The Heart Of Friendship

Part 11

Daniel

I felt better than I had ever when I walked into school on Monday. For once, it didn't bother me that people were staring at me. Today was the day that I took control of my life by final standing up. Alec having my back was giving me even more confidence. I needed Alec's help.

I started searching for him before the first bell rang for school to start, but I couldn't find him anywhere. He probably wasn't at school yet. I looked at the watch around my wrist. There was still about seven minutes left before school started so I kept looking for him, asking a few people if they've seen him anywhere.

They all gave me weird looks, obviously wondering what I wanted with a cool kid. But one gave me directions on where I could find him.

He was sitting at the benches next to the school hall with his friends. They all looked at me when I got nearer. I wanted to ask Alec if I could talk to him but before I could, one of his friends, I think his name was Reginald, spoke before me.

"What's up nerd kid?" He said. Not only did he calling me a nerd kid infuriate me, but the tone in his voice was mocking, just like with the bullies. "Look, if you think you'll ever make a friend out of any of us, then you must be dreaming because cool kids don't associate with nerd kids."

I expected Alec to stand up for me but he didn't say anything. He just sat there not even dare staring at me. Why did he even say I'm crazy if I think I could ever make a friend out of any of them? The only thing that would make him think that was if Alec told them about our...I don't even know what to call it...friendship? My eyes went wide as soon as a better realisation hit me.

Alec was never my friend to begin with. They must have all planned this. For Alec to pretend to be my friend just to humiliate me. That's why he said I was dreaming if I thought I could ever make a friend out of any of them.

I was angry, so angry that I'd actually believed Alec. I knew immediately from the day at the restaurant when he had tried to help me get the girl I liked that there had to be a catch. Why didn't I realise this sooner? Of cause he was just playing me.

I felt like an idiot, something that rarely ever happens, for believing in his friendship. I hadn't even realised my eyes were filled with tears until the other one of Alec's friends, Sizwe, teased me for it making my anger to rush to a boiling point.

"You're right." I said to Reginald but referring to all of them. I never stood up for myself, and I knew that it was time I did. That's why people always walked all over me. "I could never befriend people like you guys because you've all got no hearts and you feed on making other people miserable. And I'll never be that type of person." They all looked surprised, even Alec.

I turned around before they could say a word. I heard Alec calling my name then rushing towards. His friends yelled his name obviously wondering what he was doing. I stopped walking and tuned around before he could get a word out. "I got the prank so you can quit the act." I said to him before turning back around and walking away.

Alec

Daniel's words lingered in my mind. I couldn't concentrate in any of my classes because I kept thinking about what he said.

"You're right." His words were stuck vividly in my brain like a picture pasted on paper. "I could never befriend people like you guys because you've all got no hearts and you feed on making other people miserable. And I'll never be that type of person."

I didn't know what hurt more; that he thought I was never his friend or that he thought I only pretended to be just to bully him. Just to feed off of his misery. The thought of that was disconcerting.