I have friends. (ohhh, surprising, you, have friends? How? SHUT UP)
For example, a person named Leo. Like a lion. Yeah, yeah, like a lion! Anyway, he’s Hispanic, very enthusiastic (as loud as his black hair was long), and… doesn’t… matter to the story yet… uh, never mind. He’ll come back later. Oh, he’s in my class, yeah.
Other people in this class? Mm… no one really… well, besides… Anna- I’m joking, of course I don’t consider someone like HER to be my friend.
Outside of this class? Well, of course I have outside friends. There’s a kid named James (He’s a nerdy kid)! Yeah, there’s 2! Oh, and a kid named Troy (... not important for a while), a kid named Matthew (also… not important for a while), a kid named Finn (...you get the gist), see, I could go on forever!
I TOLD you I had friends! And you didn’t believe me. You didn’t think I was telling the truth? What, gonna cry? What do you mean I don’t have any proof? Shut up!
I should probably only mention the characters in this story that matter a ton to the… big issue here. I can talk about my friends later. Yeah, that’s a good idea- enough with me talking about my friends. If I said I wanted to talk about my friends for the whole chapter, I would be lying because that would be so boring. So instead I’ll talk about someone else’s friends.
You know Caitlyn. Of course you do, I’ve been non-stop talking about her for the past 4 chapters. But did you know… she has friends?
i know even more surprising
So, let’s think. Anna was obviously one of her friends. Best friends. And because they were so close, they were stuck together. All the time. Literally- during class, after class, even before class, they would always be seen together. Ooh that’s just delightful.
If only Anna and I didn’t have our ‘rivalry’ of ours. That would probably make things feel a lot less stressful. Did she actually mean it when she said she would ‘help Caitlyn and I get together’? Those things don’t just happen, right? And she definitely won’t be able to make it happen, right? Yeah, no. She’s lying. I can tell.
After analyzing the class for a month and a half, I figured something out. Caitlyn had at least one more friend in the class (again, HUGE surprise). Remember when I said that some tall girl sat down at the new table group along with Anna and Caitlyn? No? Well, do a favor for me and remember. That’s who I’m talking about. The tall girl. After we sat at the same table for a week, I learned the girl’s name.
Her first name was Karoline. That’s a pretty decent name. Huh. I guess I don’t get to talk.
Her last name?
Uhhh I don’t know I think it was… Lancaster…
That’s definitely not it
Whatever, I’ve never talked to this Karoline person before. So, would it be wise to try talking to her to find out more about Caitlyn?
Well, I didn’t try to talk to her to find out more about Caitlyn. I did it for a completely other reason.
“Hi, you’re Karoline, friends with Caitlyn, right?”
“And you’re Alan, the one Anna is saying is in love with that same person?”
ANNA YOU
“No, of course not, don’t listen to anything she says. Haven’t you been friends with Anna long enough to know how much she lies?”
“Nope. She’s the most honest person I know.”
She’s trapped everyone in her web, she’s made fools out of everyone. How do I compete against her?
“Uh… she is not honest at all.”
“She is.”
I looked at her with my eyes dimmed. She raised an eyebrow, making it seem like she actually didn’t know what I was talking about.
She did.
“Okay, whatever. But seriously, is there a way to… you know… keep Anna leashed?”
Like a dog.
“Like a dog?”
Yes.
“Yes.”
“Well, Anna likes cute things.”
Bribe her to shut up? Oh, that’s a good idea, actually- hold on, that ball of destruction- that complete mess of obnoxiousity (I know ‘obnoxiousity’ isn’t a word) will accept something like a stuffed animal as bait?
No. She’s not that easy.
“Like… what?”
“Well, her favorite animal is a…”
She looked left and right. What, she making sure no one else finds out? Who else cares?
“Bird.”
Huh
“You could try getting her some kind of… bird… stuffed animal.”
What
“Will that work?”
No, of course not. I knew that.
“Probably not.”
THEN WHY
Okay, okay, calm down. So, something cute? Uh… I can’t think of anything else. Of course I’m not gonna get her a bird stuffed animal, that would be stupid.
