Friendship Material. (𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒔)

2. Them.

Two years ago, Ally had developed a strong attraction to one of the boys in our church, a young man by the name of Brody. He stood head and shoulders above the rest of us, who were quite short by comparison, measuring in at around 5'4 - 5'6. With his black hair, hazel eyes, and slightly darker complexion, he was a striking figure. Ally was particularly taken with him and would often gaze at him from a distance while he donned his black leather jacket. However, Brody had a close friend named Kayden, who was a touch shorter than him but possessed a striking appearance of his own. With his, dark pupils, and fair complexion, he had a unique and entrancing beauty about him. beautiful - his jet-black hair was as smooth as silk, his skin a creamy white, and his eyes sparkled like those of a fox.

Week after week, they were our targets at church. Now, it may sound creepy, but it was nothing out of the ordinary for teenagers like us. We would follow them and listen in on their conversations simply because we were curious, as teenagers tend to be . looped My Oh My by Camilla Cabello every time I saw her...

And the way she would talk about him, every. single. time.

I look back on those days, I can't help but wonder why we never mustered up the courage to befriend them. Maybe it was the allure of their popularity and the admiration they received from the girls in our church. I'll admit, I found myself swooning over them from time to time, but I was too proud to let them know. I won't let stupid popular boys get to my head, and I was young at the time as well. I was just fourteen what can I say? It wasn't just me either; my friend Ally was equally enamored with one of the boys named Brody. He was tall, with black hair, hazel eyes, and a darker complexion. But it was his best friend Kayden who caught my eye. His features were strikingly beautiful - his jet-black hair was as smooth as silk, his skin a creamy white, and his eyes sparkled like those of a fox.

Every week, Ally and I would make a game of following Brody and Kayden around, eavesdropping on their conversations and admiring them from afar. It was harmless fun, or so we thought. Looking back, I can't help but cringe at our behavior . We were just two silly girls who didn't know any better. But I have to admit, there was a part of me that enjoyed the thrill of it all. It was like something out of a horror movie, where the antagonist stalks their victims and watches them sleep at night. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement as we followed them around, hidden in the shadows. When the victims accidentally woke up, they open their eyes and there they are. Their last glimpse is their obsessive stalker holding a knife.

you get the picture- I hope ..I guess the younger me was just, So into things...

eherm. Before we get out of topic. As time went on, Laiza and Ally continued their weekly ritual of stalking the two boys at church. They never had the courage to talk to them, even after a year of watching them from afar. was a mystery why they never tried to approach the boys, but perhaps it was Ally's crippling shyness or Laiza's apathy that kept them from making a move. Despite their reluctance to interact with the objects of their obsession, they found a strange thrill in watching their every move and dissecting their behavior from a distance. It was almost as if they were living in a separate world, where the boys were the stars and they were the silent, invisible audience.

* Until two years later, Saturday, February 12.

I woke up with a throbbing headache like I do almost every day. It's become a familiar feeling by now. I reached for my phone and contemplated sending a text to my boyfriend, but I hesitated. He hasn't been very responsive lately, and I don't want to seem clingy or desperate.

Despite my doubts, I've tried to communicate with him several times this month, adding emphasis on the several. All I've been getting are half-hearted apologies, but I'm trying to stay positive. Maybe things will get better?

In the meantime, I've been working on a gift for Valentine's Day. I know it's not exactly encouraged in our religion, but who gives a shit right?. I'm just trying to find love and make a connection with someone, gosh ... The things I do to find fucking love.

I know I've said that I don't care about boys, but it's been two years since I've been in a real relationship. A lot has happened since then, and this time, I'm trying.

Since the pandemic hit, our churches have been online for the past two years and I completely forgot about the two boys that we used to be obsessed with. Recently, my friend Mel came back from the Philippines and our trio was reunited again. about everything that happened before, but we don't really talk about it anymore because it's irrelevant now. The last time that Mel and I saw one of the boys was a few months ago.

— 4 months earlier —

Mel and I had church duties for the first time in years that day. Although it stopped right after that day until months later again. There was food prepared outside, pizza, and from what I remember, orange soda. There were only three people in the room at that time, Mel and I were talking about basketball. It was a funny and awkward situation actually.

Laiza: Yeah so we were playing basketball yesterday and-

"You play basketball?"

I get cut off.

did.. is he talking to us-?

 "O-oh.. yeah we play basketball sometimes, because like- in our uh place, and area there's a basketball court."

I sat across from Kayden at the crowded table, my heart beating fast in my chest. I had never spoken to him before, but I had been secretly admiring him from afar for years. Mellow was beside me, and we were both trying to act casual as we engaged in small talk with each other.

Suddenly, Kayden looked up from his phone and nodded his head, as if acknowledging something that had just happened.

And then I notice the eyes. Those piercing fox eyes that used to intimidate me before.

I couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with us. Did he notice us staring at him? Did he hear us whispering?

Mellow and I looked at each other, our eyes wide with excitement and nervousness. We both knew exactly who he was - one of the boys we used to stalk at church. It was embarrassing to admit, but we couldn't help ourselves. Me and Ally were just normal teenagers with a crush.

As Kayden returned his attention to his phone, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. I had hoped that maybe he would notice me, or that we would strike up a conversation. But it seemed that wasn't going to happen.

Mel and I continued our conversation, trying to act as if nothing had happened. But deep down, I couldn't stop thinking about Kayden and how he made my heart race. It was such an innocent, cute, and awkward moment, and I hoped it wouldn't be the last time we interacted. but no.

Little did I know, fate had other plans in store for us.

As I walked away from the church, I couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt that started to sink in. After all, I had a boyfriend, even if our relationship had just been new.

But it wasn't just the guilt that had me feeling uneasy. Kayden had made me flustered, something I hadn't felt in a long time. His presence had stirred up emotions that I had kept buried for so long, and it was making me question everything.

I replayed the scene over and over in my head, trying to make sense of my feelings. We had spent so much time obsessing over Brody that I had never really given Kayden a second thought. But now, seeing him again after all these years, I couldn't deny the attraction I felt toward him.

But what did that mean for me and my boyfriend? Was I really ready to throw away everything we had for a guy I hadn't seen in years? The thought of hurting him made me feel sick to my stomach.

I knew I needed to talk to someone about this, someone who could give me some perspective. But who? Ally was out of town, and Mellow had his own problems to deal with. I felt so lost and alone, with no one to turn to. All I could do was try to sort out my jumbled thoughts and hope that I could make the right decision.