Meet Brandon

You've probably seen all these pictures before. But i just have to rave today about one my favorite people in the universe. trust me, it's gonna get sappy. I've ranted before about how much i love him Here and even a little Here but he was always grouped with two other amazing boys. so today he gets his own post. I don't want anyone out there to get the wrong idea, though. There's a difference between loving someone and being in love.  I love Brandon. And even though I've jokingly (but not 100% joking...haha...) said that i could totally marry him, I'm not in love with Brandon. So for all you who are reading this, but you don't know Brandon? don't take this as a subtle hint that we're dating. Cause we're not. promise. and we won't. promise. Because he's my brother. And he has enough ladies flocking all over him already. He certainly does not need another one. hahaha.

anyway...

 Brandon has literally been there for me through everything. I think i use the term, "best friend" loosely sometimes. But I really do feel like a have an usually large group of friends that fully deserve best before their title. Brandon is absolutely one of them. there's friends, Best friends and then "3 AM friends" you know the ones. they would answer your call and leave the house at the drop of a hat to help you . even at three in the morning. And then there's Brandon.

He's past the 3AM group. he's just any time anywhere. 

I Love him.

So this ones for you B-randy.

thanks for always being there.

Even when i was awkward and boyish.

 (Me as Brigham Young for a Biography project in 3rd grade. Brandon was Andrew Jackson. whose wife's name was Rachel. Don't ask me how i remember these things...)

Even when I wore overalls and wouldn't smile real smiles because of all the metal in my mouth

 You've been to all the birthday parties. Even when the theme was murder mystery three times in a row. and you were the murderer twice.

You loved me through the gelled back ponytails, the braces (twice), the torn up shoes, the baggy pants, the trumpet spit valve emptying, the awkward puberty stage, my shortest hair and my longest hair, and all the lengths in between. You walked me home from school everyday of elementary school and you listened to all my rants. just like now when we walk to second period everyday and you just let me talk and talk and talk and talk and i know you probably don't care but you pretend to for my sanity and i appreciate it.

Me and Brandon are the same person sometimes. I haven't had anyone ask me if we were siblings lately, but when we were younger it happened all the time. we even eat ice cream sandwiches in the same fashion.

we had the same hair cut in 8th grade...

Oh hey Justin Biebers...

 I've never been nervous on a first day of school. except Kindergarten, but after that? Brandon, Stephen and Jase face were all there, so i felt safe. And even after elementary school, I've always had a class with Brandon. I Love love love Stephen and Jason, don't get me wrong. But Brandon and I have stayed the closest over the years. Freshman and sophomore year i thought i was cool and i liked a boy who didn't like my friends, so i stopped hanging out with them.

Stupidest. Thing. Ever.

I regret that a lot. And i feel bad about missing out on two whole years of memories with my real boys.

It makes me upset that i was so dumb. but thankfully, we've made up for the lost time since then.

I'm not sure how i'm going to make it through my first day of college without them. or any of college for that matter...

Brandon can read minds.

Maybe it's just me? But he literally knows exactly what to say. always. Have i mentioned that i cannot remember a single time in my entire life that i have ever been actually mad at him?

A girl knows a boy for fourteen years and has never been mad at him once? that's an impressive feat! Boys of the world, take notes! we can all learn something from Sir B-ran:

Always be there. 

He's always there. no matter what. Even when literally no one else understands and you think you're completely alone, and your heart is broken, there's Brandon. And you go to his house and you swim and you bake cookies and you watch sappy movies and stupid youtube videos and you laugh harder than you have in ages and you feel like someone glued together the grand canyon in your heart because you're so much better now than you were before.

Never give up on them

Brandon has always reached out when our friendship was parting to bring us back together. he never stopped inviting me to things even when i said no. He never stopped being nice to me. he never stopped teasing me like a little sister. He has never stopped watching out for me. And i hope he never does. He'll be the first one to tell me if i'm acting stupid. And i love that. because everyone needs to be thrown off their high horse sometimes and Brandon is not afraid to tell the truth. He'll be the first one to talk to if i lose someone, or i don't get into my dream school, or i like a boy that i shouldn't like...

Brandon is the kind of guy that drives to my house late at night even when he's exhausted from baseball practice - with cookies, of course, because he knows my weaknesses - to talk me out of quitting something. Brandon is the realist. and i'm the dreamer. so we balance each other out pretty well.

I tell him to drop a bomb on the school he didn't get into, (because that's what should happen. right?) He tells me that the guy i liked wasn't good enough for me.

He tells me exactly what i need to hear. Even when it's the last thing i want to hear. I love that he is like my conscience. He gets in my head. when i'm making a decision, i literally hear his voice telling me to relax. or to wake up. and sometimes i think i feel him jokingly slapping the back of my head whenever i'm about to have a meltdown. It's like he already knows exactly what i'm thinking, he just confirms what i already knew was right. He knows what's good for me.

He knows what i want.

What i really want.

I can't even tell you exactly what that is. but there's just this picture in my head that i won't let anything in the way of. 

And Brandon gets that. 

and he wants that for me.

And i want the same for him.

I think when you care about someone, it's just about making them happy. You want the absolute best for them, and in helping them get what they need, you become better in return.

That's how i feel about me and Brandon.

I want, more than anything, for him to just be happy. 

and I know he wants the same for me.

So we're just stinkin' happy! because we help each other.

Thank you Brandon for being the drive behind the whole school's spirit.

for supporting me 100% in whatever i do, even when it's stupid.

For being willing to kill someone if they hurt me

And for being there for me on my best days, and my worst days and every single good day in between.

I'm sorry for the months i spent ignoring you, Stephen and Jason over a dumb boy.

And I'm sorry for not letting you in the silver hand notebook in sixth grade.

and i'm sorry that our school memories have to end in just a few short weeks. I literally don't know what i'm going to do without you in college. 

I'm so glad we're friends. too glad to say in words. which is why i bombard your windshield with doodles all the time. and why i spend all of third period doodling a sci-fi magically dystopian novel masterpiece for you. 

I'm thankful for the fourteen birthdays, 13 grades, dozens of teachers, hundreds of recesses,  and countless deep conversations in your car or our living rooms and the daily walks we've had together since i met you that august day in 1999. you've been the best friend anyone could ever ask for. you're my confidant, my conscience, my brother, my strongest human support, my biggest fan, and my truest friend. 

You've lifted me out of some deep ruts, and you deflated my big stuck up head more times than i count.

I hope i never forget the days we spent climbing the eucalyptus trees on the corner, digging a kickball field with Stephen, building rockets at G.A.T.E., and playing instruments together.

I hope i always remember watching Even Stevens on your couch, and swimming in your pool, and caroling on Christmas, and your surprised face when i brought you a care package because you were sick as a dog. 

I hope we're always friends, because I need you in my life forever!

Thank you for everything.

I love you, brother!

-Mel