A year ago today, you were planning what to do on Halloween. A year ago today you started your countdown for Christmas. A year ago today, you were alive.. A year ago today, your organs were still functional, and you didn't worry about death. A year ago today, I was able to touch you, to hug you, to feel the warmth of your breath.
We met in seventh grade, we had the same elective. I would have never met you if it weren’t for the problems I had with someone. I’m forever grateful to have had the chance to call you my friend.

In memory of Jesse James R
August 24, 2001-August 9,2016

It was a typical summer morning for 14-year-old Jesse, he got up, ate breakfast, took a shower, and got ready to hang out with some friends. As he was getting ready he heard his phone ring; a message from his friend, “Jesse running  a little bit late, but i’ll be there in twenty minutes”. “Just enough time to get ready”, Jesse thought.
When his friend finally arrived, there was more than one person in the car “Who’s this?”, Jesse asked. “He’s just a friend” replied one guy. Jesse had no hesitation in getting in the car, because they were all friends. As they arrived to where they were going, Jesse saw them taking spray cans out “Is this really somewhere I want to be at right now” he thought to himself, but he did not act upon his thoughts. Twenty minutes went by, and they all were tagging as they saw the police approach, one of them shoved a gun into Jesse’s pants as they ran. Jesse didn’t know what to do, he began to run, he ran about three blocks before remembering the gun in his pocket, as he was running, he threw the gun and unfortunately it was set off. “S***” he thought to himself. Followed by the gun setting off, there was two more shots fired, this time at Jesse. Time seemed to move in slow motion as Jesse saw the bullet racing towards him. He remembered his friends, and family, “am I really going to leave them like this?” he thought to himself. As the bullet touched him, he knew this was the end. He fell to the floor and blood began rushing out of his  body. “I’m sorry mom” he said out loud. He said this with his last breath, and his body quickly became motionless. No human contact, no human warmth was given to Jesse before his death.