Friendship is unnecessary.
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I walk slowly, my furry brown boots thumping softly over the sprinkled white sidewalk. My backpack burdens my shoulders, but the pain is dismissed by my train of thought. My nose and ears feel numb, the crisp cold air allowing me to see my exhaled breath. As snowflakes fall gently on my hair, dampening it, my thoughts race.
I wish I could’ve stayed in bed. I hate going to school, it’s miserable. Why must kids be so mean?
I can feel my stomach flipping upside down, my nervousness getting the best of me. I don’t like going on the bus, not at all. Once I realize there are a small group of kids my age standing by a lamppost, I slow down my pace. I stand there, waiting for the bus to take me to utter hell. Of course, once the bus gets here, I’m the last one on. I sit in my seat, seat 10, and try to drown out the yelling and screaming of the other 12 year olds in my grade who terrorize me daily. While I sit there minding my own business, a popular girl with golden hair and ocean eyes walks up to me even though the bus is moving. “I heard it’s your birthday today, huh loser?” She laughs, and smashes an egg on my forehead. It’s freezing cold and sticky at the same time, and I take off my scarf to wipe the substance and the shell off of me. My eyes sting, tears threatening to spill. Other kids laugh, and the sound echoes. My stomach tumbles and flips, making me nauseous. “That was a gift I saved for you.” She laughs louder, my heart pounding in my eyes. I’m sure everyone can hear my heart rate. Can’t they?
The popular girl’s best friend calls for her. “Ashley, that was awesome with the egg and all. I took a video of the whole thing too,” I want to bury a hole and crawl in it. Ashley laughs and sits back down next to her best friend.
“I know, right? Addison is such a nerd, she annoys me so much. Honestly, she could go die and I wouldn’t care.” She giggles, and tears roll down my rosy cheeks. I hide my face, not wanting them to witness my humiliation, not wanting to give them satisfaction. 29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMUg8VYDsc
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
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I’m not in the same class as Ashley and her new shiney best friend. So, my day was boring but unbothered in the afternoon. I decided to walk home. Once I arrive, I get my key from my side pocket in my black and yellow sunflower Jansport backpack. I wipe underneath my nose, the cold causing my nose to run. I turn the key in the lock and open the door. It’s around 4:45 pm, so I smell the beginning of dinner being prepared by my mother. I close the door taking off my wet, snow covered boots. I hang up my coat and scarf on a hook and set down my backpack. I walk into the living room, where my dad sits in the worn leather armchair that has been there since I could remember. I sat on the navy blue sofa, watching a hunting channel my dad had fallen asleep to. He snores and it almost drowns out the TV, I silently laugh at this. My mother walks in, apron tied around her waist and neck. “How was school? Did they celebrate your birthday at all?” She tucks her black licorice hair behind her ear and smiles. Her emerald eyes bore into me, but they don’t make me nervous.
“It was fine, and no. My teacher said happy birthday and that was it.” I say just to please her, after all, the least I want to do is worry my parents. But I can’t help but feel anxious every time I lie to her. I think it’ll always be like that, like a terminal disease. I’ll forever be anxious and nervous when I lie. Isn’t that the same for everyone else?
My mother smiles bigger, and claps her hands once. “Well, dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes, how about you go play?” She doesn’t wait for an answer and slips away to the kitchen. As you can see, my family is the stereotypical American family. It provides some sort of consistent part of my life I can always count on, that I’ll never have to worry about because it’s stable. It’s a different story at school.
Me and Ashley used to be friends, but then she turned mean in third grade. It’s like a demon possessed her during the summer. One day, she was the nicest person I met. The next, she was stalking my nightmares. She got her new best friend, and her personality is just as dark as Ashley’s.
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I’ll just have to tough it out, and get over it and the friendship Ashley gave up on.
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—One decade and a half later—
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Friendship is key.
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I walk on the sun-baked sidewalk walking my German Shepard, Max, around my apartment building. The fuzzy green blanketed at every inch is decorated with yellow dandelions and fuzzy white ones too. Max barks at another dog with their owner walking by us. I pull his leash gently, counteracting him. I smile at the owner, nodding my head. They do the same, and we finally cross paths and each other's peripheral.
I met all my friends in college. Everyone I met in school before college I don’t talk to anymore. My parents now live in a smaller house that's made for older people about ten minutes away. Now that I’m older than I was all those years ago, I finally understand friendship. I haven’t seen Ashley since high school, and I feel renewed. I feel free, like I can finally breathe.
When I was 12, I thought it was the end of the world for me because I had no friends. When really, it taught me that friendship is delicate but strong at the same time. But I didn’t realize this until I was eighteen and starting college. I’m twenty-seven now and thriving. I have plenty of friends, and I’ve let no one disturb my peace anymore like I let Ashley do.
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I’ve learned that friendship is my happiness I never found until now.
and then Add to home screen.