Adelaide Beck dared Tristan Presley to become her best friend in the fifth grade... and he said okay.
After a summer of doing nearly everything together, Tristan suddenly becomes distant with her. Adelaide had always guessed that natural causes had...
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I hated syllabus day. First days of school were only exciting because we could see all of our friends again.
I was counting down the seconds to lunch so we could actually sit down and enjoy our time, instead of having small chats in between classes.
It was my Junior year of high school. I spent this last summer with my family in Florida, so I barely had time with my friends.
As soon as I heard the release bell ring, I packed my backpack with the rest of class.
"I'm going to stop you right there class. The bell does not dismiss you, I do."
Great, she's one of those teachers.
I paid no attention to her wrap up speech as I very quietly finished zipping up my backup so she couldn't hear. Then she finally released us.
"Adelaide!"
I turned around at the sound of my name. Leah was standing with Maylan as they waved me down from their spot in the hallway.
A big smile was plastered on my face as I made my way over to them.
We were walking down the hallway on our way to lunch when someone shoved into my right arm.
"Sorry." The deep voice mumbled as they walked past and time slowed when I realized who it was.
We held eye contact as we walked past each other and then some.
I turned back around before someone else had the chance to walk into me.
That mumbled sorry was the first word he's spoken to me since the summer of fifth grade. I wonder if he would have said anything at all if he knew it was it me in the first place.
"Was that Tristan?" Leah asked, looking back at him.
I took her by the arm and led her forward.
"That was... and he got hot." Maylan added as we entered the cafeteria.
"No no, he's been good looking all his life. Right Ada? Remember when y'all were friends?"
"I do," I said before adding, "I also remember when he ghosted me in the sixth grade."
"To be fair, he ghosted everyone in the sixth grade. If you haven't noticed he doesn't have many friends." Maylan said as we all sat down with our lunches.
"He has friends, just not at this school." I replied, remembering the few times last year I've seen him get picked up from school by boys who looked around our age. Either they went to a different high school in the next town or they've just graduated already.
"I know what friends you're talking about. Those boys go to Anderson High."
Anderson High was our schools rival in football. No wonder Tristan didn't have many friends here. He was fraternizing with the enemy.
