An Unexpected Friendship
765 Words
The alarm on my phone rang earlier than usual.
For a few seconds, I stared at the ceiling, wondering why I was awake so quickly.
Then I remembered.
School.
A smile slowly appeared on my face.
I was actually excited to go.
That was strange.
A few days ago, I was terrified of walking into a place where nobody knew me. Now, there was one person who made the hallways feel less unfamiliar.
Ethan.
I quickly got ready and headed downstairs.
“Someone looks happier today,” Mom said as she handed me my breakfast.
I tried to hide my smile.
“I’m just getting used to the new school.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Sure.”
I rolled my eyes playfully.
“Mum.”
She laughed.
The drive to school felt shorter than usual. When I arrived, students were already filling the hallways.
I looked around, hoping to see a familiar face.
Then I saw him.
Ethan was standing near the lockers, listening to two of his friends talk. For some reason, seeing him made me feel relieved.
He noticed me and smiled.
“Morning, Amelia.”
“Morning.”
He looked at my bag.
“Still carrying your notebook everywhere?”
I looked down.
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
I smiled. “Okay, yes.”
He laughed.
It was a small laugh, but I liked hearing it.
“You have a strange relationship with that notebook.”
I held it closer.
“It’s private.”
He raised his hands.
“Okay, okay. I won’t ask.”
The fact that he respected that made me trust him a little more.
Most people would have teased me.
Ethan didn’t.
During class, we ended up working together on a history assignment.
At first, I thought it would be awkward.
It wasn’t.
Ethan was actually fun to work with. He made jokes when I got stressed and helped me understand the parts I didn’t get.
“You’re surprisingly patient,” I told him.
He looked up from his paper.
“Surprisingly?”
I smiled.
“I mean… you don’t look like the patient type.”
He pretended to be offended.
“And what type do I look like?”
I studied him.
“Someone who keeps secrets.”
For a moment, his smile faded.
Just for a second.
Then it came back.
“Maybe you’re right.”
There it was again.
The mystery.
I wanted to know what he wasn’t saying.
But I didn’t push.
After school, I was packing my books when Ethan stopped beside my desk.
“Are you walking home?”
“Yeah.”
“Can I walk with you?”
I paused.
“Sure.”
We walked through the school gate together.
The afternoon sun was warm, and for once, I wasn’t thinking about how different everything was.
I was just enjoying the moment.
“So,” Ethan said, “what made you move here?”
The question caught me off guard.
I looked ahead.
“It’s a long story.”
He nodded.
“You don’t have to tell me.”
I looked at him.
“You’re not curious?”
“I am.”
“Then why didn’t you ask again?”
He shrugged.
“Because if it’s something important, you’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
I stopped walking for a moment.
He looked back.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
But it wasn’t nothing.
It was the fact that Ethan made me feel understood.
And I barely knew him.
We continued walking.
After a few minutes, he said, “I’m glad you came here.”
I smiled.
“Why?”
He looked at me.
“Because now I have someone new to talk to.”
My heart felt strangely warm.
“You have lots of friends.”
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “But sometimes having people around doesn’t mean you’re not alone.”
I didn’t know what to say.
Because I understood.
More than I expected.
When we reached my street, I stopped.
“This is me.”
He nodded.
“See you tomorrow?”
“Definitely.”
I walked toward my house, then turned around.
Ethan was still standing there.
He waved.
I waved back.
That night, I opened my notebook.
Usually, I wrote about things that hurt.
Things I couldn’t tell anyone.
But this time, I wrote something different.
Today I made a friend.
I stared at the words.
A real friend.
And somehow, I had a feeling Ethan was going to become someone important in my life.
I just didn’t know how important yet.
- Writer
