Falling For The Wrong Girl

3.3| Remebering the past

*****

“A friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”

*****

It was the day after the funeral. Devlin sat down near the grave that housed his only friend. It felt so peaceful and right just being there. The afternoon breeze and the comfortable silence making him sigh in content.

It was really difficult for Devlin to remind himself that his friend was no longer alive. They had done everything together and told each other everything. Right from pranking their teachers, to crushing on girls in higher classes than them, to loosing their virginities, to finding their first loves and getting crushed. All that they experienced together. The two were inseparable.

It was a surprise really how the two became friends. Both of their parents and teachers were surprised one day to find the two boys walking and laughing together.

Ironic as it was Kevin at a young age of seven years had already been named the bad boy in their school. All the other kids in class feared him as much as they feared the principal.

The teachers did not admit it but they too feared his pranks which had led to madam teachers screaming their lungs out with faces of horror and male teachers use cursing words involuntarily. A handful of teachers even quit their jobs, not being able to stomach the frequent pranks.

Devlin remembered the first time that the two became friends. It was during lunch and Devlin was making his mother a birthday present since her birthday was the day after. He was not good at drawing but he had tried to draw a butterfly and was coloring it when three boys from a class higher than his peeked to see whatever he was drawing.

"Is that a bat?" The taller of the three asked.

A little offended, little Devlin stood and hid the picture in his chest. "No, its a butterfly." Little Devlin answered.

"Looks like a bat to me, but whatever." The taller one shrugged his shoulders, not bothered by the glare that little Devlin was giving him.

"Butterflies are for girls. Why don't you draw something like race cars?" The shorter one asked. Even though he was the shortest, he was a little taller than Devlin.

"Unless he likes girl stuff!" The middle one chipped in and they all laughed.

Little Devlin wanted to defend himself that the picture was not his and that he was doing it for his mom but they did not give him time to do so. They mockingly laughed and laughed at him until he felt like crying.

"Since you like girls stuff too much, why don't you give me that and i will draw a cute little dolly for you,  hmmm?" The tallest one said and the others laughed.

Before little Devlin could register what was going on, the drawing paper was snatched from him by the taller one. Devlin protested but the other two stood in front of their friend like bodyguards. Little Devlin could do nothing. His protests and pleads fell on deaf ears as the taller one took out his pen and started working.

A minute later, the tall boy handed back the paper to little Devlin with an evil grin on his face. Devlin could not believe it when he saw his once perfect picture now looked like trash. The stupid boy just decided it was better to draw whatever he was drawing on top of his own drawing!

Devlin sobbed silently and the boys looked at him with satisfaction on their faces. That is what they wanted. To make him cry. And they achieved.

"Hey! What did you do to him?" Another boy joined the scene and stood protectively in front of Devlin. It was funny to watch since the boy was even shorter and thinner than Devlin.