Memories Bequeathed

Chapter 5

"Lean on me, when you're not strong And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on For it won't be long 'Til I'm gonna need Somebody to lean on" - Lean on me, Bill Withers

Dedicated to hi_its_sheva 

check out her writing -  shevagreen

**********************************************************************

Okay, so I know that it sounds like I was completely alone. That isn't entirely the case. I had a friend. Her name is Seraphima.

I don't know why, but Sera always reminded me of the moment in fourth grade when we first met. It was at orientation and my mother told us that the curly haired girls needed to stick together. That didn't go the way we had planned, but being two shy strangers, we automatically agreed. We did not know what we were getting into. We didn't know about the fights to come, the arguments, the crushes, the texts about random hot guys at the supermarket, the unconditional support... There was no way to ever imagine the kind of love that could form, transforming two strangers into sisters.

Of course, there were rough patches. After all, our friendship began with a hatred for one another. After we were told to stick together, we tried. We tried, and we failed. At first we did stick together. That's how she met my only two "friends", Tina and Mary. Tina... well, she was Tina. I've said enough about her so far. Perhaps she will return, but for now I think that she is irrelevant. Mary was like Tina. They looked the same, they shared the same thoughts, it was as if they read each other's mind. The only difference between them: Mary wasn't as cruel. She didn't enjoy the pain of others. She did not inflict pain on others. Sure, she made them feel left out and alone, and pissed off that she does not care, but she would never directly say anything. Like Tina, she just wanted a playmate, not a friend. Neither of them cared for the person within. Tina was just meaner about it.

Yet, as bad as they were, they were my friends. They were all that I had, and I loved it. Love is a lot, I know. It's too much, but they were all that I had at the time. Then Sera came into the picture and, in a fraction of a second, they were gone. Suddenly she was this amazing person that they loved. Out of nowhere, they cared , and the three of them had real conversations... real connections.

I always stood on the side. I always walked behind them on the sidewalk because it only fit three little fourth graders. I always felt isolated and alone. To me, it was all her fault, and I despised her.

I'm not sure why she hated me.

It was almost as if she was able to sense my hatred, and she sent it back, right into my heart. She called me fat at recess, I pulled her precious little curls, blaming it on Esther.

Then one day, I don't remember why, but we got particularly pissed at each other. I remember glaring at her... watching, too. I was glaring and watching as she glared at me. Then, we both took off and grabbed the white-board markers. Immediately she wrote that I liked Zachary across the board. Then, underneath that, I wrote that "Sera likes Zachary". We wrote that across the board, each of us angrily responding to each other. For those of you that I went to highschool with and do not know who this is, I will explain. Zachary was this boy in our class. He was slightly unattractive and, for that, he was isolated. Zachary, if the recipients of this journal do not follow the rules and this gets out, please know that I am sorry. I am truly, truly, sorry. You are a true sweetheart and never deserved anything that you were forced to go through.

Anyway, the teacher decided to intervene and sent us to the principal's office. She sat us down and, instead of even listening to what happening, immediately began to blame Sera. "Shrela," she said, mispronouncing Sera's name. "Shrela, you do understand that what you did was very wrong and for that you must understand that actions have consequences. You can really hurt others."She just babbled and babbled on. We couldn't help it. Simultaneously, Sera and I burst out laughing. It was just so ridiculous.

After that, we hung out. Sure, we argued and fought, but we grew up and grew out of it.

Sera is my best friend. Sera, you helped me through so much. You became my sister and partner in crime. Thanks for, unlike everyone else, being there for me. Thanks for being amazing.

So, yes, to the rest of you, I apologize for making it seem like I was alone. After Sera and I switched schools and didn't see each other anymore, we still made an effort to see each other and we did. We hung out every week. But, in school, although I was able to text her, it still felt like I was, to some degree, alone. When I got home and called her, and when we were together, it was like nothing had changed. But, please understand that when we weren't together, I still felt as if I was an outcast. I still hurt inside and I still felt utterly alone and sad.

But, still, the one thing that saved me was Sera. Thanks, Ser. All you need in life is one friend. Just one friend, and everything is better.

-------------------------------------

Author's Note

So, what do you guys think of Sera? Do you like her? Do you dislike her? Do you think that she is good for the main character? Comment and vote to let me know what you think. 

- NerdilyNerdy