1 Prologue.

“Hazel, how could you?!” Catherine yells as she pushes me, making me almost lose my balance and fall. Luckily, I got a grip of that wooden chair behind me but I still felt the sharp pain on the right side of my lower back when it hit the edge of the desk.

I was in disbelief that my best friend just tried to hurt me. She caught me off guard since I just got inside the classroom because I just finished lunch. The look in Catherine’s eyes made me more worried than scared. This is the first time I saw her stare at me like that. She’s so angry that it seems like she’s just ready to devour my soul and spit me into the deepest pits of hell.

As I was trying to focus on Catherine, I just couldn’t help but look at all the people inside our room. All of our classmates stare at us – the ones that are already inside and also the ones that are just coming in from their lunch. Their eyes make me tremble in embarrassment and fear. I know what they’re thinking. It’s obvious that they side with Catherine in whatever it is that is happening between us now. I tried my best to avert my gaze and just concentrate on the things coming out of Catherine’s mouth.

“I trusted you.” She said, glaring at me with eyes that could kill and not care one bit, her hands gripping the bottom sides of her skirt with undeniable pressure.

On the spur of the moment, Catherine swung her arm but Sophia and Marian ran towards her, held both her arms just in time to stop her from hitting me. It happened so fast; I had no time to flinch.

“You told me that you won’t be getting in the way.” Catherine shouted as tears started falling down her eyes, still maintaining that angry glare. Her face starts turning red. “I told you everything. I trusted you right from the very start. I-I thought we were friends!” With all her strength, she pushed herself towards me but luckily, Sophia and Marian are still holding her tightly.

I sighed.

My eyes, again, scanned the entire classroom and everyone’s still looking at us, looking at me. I know that everyone here knows the whole story of why Catherine wanted to attack me. It’s just that, it’s something I couldn’t control. No. Maybe I-

Flashback.

Catherine and I went straight to our favorite ice cream bar after school. It’s just a few blocks away from campus and it’s a small and cozy place. Plus, the workers there are so sweet and very nice to us. We even call them grandma and grandpa sometimes.

It’s exam week and every day for the last three days, our brains are beat up by the tests that’s why we need ice cream to cool us down.

As we went inside, grandma immediately greeted us and escorted us to the table she saved because she knows we’re coming. She told us that she expects us to come at this very hour since she knows our exams end at four thirty in the afternoon. She didn’t hand us menus anymore cause Catherine and I already memorized it. Grandma then, went back to her station to prepare our orders. She said that the waffle is on the house. It is her small gift to us to relieve us from our stress from the exams.

Catherine ordered her favorite banana split with three additional scoops of ice cream, a total of six different flavors – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, matcha, bubblegum, and salted caramel. I am always amazed every time I watch her gobble up that massive dessert as she has a very petite and tiny body. This 5’4” girl definitely has a monster inside her stomach.

“You know that Kyle guy from Biology?” She asked. Yep. I know that grin in her face.

I lightly shook my head sideways and smirked.

“What?” she asked, trying her best not to laugh. Her face now turned red as she threw a tissue at me. She scooted towards me and leaned her head on my shoulder. “He carried my books for me the other day.”

“So?” I let out a small laugh and then she pinched my arm. “Ok. Ok. HAHAHA. But has he asked you out yet?” I asked.

“Not yet.” She said as she sat straight. “But soon.”

End of Flashback.

I never knew that after that day, Kyle and I would be close friends. I also never knew that spending time with him every day, in the morning and at night, after hanging out with Catherine in the afternoon, would make me fall in love with him. And make him fall in love with me.

That put me into the deepest part of hell, burning under Catherine’s wrath.

I knew deep in my heart that this is out of my control. That it just happened and that I can’t control Kyle’s feelings even if I try controlling mine. But…

But what if I could? Maybe if I just ignored him right from the start, maybe he developed feelings for Catherine instead of me. But I couldn’t change the past now. I could just start over and ignore him.

They say that it is better to give than to receive.

Studies show that when people give, their bodies produce a boost of hormones that help them stay happy and prevent them from being at risk of many health problems. They also say that there would be more blessings if you learn to be generous and sacrifice for the sake of other people.

Teens my age explore all sorts of things, party with friends, enjoy every bit of time that we have, and do things that we want for ourselves.

They say that it’s more fun being a teen – no bills to pay, no work deadlines, basically no responsibilities yet.

A teen’s life is all rainbows and butterflies.

And then they learn to fall in love.

Rainbows suddenly become more colorful. Butterflies start growing inside their belly. It is a feeling that is so hard to explain because when you feel it for the first time, all sorts of emotions combine just to make such an intense burst of pleasure.

Researchers explain that this behavior is normal as teenagers use a different part of their brain to make decisions compared to adults.

But I am not just a teenager. I am smart and I know I can handle this. Forget about the rainbows and the butterflies. It was fun and I liked the feeling. But I know that there are better things to do than being with Kyle. I know this would be hard, but letting him go is the right thing.

For Catherine.

For the sake of friendship.