Chapter 3: My first friend group (part 2)

Date: 05-03-2015

Well after I became class president I needed a vice president which was a Rijon. First it was awkward for me to talk to him not because of the election but because I really didn't know what to say.

Rijon was a friendly guy. He talked about many things but I do not remember them. After a few days he told me to join a study group. At that point I didn't know what a study group was I thought we were just studying together so I said sure why not.

I told my mom she asked me how much it costs. I didn't know what to answer because I didn't know it costs money. Apparently students hire a mentor to teach them in a study group. The group I was supposed to join was 12 members 5 boys and 7 girls and the mentor was a senior in the school who was also the son of a teacher. My mom talked to the mentor and my group mates and got me in. When I got there I was astonished to see that boys and girls were playing together while studying. My mom and dad were serious about education. So my study at home was like a prison compared to this. In the group there were Fray, Keya, Rijon, Rezor, Andy, Samuel, Sifa, Ana, Ritu, Disa, Oisy and a guy named PP. I never knew what the full form of PP was but everyone called him that. The mentor was very cordial I am to this day very grateful to him. He was the person who taught me critical thinking. He told me,"If someone tells you some things your first response should be validate that information not to believe that person and this is true for everything and everyone."

He used to explain things very clearly with facts and examples. I liked him because of it. His explanations made me curious and calculative.

Like these days went by and I made new friends. And I noticed no one would talk to Andy he was basically alone so I asked around and found that Andy was two years older than us apparently he started school late and he liked Fray. One day he told Fray that and Fray insulted him. She said if anyone speaks with Andy she would not speak with them. I was confused I didn't understand so what if Andy liked her why would everyone not speak with him. I asked Fray that and she warned me not to speak with Andy.

I didn't do that. The next day I sat next to Andy and said hi to him. He paused for a second and asked me if I was speaking to him. After talking to him I found that Andy's family was very religious and so was Andy. Even after no one speaks to him because of Fray he still liked her. He was fun to be with. He would tell me different places he went to visit with his father how the blue oceans are , how big the mountains are , how vast a forest is etc and I loved hearing these stories. I had never seen oceans , mountains or forests. Most of the time was spent indoors. Even the village I lived in was on a flat plain.

I noticed some group mates look at me weirdly but it didn't bother me. After a few days when everyone saw happily I spoke with Andy Samuel joined us and the next few days later PP joined us. Rijon and Razor being the only one left also joined later. Just like that all the boys now spoke to Andy.

I never intended it to happen and it did. Still girls didn't speak with Andy but they talked with the rest of the boys just fine even me.

I guess they forgot about not talking to the guys who spoke with Andy.

Andy one day came up to me and thanked me and to be honest at that time I didn't know why he did that.

These new friends of mine were very different from Shimanto. But I liked them nonetheless. Rijon was friendly, Razor was weird, Andy was shy for some reason, Samuel was talkative and PP just went with whatever we said. They were all different but they were my friend group.

And everyone seemed happy I always thought how that felt.