By Grace Southby - Year 11, St Hilda's Collegiate
I'll never forget it - the way she looked at me.
We had an instant connection.
We did everything together. We walked to school together, holding hands as we skipped along.
Every lunchtime, we sat up in the tallest tree, pretending to be secret spies.
We had every class together but we never really listened because we were too busy playing games. Izzy always won.
Izzy took me everywhere, we always had the most fun together.
We were each other's best friend. I liked it that way. With her, I was able to be myself.
Everyday I knew how lucky I was. A roof over my head, food in my stomach, a family that loved me and a best friend.
That's a distant memory though. Long gone. In the past. Been and gone.
I just wish I hadn't taken it for granted.
Sitting here, slumped against the gutter on the side of the road, I've never felt more alone in my life.
Last weekend was going to be perfect.
We were going on a road trip to celebrate our one-year friend-iversary and Izzy's birthday.
It was going to be something to remember. Forever.
We were all squashed into the car, flattened by lots of bags.
That didn't matter though, because when I was with Izzy, I could bear almost anything.
Within a few hours, Izzy was already sleeping with me wrapped up in her arms.
A little while later, we stopped to have a break.
''Mmm, they smell yummy,'' Izzy said, waking up from her sleep and licking her lips.
She sprinted into the shop with me clenched in her hand and we got Izzy's favourite waffles.
As she skipped out of the shop, Izzy looked so happy.
Then she saw a stand selling brand new teddy bears that had been advertised on TV as the new big thing.
''Mum, can I pretty-please get one?'' she pleaded with her puppy-dog eyes.
''Of course you can, honey,'' she responded, handing her $5.
That was it - the time I lost her and she lost me.
Immediately, she snatched the money, dropped me from her grasp and sprinted to join the queue.
Once she had bought one, she had a smile as big as the world and leaped off to the car humming and swinging the glistening, golden, fluffy, soft, cuddly new bear around and around.
Then they swiftly drove off, as if I wasn't even there, completely forgetting about me.
I guess I couldn't have expected it to last forever, though. I mean, at some point she was going to grow up and tire of me.
I never thought it would be like this though.
My heart sank.
They never returned. I sat waiting and waiting. Still nothing.
With every car that drove past, my hopes went up, then down like a roller coaster.
Over this time, my paws had become dirtier, worn and torn, my body soaked to the core.
I hugged myself over my rough body, then let go and collapsed against the gutter edge. I gave up what little hope I had left.
''Mummy, mummy, look,'' a little girl yelled as the crunch of her boots on the loose gravel concrete got louder and louder.
I forced my eyes open with every last ounce of energy I had left and saw a cute little girl, picking me up with her warm hands, immediately thawing my once frozen body.
''Can we keep him please?''
Her mum gives a big smile and nods politely.
She carries me back to the car, then wraps me in the softest blanket I have felt in a long time.
''Hi Teddy, my name's Fleur. We're going to become best friends and have the best time ever!''
I look up at her, smile weakly and think, what a wonderful world we live in.
