A Wonderful Friendship: Based on a True Story

Dedicated to my best friends from Penn Wood High School: Peter, Jedidah, Emmanuel, Julian, and Nvasekie

  Once upon a time, five years ago, I was unsure of who my best friends were going to be for eternity. Following the books and the rules provided by the middle school, I was pretty shy, had a speech deficiency, and sweaty palms whenever I became nervous. Even though one of my best friends I still have today was in my 7th Grade English class, I really became his friend when it was the third semester and I was in Band class getting used to my trumpet because I barely knew the notes, vials, or sight reading while playing the music sheet. During 7th Grade, I barely knew what my new friend even liked doing in his spare time. I was even shy to ask because I was never good with starting conversations and keeping it going. Even though I missed out on my first concert, it saved me from embarrassment from misplacing my Band folder that had my music sheets, not knowing how to play the instrument, sight reading and so much more on that list. When 7th Grade finally ended, I still knew nothing about my new friend. I felt like this was going to be an unknown area that I will never discover.

    On my first day of 8th Grade, I was still shy and I made new friends last school year. When I had Physical Science before lunch, I realized that Emmanuel and my friend I knew nothing about last school year, Peter, were in my class. The first quarter was easy and sometimes challenging. Hard as lightning as you should say. Most of my new friends had the same lunch as I did. The second quarter, I had Band for the second period, but I had my class changed to Art for seventeen long days. It was very complicated for me because I knew nothing about Art at all. Thankfully, a miracle happened and my course was changed back to Band. Yes, even though I missed important things from the Band, I was very passionate to catch up with the rest of the Band members. For the end of the second quarter, we had to prove that we really wanted to be a section leader. I wanted to be a section leader, but my Band teacher wanted me to be the Band Librarian. I was so shocked and was ready for the job. 

      So, that’s when I hurried from Science to eat lunch, to speed down the hallway like a cheetah to the Band room. Sometimes, when I was organizing everything, my friends, Peter and Emmanuel were either going through their music or watching me organize things. Before winning for Band Librarian, we went Band Caroling, but I stood between my friends and played at my siblings’ school and two other schools. I never got the Band jokes on the way back to middle school. Each day during lunch, the Band room was a new adventure. Through the music, practicing for our concert, and so much more, my friends and I had a bunch of fun. The hardest challenge was staying strong before the Spring Concert. This was going to be my very first concert; I got used to the vials, can play the trumpet better than a year ago, but all except for sight reading and counting rests. I even was selected to read a script for the very end of the performance for Band, which was for Largo and Finale. The dress rehearsal went well, I was playing the first trumpet, and I read for my pretend audience for the concert. The next day was the concert, so I went to school, was excited for the concert, and then the concert finally came. The concert was on March 30, 2017, which was a total success and I read the script with no mistakes. I read the piece with no mistakes and it ended up being on YouTube after the concert was finished.

  We saw the video and my friends and I enjoyed the leftover treats left from the Spring Concert. The rehearsals from the 8th Grade Move Up Ceremony, my friends and I played, “Can’t Stop the Feeling.” It was great, but Peter and I both received the same Math award the day before. I also received three more awards, but I had some advice from Peter when our Science teacher selected me for the award. I learned not to have grudges against the teacher. After the ceremony, I took one picture with one of my friends, Jedidah, Ms. Hill, my American History teacher, and two of my other friends, Emmanuel and Peter. I still went to school on the last day to receive my summer work. The best things that I’ve learned about Emmanuel, Jedidah, and Peter is that they helped me, never made fun of me, and were always there for me. They even supported me when I was the Morning Announcer for the entire school year, as an 8th grade at my middle school.

  By the time freshman year came, Emmanuel was not in my class, Peter used to share five classes with me, but then it was four, including lunch, and Jedidah was only in my Spanish I class. I was also in a clique, which consisted of five people; but grew because we had a whole bunch of friends. Going back to the first week, freshman year was like the very beginning of being introduced to High School. I got everything on my school supply list and more. When I went to the auditorium on my first day of school, we looked at our schedules; we had a couple of classes with each other. I had Read 180, which is a boring class. It’s for those who struggle with reading, so I went to the guidance counselor to change Band and Read 180. I decided to take 2D Art and English Composition Honors. I was asking Peter on my first day in the English class where the room w and he took me to the room. Since I was new, it felt like I didn’t belong, but proved myself wrong. The middle of freshman year was a lot of disagreements with Peter. Some almost cost our friendship, some were misunderstandings, and others were as hard as a stone. Even though I just started to become his best friend, it would bother him a lot when I always learned to silence. Most of the time, we were fine with each other. We worked on some projects with each other to get the highest grade possible. Lunch, well that was hard because I would always listen to my best friends, Peter, Julian, and Nvasekie talk about different things, like the anime cartoons they just watched; while I was a deer in headlights. On the last day of school, we spent time with each other, but Peter and I were in Law and Government Honors, while our classmates watched a scary movie in another classroom. Fifth period was fantastic. The final period, we played games. While I heard the last humming tunes from Peter. By the end of my freshman year, my clique was Emmanuel, Peter, Jedidah, and I, while Julian was sitting at our table we chose for our freshman year. But they were my best friends as well.

