#something something simon thinks if you don't have enough friends to play a football game what's the point

[lamentable-comedy]

obsessed with the fact that baz is so good at seeming cool on the outside that no one notices he's never actually made a friend in his life.

at watford he hung out with his cousin (would have known him before school) and his cousin's roommate (dev made friends with niall and brought him along to hang out with baz). in carry on and after watford his friends are penny (package deal with simon) and shepard (decided he was friends with the group of them regardless of what they wanted).

this man doesn't know how to make friends. he knows how to have the same taste in friends as his relatives and boyfriend. and how to stand around looking cool and aloof so that people think he's mysterious instead of an awkward loser. i adore him.

[callofdudes]

141 + Rodolfo & Laswell general headcanons

Before he was Ghost (and still sometimes after) he was the guy you'd go to if you had a rip in something or wanted something stitched/embroidered.

His brother was the type to bully him like he did, but if anyone outside the home tried to hurt Simon Tommy would beat them.

Had a schedule where he was to be home straight after school but would sometimes get to go dirt bike riding with Tommy.

Was a prime bullies target because he was very small before his growth spurts. And after said growth spurt has a lot of stretch marks around most of his muscle area.

Is the favorite child of Laswell.

Loves squishmellows, has many.

Will eat Thrills gum just to spite everyone even though it tastes like dish soap and he hates it.

Brings all Gossip to Gaz first.

Because of trauma and stress Simon gets constant migraines and everyone knows to avoid him because he gets insanely cranky.

Knows spanish from how long he was kept in mexico.

Used to play those computer games where you had to input the command of what you wanted the simulation to do.

Doesn't like VR. It's cool but he gets motion sick inside.

Huge mama's boy.

Had braces when he was younger but it didn't stop him from showing off his amazing smile.

Used to bug his older sisters with nerd guns.

I like the idea of Johnny being the youngest chaos gremlin but being the middle child also works for him. (Of two or three sisters)

His parents let him be in football because he was a very smart kid. Topping his science and math classes and becoming valedictorian of his class.

He thinks he's the favorite child of Laswell.

Gets scared when Simon tells him about pixel command prompt games.

While his sisters were watching Frozen he was dealing with the weird crush he had on the king.

Steals pick up lines from Kyle.

Doesn't voice his achievements a whole lot because he wasn't enough for his dad when he was younger no matter what he did. Which has led to his snarky form of confidence and Rizz.

Even older people with take credit for his work and he will fight.

Was 100% a theatre kid.

And an only child.

Is scared to come out even to people close to him after what happened when his platoon mates first found out and wouldn't let it go.

Also thinks he's the favorite child.

Almost got his eyebrow pierced once.

Started to learn what a good father should be because of Price.

Brings all gossip to Ghost first.

Massive people watcher. People credit Ghost for his people watching but it just gives Kyle more opportunity to also people watch.

Has a mentor/big brother little brother relationship with Ghost and they're actually very close.

Used to be a menace when he was younger, and to be fair he still is.

Can't have kids because his balls don't work very well 😅

He was in history in school and was also very good at math.

The Duolingo bird hates him for some reason so he's taken to learning languages from interrogations, now knows 7 languages.

Is Nikolai's permanent backup plan if some shit goes down in Russia and has gotten used to waking up with the man asleep on his couch.

Attracts girls looking for older rich men and it pains him to tell them he is not old, nor is he rich.

Had a strict Military dad who currently still works for the military as a higher rank than him and they do not have a good relationship.

Spends most of her leave time up in the mountains camping. She loves being out in nature.

Has older brothers who are really into rock climbing so she'll accompany them and their friends for rock climbing and camping when she can.

Simon is the favorite child.

Everyone thinks she's married to Price but she'd actually scold him like a child half the day and encourage his antics like a good friend for the rest.

Was in the history and chest club.

Keeps gifting Simon his squishmellows.

Mother to all her 141 children.

Brings her wife to base and Johnny had taken to calling them the "moms".

Will bully people for 141.

Have you ever seen the crazy taser girl?? Yeah, that's him. He has many tasers and he loves them all.

He's actually crazy.

Very capable of yelling and defending himself but Alejandro has bestie senses and usually beats him to whoever did it.

Rudy is quiet but don't bark at him because he barks back.

Alejandro and Rudy used to skip school and go hang out on the cliffs they now trek for military.

