Loving your best friend

an open minded meeting

The first term of a new session always had me excited and full of nerves at the same time. Everything was always new, you had a new dorm, new dorm mates, a new assigned table, a new class teacher, a new class schedule. The only thing that didn't change from the year before were your class and classmates, except you were moving up from Junior school to Senior school. I was in my second year of Senior school and had well since passed the phase of awkwardness amongst my classmates while we were still in first year. We had pretty much bonded over the year and I was looking forward to seeing them again after the long break.

I wheeled my suitcases into the dormitory building and greeted the security official at the front gate. She opened my suitcases and began to search for contraband items. I used that opportunity to check the notice board for my new assigned dorm room and its members.

Emerald Room 28
O. Olivia 6C 2457
I. Natasha 6C 2464
W. Andrea 5A 2533
S. Mari 5A 2547
L. Tori 4C 2599
A. Paulette 4C 2666
U. Kendall 3A 2702
O. Jennifer 3A 2704
J.C. Shirley 2A 2811
S. Eleanor 1A 2935
T. Jessica 1A 2944

I scanned the list carefully. I only knew two of my new dorm mates. Olivia, who I shared a dorm with the year before and Mari, who was in my class. I was pretty close to Olivia and I liked her a lot but I wasn't so sure about Mari. She was the quiet type and tended to keep to herself. I sighed, better one friend than none at all, right? At least, room 28 wasn't so bad. It was the biggest dorm room on that floor of the building and it faced the open courtyard. It was also close to the bathroom and far enough from the matron's room to prevent her from looking in on us too much.

I took my suitcases from the guard and wheeled them through the corridors to room 28. I inhaled deeply and reminded myself to have an open mind before I burst through the doors and announced my presence in the most regal of fashions,
"Yo, bitches your queen has arrived!"

_____________

It was supper time and we were on our way to the dining hall. Olivia was still laughing.

"Come on, Liv, the joke was over like two hours ago," I groaned.

" I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just still so funny", she managed to wheeze out between bursts of laughter. "I mean, your face, oh God." More laughter.

She had been laughing since I made my grand entrance to our new dorm. Apparently, I was the last person to arrive and there had been some awkward first day tension in the room when I decided to burst in and unknowingly become a source of comic relief to all my roommates. They were shocked at first but when Liv said "Whose Queen? Come on, will you shut up and sit down" they all began to laugh as though it were the funniest thing in the world, leaving me flubbing and floundering like a fish. At least, I broke the tension. I'm such a saint.

We bantered back and forth on the way to the dining hall, talking about what we did during summer break. We both went to the notice board to check our assigned tables. It wasn't enough to keep my mind open for this list. My mind needed to be as blank as a new sheet of A4 paper. This list was completely done at random and unlike the dorm list, boys were included. You never know what you were going to get. After searching desperately for my name, I finally found it at the very end, under the very last table in our house

Emerald Table 17
W. Andrea 5A 2533
B. Michael 5B 2586
C. Damian 3A 2743
B. Alexander 3A 2756
R. Iris 2A 2854
N. Carter 1A 2963
A. Corrina 1A 2976

My mind was not blank enough for this. Not one person on this list was my friend. Michael was, at most, an acquaintance. We knew each other in primary and were table mates two years ago but that was about it. I knew him, he knew me, end of story. I took deep breaths and tried to expand my mind further. It probably won't be so bad. I mean it's only for the entire school year. No biggie. It was apparently a big biggie because Olivia could tell I was distressed and offered to persuade the food prefect to switch me with the year five on her table. It was a nice offer and I told her I'd think about it but I needed to go to my assigned table cos that's where my food was right now. We parted and I walked the lonely walk to table 17. Everyone was there except Michael. After Grace was said, I decided to conduct introductions since I was the most senior and I also wanted to make everyone else comfortable. During introductions, Michael decided to make his presence known.

"You're in my seat," I heard his gruff voice call over my head.

I looked up at him. "I guess your voice finally cracked over summer. Well done."

The Juniors giggled. I smirked up at him.

He looked a bit embarrassed and said again, "You're in my seat."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I am not doing this with you, today. It's the first day and I'm trying really hard to get along with everyone. Play nice and sit next to me on that side. You can be my right hand man." I smiled sarcastically at him but he remained standing.

This head of the table thing might not seem a big deal but it is. It really is. You see, the head of the table has the best seat. It's a full backed chair with cushions for your back and bottom. Usually, the most senior person at the table got to sit there. It was a huge privilege. The opposite end was reserved for your assigned table teacher and no student was supposed to sit there. Because there was no year 6 student at our table this year, it was left to me and Michael and, as you can see, I clearly had dibs.

The P.A. system screeched. "All students should go to their assigned tables and be seated now. Any student found standing will be punished."

"Sit down before you get punished idiot."

"But, you're in my seat."

This whiny little--. I shrugged and turned my face away. I didn't really care if he got punished or not. I was absolutely not getting up from this chair.

"Have it your way, then", I heard him say.

I turned to show him my victory smile and then he promptly sat in my lap.

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what's up, everyone? i started writing this story on my phone when i was bored and out of internet. i don't have everything down but i'll try my best to be regular with updates. maybe weekly?

pls comment! lemme know what you think! what do you think of andrea and michael?

i want to get to know you so pm me or comment. i'll reply.

->what's your pet peeve?<-

till next time. i love you. Thanks for clicking loving my best friend! God bless you!

xx A.