I bought a bird stuffed animal.
I guess I’m stupid.
Okay, fine, so I bought one. I didn’t expect myself to give it to Anna, that would be too awkward. And if I randomly gave a girl a present it would seem like I had a crush on her, which obviously I don’t, the only person I have my eyes set on is Caitly-
“Do you want this?”
“What?”
As recess started, I held up the bird stuffed animal right in Anna’s face. She pushed my hands aside and looked away from the book (notebook? Reading book? I don’t know I didn’t look at ti) she had in her lap. I didn’t look at it (as stated) so I didn’t see any of the stuff she was reading/drawing/looking/othering. That’s besides the point. She noticed the cute little bird I was holding (i thought it was cute) and said,
“A bribe?”
Karoline told her about my plan. Why? I thought I could trust Karoline. The little-
Just kidding. Karoline was taller than me. SHE’S WHAT
Yeah, so someone was finally taller than me. Oh, well, at least it isn’t 2 people taller than me.
Hmm? What, I said earlier that Caitlyn was taller than me? When did I say that?
I’ll talk about this later. No, I’m not putting this off, of course Caitlyn isn’t taller than me!
…she… may be a little bit… taller than meAUGH I DONT WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS
“No, of course not, I wouldn’t do such a thing. It’s just a normal, ahem, gift, for my dear friend, Anna.”
“What are you bribing me for?”
“Stop putting Caitlyn and me together.”
“Hmm?”
“Stop trying to get Caitlyn and I together.”
“Shipping.”
“Excuse me?”
“Shipping. That’s what it’s called.”
“What what’s called? What’re you talking about?”
“When you try to get two people together, it’s called shipping them.”
I’ll go into more detail than her. Shipping is a joke. It’s when you say things that make it seem like two people like each other, but in reality they don’t, so it’s a joke. It’s amusing to the jokers and absolutely humiliating to the jokees (The ones who are being made fun of). I’ll go into more detail in a later chapter, so for now just listen to what Anna has to say for now.
“For example, you like Caitlyn.”
“I- what?! No!”
“See?”
“What? Stop doing that!”
“You think a stuffed animal will convince me to stop?”
“I-”
“I’ll take it.”
“What?”
She swiped it from me. I spent like 12 dollars on Amazon for that.
“So, you’ll stop shipping her and me, or whatever?”
“Nope.”
SHE-
“Then- wait, what? Give it back!”
“Nope, it’s mine now.”
She picked up her book and started running away. I saw her run towards the middle of the field (we had a field outside of our school which is where we had our recess. There was of course a playground, but… in truth, there were actually TWO playgrounds! Ha, a trick play! (It’s not a trick play, there’s a large playground for the older kids and a smaller one for the younger ones…)) where there was a group of kids standing around. Huh. Okay, cool, what’s so special about this gro CAITLYN
Nonnonononononoononononononononono
I would’ve let her run off. She doesn’t bother me (that much). But I realized, if Caitlyn found out that I had given Anna a present, someone would be made fun of. ‘Someone’ meaning… me, and ‘being made fun of’ meaning… absolutely humiliated. I’ve got to stop Anna from telling Caitlyn anything (Come to think about it, Anna would’ve told her about it somehow anyway. Whatever, I didn’t think that far into the future.)
I ran after Anna. Oh, great. A ton of people I’ve never seen before. I could see about 8-ish people. This is gonna be not great.
Hey, I see James! Remember him? Nerdy guy? Medium-length, long shaggy blonde hair? Large eyes and enormous nose that really bring out the detail in his white face? Too much detail?
I guess James is friends with them. That must be horrible, huh? I gotta say sorry to him later. Anyway, I approached the group and was immediately pointed out.
“Here he comes! The, uh, creep, uh… Alan!”
Anna screamed that out loud. Before I myself complain, I wanted to mention that the other people standing were just as confused as I was. I noticed their confused faces, and made the bright decision to yell out:
“NO! I’M NOT A CREEP! GIVE ME MY BIRD BACK!”
