Loyalty

Imagine having to constantly watch your back in fear of being attacked from behind. You cannot trust your surroundings, and you cannot rely on anyone but yourself. What kind of dangerous, uncertain jungle am I describing? My friends, I am describing high school. For the longest time, it seemed to me that politics were more important than friendships among my peers. But luckily for me, a lovely Eye-Opener came along to reveal the beauty of a loyal friend.

I’ve had it, I thought. She is driving me crazy. We don’t talk anymore, she acts way differently from a few months ago, and it is to the point where I just don’t like being around her anymore.

I was suffering from the inevitable friendship issues that spring up throughout high school. One of my closest friends, my amazing Eye-Opener, and I were slowly drifting away from each other. I, who had once enjoyed being attached to her by the hip, was to the point of disjointing my own leg just to get away from her.

I know what I have to do. At lunchtime today, I’ve just got to tell her how I feel. Maybe then she will give me peace, or better yet, leave me alone.

First, second, third, and fourth periods flew by in a blur. As the bell rang for lunch, I realized my mental state was just as blurry as my day. In an effort to clear the mental cloudiness, I took a deep breath, slid on my cool blue sunglasses, and headed out to lunchtime.

As I approached the lunch line, I saw EO eating a bag of chips with some friends. Oh dear, this is going to get ugly, I thought.

“Hey, EO, can I talk with you for a second?” I asked her. Luckily, my shades concealed the obvious dread that seemed to be glistening in my eyes.

Sensing that something was the matter, she nervously responded, “Sure, no problem.”

We began to walk around campus, and I decided to just let my feelings flow. “We both have new friends, our interests are changing, and we just don’t act like we used to. As harsh as this may sound, I don’t think we can be friends like we used to be.”

I sensed my Eye-Opener absorbing what I had said. I saw her sadness, I heard her heart break, I could feel her disappointment. After she had digested what I had said, she responded with possibly the sweetest thing I have ever heard: “I understand. If this is how you feel, then I cannot change it. I just want you to know that even if you no longer regard me as your friend, I will always think of you as mine.”

At the moment, I did not think too much of what she had said. But as the weeks went on, I realized in allowing me to remove myself from the tightly bound friendship I was in, she gave me room to grow into myself. She also promised to be there for me if I ever wanted to return to our friendship. (I am happy to say she is now very much in my life, and my inspiration in many ways J)

Lesson Learned: Loyalty is not just a myth in books. It really exists today, in relationships of all kinds. Value your friends that will remain loyal to you despite what you may do to them. And, most importantly, be loyal to those you love.

“I believe that I don’t have to change friends if I understand that friends change.” Unknown