His father made a joke once that he was going to get milk and Rudy never recovered mentally.

(and then he left for real-)

He was in photography and sports team manager in school.

After checking out each other's turf, Simon and Rudy are now chronically insane besties.

(had this in my drafts for a while, decided to post because I'm bored.)

[skamenglishsubs]

Subtext and Culture, Young Royals, Season 1, Episode 2

Episode 2 picks up the morning day after the initiation party, the girls are having breakfast lunch at their dorm, the boys at theirs, and everyone wants the juicy details about what happened at the party...

Culture: Tell me more, tell me more, did you get very far? Although, it's pretty funny how the roles are reversed, Maddie is all "meh" about it, while Nils tells a different story. Then again, since when do you get together after a blowjob?

Culture: I actually have no idea why Simon is having breakfast at Skogsbacken, since regular schools only cover lunch for students, everyone eats breakfast at home, and then goes to school. Then again, it allows a scene where (Never mind, they're having lunch, thanks @kamand !) Blink and you miss it: Wilhelm casts some nervous glances at Simon after having been called out for disappearing at the party and almost forced to confess to making out with someone.

Culture: I know Felice is trying to put August down, but don't knock a proper Swedish pizza! As much as I like living in the US, they can't fucking make pizzas here, and the first thing I eat every time I go back to Sweden is always a real pizza. With pineapple and shrimp as God intended pizza to be made!

Culture: August is namedropping ski resorts in the Alps, which is where you go skiing in Europe if you have money, although Saint-Martin-de-Belleville is actually near Val Thorens in France, while Verbier is in Switzerland. It does have a three-star restaurant, though. Sweden and Norway have a couple of decent ski resorts, but the Scandinavian mountain chain is simply not as impressive as the Alps.

Subtext: Remember Wilhelm getting up and hurrying to math class in the beginning of the scene? It was so he could grab the other seat next to Simon, because he knows Simon is gonna sit next to Sara, since no-one else does.

Culture: Formally greeting your teacher before class is very uncommon in Sweden, but since Hillerska is all about discipline and tradition, of course they do it. Note that they're again using the formal Swedish title for male teachers, Magister, which in a regular school would be kind of a joke, since teachers and students are on a first-name basis with each other.

Subtext: Wilhelm is exposing how the world works if you have money. At Simon's old school, studying alone would result in good grades, but Hillerska is slightly corrupt and almost expects the students to essentially pay for getting a good grade.

Subtext: Simon is lying to his teacher, he absolutely hasn't talked to his parents about paying for private lessons.

Subtext: No, Sara absolutely does care about what other people think about her, and when she directly tells Felice that she would actually like some friends, that's when Felice gets it and starts making an effort to become real friends with her.

Culture: They're all bilingual at Simon's home, they're all speaking Spanish and Swedish, although Linda has a very noticeable accent to her Swedish. Based on demographics and statistics, the most likely scenario is that Linda immigrated to Sweden from Chile, met Micke, and started a family. In real life, Omar Rudberg was born in Venezuela and grew up in Sweden, while Carmen Gloria Pérez was born in New York, and grew up in Puerto Rico.

Subtext: Remember how I talked in the intro post about how distant social classes know nothing of each other? Ayub and Rosh are either working class or lower middle class like Simon, and since rowing is a typical upper class sport, they know nothing of it, they don't even think of it as a real sport. Unlike football, which is a proper working class sport, they know all about that!

Subtext: Scandinavia has Jantelagen, and everyone there thinks it's uniquely Scandinavian, but all countries have some form of Tall Poppy Syndrome. In this scene, Simon is starting to make a class journey, he started rowing, he started trying to fit in with the other upper-class kids, and getting into a relationship with someone as upper-class as Wilhelm would definitely move him all the way. But going on a journey means leaving things behind, which is why Rosh and Ayub are cutting him down and literally turning their backs on him. They like it in the small town of Bjärstad, why can't he be happy there too? Why is he betraying his roots?

Subtext: This comment from August nicely foreshadows a later episode when August does something traceable on a School computer...

Subtext: What August means is that he's not sure Wilhelm has the same desire to be accultured into the upper class, to play the part of a proper prince, in the same way that he and Erik have accepted their roles and are even enjoying them.

