A Journey of A Lifetime

04- Taking Chances

My heart raced as I typed each letter of his name into the search bar: 'STEVEN ANDERSON.' I scrolled through the accounts that came up, but his was nowhere to be found. My head filled with thoughts and questions. Was he intentionally hiding his online presence, or had I possibly misspelled his name?

Doubt and uncertainty began to creep in as I wondered if I would ever locate him on social media. And even if I did find his account, would I have the courage to send him a message? Would he respond? Probably not, considering he had a girlfriend... but were they still together?

I pushed my thoughts aside and started scrolling through reels. I yawned when I glanced at the time; it was quite late. I certainly didn't want to break my streak of 8 hours of sleep. I decided to call it a night and resume my search tomorrow.

One evening, I decided to take a different approach. I began investigating the Instagram accounts of some of his friends, hoping to find a connection or a hint.

I scrolled through the accounts they followed, examining each one meticulously. Hours turned into minutes, and just when I thought I was chasing a hopeless lead, I stumbled upon something intriguing. There it was-a profile with a slightly unique username and a blurry profile picture. Though it was a private account, something about it suggested that it might be his.

My heart pounded in my chest, and my hands trembled as I hesitated before sending him a friend request.

The decision weighed heavily on me. What if he thought I was strange for tracking him down this way? What if he didn't remember me at all? Doubt gnawed at me, but I knew I had to take the chance. After all, life was too short for regrets.

With a deep breath and a racing pulse, I clicked the "Add Friend" button and sent the request. Then, I waited, my anxiety growing with each passing moment. Hours turned into an agonizing day, and I began to doubt if he would ever respond.

But just when I was beginning to lose hope, a notification popped up on my phone. "_uncreated_.7 has accepted your friend request." A surge of excitement and relief washed over me, and I couldn't help but smile. Little did I know that this simple action would open the door to a whole new chapter in my life.

I didn't know what to say. I was just so happy. I made up my mind and sent him a text.

K: Hey! How are you? Do you remember me?

S: ???

K: Which school did u go to?

S: Brooklyn Heights High... why?

K: 😳😲

K: Just wanted to know if I'm texting d right person 😅

K: I know you!

S: Were you in the same school as me?

K: Yep

S: Which? And what's your name buddy??

K: Okay, first, do you know anyone who's currently in 9th in Brooklyn Heights High?

S: Hm.. Loren...Johnson?

K: And anyone else or only her?

S: I don't know their names... I forgot

K: My name's Katherine

S: Katherine.? Girl or boy?

K: Girl, of course 🤧

S: Ok

K: What are you doing now? You're in 12th?

S: Yuh!

K: Can you keep this a secret... No one knows so far, except for Loren and you.

S: Hm.

K: Pleasssse

S: Yup.!

K: TYSM!!!!

S: Hm. Btw is she also on Insta🧐

K: No

S: Ok