I remember the laughter the best. And the smiles. This entire week was filled with such happiness and friendship. I know I'll never forget it.

It all started with my cousin signing me up for a mission trip. It was called mission possible. I have never done any mission work before this so I was looking forward to it all summer. We got put into a group with a girl named Candace, and two boys, named Alex and Sebastian. I had not idea these people would become my best friends.

Day one: we sit down, say our names, and fall into the most awkward silence. Then my cousin, Sydney, asks, "hey, why was six afraid of seven?" We just stared at her for a couple seconds, then we started laughing. That was when we started looking up jokes and anti-jokes and laughing and laughing and laughing.

So then our first trip starts. We go to this place where old people hang out. Not the best place for a bunch of teenagers... So to get out of playing bingo with them, we volunteer ourselves to wash their bus. Not our best idea. Well first, it was really dirty. I mean really, really dirty. Then they did not own any towels to scrub it, so they game us t-shirts to rip up. Not as easy as it looks. Also the bus driver proceeds to tell us how sometimes homeless people live in the dumpster right next to us. So I did not feel very safe.

Warning: never give boys the hose when washing a vehicle. We found that out the hard way. By the time the bus sparkles like Edward Cullen in the sunlight, we are dripping water all over the concrete. Good thing this is Texas. We dried pretty quickly. And we also bonded even more over sports. They had never heard of lacrosse so I told them all about it. Sebastian told us about his soccer skills, Alex about baseball, Candace about track, and then Sydney... Well she just does everything.

When we finally got back into the building, and we started making birthday cards for people, we already had inside jokes and could make fun of each other. We just clicked. After a while we got fired from making cards, because all we put was Jesus loves you on all of them. We made wreaths made out of beautiful deformed butterflies we created. All the while, our stuck up mediator keeps yelling at Alex to stop being a moron and put down the hot glue gun. Next, it is off to picking up trash around the streets. After many cigarettes and dirty diapers and much laughter, we end the first day. All of us eagerly waiting for the next.

Day two: walk in with smiles on our faces. Then we find out where we are going... We get to go to school! And help the teacher out with children. My friends, Alex, Sebastian, Candace, and Sydney are all exactly like me. So that means we do NOT get along with children. This was going to be interesting. So we walk into the summer school full of children in the middle of the hood. And of course they bombard us. Now let me describe my friends before we get too far. First, Sebastian is a tall, skinny, white boy with a blond afro. Alex is Hawaiian with very tan skin and short, black hair. Candace is a small, skinny, little white girl, full of energy. And Sydney looks like me except blue eyes and curly, curly hair. Let's just say we did not fit it. The children ran over, jumped all over us, screaming and pulling on our clothes. They started pulling all our hair especially Sebastian's.

Then they kidnapped us and dragged us to the park. All the structures looked like it was going to break any second. But we played freeze tag on it with them anyway. Even when the kids tackled me or pushed me down the slide, we play on and on and on. By the time the game was over we were lying on the ground gasping for air. The bad thing is, we were all sort of athletic. But these kids were full of energy and sugar. Not the best combination. We go on to play duck, duck, goose. These kids seriously never stop. It consisted mostly of us crawling around on the ground after them.

When it is finally time for a break, we all collapse on the couch, talking and laughing some more, while the kids try to braid our hair. Some ask me to read them books or play games or do card tricks. I ended up playing a block game with Sebastian and two little girls while we talk about what products he uses in his hair. Meanwhile, Candace and Sydney preform card tricks and Alex crawled under a table to hide and sleep while kids throw stuff at him. The children jump from one thing to another. I read them stories then play more games. Then all of a sudden, they drag us to play Little Sally Walker. Now lets just say these kids like to dance, and have maybe not the most appropriate dance moves. We will leave it at that.

So after awkwardly playing this game for about twenty minutes. Our mediator saves us by telling us it is time to go but not before we take a picture. So yeah, I bet I looked awesome with twenty different braids in my hair and a tired look on my face. All the kids jump all over us and give us hugs when we leave. While we are walking down the stairs, Sydney decides to push me down. Good thing Sebastian was standing in front of me or I would of fallen. Rather him than me. I help him off the ground, laughing, and we start walking to the car and talking. I turn around to say something to the others and they were not there. So I, of course, started freaking out. Sebastian keeps walking, oblivious. What feels like an hour later (it was probably two minutes) we make it to the car, alive, with everyone waiting for us. So I can now officially saw I was lost in the hood with a kid with a blond afro... Not many people can say that. Anyway, in the car ride all the girls sit in the back and we put up our feet and kick the boys in the back of head. They were not too happy. They actually took Sydney's shoe folded it into an airplane and almost threw it out the window. It was pretty eventful.

When we got back we started making treat baskets to give to the kids at one of the schools. We ran around throwing in pencils and candy and stuffing it with the plastic strings you put in Easter baskets. Who knew that giving could be so much fun? We played ninja with some other groups and laughed and then laughed some more.

Then they showed us this video of this man who was born without arms and legs. He hated himself. He was only ever told he was a freak. But then he meet some people in the circus that accepted him for who he was. It was a great story really, but then they decided to make us act like we were handicap, and make sandwiches. Not the best idea. They blindfolded Sebastian and tied one of Sydney and Alex's hands down. Sebastian started throwing bread, Alex was squirting mustard everywhere. We were just being teenagers. However, the councilors did not understand that. They made us sit in a corner and think about what we did... Yeah that did not really happen. So that ended day two of mission possible.

