Criticisms welcomed!! :)
"Hey, can I borrow a rubber?"
The first time I talked to Aaron, with his large rimmed glasses and squinty eyes, he refused to lend me a rubber. I called him 'gay'. However, we both didn't belong in our private school and had parents whom we could never connect to, and maybe that's why we became the best of friends. We wanted someone to look up to. But we were young, we were naïve, and we had no idea what the future had in store for us.
As the years crept by, Aaron changed. Fuelled by a deteriorating relationship with his parents, he began to depend upon cigarettes and alcohol. It wasn't long before he started drugs and with that came the urge to get involved in fights. I, on the other hand, coped by crying to the school counsellor, reading Petroski and locking myself in my room. We became two different people under the same pressure, yet I still loved and admired him. He had the confidence and the resolve I wanted. We both were never happy at home, yet he always knew how to look ahead. Unlike him, I could never really think for myself, and I certainly wasn't fit make important decisions like how to live by myself.
Senior year brought the start of the separation of us, as best friends do when their perspectives on life begin to differ. I was left empty and incomplete after he was expelled. But it left me time to put our relationship in perspective. Aaron taught me to grow up. I was and still am somewhat of an introvert, but he helped me leave my shell and experience the ocean outside. I did things with him that I would never have done on my own - standing up to bullies, sleeping in backyards, riding on motorcycles, crazy things. Thanks to Aaron, I learnt to be independent, yet I was never alone. He taught the importance of washing my own clothes, paying my own rent and above all, never letting my circumstances dictate my outcome.
Ever since he disappeared from my life, I have tried harder to look beyond appearances. Others saw Aaron as a rebellious teen and law-breaker. But outside appearances, I realise, are often deceiving. Today, I reach out and make bonds with people easier. There was a time when I saw my parents in the supermarket, looking as intimidating as always. Luckily for me, I decided to talk to them, and after a few minutes of conversation, we decided to have dinner the following week. If it weren't for my relationship with Aaron, I would have never had the courage to talk to them ever again.
There are times when I regret and miss him, and wish we were still young. But along my journey, I realise that we all change, and my experiences have shaped who I am today. Change is only what happens when you discover yourself, and it is what creates your perspective on life. I watched the person dearest to me run down the wrong path. I wished that I could have stepped in and said no. When I finally did, it was too late. But along the way, I learnt an important lesson. Those who break the rules of the community are trash. But you know what? Those who fail to take care of their friends are even lower than trash.
Okay, i'm assuming you're not from the states. I take it that a rubber is an eraser? in the U.S. it's a condom. You might need to change the wording there hahaha. And take out the part about calling him gay because it comes off as insensitive. The juxtaposition of you and Aaron highlights your perserverence, so that's good. You've got quite the story just make sure it doesn't come off as self-pitying.
Yeah, I agree with karissa_a16. You need to clarify on that "rubber" thing. I honestly thought that you were about to talk about having sex and all I could think about was why you needed one. HA. You turned a bad situation into a learning experience that had a positive effect on your life. That's good.
