Entry 9: Before the Storm
Sammy, Maxwell, and I became a trio. Emily wasn't part of us—for obvious reasons.
One day I happened to see her after school was over
going home as usual, like a kind of robotic AI, quiet and simple like the world doesn't even exists. And yet I was stupidly in love with a girl who others might say she is rude,annoying or demeaning. I was a odd one my self.
So I decided against my better judgement to ask her why she always ignored us.
"Should we do everything together just because you guys decided to play the hero back then?" she shot back.
"Ohh," I muttered, caught off guard. "I didn't know that's how it was".
It must've been my face—or my tone. Being short and overly emotional, I tended to get sad too easily.
She immediately dropped the aggressive tone and
sighed.
"Look, I'm a girl and you're a guy. If people see us walking around together, rumors will spread."
"Like what?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"Are you really that dense?" she said, her cute voice rising.
Still lost, I stared at her.
"They might think we're—" she hesitated, cheeks pink. "Dat-."
"Dating?" I blurted. "But we're just friends."
"Good. Then we agree. Let's put a pin on this," she said, turning away.
I stood there, watching her silhouette disappear down the second-floor hallway. By then the day was nearly over, students already leaving campus.
Dating. The word stuck in my head. It didn't sound bad at all. I bet if it were Maxwell, she wouldn't mind. I was just an anomaly—no matter where I went.
Although I didn't want to admit it, resentment grew inside me. I felt mad whenever I saw him. Furious when I saw him with her.
"Hey Freddy, wanna grab a soda with me?" Maxwell asked once.
"No thanks, I'm busy," I muttered.
Conversations like that became our norm.
Maxwell might've been smart, handsome, and full of charisma, but he was just as dense as me. Sammy, on the other hand, was different. A nerd—but a hot one. You'd barely even know he was.
Still, I couldn't even beat him at the one thing I thought I had—brains.
When the results came out on the academy board, I was 8th. Sammy was 2nd. The gap between us was huge.
"Great," I muttered to myself. "The only thing I was proud of… gone."
Sammy wasn't just smart. He was a notorious pervert, and I'm not just saying this everyone knew him , especially the girls, even after being caught the girls themselves end up defending him, I bet it had to do with his eyes tho.—but Sammy was also caring, quick, and sharp in ways I wasn't.
Later that day, after another dry conversation with Maxwell, Sammy rolled up to me in his wheelchair.
He slapped me on the butt. "Idiot. Why are you doing this, Freddy?"
I frowned down at him. "What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. Let's not play games."
"I really don't."
He sighed. "Whatever. I'll tell you this much: Don't let feelings make you forget who's always been by your side. A friend doesn't stop being your friend just because someone else caught your eye."
Then he wheeled away, leaving me frozen.
His words hit deep. As much as I wanted to deny it, I remembered why Maxwell and I became friends in the first place. He didn't just save my life—he treated me like a brother.
All my life I'd had fake friends. Being a nerd made me useful to some, disposable to others. Bullies and beauty queens only came to me for assignments and projects. But Maxwell? He liked me for me. No discrimination. No conditions.
And I almost let something that precious slip away.
That day I swore to myself: no matter what happened—if he and Emily ever became one—I wouldn't hate them. I wouldn't hate him.
My fight with my subconscious was over. I was alright.
I stared at the hall way for a while before going home,
I have come to terms with myself, and I hope it stays that way.