Unexpected Love

I'm Not ok

Sam's Pov

At the beginning of the summer, I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands. Most of my friends were out of school, and we spent our days hanging out, laughing, and enjoying each other's company. We didn't have any real plans, but that didn't seem to matter. We were just happy to be together, doing whatever came to mind. One day, as I was scrolling through Snapchat, I came across a story from Max. It was a picture of him at a beach in Florida. In the photo, he was wearing a blue shirt and his fluffy blonde hair was blowing in the wind. His skin was tan from the sun, and his smile looked so cheerful. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

Max had always been one of those people who seemed to have it all. He was popular, athletic, and good-looking. And now, here he was, living it up on a beautiful beach in Florida while I was stuck at home with nothing to do. But as I looked at the photo, I realized that there was something else going on inside me. All the feelings I had for Max in sixth grade came flooding back. I remembered how I used to stare at him during social studies, trying to make it seem like I was paying attention to the teacher when really, I was just lost in my thoughts about Max. And now, here he was, looking so happy and carefree, while I was struggling with all these complicated emotions. 

I slammed my phone on the floor in frustration, feeling overwhelmed. As I stared at the cracked screen of my phone, I couldn't help but notice that my eye bags, which were usually darker than ashes, seemed to be lightening up a little bit. It was a small detail, but it gave me a glimmer of hope. I tried to convince myself that it couldn't be that bad. Max and I had been good friends in sixth grade, and even though we had grown apart during eighth grade, I still cared for him deeply. Maybe this was just a passing feeling, I thought. Maybe I was just jealous of his perfect life in Florida. But deep down, I knew that wasn't true. My feelings for Max had never really gone away. And now, seeing him looking so happy and carefree, it was like a knife twisting in my chest. IM NOT OK.

I knew I had to do something, but I didn't know what. All I knew was that I couldn't keep feeling like this forever. I remember a time in class when Abby and Olivia decided to put on their best British accents and start a mock conversation about "O-J by the beach." It was hilarious and I couldn't stop laughing. My face was so red from laughing that I was worried I might burst a blood vessel. Max, who was sitting at the desk next to me, noticed our amusement and joined in, mimicking Abby's laugh with a loud "HAUHSH." This only made us laugh even harder, and before we knew it, we were all practically on the floor, clutching our stomachs and gasping for air. It was one of those moments where you just can't help but laugh and forget about everything else. We were all in such a good mood after that, and I remember feeling grateful for the simple joy that comes from sharing a laugh with friends. Max's laugh fills me with happiness and makes my day.

The atmosphere was electric at the football game as I scanned the crowd for my friends. Suddenly, I spotted them waving excitedly at me, and I quickly made my way over to join them. As I approached, one of them shouted out, "HEY BITCH!" and we all burst out laughing. I spotted Gracie in the bleachers and made my way over to her, accompanied by my rowdy friends. As we drew closer, I noticed that Darron was sitting next to her. I greeted him with a playful tease, "Aye hey lover boy." He smirked and rolled his eyes in response, and Gracie giggled as she invited us to sit down. As my friends announced that they were headed to get some food, Gracie turned to me and asked, "So, I was wondering if you'd like to come over to Darron's tomorrow?" I looked over at Darron, who gave me a nod of confirmation. "Sure, I'd love to!" I responded eagerly. Gracie beamed and told me that Olivia and Abby would also be joining us.