Culture: Although it's impossible to read the name of the medicine, the paper tag on the bottle indicates that it's some kind of prescription medicine. From the conversation with Vincent, we learn that it's some kind of ADHD medication, probably some kind of Dextroamphetamine since those improve athletic ability and cognitive functions in healthy people.

Culture: Birkenstock sandals are associated with hippies in Sweden as well as in many parts of the world, so August is actually saying that the school counselor isn't really part of the same upper-class society as the rest of the staff. And again, his use of the word sosse drives the point home.

Subtext: Consequently, the counselor sees right through August and refuses to immediately prescribe him the medication that he wants...

Subtext: ...even though August tries to both bribe him and threaten him into giving him the medication he wants.

Subtext: A big theme of this episode is class journeys, and in this scene and a previous exercise scene, August gushes about how good a thing that is, how proud he is of Simon for going on one, and spouts some crap about how everyone can make it if they really want to.

Subtext: Thankfully, Madison says what we're all thinking: August is full of shit, life isn't fair, and they're only at the school because they were born into privilege.

Blink and you miss it: After Wilhelm has nervously texted his crush for the first time, he starts to bite his fingernails, but quickly stops himself, because why would he be nervous? He's just texting another boy about rowing practice, there's nothing more to it!

Subtext: Simon's texting game is on point though, he knows exactly what he should write to get Wilhelm to go on a totally-not-a-date with him.

Subtext: In the same way that August couldn't convince the counselor about being sick, I don't think Wilhelm's atrocious acting here convinces August that he's sick either.

Culture: Public transport in the greater Stockholm area - or wherever we're supposed to be - is of course cash-less, and you pay by either charging a special card, or by signing up in their app and buying tickets through there. The point of this scene though is to drive home how Wilhelm has never ever had to take the bus before in his life, and therefore has no idea how it works.

Culture: The totally-not-a-date starts at a Circle K, which in Sweden is just another gas station, but it is actually a Canadian multi-national convenience store corporation. The price of gas is of course posted in kr/l, and 13.98kr/l corresponds to roughly $6/gal.

Subtext: Throughout the totally-not-a-date, Wilhelm is trying to reach for common ground with Simon, trying to show him how he's just a regular guy...

Subtext: ...but then real life intrudes, Wilhelm is recognized by some local girls, who call out to him and run away giggling, which shows how he's not a regular guy, he's going to get recognized wherever he goes.

Culture: Kokt eller grillat, boiled or grilled, are the two ways you can get your hot-dog at pretty much any hot-dog place in Sweden, and ketchup and mustard is always offered. The correct answer to this question is of course grilled, with ketchup and mustard, and this just shows that Wilhelm is a man of culture and good taste. Unfortunately, they were out grilled ones, so they all got boring soggy boiled hot-dogs instead. Is there a metaphor here? I don't know.

Subtext: Again, the show drives home the point that absolutely no-one has a problem with people being gay. Simon is clearly out to Ayub and the rest of his friends, and Ayub immediately picks up on the fact that this is totally a date.

Blink and you miss it: Ayub nudges Simon with his elbow to tell him that he should make a move on Wilhelm.

Culture: What we're looking at is just the local junior/high school football team, Bjärstad, playing a match against some other unnamed junior football team. Since the stakes are super low, the audience basically consists of whichever parents and friends of the players that could be bothered showing up.

Culture: Driving age is 18 in Sweden, and even then getting your own car at that age is extremely uncommon. However, you can easily get a license for a moped when you turn 15, so these are the vehicles of choice for teenagers to get around.

Subtext: August found out about Wilhelm's trip to town, but his main problem with it is that he wants Wilhelm to stop slumming it with lower class people, and to start hanging out with everyone at school instead, so that he can be properly accultured into the upper class. Again, sosse in this context means working class, not socialist.

Subtext: Although Simon felt really great about his first date with Wilhelm, the text message reminds him that Wilhelm isn't a regular person, and that even this innocent little trip generates interest and scrutiny, and can't be posted publicly.

Culture: As everyone should have noticed by now, Madison keeps speaking English, while everyone speaks to her in Swedish, so clearly she understands it. But here she gives her motivation for sticking to English, and that is that she doesn't feel she's good enough at speaking Swedish. Boarding schools like Hillerska attracts international students that have some kind of connection to the country, so a likely scenario is that Madison grew up in the US with a Swedish parent, and she's being sent here to experience Swedish culture and get immersed in the language to learn it better.

