Short Stories and Poems

Janice

Janice

(story)

She was every guy's dream...

She was the kind of person that you can completely be true to yourself.

She used to be so free, so bright, and like sunshine that embraces you with warmth.

She was...everything.

But somehow, life changed her from who she used to be.

She became more distant, so dull, and cold.

I didn't expect her to change, to become someone whom she's not.

When I first met her, she was the type of person who'd annoy the hell out of you and try to befriend anyone in our class. Even the emos in our class like her cheery personality. Although she's almost the complete opposite of them but hey, I guess she's just that type of person you can get along with.

While she's the cheery type and someone you can easily be comfortable with, I'm the type of person in our class that was never approached by any of our classmates because aside from looking so intimidating, I was this kind of person that is easily misunderstood by anyone since I don't really know how to express how I feel...properly. And when I say properly, I mean by sounding nice and not rude enough for other people because hey no one wants to hang out with a rude person who only knows how to confront people with the truth.

Well, I guess except for one person...her.

"Hi! Ako nga pala si Janice!" She said while extending her hand for a handshake but I just stared at her although deep inside I was really shocked and amazed that this person approached me without a second thought.

"Hala...nabigla ba kita? May ginagawa ka ba? Hala sorry...'di ko sadya. Pansin ko kasing tahimik ka at parang ilag sa mga kaklase natin kaya naisip ko na kausapin kita kasi baka mapanis laway mo kung wala kang makaka-usap." She explained while trying not to sound funny but it still caused me to smile at her and somehow be comfortable with her.

Janice is the type of person who listens to any of your stories, no matter how dumb that story of yours is or how boring that may be, she's always just...there. To listen, to comfort, to be a friend, to be someone you can rely on, and anything that you could ask for. She's this amazing person that's not afraid to show who she truly is. She was bold and someone who is never afraid to voice her opinion about something. She was my role model but I guess good things never last because after graduating from high school and our college life began. She changed a lot and she became the opposite of who she used to be. I tried reaching out to her so many times but I guess my efforts weren't enough to bring back the old Janice. The person I used to know and be very close with.

Life happened so fast in college and somehow I started learning to open up with other people and be more approachable. But every time I remember Janice, I somehow go back to those times when I was so alone and no one dared to cross the line that I drew so I can protect myself just in case people would break my trust. But ever since Janice crossed that line, it somehow made me realize that there's more to life than heartbreaks and loneliness. There would always be someone who is ready to cross the line that we drew or break the walls that we built to protect ourselves from pain. And somehow that person would change us and we'd hoped that they'd be there until the end.

So I still tried my best to approach Janice but every time I do so, she would always avoid me or if ever I'd catch up with her she wouldn't tell me anything but still every time she'd do that I'd tell her stories about my life and how I'm doing and how I want to introduce her to my friends. But still, she won't respond or react to any of my stories. She looks so...empty. As if life sucked every good thing that she has and that nothing was left except despair and loneliness.

I was useless as a friend and someone whom she helped overcome everything I feared. I wasn't able to help her until the end and gave up because I lost hope that I'd be able to bring her back. The old Janice, the person that I look up to and admire, became someone so different from who she used to be and I wasn't able to help her or save her from what she was going through because, in the end, I lost the person that's most important to me.