Levels of Stress

Level Three

About halfway through year 8 of schooling, I started having troubles with my friends. My football friends had already moved on from the locker room and were actually doing things. It made me think I was worthless. Maybe I wasn't cut out to be social and have real friends.

The friends that I did have were creating problems for me. I jumped up to level three after a long night of homework and an unneeded amount of stress. One girl in particular used to make up scenarios about her life purposely. She knew I was down and would complain about her own life. I made sure to steer clear of her in the hallways.

Thankfully, I still knew who my friends were. I still had Jennifer, Ally, Mona, and Danielle, but one girl stuck with me though, and stayed since the beginning.

I still remember meeting her. I was four years old, watching the houses float away, one by one out the window. My dad drove cautiously then, with me in the backseat. Those were the times that he really cared about me. My mother did the same, laughing at a boy being dragged by his dog on a leash.

We stopped at my mum's friends house. Apparently, her friend had a daughter my age and I didn't have many friends, so my parents jumped at the opportunity to make us meet.

I reached up and grabbed my mum's hand, carefully walking on the cemented tile leading to the backyard.

Suddenly, there was a little girl with blonde hair pulled into two pigtails on the side of her head. Her big, brown eyes contrasted with her hair.

I blushed; not because I thought she was pretty, I was just that shy. She smiled a toothy grin.

My mother nudged me forward, asking that I introduce myself. Then she found her friend, a woman with short blonde hair and a small smile on her face.

"Hi..." I said and waved, looking down at my shoes.

She wrinkled her nose and giggled, shrieking, "Eww! Cooties!" and ran away.

I soon found out her name when her father scolded her. He had thin, brown hair and thick glasses. I was almost afraid of him, but learned he wasn't so scary after all.

"Belle," he said sternly and excused himself to go find her.

I knew then that I failed myself. I was going to be this shy and innocent the rest of my life. No girl would ever want to talk to me because I was a boy with cooties.

Belle came back with her father and skipped up to me, placing both feet on the ground. "I guess you can be my friend. I'll show you how to get rid of cooties. Come to my playhouse."

I followed her further into the backyard, where she doctored me with a toy kit and "cured me of my cooties". I thought this girl was absolutely insane. She was so excited and hyper all of the time and I was so...not. Still, our friendship worked out.

"How much do you want to bet he's not listening to a word I'm saying?" Belle leaned towards her friend and asked.

I snapped back into reality and turned to her, "Sorry, what was that?"

Her girlfriends laughed at my lack of attention and left her alone to walk to class with me. She held her books close to her chest, smiling sweetly as we went. I took her hand and swung it around.

People had begun to notice how close we were and questioned if we were a couple. We always blushed to each other and denied it. We've known each other for so long. She was my sister and I was her brother. It would be way too weird if we dated. Still, we were teased about it, but we didn't mind that much.

Then and there, seeing her smile in the hallway of our school, I felt something. I felt my heart skip a beat and butterflies catch up in my stomach.
I think I liked Belle.

That wasn't the only important part about my day. It was the night of our school a talent show. I had won last year with my cover of Porcelain by Patrick Stump. This year, I was performing Golden by Fall Out Boy with the piano from the chorus room.

It gave me unbelievable amounts of stress, almost shaking me into level four, if it wasn't for Belle. She waited in the crowd with me, watching our students preform magic, act, stunt, and sing. They were all really good. Then it was time for me to go backstage and get ready.

I didn't care if I lost. I had already won last year and didn't need to win this year. Still, I had worked so hard on making this absolutely perfect.

"You okay?" Belle asked.

I nodded, "Fine, just a little nervous."

The audience cheered and a girl went on, playing her violin. The sound was almost completely blocked out by my ears.

Belle turned her attention back to me and smiled, "Don't be nervous." She started playing with my hair, fixing it until it was just the way I liked it, "You're going to do great."

I still doubted myself and it was obvious, because she spoke up again, "Hey, I'm serious hun. You're the best singer in this school and I heard you rehearse. You're going to knock their socks off."

The girl had finished playing her song by then, but I was still focused on those big brown eyes. She looked back at mine.

"Still not convinced?" Belle sighed and jumped up, planting her lips on mine like it was her job. She ever so sweetly kissed me.

My name and the song title came over the microphone. My eyes were widened and my jaw dropped. Belle, my almost sister, just kissed me, and I liked it. She laughed and shoved me on stage.

I preformed the best I ever did that night and afterwards invited Belle out afterwards.

Beforehand, I texted Jennifer and Ally about what had happened. They were shocked, almost as shocked as I was. I confessed my attraction to her. They pumped me up and warmed my ego to the point where I knew what I wanted to do.

That night, I took home first place ribbon and my girlfriend, Belle. She was the girl that would stick by me. I could trust her not to bring me down when everyone else did. I loved her, a lot.

Level Three: Friend Stress