The day was Friday September 9 2005. Frances, Christine, Amanda, Carmela and Noeline of 10 Aikenhead were casually waiting for the commencement of their double period of sport. Their teacher, Mrs Smith was running late; not that it mattered much, they weren't sport fanatics anyway. They were the type of people who participated in the name of fun.
Two straight lines talking quietly amongst themselves was the behaviour expectant of a grade 10 class, but on that particular day - were under the formation of sub classes scattered across the playground, divided by friendship groups bound by the balanced dynamics of personality.
Perhaps a practical sport lesson, first thing on a Friday morning was a dreaded wake up call for the students, more concerned about counting down the hours; because for the girls of All Saints, 3:05pm officially marked their weekend. The final bell was, as always, melodious. It congratulated them for making it past four days from that dreaded Monday. They had two days to either relax, or use as compensation to catch up on the work they were too lazy to complete in class.
There were the groups making final amendments to their game presentation assessment, flicking frantically over their notes, others were retreiving sport equipment in preparation for the upcoming lesson, and the rest were chatting amongst one another. There wasn't much to talk about, for they saw each other everyday, and after school would talk on the phone or chat on the internet. For every five boring conversations there was one interesting one - if you were lucky. Usually they talked about their weird dreams, how weird it was that some of them barely dreamt, sleeping in and what they had for breakfast - or their lack of it. Ever since grade 7, it was the same old.
And that's where we come in. Frances, Christine, Amanda, Carmela and I wound ourselves in an argumentative debate over the issue of 'like'. Don't even ask how it all started. It seemed to have popped out of thin air and consumed us completely, like a school of fish oblivious to the fact they were just eaten by a shark. Before you knew it we were talking at the same time, eager to get our two cents in.
The topic was 'Under what conditions do you like someone?' We would have made for a heated episode of Jerry Springer, had we not been snapped into the realisation that we were in P.E. class and not an english debating lesson - to our disappointment.
I was outnumbered in saying that I only like someone under the conditions that I am 100% certain they like me, first. There's still guys I find hot, cute, attractive - however you want to put it, but I have no intent in pursuing.
My stubborn attitude has its downfalls. Just say I was compatible with this guy but we both thought the same. He wouldn't like me unless I told him I liked him, and I wouldn't like him unless he told me he liked me. There goes the chance of a possibly fantastic relationship.
I've seen it happen too many times: Friends who secretly like a guy she's never spoken to, only to be 'heartbroken' when they see another girl in his arms. Call me lazy, ignorant or old fashioned, but I'm just not the chasing type. I don't like wasting my time thinking about someone who, at the very least doesn't even know how to spell my name. I can't be bothered missing someone who doesn't care about me... but I admire the girls who do.
It's like free falling from the sky - from your dreams, just hoping that he'll be the one person to notice that you're plummeting towards the ground and catch you when you land. Talk about extreme sport. In most cases you land injured, confused, angry and scarred for life. It's risky, that. I'm too chiken sh*t to take my chances. Too scared that a pretty girl will walk by and steal his attention; leaving me to pick myself up. It's pain I don't wish to inflict upon myself.
On the other hand Christine, Frances and Amanda saw different - not wrong; just different. They had the audacity to like the very people they were attracted to. Upon what grounds, only they themselves can say. Maybe when they aren't the type to make a big deal out of not ending up with the person they liked, or perhaps they have qualities (that I don't have) to get past it and move on to like someone else.
What surprised me furthermore was found in their saying that they were able to like someone, whilst not necessarily wanting to go out with them. If you like them, isn't that because you saw in them the intrinsic worth that makes for a potential partner? Potential husband credentials? [Guys if you're reading this make a comment and please explain]
I see it as a one way ticket to Disappointment. A journey that lasts accordingly to your feelings. If you look to the window on your left, you'll see him flirting with your worst enemy, and to your right - there he is introducing her to his family. In about five minutes we'll be passing by the beautiful church where they are soon to wed. When you've seen enough feel free to jump out.
Carmela was the fence sitter in the conversation. She recognised both sides without necessarilly taking to one. Like she said: "it depends" which is true. There's circumstances, whether you choose to acknowledge them or not. The person you like may be the same person your friend fancies, he/she may have once dated your best friend, or possibly they ARE your best friend. They may not ready be for a relationship like you are, are content cruising the single life or just don't have the time. The matter isn't black and white. There's shades of grey in between that changes the whole picture.
I love how my friends disagree with me, as odd as it sounds. They're people I can conversate with. They're my party coloured lightbulbs that help me see things in a different way. Whether they be the red, green, blue, orange, yellow or standard kind, they each emit their own light - their individual opinions on a single situation. That in itself, in my opinion, is friendship at its finest.
I'm a Virgo. A neat freak and an over analytical perfectionist. For me to maintain my sanity everything has to be logical. But in situations concerning like - what's logical? If like leads to the magic of love, where does that leave me?
For the most part, what IS love? Is it our animal instincts telling us to hurry up and do our bit in continuing the human race? Is it the surging of particular 'feel-good' hormones simply ignited by a look, a smile, a kiss? Logic, my best friend says so. But Faith, my other best friend tells me otherwise. Faith tells me that love is what makes the difference between a life wasted or a life fulfilled. Ahh, such irony.
Added 25/09/05: Today I learnt a valuable lesson. Such one that contradicts everything in the previous entry about my opinion on the whole 'like' thing.
You can like someone, but sometimes it's not enough to keep a relationship going.
There's a certain amount that fuels the duration of relationships. When it's scarce, the relationship is no longer running on like, you're pushing it - physically and emotionally.
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