• Back in elementary school, I had a faint (not very good) friend named Joey. I was in every class with him. And then the final day of school came and we had an assembly. When the assembly was about to end, the principal came back to the microphone and called me and Joey up front. We were sitting away from each other so we wouldn't get caught talking. When I finally got up their, I noticed that his hands were behind his back. What is he hiding, I wondered. Then, when I got up to him, he spoke into the microphone, but I didn't here it because I was pondering over what he was holding behind his back. I looked at my friends and saw them smiling. Maybe they're smiling because of school, I thought. But then they're smiles widened and they averted there eyes to Joey. He was holding something black. Right when I noticed what it was, he bent down on one knee, said how much we had been through and that he loved me, and asked me to marry him. Just like Jenna, Sara, and Falisha (My 3 friends) I was smiling ear to ear. But not to them. To Joey. I saw the most beautiful ring ever in that little black box. "Will you marry me, Melissa?" asked Joey, in a concerned tone. Should I say yes? "Why would you ask me that?" I paused and Joey's face almost broke into tears. "Of course I will!" Then he started crying, but not sad tears. Happy. And so were my friends. Everyone went wild. "Obviously they knew this was going to happen," I asked, since I was gone yesterday. "Maaaybe. Since you were gone yesterday, I asked Mr. Jenkins if I could go buy you a ring and then asked Mrs. Johnson to announce that I will ask you to marry me. She made them promise to not tell you or look at you differently than they normally did. With a little luck, they survived." He smiled and then came in close to kiss me. When he did, the crowd went wild and it sounded like the jungle, zoo, and all the people and animals of the world in there.