Cinematography: This shot of August drives really home all the pressure he is under, he's out of drugs, the headmistress just hinted that he's out of money, and he's literally being weighed down by books and work-out weights.

Subtext: Simon has kept his visits to Micke a secret from Sara, so here he has to intervene to make sure August doesn't accidentally reveal this to her. He also wants to protect his sister, so he's redirecting August's search for drugs onto himself.

Subtext: And on the flipside, Simon isn't really telling his dad that Sara still hates him and really doesn't want to see him, so he's vague when Micke asks about Sara and Linda.

Culture: Finally a bottle of medicine where we can read the label! Unfortunately for Simon, this is Tramadol, an opiate prescribed for pain relief, which is the complete opposite of the kind of drugs August wants.

Subtext: If you haven't figured out yet that this episode is about class journeys, August spells it out for us here. However, the reason he's "congratulating" Simon in front of everybody is because Simon just supplied him with more drugs, so this is his way of thanking him, since he can't really pay him.

Blink and you miss it: For a split second, Wilhelm grabs Simon's leg during the scary scene.

Subtext: The entire dialogue of the movie works as subtext for what's actually going on between Wilhelm and Simon at this point, and Wilhelm is getting a little freaked out by this sneaky display of affection.

Subtext: The movie also puts words on the implications of Wilhelm getting together with a boy, what about having kids in the future? Can you carry on your family name and traditions, or will they die with you?

Lost in translation: The plaque actually says "FEEL YOUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE HERITAGE". Even though the plaque means the heritage and legacy of the school itself, Wilhelm is thinking about his legacy, his heritage, and how getting together with Simon would threaten that.

Lost in translation: Wilhelm actually says "jag är inte en..." - "I'm not a..." before he stops himself. So it's not possible that he was trying to say "I'm not gay", because that doesn't work grammatically in Swedish either. He could be trying to say "I'm not a guy like that" or "I'm not a guy who likes guys", that would work.

Cinematography: The framing and silhouetting of this shot is just chef's kiss. The outline of their hair allows us to see who is who, and we can see from their poses that Simon is welcoming a kiss, while Wilhelm is still hesitating.

[kuttanjal123]

TIFFANY

Hey there, I'm Tiffany Simpson. I'm fifteen years old. I was born in April in Atlanta, Georgia, to Simone and Martin Simpson. I have hazel eyes and ear-length, sleek, black hair. I'm the only child, and I'm Black-American. Dad is a stockbroker who works at Charles Schwab. Mom is a school principal at the Keller School in Alpharetta. Grandma loved Nina Simone's voice and named Mom after her. Dad was named after Martin Luther King Jr. I go to Jefferson Public School in Cobb County. Ever since I was a kid, I was pretty athletic and participated in sports like basketball, tennis, and ran track.

I loved school because I had awesome friends and loved biology. I didn't have an ambition for what I wanted to become. I figured I would know with time. Mom personally looked after her students and staff, not just for the money but because she genuinely cared for them. It would've been nice if she could transfer the same feeling to me. Dad's job was really pressurizing.

My friends Samantha Taylor and Mary Stevens rode with me on the bus. They were blondes. Both of them had secret talents. Sam could play the saxophone, and Mary was an incredible pianist without classes. Since they were both busy with their jobs, they didn't have much time for me.

We enjoyed art class and biology, of course, was the best. Art comprised of a lot of sketching. Ms. Fiona Anderson was so passionate about biology. She would show us many videos about plant and animal reproduction and human anatomy, and the labs were terrific.

Viewing specimens beneath the microscope was so intriguing. With time, we were old enough to try out for cheerleading. I really wanted to because I loved the outfit and the routines. The flips, jumps, lifts, and moves gave the football team a great opening before the original game. Plus my crush was on it, Sterling Lane. He was one of the best players on the team. His smile shone across the field. Finally, it was time for try-outs.

"Hey girls," said Kimberly, the head cheerleader, as she proudly walked onto the field.

Kim looked just, Cindy Crawford. She even walked and talked like her. Maybe she was her idol.

"There she comes," murmured Sam. "The girl always in charge of everything—"

"The girl who always gets the boys," cut in Mary.

"You're pretty too," I said, looking at them.

"Yeah, right," said Mary rolling her eyes.

"So to try out, you gotta be ready to let go of other practices because this is real stuff. It needs a lot of time and practice. You ready?"