Woah. That was creepy. The group looked at me funny. I screamed so loud it was hard not to hear what I said.
I made a move. I darted toward Anna’s hands and tried to steal the bird back from her, complaining while doing so.
“You thief-”
“You gave it to me?”
“Yeah, as part of a deal?
“I definitely did not agree to it.”
I made the most stubborn face I could make, and Anna made one back at me.
“Woah, woah, space out, lovebirds.”
Get it? Love-BIRDS?
Wait, wait, that’s not the point. Who the- heck- called us that?
“Excuse me?”
I said this, switching my point of view from the demon to a boy I hadn’t seen before. I might have seen him before from previous years, but I’ve never talked to him, and like with Caitlyn and Anna, I’ve never been in his classes.
His skin was dark, but it was light and rich, and he had black, long hair that complimented his midnight eyes. He had a small body, but his voice was also loud. Not as loud as Ava’s, of course.
He was making a lovey-dovey face (ugh, it didn’t look good on a guy. Maybe I was just too attracted to a girl. Wait, no-) and I made a confused and funny face back at him. He laughed loudly (His laugh sounded like a forced laugh, but it was full of heart (and volume)).
“I’m Jaidon. Jaidon Debral. Not Dee-brawl, not Deh-braul, dey-browl. Got it?”
I already forgot his first name.
“Okay, cool, I’m Alan, I guess, but I’m not here to talk. I’m here to take my bird back.”
“It’s mine!”
“It costed 12 dollars!”
“I don’t care!”
As the ensemble of voices grew louder, a scene started to for- wait. It didn’t make a scene. No one cared that children were fighting over a bird. Wow, I wasted a ton of my time for nothing.
I got tired after screaming at Anna for about 15 minutes. I sighed and let myself lose the argument. I just gave up the bird. A 12 dollar bird. I lost. Anna of course said,
“So we all agree I won?”
“No, it’s still my bird.”
“Alan, you lost.”
Jaidon joined in the conversation (He remembered my name?). I didn’t like him. Friends with Anna? Bad news.
It seemed like everyone in that group nodded their heads in agreement. Everyone disagreed with me in favor of Anna.
“Ugh, whatever,”
I said as I walked away, rolling my eyes.
Great, now there’s not just a brick wall, there’s a military force in the way as well (Yes, more metaphors, deal with it).
“Hey, you forgot this.”
Someone approached behind me. They held out their hands, and the bird stuffed animal was sitting right there. Hmm, whoever was holding onto it must’ve been very kind. I wonder who it was?
“Caitlyn? Oh, thanks, I guess… wait-”
She ran off. She gave me the bird back (she must have somehow convinced Anna to give her the bird) and I looked at it. Its beaky smile stared at me. Uh… hold on.
Caitlyn gave it back to me? Why would she? It’s a free stuffed animal, who would give it back to some random kid? I mean, if someone was just throwing a free stuffed animal around, I would take it immediately, and steal anything else I could get my hands on.
That’s a joke, I don’t steal things all the time.
So… Caitlyn gave me the stuffed animal… wow. She was so nice, and a good person, and just incredible, and-
I mean, no. Haha, love, in elementary school? Yeah, no way.
Okay, I was just introduced to her friends. Now, would I have to get to know all of them to get with Caitl-
That’s not a nice way to put it… I think?
That makes it sound like I’m just using them to get with Caitlyn. I’m not doing that. I’d never. (It’s not foreshadowing. I think.)
I finished walking away from that group of… people. Man were they a group of… people. I can’t think of a good way to describe them. Wild? Sure, but there were also some quiet people, like Karoline. Rude? Definitely. Well, some of them were nice, like Caitlyn.
Honestly, I could really like these people. Wait, I barely heard anyone else speak. I’m being rash. I only heard two people speak, both of them being incredibly loud and annoying. Never mind, I had no idea what this group of people could be like.
She- she’s making me lose my mind. Anna- I mean Anna, her loud voice was bouncing around in my head and it caused my thoughts
Yeah, you know who I actually mean is making me lose my mind
ns 108.162.216.79da2