Chapter 9: Years of Learning

In the last grade of elementary school, Thomas and Jake were inseparable. They understood each other with a glance, shared every recess, and had their own code of gestures and inside jokes. Their laughter echoed through the halls of the school, and together they had built a world where everything made sense. But, as sometimes happens in life, a single comment was enough to break that balance.

It happened in math class, when the teacher asked Jake to solve a problem on the board. Jake stood up unsteadily and took the chalk between his fingers. Everyone knew it wasn't his forte, and Thomas knew it too. While his friend was doing the math mentally, trying not to make a mistake, Thomas, with the confidence of someone who feels safe in his circle, let loose a joke out loud.

"Come on, Jake, we're staying until next year," he said with a laugh, without measuring the consequences.

There was laughter in the classroom. Some mocking, others simply by inertia. Jake stood still for a moment; the chalk suspended in the air. His face tightened, and though he tried to smile to disguise it, anyone who knew him well could notice the discomfort in his eyes.

"If you're in such a hurry, come and figure it out yourself," Jake said quietly, but the teacher was already urging him to continue.

Thomas noticed the mistake too late. What had started as a harmless comment had exposed his best friend in front of everyone. For the rest of the class, Jake kept his eyes down, and when the bell rang, he quickly packed up his things and left the classroom without waiting for Thomas.

The following days were strange. Thomas looked for Jake in the hallways, but his friend always found a way to avoid him. In the classroom, the silences became unbearable. The jokes they used to share were left in the air, with no one to receive them. Thomas wanted to get closer, but an invisible wall seemed to have grown between them.

One afternoon, after school, he found him in the park, sitting on a bench with his eyes lost on the ground. Thomas approached carefully, feeling every heartbeat echo in his head.

"Jake..." His voice was just a murmur.

Jake looked up. His eyes reflected more than anger: there was sadness, disappointment.

"I'm sorry," Thomas said finally, dropping the weight of his guilt into those two words. "I didn't mean to humiliate you. It was silly. I didn't think about what I was saying."

Jake sighed, letting out the air with a tiredness that didn't match his age. For a few seconds, which felt eternal, he said nothing. Then, his voice came out with a tone of resentment.

"Do you really mean it? Because I... I really felt bad. It wasn't just a joke to me. It was as if... you didn't care how I felt in front of others. As if you were one of them." He looked down, kicking a rock with his foot. "I thought we were friends, but at that moment... you didn't seem like it."

Thomas swallowed. He understood. And the worst part was that he didn't have a valid excuse. He could only be honest.

"You're right. I didn't think. I let myself get carried away and I failed you. But I never wanted you to feel that way." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Jake, you're my best friend. If I could turn back time, I would. But all I can do now is show you that I do care."

Jake glanced at him sideways, as if trying to gauge whether his words were sincere.

"And how do you plan to do that?" he asked in a tone that still held some distrust.

"To start with... I know math isn't your thing. If you want, I can help you. We can study together, at my house or yours. I don't know if that makes up for what I said, but at least I want to do something right for you this time."

Jake frowned, but this time his expression wasn't one of anger, but of reflection. A few seconds passed before he sighed and nodded slightly.

"Okay... but if you start mocking again, I won't hesitate to walk away."

Thomas smiled shyly and raised his hands in surrender.

"I promise. No jokes. Just study."

Jake looked at him for a moment longer, and finally allowed a small smile to creep across his face. Not everything was fixed, but at least it was a beginning. And sometimes, that was enough.

──•─•──•✦•──•─•──

The first year of high school was a whirlwind of change for Thomas. New teachers, new rules, and, above all, new classmates. Although he was still the same mischievous and curious boy as always, his kindness allowed him to fit easily into any group. However, in his homeroom, there was someone who seemed alien to everyone: Leith.

