The Best Gift Ever

THE BEST GIFT EVER

It was a sunny day when two great friends played at the park. One was named Nick. He is twelve years old and his friend is Amanda. She is eleven years old. No one could describe their friendship. They sat next to each other on the bus. They let each other eat their lunch if one forgot theirs. They'd stick up for each other. Amanda and Nick were the best of friends on earth. On the playground, they were playing tag. After awhile, they both got tired. Nick went and got their packed sandwiches from a bench and met Amanda under the slide.
"Hey, Nick?" she said.
"What?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yea, anything," Nick said.
"Do you..." she stuttered. "Do you want to know who Jesus is?"
"Oh, not this again! I already know who he is. He's the fairy tale who died on the cross to pay for my sins so I can go to heaven; whoopty doo!"
"He's no fairy tale Nick," she said calmly. "He's real."
"Not anymore! He died on the cross if you remember," Nick said irritated.
"No, remember he rose again three days later."
"Yea, whatever," Nick said. "Just... let's change the topic."
Both friends sat there quietly eating their food. Amanda finished her sandwich and waited for Nick to finish. As soon as he finished his last bite, Amanda touched him and said, "tag your it!" Nick chased after Amanda trying to catch her. Nick started to catch up and then Amanda stopped. She fell on her knees and started to cough.
"Amanda!" Nick said running over. "Are you okay?" She continued to cough and cough.
"Someone help me!" Nick yelled. A man ran over to where he was and called 911.
"Amanda! Hang in there," Nick said. Amanda tried to say something but she kept on coughing. Now she started to lay down and curl up.
"Just relax," Nick said. "Take deep breaths." She tried to relax but the coughing was just too much. Every time she breathed in, she coughed out. Next, she started to stop coughing, and started to close her eyes.
"Amanda, don't go on me, please," Nick said trying to hold back the tears. The ambulance arrived but it was too late. She was gone.
"Amanda! NO!!"
Two days later, Amanda's funeral took place. The preacher kept on talking about how she is in heaven, and that she is happy. Nick didn't want to hear one more second about God and Jesus. He was mad at Him, he said that God let Amanda die. The next morning was a Thursday. Nick sat in the same bus seat he and Amanda always had. He wouldn't let anyone touch her specific spot though. Not even a flea. The sun was on the side of his seat shining in his window. The sun shined on something that reflected into his eyes. He noticed the reflection came from the floor. He leaned forward and saw a necklace on top of a yellow, small paper. He put the necklace beside him and read the note.
Dear Nick,
I've been sick for a while now. I knew I wasn't going to last much longer. Right now I am happy; I am in Heaven. If you ever want to see me again, trust in God. He's the only way you will get to Heaven. In case you forgot what I told you, I wrote down a little prayer for you to say. You can say this in your head, but you have to mean it with all of your heart. Here it is:
Nick stopped before he read the prayer. That day at school was rough. He got in two fights because two kids made fun of Amanda. He couldn't concentrate during any of his subjects. Especially math, that was the only class he and Amanda were in together. They were both in the middle of the front row. He kept on looking over at Amanda's desk, trying to picture her sitting there, and then down at his papers. The next time he looked over, he saw a man with a beard and long brown hair holding Amanda in his arms.
"Trust in me," He said.
"Please," Amanda begged in the man's arms. Nick thought the man was Jesus so he rubbed his eyes and the picture was gone. Just an empty seat.
That night, Nick had a dream of Amanda and him running in Heaven; then a big word that said "trust" smacked him in the head and he fell out of Heaven and into his bed. He then woke up.
During lunch at school, Nick reached in his back pocket to give the lady his wallet. He opened it up and reached in to grab money. Without looking, he accidentally handed the lady the note that Amanda wrote.
"This ain't money, Nick," she said sternly.
"I'm sorry Ma'am," he put the note back in his wallet embarrassed. He gave the lady money and sat down by himself. A kid named Charles sat down right next to him.
"Are you sitting by yourself because you don't have your girlfriend here," he mocked.
"She's not my girlfriend," Nick said crunching his teeth together.
"Then why do you always hang out with her?"
"Because she's my FRIEND! Not GIRLFRIEND!"
"Yo, yo... relax," Charles said. Nick's face turned cherry red.
"I think I want to eat your face right now, it looks like an apple!" Charles said laughing. Smack! Nick picked up his tray and smacked his mashed potatoes in his face. Charles wiped the potatoes off of his face and punched at Nick. Nick swooped out of the way and poured his juice down Charles's shirt. Nick ran out of the lunch room and out the school door. He fell on his face in the parking lot grass and started to cry. He heard Amanda's voice in his head. It got louder, and louder, and louder.
"Trust In God!" He reached in his back pocket, grabbed his wallet, opened it up, and grabbed the note. He skipped down to the prayer. He repeated it in his head meaning it from his heart:
Dear God, I know I'm a sinner, and I know that since I have sinned, I can't go to Heaven. But you sent your only Son to die on the cross. He then was buried and rose again three days later. God, I believe that you did that, and I want to thank you for doing that. Please come into my life and save me. I accept your free gift, Jesus Christ. Please forgive me of my sins; in Jesus name, Amen.
Nick really meant that prayer and he was certain that he would go to Heaven when he died.

THE END

Epilogue: He ended up dying at seventy-nine years old and he and Amanda played tag in Heaven...for a long time!