"Yeah!"

"I'm gonna show you a move, and you gotta repeat it one at a time. Got it?"

Everything was going just fine until Mary tripped and fell. We rushed to help her get up.

"Guys, go ahead. I don't think I can do this," she said as she held her ankle.

"We can't do try-outs on another day because this is the last day," said Kimberly as she walked up to us.

"Sam, Tiff, go ahead," said Mary as she groaned in pain. "We've been waiting for this the whole year," she said.

"NO!" we yelled.

"No! You guys ... this is big! Just take it! No more talking, shush! Let's go!"

She refused to let us back out, and as much as we were so excited for this ... our happiness was overshadowed by Mary's absence.

The practices were exhausting. We had to stay in perfect shape. Our house had burgers, barbecues, fried chicken, and so much more. I didn't cheat quite often. But if I did, it would be too much. I had to run four miles to burn it out. We had a basketball court in the backyard, so I practiced when I felt like with Dad on days he was free.

"I made it on to cheerleading!" I said excitedly.

"That's great, hon," he said, hugging me.

"Mom, did you hear that?" I asked as I came into the house.

"Yes, honey ... I did," she said as she was typing something on the laptop.

Mom and I didn't have a good relationship. I get that she was busy with the school, and her reputation and her friends' circle mattered, but she never had any time for me. Dad did, no matter how busy he was.

At home, we hardly spoke. One thing that did join us was the faith and spirituality Mom and Dad had instilled in me years earlier. When we went to church every weekend, I thanked Jesus because I felt a sense of calmness and peace. I also did pray for Mom and my relationship to get better.

The first football game that we were prepped for was against the Clifton School. Our team was the Jefferson Jaguars, and theirs was Clifton Patriots. Our jersey mirrored the color of the National Flag. Theirs were red and black. It was hard to say who looked better. It was our turn to perform the opening act.

Mom and Dad were in the crowd, and I had flips and jumps to do. I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes. We were up and running in less than two minutes. My final scene was the closing. I was thrown through the air. They caught me after I flipped. The execution was so smooth. The feeling was similar to jumping into the water without splashing.

It felt so good and what felt better was when the Jaguars won. This certainly was time to celebrate. Sam and I hugged each other.

As time progressed, Kimberly graduated, and I was made head cheerleader. I was in charge of arranging try-outs and choreography. This position put me in the limelight, and I got so absorbed with the attention I received that it made me lose sight of my grades and friendship with Mary and Sam. Nothing else mattered. The problem? My attitude and bossiness.

"You were supposed to be here five minutes ago! What took you so long?!" I screamed at Sam.

"I just had to get water, Tiff, calm down," she said as she tied her hair in a pony.

"This may not be a big deal for you, but it is for me. Whether you like it or not, it's my reputation on the line!"

"OK, I'm here! Relax!"

Sam did her routine, and it wasn't perfect.

"You're not doing it right! First, you show up late, then you mess up! Come on!" I said, shaking my head.

"Can I just—"

"Why don't you understand how serious this is!" I snapped. "Everyone's gonna be there to watch us, and if we mess up ... I'll get blamed. Not you! Me!"

"But—"

"No one cares about you guys ... because all they care about is the one in charge. And that's me," I said as I crossed my arms.

Sam stared at me in disgust for a few moments, then put down her pom-poms and walked away.

"Don't you dare leave!" I called out.

"I can, and I am. You're the boss. Get the replacement."

This argument led to things getting out of control one after the other. I did manage to find a replacement, but on the day we had to perform, the new girl was supposed to be one of the three who had to catch me in the performance.

Unfortunately, a cockroach fell on her shoulder, and she freaked out and lost control of her grip on me. The other girls lost balance, and I fell flat on my back, shrieking in pain. It was an utter embarrassment. Mom and Dad hurried down to the court while the coach and others lifted me to get medical attention. I was taken to the hospital and placed in a ward.

It took a long time for the physicals. They had to scan both the inside and outside of my body. There was some good news and some bad news. I had a bump on the back of my head, and luckily there was no internal bleeding, but I had fractured my back. It had swollen really bad, and I was unable to move.

I learned that my vertebral column had been dislocated, and the best way to fix that was surgery. Opting out could lead to serious problems in the future, like not being able to stand or sit and having a terrible posture.

I began crying.

"It's alright, honey, everybody makes mistakes," said Dad holding my hand.

