The Best of Us

I met Wes when I was 15 years old and Joe Dixon brought him over one summer day to go swimming in my backyard. I had known Ryan and Joe since kindergarten, but a few weeks later I went to hang out with Wes, Joe, and Ryan and met Nate. I didn't realize then that this would be the start of the greatest high school years that a kid could ever hope for.

That first time we hung out we went to the Murray's backyard and threw waterballoons at the passing cars. There are three types of drivers that get hit by a waterballoon. Those that keep on driving without a care in the world, those that slow down looking around wondering what just hit them, and those that know exactly what hit them and drive to find the culprits. It was the latter ones that were the most exciting cause we would take off running in different directions. It was so nice to be the girl in the group because nobody ever suspected the girl. I could just walk away and when people rolled up and asked if you saw some guys running you could just point in whichever direction. I also didn't realize that waterballoons would also become our fallback plan when there was nothing else to do.

There always seemed to be something to do when Wes was around though. I'm not sure if it was the ample parking by his house, the rumpus room, or the fact that Sister Truman always had some form of tasty goodies, but you could generally guarantee that the night would start and end at Wes' house. It also didn't hurt that you could leave Wes' house at 11:55pm and still make it home by the midnight curfew. Wes was every parent's dream. Usually when you were going out there was 20 questions about who you were going with, where you were going, what you would be doing. If you said you were going to Wes' house it was a free pass with no questions because every parent knew what a good guy Wes was and they could trust we would get in minimal trouble since he was the conscience of the group as well.

To say that Wes was a good guy doesn't really do him justice. He was kind, thoughtful, energetic, and had the spirit of a man three times his age. I will never forget the many wonderful memories of hopping walls, spring break trips, staring at the stars on the roof of a gazebo, church youth dances, and high school dances.

Wes truly was the best of us.

Kelly Kennedy