Leith was silent, always secluded in a corner of the classroom, staring at his notebooks. He didn't interact with anyone and hardly spoke in class. It wasn't arrogance or indifference—he just didn't know how. Socializing had always been difficult for him. When he tried to join a conversation, his tone of voice sounded awkward, his comments seemed out of place or came at the wrong time. The discomfort on other people's faces was enough to silence him. Over time, he preferred to stay out of it.

Rumors about his life circulated without filter: that his family had problems, that he had changed schools many times, that he wasn't interested in making friends. Thomas, at first, didn't give it much thought. Until one day, the history teacher formed teams for an assignment—and he was paired with Leith.

"If you want, we'll do it quickly and that's it," Leith said without looking up from his notebook. His tone was dry, almost mechanical.

Thomas, surprised by the attitude, rested his elbows on the table and gave him a nonchalant smile.

"Or we can do it well and without rushing. Don't you prefer to get a good grade?"

Leith glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, suspiciously, as if trying to decipher whether he was serious or just joking at his expense. After a moment of silence, he sighed and nodded.

They spent the afternoon in the library, dividing up the work. At first, Leith spoke only when necessary, with short answers and minimal interest. But Thomas, with his restless nature, couldn't help but fill in the gaps with spontaneous comments.

"Are you always that serious?" he asked, noticing that his companion had hardly changed his expression all afternoon.

Leith glanced at him sideways and wrote in his notebook.

"I have no reason not to be."

"There's always something to laugh about. I, for example, laugh at how badly I draw. Have you seen how my maps turn out? They look like they were drawn by a five-year-old."

To his surprise, Leith let out a faint smile, barely perceptible. Thomas noticed it, but said nothing. Instead, he kept talking about unimportant things, letting the silence between them become a little more comfortable.

As they progressed in the task, the barrier between them began to crumble. It was then that Leith, almost without realizing it, mentioned something Thomas didn't expect.

"In my other school we didn't do group work. Nobody wanted to work with me."

Thomas looked up from his notes.

"Why?"

Leith shrugged.

"Because I didn't talk to anyone. And when I tried to, it was too late. They labeled me as the weird one, the one who's always alone. So, I stopped trying."

Thomas frowned. He had never stopped to think about what someone like Leith might feel being always isolated.

"Well, now you're in a new school. You can start over."

Leith let out a faint laugh, without joy.

"It's not that easy. People have already decided I'm weird here too."

Thomas was silent for a moment. He understood. The rumors, the snap judgments... all of it weighed heavily. But he also knew it didn't have to be that way forever.

"Look, Leith, being different isn't bad. In fact, it's the best thing you can be. Imagine if we were all the same, if we talked the same, dressed the same, thought the same... It'd be so boring. No one would have anything special; nothing would be interesting."

Leith watched him with doubt, but also with a slight interest.

"Yeah, but people don't see it that way. If you're different, you're the odd one. And if you're the weird one, they leave you out."

Thomas put one arm on the table and looked him straight in the eye.

"And why should you care what they think? Don't you think it's worse to spend your life trying to fit into something you're not? If you're yourself, in the end the right people will stick around. Trust me, it's not worth pretending to be someone else just to get others to accept you."

Leith looked down, processing those words. He wasn't used to someone talking to him like that. Most of the time, when someone told him to "stop being so quiet" or "be more sociable," it felt like criticism. But with Thomas, it was different. He wasn't telling him to change. He was telling him he didn't have to.

Thomas smiled and held out his hand.

"By the way, I think you're actually quite an interesting guy. You hadn't told me you like science fiction books. I read them too. We should talk about that sometime."

Leith looked at his hand, hesitating for a moment, and then shook it firmly. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel out of place. He didn't feel weird. He felt seen. And that, to him, meant more than he could express.

In the following days, Thomas gradually integrated Leith into his group of friends. At first, it was difficult. Leith still felt insecure, afraid to say something out of place or make a fool of himself. But with Thomas by his side, everything seemed easier. When he said something awkward, Thomas would cover it up with a light joke. When he was quiet, his new friends didn't push him. Over time, he began to relax.