"But not like what happened to me! That was so embarrassing! Everyone was there!" I cried.

"What's important is that you're feeling better, and we can take you home soon," said Mom with her arms crossed.

"When I get back, everyone's gonna laugh at me! Sam, Mary, Jackson ... everyone."

"That's not true. You're gonna be fine," said Dad. "You'll see—"

"Can I have a moment with you guys, please?" asked the doctor as he walked in.

The news just got worse.

"I just wanted to go over what we discussed earlier. I have the results of her physicals, and they look fine, but regarding her back, the X-ray denotes that she will need a year to recover with medication and physiotherapy. There might be a chance that this problem could worsen if she exerts herself with other activities."

"What do you mean, doctor?" asked Mom.

"I mean that kids love running and playing sports at this age, but she's gonna have to cut back on some of that. Also, there's a potential that she could gain some weight with the medicine, so just as I keep her in good spirits, I encourage you to try that as well."

I cried myself to sleep, and no matter how hard they tried to make me feel better or comfort me, it just didn't help. Sam and Mary visited me in the hospital, but I really wish they hadn't come in the first place.

"Hey, Tiff, how're you feeling?" they asked as they sat beside me.

"Terrible obviously," I said, pissed. "Why did you guys come here?"

"What do you mean?" they asked, looking surprised.

"Well, look at me! I'm not OK!" I shouted.

"We came here to check on you and talk to you—"

"It's your fault. If you hadn't walked out on the team, none of this would have happened," I said, looking at Sam.

"It's not my fault that you fell. And I walked out because you were bossy and rude about being the head cheerleader. This mattered to you so much that you didn't give me a chance to explain why I was late for practice," said Sam.

"I was just doing my job. That's what you signed up for."

"Wow," chuckled Sam, shaking her head, disappointed. "I guess you're not the same Tiffany I knew before this whole gig. I don't know what happened ... but I really don't wanna be here right now."

As she headed towards the door, Mary followed.

"So you think it's my fault too?" I asked.

"If you need to blame someone, blame the girl who you found as the replacement. In fact, you're the one to blame. We wanted to come and talk to you as your friends, but you're so full of yourself. It's your arrogance that spoils everything. Why do you gotta be like that?"

"Really?"

"It's not even about whose fault it is. It was beyond anyone's control, and if the insect had fallen on Sam or my shoulder ... I'm sure you would've done the same. 'Cause trust me ... no one likes cockroaches."

"That's a ton of bull—"

"I'm done arguing with you," snapped Mary. "I'm out."

"Fine! Just go!" I yelled and I threw a glass at the door as she walked out.

Back at home, Dad needed to carry me upstairs since I was sore from all the treatment and medication. The next day at school was awful. Instead of receiving support, I was mocked ... and although this wasn't something I'd not anticipated, I wasn't mentally or emotionally prepared for it.

"Turn to page 17, and we're gonna talk about the parts of a frog," said Mrs. Anderson, our Biology teacher.

"Guess she's talking about you," sneered someone behind me.

I teared up and left the class for the bathroom. In the mirror, I saw a different version of myself. The medicines had indeed taken a toll on my appearance. When I got back, it was apparent I had cried. All eyes were on me. At recess, I sat alone, and more insults were hurled at me.

"Did you guys know we have a life-sized balloon and crocodile in our class? It talks and moves!" said someone behind me.

It was Joshua, a big bully. Tears streamed down my face, and instead of usually trying to be healthy with what I ate, the jokes, the words ... it all got to me, and I began piling on a lot of junk. I ate to numb my emotions, and food felt like the one friend that would never leave or betray me.

"You know, I don't like the milk today. Don't you think it tastes bad?" I heard Sam ask.

"What do you think we should do? Any suggestions, Josh?" asked Mary.

"Throw it, I guess?" he said, rolling his eyes.

"Good idea," said Sam and poured the milk on him. "I just did."

That felt good and made me smile. But what brought a bigger smile to my face was what they did next.

"Can we sit with you?"

I stared at them for a few moments before I swallowed a big bite of my fried chicken sandwich.

"You guys talking to me?"

"When did we stop?" said Mary as she sat beside me.

"We'll never stop talking to you," said Sam as she put her arm around me.

I was so happy.

