Jesse and Kenny were best friends since the day Kenny’s family moved next door. Kenny was four, and Jesse was five. They were inseparable since the day they met twenty-three years ago.

 “Hi, I’m Jesse. Who are you?” 

“Kenny.” 

 “Hi Kenny, I have been waiting for you for a long time.” 

Kenny’s mother panicked a little when Jesse reached over the garden fence and picked Kenny up. 

“Let’s go play.” They ran off into Jesse’s backyard. Kenny’s father needed to stop his overly protective mother from running them down and taking her son back. 

Kenny’s grandma called them the giant and the elf, as Jesse was always two heads taller than Kenny. The two of them did everything together. 

Kenny went to all of Jesse’s sports activities. In turn, Jesse went to all of Kenny’s music recitals. Kenny’s parents, Paul and Nanette Van Dever, and Jesse’s parents, Janie and Barry Hanover, became great friends, too. They were like one big family. The families celebrated everything together. The birth of Jesse’s sister, Carrie Ann, and Kenny’s baby brother, Bobby, only added to their happiness. 

The boys were inseparable, and everyone knew it throughout the school. When Jesse went to high school, it was hard for Kenny to be separated from Jesse, but there was no choice. Still, Jesse met him at middle school at the end of the day, and they walked home together.

The most challenging time came when Jesse went off to the university. He wanted to stay home and work a year so he and Kenny could go together, but his parents would have none of that stuff. Jesse left, and Kenny cried for days. Jesse proved to be a great friend and called Ken every day and came home often.

It was a very lonely year for Kenny. He missed sharing every little thing with Jesse. Jesse came home to celebrate their birthdays. Their birthdays fell on the same day, and they spent the entire day together. Jesse turned nineteen, and Kenny eighteen. That was the day they pledged to be best friends forever. 

*

Everything changed on their twenty-first and twenty-second birthdays. Jesse convinced Kenny that they needed to go out with his football buddies and really celebrate. Even though Kenny didn’t like the idea much, Jesse talked him into going to the Players Bar and Grill. 

It was fun at first—a little beer—a little food—some more beer, and then some birthday cake. Jesse drank more beer and then even more. One of Jesse’s friends, Randy, started flirting with Kenny. Sara, Kenny’s best friend, laughed and teased him about it.

 Jesse started to get very loud and aggressive toward everyone, but especially toward Kenny. 

He begged Kenny to play pool with the guys. Reluctantly, Kenny joined them. 

Jesse started ridiculing him, “You are such a wuss. You did that like a girl. What are you, some sort of homo? God, what a total fag you are!” 

Kenny finally had enough and flung the cue stick onto the table. “Fuck you, asshole. Happy Birthday to us.” He stormed out of the bar to where he’d parked his car. 

He reached for the door handle, but someone grabbed his shirt from behind and yanked him away from the car. It was Jesse, and he was like a crazy man. “You fucking little faggot, don’t you ever fucking do that to me again, embarrass me in front of my best friends.” 

He slapped Kenny so hard that it knocked him down, and the back of his head hit the car as he fell. 

Jesse’s teammates had gathered around and started taunting him to kick the shit out of that fag. Drunk, angry, and out of his mind, Jesse backed away. He stood there, unable to move. The others started kicking Kenny. Curling up into a ball, Kenny tried to protect himself as much as possible.

There was a loud whack, and one of the players went down.

* * * *

Sara, holding a large branch, screamed, “You all are fucking killing him. Jesse, it’s Ken! Have you all gone berserk or what? Why are you just standing here? My God, I think he may be dying! Call nine-one-one!”

The boys stopped and looked down at Kenny. One of them said, “Holy shit, I’m out of here.” They all scattered, including Jesse, leaving Kenny there to die. 

Sara would have none of that. “You better not even fucking think of dying on me, Kenny, I need you.” 

The ambulance and police cars arrived at the same time. Sara frantically told them what had happened. They loaded Kenny and were off with sirens blaring. The police officers were very kind and gentle with Sara. They took her to the station, where she called Kenny’s parents and told them what had happened. 

Kenny’s parents repeatedly asked, “Jesse did that to Kenny? Why would he do this?” 

Sara was so upset all she could answer was, “I don’t know.” Sara’s mother came and took the pathetic shaken girl home.

*

Kenny’s parents called Jesse’s parents and filled them in about what Sara told them about their sons.

“Oh my God, what can we do?” Jesse’s mom asked.

“Pray.” Kenny’s dad told them, and his parents rushed off to the hospital.

Kenny’s parents were met at the entrance to the emergency room by one of the doctors treating Kenny.

“He’s in pretty bad shape right now. We know he has a broken nose, eye socket, several knocked-out teeth, a fractured arm, and six fractured ribs. His leg muscles and tendons are severely damaged. He’s unconscious and unresponsive. Kenny’s currently getting a CT scan to see if there are any internal injuries or brain damage.”

“I need to see my baby,” Kenny’s mother said. She was on the verge of breaking down; her hands trembled, and her eyes filled with tears.