  The first day of my sophomore year, my school bus came late to the house. When I went to my HR, my best friend Peter was in three classes and lunch with me. So, I decided to sit next to Peter for World History Honors. Two weeks later, my teacher changed our seats, which separated us apart, but we constantly grew together as each day passed. I failed a very important test, but tried my hardest that year to study. In Literature Honors. We were in the same class and Ms. Morrison changed our seats a lot. We even had to keep our seats when a new teacher had to teach my class until Ms. Morrison recovered. She was fun because we studied English deeper. One assignment was writing a poem and sharing it to the class. We had to choose one person to share our poem with. I was scared, but Peter told me to just imagine them in their underwear. It worked and I passed my presentation. Lunch was great because the whole clique had more new friends. Biology Honors, my project testing Cellular Respiration with exercise and Gatorade was the best. Peter and I worked on this project, we made the list, and my father got the materials on the list for me. I drank the first Gatorade where I almost choked. I ran in place for five minutes, but the problem was at the beginning at the experiment because we could not find my vein for 5-7 minutes. Everyone was so oblivious with our experiment and me running in place, but Peter used our strengths to help us with the project. I ended up fainting in the middle of the experiment and I have no recollection of it except for my best friend saving me. I got rest after I went home, as advised by my best friend. Sometimes I was silent for so many days until my best friend was persistent for me to start talking. Towards the end of the year, I was saved out of nightmares, like what always happened to me. I was also influenced to try pudding on June 3, 2019, which tasted good. On the last day of school, Julian let me use his Nintendo Switch; while Peter taught me how to play, but won a lot though. 

  During my junior year, the first day of school, I realized that Peter was in none of my classes. It was hard because Augusta and Jennifer were best friends, but in the same class. It never changed the fact that Peter, Jedidah, and Emmanuel grew side by side for a long time, our roots tangled, and our friendship maintained. I visited Peter four times a week at his locked, but each day was a different story. He helped me, but sometimes I didn’t want to tell him anything. I sometimes wanted silence, which cost ten times worse than four years ago. On that fateful day, which was February 27, 2020, was the day that Peter told me the truth. If I didn’t tell him what was going on with me, I could lose my best friend forever. I was in so much shock and started to cry. I should have just told him the truth. The problem was that I was not trusting him at all. Like the two paths trying to convince me to choose the right path. The next morning, I woke up with my heart troubled and I knew exactly what I had to do. I put on my brand new glasses, got ready for school, caught the bus, and had a quick daydream about losing my best friend. As I was going to Math and Peter was going to American History Honors, I interrupted him to leave me alone and I’ll meet him at his locker. After Math class, I felt a little better, so I told him to meet me at the tree. I sat at the library, but received proof that I was a horrible best friend. They said that when you are an adolescent, you are faced with emotions and problems, which makes you lose friends because they were trying to help you, while you ignored it. During AP English, I was hurt with the whole friendship problem, so I told Julian I wanted to quit Band, which was a bad idea according to Julian. So, fifth period and sixth period, I tried not to think about it where it could give me a headache. After school, it took a long time to approach the tree, but I knew what I was up for if I didn’t come clean. As I walked to the tree, Julian and Peter were waiting for me, so I dropped my bookbag next to the tree and I was catching my breath, but calming down at the same time. It took forever because Julian thought the spotlight was for him, but to make him leave, I told him about his artwork that had to be completed. It made him turn back to the school, but I had to do it because I lost it when I started to scream so loud that both Peter and Julian saw.

  I told Peter the situation of not making Honor Roll, which made me embarrassed and upset about the entire day. When it was over, he told me that if I ever left him in the dark again, that he will never be my best friend again. At first, it made my heart become troubled because I thought I couldn’t do it. But when I promised him on February 28, 2020, I always knew that I would keep the promise and check in with myself to see how much I improved. Now, I’m not hesitating because I cut to the chase when something happens in my life. I will keep this promise for the rest of my life, so I’ll never see that road never again. If it were not for those who have helped me, I would have lost my best friend two months ago. We made up and we’re now best friends as we were before; but stronger like a chain because of my promise. Now, during the coronavirus pandemic, I make sure that I’m contacting Peter twice a week, following through with advice, and leading my life to my own will, now and forever. When we grew apart during our junior year, it almost made me give up and suffer the consequences. But our roots will always be tangled because of the ups and downs we shared. Throughout the five years leading up to my promise in my junior year, I’ve taken my best friend for granted time and time again. I’m glad that he remained persisted and honest with me because it will help remove the bumps off the narrow road. I have my best friends to help me out through the good and the bad. Take it from me, whenever you are feeling down, let your friends and best friends turn your day around. Always be willing to respect and really trust your friends because I almost lost my best friend when I was ignorant not to trust him. 

  Be there for your friends after High School, College, that first job, promotion, and so on. When you’re not there to support your friends, it can cause a dramatic change in all of your friendships. Once you lose them, there’s no way you can replace your friend and/or best friend. Be there for them when they need you, please remember their birthday, save money to get them something special, and whether they commute or live on campus, visit them. I know it will make them extremely happy. Follow your passions, but remember to follow my advice through this story so you will never be on the road that I went on when I almost lost my best friend, Peter almost two months ago. Also remember that best friends share everything with each other, so trust them. They will help you, just like my best friends have done and will do throughout the years ahead.