this is brandon rinehart. brandon shot himself friday night. it feels like im still in shock. i look at that picture, and it doesnt feel like he can really be gone. right after it happened, a bunch of us went to the high school to be together. we just sat there and cried... i didnt go home until after midnight. it was awful. im not going to say me and brandon were great friends, and i know a fair share of the lower classmen didnt like him, but i never had a problem with him. sure he was a hardass, but he was also a great athlete, really smart (most people dont know that), funny and a really good-looking guy. he had so much going for him. we've had several classes together over the past four years. he called me "tuiosopo" (spelling?) because he couldnt pronounce my last name and thats some famous football player that he knew. we had advanced sports med together last semester. i made the mistake of falling asleep on the table in the training room one day, and him and dustin taped me to the table using that white athletic tape. a few weeks later, it happened again. everyday when we asked what was for lunch, brandon had his own hilarious smartass answer that i wont ever forget and im sure ill think about everytime someone asks. him and kym would fight all the time in 10 grade english. we all said that one day theyd end up married because they fought like a little old couple. about two weeks ago, i talked to him online, like really talked to him. me and him had the kind of relationship where we'd talk in class, maybe talk in the halls, say hey now and then... i used to bring his sister home from school everyday. but we never really talked. i told him i thought it was weird that hed been trying to talk to me a lot lately and asking to hang out and stuff. when he asked what i thought about him, i told him i thought he acted a lot tougher and meaner than he really was. i wish id told him he was a great person, that i cared about him and would miss him if something ever happened. i had no idea... id give anything to go back to friday afternoon and be given the chance to call him and say something, do something that would change how it ended up. i dont understand it. he had so much ahead of him. he was accepted to nc state, he always talked in class about college and being so excited about finally getting out of ashe county. first it was travis, then brandon... im not sure how much more our senior class can handle...