The Imaginary Friend: A Short Story: Frankie, The Imaginary Friend

Frankie the Imaginary Friend
From the age of 4, a little boy named Billy was attached to his best friend Frankie, but Frankie was different from others. No one other than Billy could hear or see him. Some might say Frankie was imaginary, but Billy believed differently. He always made excuses for why Frankie was invisible, perhaps he was a wizard with a disappearing cloak on or a magician who could only be seen by those he trusted. Frankie was everything Billy wanted and more. Life with Frankie in Billy’s eyes was perfect until 4th grade began. In school, Billy didn’t have many friends. Billy was a logophile, but others referred to him as a ‘nerd’ or a ‘book geek’. No one ever wanted to be friends with the nerdy kid with bug eyes and big round

He began to take a bite of his lunch but was interrupted when someone sat down at his table. Billy’s heart began racing believing that Jack was back with another day of bullying, but was happy to see Gracie’s kind smile when he looked up. Gracie had taken Frankie’s seat, but Billy didn’t mind. In fact, Billy was more than happy that Gracie joined him for lunch. Billy was enjoying his new friend so much that he forgot about Frankie. They began eating lunch and playing together at recess every day. As their friendship grew, Billy realized he didn’t need Frankie anymore because Gracie had become a real version of him. Gracie was so much like Frankie she even convinced Billy to play with more people on the playground. As the days went on, Billy began to make new friendships with more and more people.
Billy began making many more friends, while Frankie became just a memory. He will always remember his imaginary friend for helping him discover how to make real friends. Billy was also grateful for Gracie for becoming his best friend and teaching him that it’s okay to go out of your comfort zone. Billy learned that sometimes you have to build the courage to try new things, even if it takes an imaginary friend to help find your inner strength. New experiences may seem scary at first, but always try because you may end up enjoying it much more than you