Life Or Friend

Here is a story I recently wrote. It is NOT based on anyone, it is a story about dealing with the pressure of choosing a friend or their life...

Sindy was going through a hard time. Her grades were at average, but the bully system and home were getting rough. Yeah, she’d been bullied before but it was getting intense. Her parents were already divorced, but still fighting about who should get custody of Sindy. Sindy, as my parents would say, was in the depths of despair.

I was her best friend, but I didn’t find any of this out until I heard her crying in the girls’ room. At first she refused to tell me what was going on. I took the bus home with her that night to see if I could get anything out of her. Nothing. She just said ‘Nothing happened!’ I told that she might as well tell me now or I’ll have to call her when she got home. Still, nothing. So when I got home I tried to call her. The phone must have rung at least twenty times. I still didn’t get an answer. She would be going to her father’s for the weekend, so I’d call again tomorrow to get his new number.

I call the next morning and talked to her sister, Olivia. She gave me her father’s number. I quickly dialed Sindy’s weekend number. Five rings went by. I didn’t think anyone would answer but by the seventh ring, Sindy answered the phone.

"Sindy, what’s going on? I’ve tried to get ahold of you since yesterday!"

"Nothing happened! I’m fine, everything is fine!"

"Everything is not fine, Sindy. If everything was fine, you’d tell me, your best friend, what’s going on! What? Do you not trust me anymore?"

"No, I trust you, I just don’t want to tell you." There was a brief silence, "You don’t have to know everything that goes on in my life, okay?"

"Well, best friends do know every single thing about their best friend at some point in life! So I guess that we’re ‘Just friends!’" And hung up.

Taking the bus to school Monday morning was hard. I had to avoid talking to Sindy because I couldn’t talk to her until she told me what happened. Kelsey came to sit with me instead.

"Hey, do you know what’s up with Sindy?" I asked hoping she did.

"Alls I know that she’s been bullied more than usual and that she’s having a rough time at home. Don’t know any details, though. Why don’t you ask her? You’re her best friend, you talk to her." I didn’t say anything, I just sat there.

When I was at my locker at the end of the day, Sindy came up to me, lifting up her left arm sleeve. I was hoping she would talk to me.

"Are you going to talk to me or what?" I asked.

"No, just show and you’ll be able to piece things together. But I am sorry for not telling you sooner." She put her wrist in front of my face. Cut marks. I could not believe this! Out of all the things to ‘Make yourself feel better’ was for her to cut herself! I slammed my locker door shut and walked away with a tear ready to fall down my cheek. And the way she told me made me feel worse.

The next day, I decided to walk to school. I wanted to get there early. When I got there, I skipped going to my locker and went straight to Student Services.

"Yes, what is it dear?" The lady behind the desk asked.

"Um..." I thought it over again, "I was up late last night thinking if I should do this. Um... My friend, Sindy Bell, showed me cut marks yesterday. And I don’t care if she hates me for telling this, I want her to get some help." The lady nodded and took me to a room with another lady in it. I told her the same thing and what homeroom Sindy was in, then she dismissed me.

When I was walking to my locker, Sindy was waiting there for me. I didn’t say anything to her. I just got my stuff and went to my homeroom.

Just before lunch, over the PA system, a person from the office called Sindy down. Sindy quickly glared at me. I continued to do my work.

I don’t know what happened at the office. We haven’t talked since the day she showed me the marks on her wrist. She hangs out with the popular guys and girls now. I hope she got help. I may have saved someone’s life.