LIVING: From Teenagers Perspectives

Growing Pains

I’ve honestly never written something like this but I just felt like Wattpad deserved a slice of my craziness haha.

So it all started about five years ago when I just got into high school. Lower Sixth, or what is commonly known as my junior year in high school, or Sixth Form. Whatever. You get the gist.

So we had moved to a new neighborhood. It looked exciting. And I was enthusiastic about leaving. After spending twelve years in one place, I hated the routine and I was begging for change. Little did I know that though change is constant, it is not always a good thing.

So we moved. And to my utter delight, there were finally people my age. I had always felt left out. With my siblings being in their little groups and me, the middle child felt like an outcast. So seeing people who were closer to my age was like a dream come true.

So I started talking to them. I took every opportunity to be with them. As soon I was done with my chores home, I was at their place. Soon, we were five of us regularly hanging out. Two girls, I considered my besties (please don’t judge, I was a kid 😂)and two guys, both on whom I had crushes. I was a very hormonal kid 😂😂

So it was holiday. There was nothing hindering us from spending all our time together. After breakfast, I was there. We played cards, played Ludo, went on horse rides, took pictures. Everything preteens do anyways.

As I said before, I had a crush on both of our guy friends and I was majorly confused. Then imagine my face when my bestie tells me she has a crush on the one I liked better. I kept my mouth shut because damn she was my bestie and I was kind of reluctant to end our relationship over a boy. So like left it.

By this time then, I noticed this guy, let’s call him Ciee, was always hanging around me. And we always managed to find ourselves in positions where we were alone and forced to bond. Not forced per se, but we were practically always together and we started looking for each other if I can put it like that. Please bear in mind that we were about twelve/thirteen.

Okay, everything was great in Smiley Town and all. I had best friends, a guy I liked apparently liked me back and I was on holidays. I was fulfilled. At this moment, I forgot completely that my friend had told me she liked him. So I did everything to monopolize his time. I made sure he always chose me during games and other childish shit like that.

But I kept forgetting one thing. We were left with just a week of holidays and each of us was to go to a different school. But I didn’t care. I was living in the moment.

School started. The first few days, we managed to see each other, hang out laugh. But after a while, it just wasn’t the same. I was in a new school. I was two classes ahead of all the others. And I was making new friends. Before I realized it, we were no longer friends. I could pass them on the road without even opening my mouth and saying out a greeting. And they could do same. After all our thoughts of friends for life and all that shit.

Now, each of us is in a different area of our lives. I’m in my last year of my degree's program. One of the girls is in her first year at the university and another in her second year. Both guys I had crushes on are still in high school, trying to complete their A Levels.

The point I’m trying to make is, growing up is inevitable. Don’t beat yourself up because you and this person drifted apart. Some energies just aren’t compatible after a while. It’s not your fault. If you know you weren’t the toxic person, then you can put your conscience at ease. People outgrow each other. But it doesn’t mean they out love each other.

Peace ✌🏾

By: EssieNeh