"Knowing me, knowing you"

Government mandated friends

I impatiently tapped my pencil against my desk, the teachers words floating in the air but all I heard was, "Dissatifactory" and "Disrespectful". I was to busy watching the clock tick to pay much attention, I'm pretty sure she was reprimanding the class for being unfathomably rude to the sub we had the previous day.

Let's be honest that old hag deserved it.

After what seemed like an eternity the damned bell finally rung, not only signifying the end of the day, but also the end of the school year.

I was out of there like a rocket.

I couldn't stand staying there any longer than absolutely necessary. It was like hell on earth. Well, that's an exaggeration, but to say the least, it sucked. I had friends, but no-one I truly felt comfortable with, I had friends in the sense an employee has a co-worker. We're simply a group of people who have to deal with the same shit every day and so we form meaningless bonds to make the shit stink less. I ate lunch alone most days, which honestly I wouldn't mind itp all that much if it weren't for everybody's pity, their judgment. I could feel their eyes when they looked at me. Every once in a while a brave soul would wander from their obligatory group of friends and try to strike up a conversation with me. It'd always go something like this,

"Hello!"

Then I'd take a second to answer, "Hi?"

Then they'd say something like, "How's your day?" "What's your names?" And if they were feeling extra brave and benevolent they'd ask, "Do you wanna sit with me and my friends?" I didn't. I'd rather them just say what they were all thinking, "Where are your friends?", "Do you even have friends?", "Are you some kind of freak that pushes away anyone who tries to get close, and do you feel like you can't make any meaningful connections because all the emotions you let yourself feel are surface level?". Yikes.

I mean, obviously they were wrong I do  have friends; well, I have a friend. His name was Alvin. Alvin was more than a stupid social obligation. I felt almost unworthy to be in his presence, which is ironic because it seemed he was the only person who seemed to make me genuinely smile, he made me feel worthy. Worthy of friendship, of love, of life. He was always there for me when I was in "the dumps" and always lifted me up when I was down, and I did the same for him. We're inseparable if you want one you get the other. We were a buy one get one free deal.

I continued on my warpath down the halls and to the front gates, impatient to get to the park.

The park is where I go to meet up with Alvin, see me and him go to different schools so everyday we meet there, talk for a bit, and on weekends we go to one of our houses and goof off until Sunday rolls back around. But today was different, it was summer again and we were about to have the trip of a lifetime. After literal years of begging our parents finally agreed to a lengthy road trip. I mean, it wasn't just me and Alvin, our parents were gonna be coming too but it was still gonna be an adventure.