Day three: then came day three. They told us we were going to a nursing home. Let me tell you. We could not wait. Bingo, games. We had so much to look forward to. We showed up and they were all really happy to see us. We sat down and talked to them for a while. Played a few games. Then came the bingo. Well, our mediator made two mistakes with this. First, she allowed us to play bingo against the old people. Let's just say we were all very competitive. So when that did not end well, she made her second mistake. She forced Alex call out the numbers. Everyone has seen the movies about old people playing bingo where the guy calls it out in a loud shaky voice, "I29!!!" Then the old lady at the back yells, "what did he say?!" Yeah, it went pretty much like that. For about two, endless hours.

Unfortunately, our mediator made us leave early. For reasons I will never understand... Anyway, she decided we needed to go pick up some more trash. So off we go. She brings us to a park where little children played in the water shooting up. So, of course, we wanted to go play. However, no matter how much we begged her she would not let us go until we picked up all the trash in the park. That took a while since it was burning hot and we are pretty lazy... When we finished an hour later, we ran to the park and tried to throw each other in the water. One kid even dumped a bucket full of water on Sydney. We ended up wet, but with smiles on our faces.

We left, went back to the school where they gave us all ice cream. It was a great day, but then Alex told us he could not come back tomorrow. We all stopped and stared at him. He told us he had a baseball game but he would try to come for the water park at the end of the day tomorrow. Spoiler: that never happened, this was the last I saw him. He gave us his number and left. We all went home too, praying he would come.

Day four: last day. I cannot even express to you how sad I was. This had been one of the best weeks of my life. I met my best friends for life. And I had no idea if I would ever see them again. So I made the most of it.

The people in charge did not actually have anything for us to do. So we just drove around, sharing music. We told stories about our lives and our friends. They know everything about me. How could I trust these people who I have only known for four days so much? But I did. With my whole heart. Yet, Alex was not there to share. So, we called him. The phone rang and rang until a girl picked up. We got scared it was his girlfriend and she would get mad, so we just hung up. We are not the smartest people... Anyway, this happened about five times before we decided to actually talk to the girl. Turns out it was his little sister. She also was at mission possible and had been using his phone and getting creepy calls. Pretty embarrassing on our part. We finally accepted Alex probably wasn't coming. We were depressed. We finally realized this week of bliss and laughter was ending. I tried to hang on as long as possible.

Next, we went to the store 7/11 because they were having a sale on icies. Then all of a sudden, my cousins starts her monthly cycle... Which is not good since we have a water park to go to and nothing with us. Also a boy continually follows us around everywhere. So Sydney and Candace make me drag him away, while they ask his mother to buy some tampons for them. She was so happy too. But the best thing was Sebastian asking me what was going on. I dragged him out to the car and told him not to worry about it. That did not work. After a while he accepted he did NOT want to know.

We rushed back to the school to get ready for mass. In mass, I sit by Candace, but then this kid we know comes out of no where and sits between Sebastian and me. I was not too happy. I wanted to talk to my friends. We all start talking since we have to wait for the priest to come in. What they said was a ten minute wait, turns in to an hour. We made the most of it. Until the kid next to me, Joe, takes out a brown sharpie and starts drawing all over my leg. Great, I am about to go to a water park and I have marker all over my leg. I take it away from him and give it to Sebastian. Another bad idea. He draws on the back of my neck before I can stop him. When I finally get it back, I'm covered in brown sharpie. I turn around and give it to Sebastian's mom, then I ask her about Sebastian's baby stories. It was pretty good pay back.

Finally, the priest came in and we have mass. He thanked us for all of the work we did during this week. He blessed us, then we were off to the water park. My aunt piled my cousins, my brother, and I into a mini van and we drove the hour and a half to the water park. When we got there we rushed to get in line with the other hundred kids from the mission trip. After another long hour of waiting in line, Sydney, Candace, and I run to the bathroom to change into our bathing suits. Listen to this: the councilors make us wear tank tops over our bathing suits. Why? To cover where we will one day carry our babies. I did not comment, I just followed the rules. No matter how weird they were. Then we met up with Sebastian and off to rides we went.

The first one we went to was a circle-shaped one. It dropped you from the top and you went all the way up on the other side. Also if you fell off, you would fall five stories. So, of course, I made Candace sit backwards so she could catch me when we fell. It turned out okay though. I survived, so we went to the lazy river. We all pulled each other down the river and just talked. That was when Joe started following us around. We talked to him but Sydney and I had known Joe for a while and we just wanted to hang out with our new friends. However, he still followed us. Sebastian and I went to a huge slide while the others went somewhere else. I slid down the wimpy one. Then we met the other at the scariest ride in the park. You stood in this tube and they closed you in and locked it. Wait, it gets worse. All of a sudden, the floor drops out from under you. I did not want to go on this ride at all. So when they locked me in I sort of started crying and banging on the door, yelling at them to let me out. I panicked, but they refused to let me out. So I dropped, and it was awesome. So then, I went on it a few more times. Then we run to the wave pool and played ninja while a band played above the pool.

Then Sebastian had to leave early. He had a soccer game that night. We exchanged numbers, told him to keep in touch, gave him a hug and one of my best friends ever walks away. I have not seen him in almost two years. But I cannot tell you how glad I am that I got to spend an entire week with him and my other friends. They truly made such a difference in my life even if they do not know it. I hope we meet again one day, but for now I have these memories to hold on to.