Up to a point, I didn't care about my appearance. My two friends stood up to anyone who bullied me. I was fat-shamed all the time and sent hurtful messages on my phone. It was challenging to turn a deaf ear to some of them .... Nobody knew that I was struggling with the side effects of the medication.

Life took a huge turn in 2008. There was a recession. Dad aimed to save up money for my education. He lost his job, and Mom was the only earning member in the family. We couldn't depend on just her to bear the financial burden. It was time to leave Georgia. Dad needed to find a temporary job to make ends meet. And then came the break.

The company he worked for had an opening in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They transferred him because of the value he brought to the company. He was excellent. Mom decided to stay back since she didn't want to risk losing her position. It surely would be difficult for her to find a job elsewhere with the same pay. She rented a small condo. Frankly, I preferred living with Dad rather than her. She would never make time for me. My friends' parents managed to secure their jobs. Lucky for them. Bidding farewell to everyone was hard.

"Don't worry, you can talk to us over the weekends," said Mary.

"We'll try to come and visit you sometime," said Sam. "And you'll find great friends there too."

"Meh."

I didn't have a farewell at school because I didn't want one. My most treasured possession was my cheerleading outfit. It sounded crazy that I still kept it. Except for the prior experience when I fell, I considered it a significant achievement in my life. It was the same activity that both broke and then revived my relationship with my two best friends.

When we landed at the airport in Louisiana, the ride to our new home was surprisingly short.

"Welcome home, honey!" said Dad.

This was the first time I saw him genuinely happy because the event had affected him deeply. He had hopes to start life again and give me a happy future. We managed to get take-outs for a couple of days until Dad attempted to make beef stew. I helped him cut vegetables. Cooking wasn't really his thing, but I was curious to taste how it turned out. It was pretty bad. But I didn't want him to feel sad and encouraged him to cook more and help him. I tried to make conversation.

"I'm sorry about the current situation. But glad they didn't let you down."

"It's all good."

"Can I ask you something serious that's been bothering me for a long time?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Why doesn't Mom care for me?"

He stopped eating and looked up.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like ... she's never there for me."

"Of course she is. She showed up for your competition—"

"It's cheerleading."

"Right."

"She never spends time with me. It's always about her school, their picnics, her status. We don't have any girl time or Mom and daughter time together, and anything I do never excites her. I want to get my nails done with her ... just hang out, talk about things. But it never happens. I've tried to, but she doesn't listen to me or finds excuses. It's like she had me, and she doesn't want anything to do with me."

"Nah, that's not true. If she didn't care about you, she wouldn't have stayed back in Georgia to continue making money for you and your future just like me."

"But I want her to be here with me. Here. Right now."

"You don't understand," he said, shaking his head as he stood up.

"I do! Why can't she put her career aside and be there for me?!" I shouted.

"Because I'm sick."

"You're sick?! What are you talking about?! Some old wack ass story again!"

"It's true, Tiffany," said Dad calmly. "I'm sick. I'm diagnosed with stage one cancer."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"What?" I said softly.

"We promised not to tell you anything because we wanted to keep this a secret. You're just a kid, and I tried to give you reasons so you would stop asking but ... " he trailed off, "now you know."

I hugged him, sobbing. I felt terrible. I hadn't contributed in any way, and it felt like a slap in the face. I felt guilty for accusing my mom when all she was doing was protecting our unity and financial stability.

"It's alright, I'll be OK," he said as he rubbed my back in a comforting way. "I just have to go in for chemo, and soon I'll be back to playing basketball with you."

"No! You need to rest and take care of yourself!"

"I will. Jesus knows we love you too much and he's gonna be there for us always."

"Mom wants to save money to pay for my tuition?" I asked as I wiped my tears with a tissue.

"We both wanted to. We wanted to give you the dream we couldn't have. But ever since I fell sick, the money had to be split for both your education and my treatment. We needed loans, too."

"But I don't want to go to a great college. I'm just happy going to a decent school. I can take a loan and study harder."

"Sure, you could ... but we'll see how things work out."

I had a short emotional conversation with Mom, and I was so happy we worked things out.

I was enrolled at Willington Public School, and the first day of class was very awkward. I walked in wearing blue jeans and a colorful top. The class teacher was Ms. Hayley Gordon.

"This is Tiffany Simpson, and she just moved from Georgia a few days ago. Let's welcome her!" she cheered.

Nobody said a word, and I sat in my spot. Off to a great start, right? Or at least I thought so.