The Friends Who Never Left

It was a new school year, and as usual, some students were excited about making new friends and hoping to see old friends after a long holiday. It was the second-to-last year they had before their graduation. The school corridors were filled with joy, laughter, and excitement. Students moved from one place to another, greeting their friends, talking about their holidays, and sharing stories about what they had done during the break. Among the students who were happy to be back were David, Michael, and Olivia, who had been together since the first day they met themselves in school. They had been friends for four years, and after spending the holiday apart, they were really happy to see themselves again. “Guys, it’s been four years of being friends,” David said, smiling. “Really? I’m grateful I met you guys,” Michael replied. They all smiled and laughed. Their friendship had grown stronger over the years. They had shared good moments, helped one another with schoolwork, and supported each other whenever things became difficult. Deep down, Olivia was not happy about being the only girl among her friends, but she endured it and did not want to bring it up to them. She loved her friends and was grateful for their friendship, but sometimes she wished there was another girl in their group. “So, can we please talk about our holiday? I missed my friends so much,” Olivia said. David and Michael laughed. “Okay, okay. You really missed us that much?” David asked jokingly. “Of course!” Olivia replied. The three friends went under the mango tree, which was their favorite place because of its cool breeze and broad leaves that provided shade. It was one of the places where they usually spent time together whenever they wanted to talk without being disturbed. They sat comfortably under the tree and began talking about their experiences during the holidays. Olivia told them about some of the things she had done with her family. David also shared some interesting experiences from his holiday, while Michael listened and occasionally added his own stories. They all talked about the experiences they had during the holidays and their results. When the conversation turned to their academic results, Michael became a little quiet. Michael was not as brilliant as his friends, but during the last exams, his performance had been impressive. He had worked harder than before, and his results showed that his effort had paid off. David looked at him proudly. “Michael, you really surprised me with your results,” he said. “Yeah,” Olivia added. “You actually did very well.” Michael smiled. “Thank you, guys. I really tried my best.” “We're proud of you,” David said. Michael felt happy hearing those words. He knew that his friends were genuinely happy for him, and that made the achievement even more special. After celebrating Michael's success, the three friends began discussing their plans for the next school year. They talked about their studies, the things they wanted to achieve, and how they hoped to make their final year memorable. They knew that graduation was getting closer. Although they still had another year before leaving school, the thought of going their separate ways sometimes crossed their minds. For now, however, they pushed the thought aside. They were together again.