"Taylor?"

"Hmm?"

"Isn't it beautiful when the sun breaks through through he clouds?"

13 year old Taylor sat up from his position, and looked at Larissa who was still laying down. "Yeah, I guess it is. Why are you asking?"

"Look over there." she said, gesturing with her petite hands. He looked and saw the sun punching holes in the sky, spilling over the clouds, to the woods below. "What do you think it means?"

"I don't know. I guess I never really thought about it."

"You know what I think?"

"What do you think?" he asked, smiling at all her questions.

"I think that when the sun breaks through the clouds, it's because someone in heaven is watching over someone on earth, making sure they don't get hurt. My mother is watching over me right now, and your grandmother is watching over your entire family. Everywhere someone is watching someone they love." she trailed off, looking at the sky, in her own little world.

He looked over at her. "You know what I think?"

"What?" her voice was still soft and thoughtful.

"I think," he paused, then started again. "I think you're right. I also think that you are the most wonderful person in the world, and I'm very lucky to have you as my very best friend in the entire world. I think that if I ever lost you I don't know what I would do."

"Same here. You're everything to me." They got up and walked home without having to say another word to each other.

Part 2: Years Gone By

Years passed and the two friends grew apart. She moved away to a suburb of Tulsa, and he became more popular among his friends, especially with the girls. Sometimes she would come back to visit family, but he was often too busy with his current group of friends to spend any real time with, even thought he wished he wasn't. He missed the closeness that they had together, that no one else could understand. She knew when to make hime talk about what was bothering him, and when to leave him alone. He knew that whenever she snapped at him, or wouldn't talk, it was because she missed her mother. She was his shoulder to lean on, and he was hers. They tried to keep in touch, calling each other as often as time allowed, and writing letters. As the years went by, they became fewer and farther apart, as did their memories.

One morning he woke up and trudged downstairs as he always did.

"Good morning, mom." he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"'Morning, Taylor. The mail came early today. There's a letter for you on the table."

"Okay, thanks." He grabbed an apple and the letter on his way out of the kitchen. He flopped down on the couch in the living room, turned on the TV, and started eating the apple before he though about the letter.

When he picked up the letter, he was shocked. He recognized that writing. She wrote this letter. He hadn't heard from her in a long time, they had stopped writing to each other months ago. He opened the letter and began to read.

Part 3: The Letter

Dear Taylor,
I don't really know why I'm writing this. All of a sudden I got this feeling that I should write to you and tell you how I feel about you. I love you, Taylor. You're my best friend. You always were my best friend. You always will be my best friend.
I had this really weird dream last night. I was in our meadow and I was talking to my mother. She said that she loved me, and she missed me, and she said something about how she couldn't wait to see me again. I wonder what it means? I tried to talk to my father about it, but you know how he is. He pretends she never exsisted. He doesn't understand that I sometimes need to talk about her. I wonder if the dream means I'm going to be with her soon. I wouldn't mind it. I mean, I wouldn't mind getting rid of this pain that I feel every day. This pain that I feel, when I think about you, and how far apart we've grown. I don't know. I don't kow what I mean.
Have you been to our meadow lately? I have. I went there the last time I was in Tulsa. I thought I saw you just standing there. I called out to you, but you just kept standing there. You didn't answer me, or maybe you didn't hear me. You looked right at me, then looked away. After a couple of minutes you just left. Just walked right past me. You were probably never even there. In fact, I know you weren't. It was just my imagination. That's how much I miss you, how much I want to see you again. It was so real. I could have sworn you were there.
Do you remember our last time in the meadow? I do. I remember everything that happened. I told you what I thought it meant when the sun broke through the clouds. I said that it meant someone was watching over you from heaven. I still do believe that. I know it's not much, and I know it's kind of stupid, but I want you to remember that. Don't forget, Taylor, please don't forget. I love you. I don't know what I'll do without you. You really are my best friend.
Remember me when the sun breaks through the clouds.
Love you, Larissa

He smiled when he finished reading the letter. He couldn't forget her. He wouldn't be able to. She was his best friend.

He was just about to pick up the phone to call her, when it rang.

"Hello?"

A melancholy voice answered him. "Hi, is Taylor there?"

He was intrigued by this voice. Why would somebody who sounded so sad, as though they had the weight of the world on their shoulders, be calling him? "This is Taylor. Can I help you?"

"Taylor, this is Mr. Carter, Larissa's dad. I have some bad news for you."

"Taylor," here Mr. Carters voice broke, as though he could barely keep from crying. "Last night Larissa was found dead. The police say it's suicide..." Taylor didn't hear the rest as the phone slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor. He was looking across the room wildly, when he spooted a picture of them together. He thought of her. The out of control, curly hair that she hated, those bright green eyes that always shone and sparkled, that friendly smile that was ready to flash at anybody who needed it. He thought about how she had always been there for him. He should have been there for her. She should have just called him to talk to him. He should have called her.

He heard a faint "Taylor" coming from the phone, and he saw the blurry image of his mother as she rushed into the room. He could see her lips moving, but couldn't hear anything that was coming from them. He knew he was alive, but he could feel nothing. He was breathing, and his heart was beating, but he wasn't able to think. He didn't feel his legs as he rose from his position on the couch, didn't feel them buckle, didn't feel his mothers arm reach out ready to catch him if he fell. He didn't feel anything as he got up and walked towards the end of the room. He couldn't feel the tears as they were falling from his eyes, down his face. He knew he should be feeling something, but he didn't. She couldn't be dead.

He reached the end of the room and looked out the window. That's when he saw it through his tears. The sun breaking through the clouds.