see mom? He likes you a lot, you just have to give him a chance,” I said as I pointed to his ear to ear smile. “I think you might be right, son,” she replied and returned the smile directly at my friend. This has never happened before. I’m happy, he’s happy, and she’s happy!
Upon my arrival at the doctor’s office, I was asked about how I was feeling at the time. I told the doctor that I think I might’ve been coming down with a cold, but everyone was happy, so I’m happy! The doctor said it was pretty serious and that he’ll have to see me at least weekly. He gave me some yummy cold syrup and told me that I needed to rest. My friend and I spent the night there. I slept in the bed and my friend slept on the floor, as usual.
I awoke the next morning feeling better than ever. I got over my cold, but something was wrong. My friend? He was gone! The doctor called my mom and neither one said they’ve seen or heard anything from my friend. They weren't lying about this. I spent the next few weeks looking for him, posting missing signs everywhere. However, nothing turned up.
A couple of months after that, I finally stopped looking. Not because I grew tired... I simply stopped caring.
Identify his best friend.
What happened to his best friend?
Why did he stop caring for someone he loved?