One afternoon, as they were walking together after school, Leith looked at Thomas with a different expression. There was no doubt on his face, no discomfort. Just gratitude.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

Thomas raised an eyebrow, smiling.

"Why?"

Leith held his gaze and, more confidently than ever, replied:

"For being the only person who never criticized me for being the way I am."

Thomas tapped him lightly on the arm and smiled knowingly.

"Of course. It doesn't make sense to criticize others as if we were perfect. In the end, we all have our mistakes. The important thing is knowing how to improve."

──•─•──•✦•──•─•──

In his senior year of school, Thomas was in the library, staring blankly into the pages of a book he wasn't even reading. His thoughts drifted in and out, tangled in the same concern: his future. Everyone around him seemed to have a clear plan, a definite path, while he felt like he was walking a tightrope, not knowing where to go. Uncertainty weighed on his shoulders like a slab.

He had tried to ignore it, to convince himself that he still had time, but every conversation with friends or family boiled down to the same question: "What about you, what will you do after school?" The feeling of being left behind grew stronger every day. His friends spoke of universities with confidence, of careers with enviable certainty. Some wanted to be doctors, lawyers, engineers. Others dreamed of entrepreneurship, travel, creating something of their own. And he... he had no idea what he wanted to do.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. It wasn't that he lacked interests, but nothing seemed convincing enough. He felt like any decision would be final, with no room for mistakes. And that paralyzed him.

"Thomas?" The philosophy professor's deep voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked up and met the serene gaze of the older man, watching him through his glasses.

"Ah... Yes, professor." He straightened his posture, trying to appear more attentive than he truly was.

The professor tilted his head with a slight smile.

"You seem worried."

With the calm of someone who has all the time in the world, he took a seat across from him. Thomas hesitated for a moment before answering.

"It's just that... I don't know what to do after school. Everyone seems to have a clear path, except me." His voice sounded more uncertain than he would have liked.

The professor clasped his hands on the table and watched patiently.

"And who says you need to have everything figured out at your age?"

Thomas frowned.

"Well... everyone. My parents, my teachers, my friends. It feels like everyone has a plan, something defined. And I... I feel like if I choose wrong, I'll ruin everything."

"The fear of making mistakes is normal, Thomas, but it's not the key to discovering what you truly want," the professor said gently. He leaned in a little, emphasizing every word. "You won't find answers by sitting still, waiting for the perfect decision. You need to get involved in different activities, explore options and, most importantly, pay attention to what makes you come alive."

Thomas listened attentively, absorbing every word.

"But... how do I know when I've found the right thing? What if I realize it's not for me?"

The professor smiled slightly.

"Then you'll have learned something valuable. It's not about finding what brings the most money, recognition, or power. It's about finding what you enjoy, what you're passionate about. And the only way to discover it is by daring to explore. In the end, what matters is being at peace with your choice, not fearing failure. Because when you do what you love, success stops being the goal and becomes a natural result."

Thomas felt a new perspective opening in front of him. Maybe he didn't need an immediate answer—just the willingness to look for one. And for that, he had to start moving.

He sat for a moment longer, letting the professor's words settle in his mind. He looked around: the shelves full of books, the lamps casting warm light, the students immersed in their own futures. Everything looked the same, but something in him had shifted.

For the first time in a long time, he wasn't afraid. He was curious. A spark of excitement—like the kind he used to feel as a child discovering something new.

He closed the book in front of him, one he hadn't read a single word of, and left it on the table. Maybe he didn't know all the answers, but he knew what his next step would be. He would get up, leave the library, and begin his search. Not in a rush, not with fear, but with the certainty that life wasn't a fixed destination—it was a path to be walked with open eyes.

What Thomas didn't know was that his path was about to shift unexpectedly. Very soon, the world he knew would be shaken by a conflict no one could have foreseen. And when that time came, he would make a decision that would mark his destiny forever.