It was all so good while it lasted.
The bike rides, the movies, the sleepovers, the car rides, the places we traveled to together. I remember one time Penny took me to the dentist with her to get her braces on. I was with her mom by the chair, watching and being a supportive friend. Penny could look back to feel okay. That night, Penny cried all through the night in pain, but I remember how happy she was to have me there by her side. At least that’s how it used to feel.
I was Penny’s number one. I was always picked first for anything, any adventure she went on, I was there. For 9 years no one could separate the bond between Penny and I.
I guess double digits can change a person.
That’s when Penny was magically gifted a new and improved friend, a new pal to hang with. I really miss those days I spent alongside Penny, but I faced the fact that she had moved on from me. I had to accept that Penny had made a new friend; it was Lulu’s turn to play. I watched the two of them go on adventures, play outside, and watch movies for months. I was so jealous of Lulu. She was such an optimized version of me.
It was as if every button Penny pressed, Lulu had programmed exactly how to respond. For months, I was just sitting there, along with the others who were thrown aside. Sitting, waiting, hoping for Penny to pick me up again.
But eventually, Lulu got old.
Her buttons began to wear out.
She began to give up on Penny.
And that’s when it all happened. She broke.
I remember it so vividly. Penny ran downstairs and showed her mom the condition Lulu was in. Her mom took Lulu and placed her into a dark black hole that would soon dump her somewhere else. She was never seen or spoken of again.
In her room, Penny cried and wept, holding her delicate knees to her chest with nothing to hold to keep her safe.
Until she lifted her head and gazed her eyes towards the woven basket in the corner. There I was sitting, my ears barely peeking through the pile.
Penny walked over, picked me up gently, and squeezed me so hard I knew she would never let go again.
