Friend or Foe?

They are at it again, talking about that poor girl, spreading rumors about her; she did not do anything to them. I do not even know why I call them friends, they can be so mean, just to maintain their popular image. Is this what my classmates have come to? Do they really have to stoop that low? I just do not understand; she is a pretty girl, I mean she is not ugly, but not super model gorgeous; she is smart, has good grades, and has a really pretty name, which is Hazel. She does charity work, helps others, and yet does not have many people to call friends. I really want to go sit with her at lunch and talk to her, but I am kinda scared of what others will think of me. I usually tune them out when they are gossiping. I day dream and other things to keep all of those lies out of my head.

As we stand in the lunch on of my so called friends trips Hazel as she walks by, with her lunch in her hands, as she hits the ground, they all point and laugh. Now I have to choose to help her or laugh with the others. I look down at her; she is crying as she picks up her food and all of us look at her, so I decide to squat besides her and help her. I smile at her, she smiles back, wipes her eyes, and I help her stand up. Then I do the unthinkable. I take her milk carton, open it, and turn to my friend who tripped Hazel, and dump it on her head. I smile, turn back to Hazel, and help her go get cleaned up.

Years past, Hazel and I are best friends. We are almost like sisters, we share clothes, and share a lot of the same interests, and I am glad I did what I did on that day, or everything would have been different. Who knows what person I would have been. I set a big example for everyone that day, to stand up for others, and that it really makes a difference.  I did not get into much trouble. I just had to talk to the principle and help him understand that I was helping a peer. I exposed all of my friends that day, what they had been doing and saying. Well, since that day, we have been foes, no longer friends, they all got in a lot of trouble. As for Hazel and me, we gained a lot of friends, together. Every day at lunch, we would sit at the table in the corner of the cafeteria, and ten or more people would sit with us, which made us smile.