A Terrible Loss

I decided to flip through the Daily Spark and see what popped out at me.  I thought it would be fun to imagine myself as a character in high school and a possession that would be rather quirky.  Here is #69's topic:

A Terrible Loss
Imagine that you've lost your most precious and prized possession.  Write one paragraph about what the item was, and why is was special to you; a second paragraph about how you lost the item; and a third paragraph about how you felt when you realized the item was missing.

I am almost embarrassed to admit my most precious and prized possession.  Most guys my age would probably think my choice to be odd and a bit feminine in nature.  But, I must come clean and tell you that my most prized possession is a tiny blue and white striped t-shirt that my baby brother wore.  If I ever need to remember what he smelled like, or what it felt like to have him near, I simply inhale the sweet fragrance of the fabric and I'm transported to a much happier time.  A time when my parents were married.  A time when there was laughter in the house.  A time when I wasn't an only child.  A time when nothing bad could happen.

When I woke up this morning I put the shirt inside my backpack - the same way I do every morning.  It stays folded at the bottom of the backpack until I get home (or unless I need to visit my locker between classes to forget about the my monstrously insane day).  I put my myriad of books and notebooks on top of the shirt, zipped the pack together and threw it over my shoulder.  The walk to school was the same as always: uneventful.  I saw the same people I always do, waved to my buddy Pete, and entered the school when the bell rang.  I walked slowly to my locker (the quicker you walk the quicker school begins), hung my backpack and hoodie inside, grabbed my books, and went to my first class.

It was during lunchtime when I first noticed the shirt was missing.  I was making a quick stop at my locker to switch my morning books for the afternoon ones.  I wanted to have a pure moment without judgement, and so I reached to the bottom of my backpack.  I couldn't feel the shirt, so I pulled the pack off its hook and began searching the contents.  The only things inside were a pencil, crumbs from a cookie I ate maybe a week ago, and a candy wrapper.  I then searched the interior and exterior pockets, because maybe in my rush to get ready I mistakenly stuck the t-shirt in the wrong place.  Nothing.  I could not breath, and I heard an animal-like sound that was coming from the background.  People began crowding around me and pointing to me and my mess outside the locker.  A few moments later I realized the primal sound was coming from me.  Then the world went black.