All These Years | Camren

Friends

You start your first semester of high school by learning that, if you don't know anyone else in class, you have no say in who ends up being your biology lab partner. It all comes down to faith. So you sit at the very front, the first day, because whoever sits in the front with you is eager to learn and probably smart.

As you take a seat, your classmates shuffle around you but no one sits next to you.

You're surprised when this doesn't shake you.

As the teacher begins to read the syllabus, a  dirty blonde haired boy enters the classroom saying "I know, i know, i know; Late on the first day Keaton; That's not a good first impression Keaton; Take a sit before i decide  not to overlook this, Keaton."

He sits in the very front sit.

He sits right next to you.

Mrs.Geralds keeps a unimpressed look on her face and blankly replies, "Welcome back Keaton, hopefully a second time will be enough so that i don't have to see you again another year."

Everyone around you started making 'oooh' sounds and laughing. You noticed how Keaton kind off slumped in his sit, and as the teacher continues explaining the syllabus, you decide in your mind that you're going to help him pass the class.

Later that day, you walk into the art classroom. The desks are organized making a circle around the teacher and theres even soft music playing in the background. As you take a seat, you smile at the girl next to you. Back in middle school this never would of happened, you would of quickly sat down, took the class and walked away. But the girl next to you instantly smiles back.

Her name is Ally, she's a senior, and she's not getting any credit for taking this class, she just loves painting. Also, she's extremely nice, the kind of nice you  rarely encounter, the kind that inspires you to be better.

The kind that reminds you of Maria.

The teacher starts right of the bat, telling everyone to pick a color and start painting different variations of that color on the big white paper in front of you.

It's a simple class but it makes you feel a little bit of magic inside of you.

So you end the first day with two new names, Keaton and Ally.

Two new friends.

It's not long after that when you meet Normani. She's part of the advanced contemporary ballet class you're attending on Tuesdays and Thursday after school. She's also the only other member who's in her freshman year of high school also.

And it was that easy. A smile and some small talk.

•

Normani, Ally and Keaton are basically the three words you would use to describe your first semester of high school. None of them were part of the same group of friends, but each of them, individually, were a part of you.

Right now, Keaton was a part you're extremely annoyed by since you've been studying for 2 hours for the biology final and neether of you have completely memorized the anatomy of the plant and animal cell. The thing is, you're actually trying, using online quizzes to practice, while he just keeps interrupting you to show you falling cats video compilations he finds.

You're both just siting on the kitchens barstools with all your papers on the kitchen island when Sinu walks in with grocery bags on her hands and two seconds later Camila walks in with more bags.