Hadassah

friend zone

I couldn’t get George out of my head after our fun day at the game. He was seriously one of the coolest people I’d ever met. I found myself smiling whenever I thought about him, and the way he always made me laugh felt like a warm blanket on a chilly day. But something was bothering me, and I couldn’t quite shake it.

The next day at practice, George showed up with a grin plastered on his face. He was bouncing on his feet, clearly excited about something. “Guess what, Haddie? I wrote a new song!” he announced, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Oh really? What’s it called?” I asked, curious and eager.

“Friend Zone,” he said with a proud smirk, as if he’d just won a trophy or something.

“Friend Zone? Sounds catchy! What’s it about?” I leaned in, wanting to hear more.

“It’s about a girl,” he said, the grin fading just a little. “You know, the whole ‘I like her, but I’m stuck in the friend zone’ thing.”

My stomach twisted slightly at that. “Who’s this girl?” I blurted out before I could think it through. My mind raced with possibilities. Could it be someone from school? Some random girl who didn’t know how awesome George was?

He shrugged, his gaze darting off to the side, avoiding my question. “Just this girl I like,” he said, and there was a hint of something in his voice—maybe sadness? Maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt like he wasn’t telling me everything.

“Okay, but like… what’s her name?” I pressed, my curiosity getting the better of me. I wanted to defend George’s honor, to stand up for him if some other girl was being a jerk.

“I don’t know her name,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “We don’t really talk that much.”

That made me want to shake him and tell him he was way too cool to be ignored by anyone. How could this girl not see how funny, smart, and downright awesome he was? “That’s lame! You should just tell her how great you are!” I said, my frustration bubbling over. “She’s missing out!”

George chuckled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah, well, it’s complicated,” he said, his tone hinting that he wasn’t ready to dive deeper into that topic.

I sensed he was hiding something from me, maybe even about how he really felt about this girl. But I didn’t want to pry, not when I could see the awkwardness flickering on his face. So instead, I played it cool, trying to change the subject. “What’s the vibe of the song? Is it a sad ballad or something upbeat?”

“It’s a mix, I guess. I mean, it’s a little funny, but also kind of serious,” he replied, his eyes lighting up again as he talked about it. “You know, like… ‘Why can’t I get out of the friend zone?’”

“Sounds like a hit!” I said, teasing him a bit. “You should perform it at our next game. I’ll cheer you on!”

He laughed again, and the sound made my heart skip a beat. I was glad to see him smiling, even if it was tinged with something unspoken.

As we continued practice, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to protect George. That girl he liked—whoever she was—wasn’t just missing out on him; she was making a huge mistake. He deserved someone who would appreciate him for everything he was. I just had no idea how to tell him that without sounding weird.

After practice, while the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over everything, I glanced over at him. He was sitting on the bench, tapping out a rhythm on his legs, looking all lost in thought. “Hey, do you wanna work on that song together? I can help you with some ideas,” I offered, hoping to distract him from whatever was bothering him.

He looked up, surprised, but then his smile returned. “Yeah, I’d like that. I’ve been thinking about adding some drum beats to it too,” he said, his enthusiasm infectious. “I’ve got a killer idea for a rhythm that’ll make it pop.”

“Awesome! I can totally see it! You should definitely use your drum skills to bring it to life,” I encouraged, my excitement growing.

As we sat there, brainstorming ideas and jamming out little rhythms, I thought about that mystery girl and how unfair it was. George was so much more than he realized. And in that moment, while the stars began to twinkle above us, I felt a mixture of hope and determination. I didn’t know what George was really feeling, but I was ready to be his friend, no matter what it took.