The Heart Of Friendship

Part 14

Alec

My friends obviously caught on to the fact that I was dodging them. And once Reggie caught me speaking to Daniel, it wasn't too hard to know why. That led to them telling me all over again to stay away from him for my own good. But I wasn't listening to any of it. I was just pretending to. My mind was running wild with confliction. I didn't know what to do. Should I stay with my friends or not? Should I try to regain Daniel's friendship, or just let it go? Or should I just be the kid without any friends?

Break time came and we were at the cafeteria. I was sitting with my friends as always and Daniel came in and sat at the table he always sits at alone. The principal had tried to get him to sit with other people, but he seems to always end up sitting by himself. 

I have got to teach him to make friends, but I can't do that since I'm no longer his friend, or am I? He seemed to have been okay with me when I spoke with him after the hall. But we aren't as close as we were. My friends were talking about something, but I couldn't hear them. I was too distracted.

"What's got you in the clouds today?" Sizwe asked but I just shook my head saying nothing. I wasn't in the mood of talking much. I tried not to look at Daniel, I really did but my eyes just seemed to stare. It was the first time I've seen him sitting alone in the cafeteria since we became...or were friends. 

He looked so alone just sitting there with no one to talk to like the other kids. I just felt bad because I cared for him more than I'd like to admit. He didn't deserve to be sitting alone with a black eye. He stood up to stand in the now empty line to get his food. I noticed him sitting back at his table a few minutes later.

"Alec, stop staring at the nerd kid." Reggie seemed frustrated, seeming to realise the cause of y distraction.

"I can't okay." I said finally having enough. I had to do something. I wasn't losing Daniel's friendship. "I care about him. He's my friend."

"No we're your friends." Sizwe said "He's not like us."

"And so what if he isn't? What's so bad about him being different?" I was getting angry now and I needed to calm down.

"He doesn't fit in with us." Reggie said

"Neither do I." I said

"What do you mean?" Reggie asked

"I don't fit in with you guys." I stood up from my seat and grabbed by tray. It was true. I didn't like treating other people badly like them and I didn't want to associate myself with people of that kind anymore.

"Where are you going?" Reggie asked but I didn't bother replying. 

I was already walking away and heading to Daniel's table and all eyes were on me. Everyone in the cafeteria was staring at me with surprise as I walked to Daniel's table and sat there. Cool kids never associate with nerds, so this was definitely a first. Daniel stared at me with shock.

"What are you doing?" He asked me

"Sitting with you." I shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. He smiled, still surprised but seeming pleased with my answer.

"Are those pickles?" He asked scrunching his nose in disgust, staring at the pickles on my tray. He didn't seem to notice the people still staring at us. He must be used to all the staring already.

"What, you hate them?" I asked putting one on his tray and he gasped in horror making me giggle.

"Why'd you do that?" He asked trying to remove the pickle with his fork.

"I thought it would be funny."

"Well keep them on your tray." He said, shaking his head as if saying of cause I'd put pickles on his plate and think it would be funny.