When I was four years old, my family and I moved from Michigan to California. Other than living in my grandmother’s house for a year and then moving into an apartment, there’s not much I remember about those times. I do remember the day we moved to San Diego into a nice house that my grandfather gave to us; it was so nice because my sister and I didn’t have to share a room anymore. We settled into a nice routine in a little neighborhood that was conveniently located near an elementary school that my sister and I could attend for the next few years.

For a while, I was pretty lonely at school. One day in 4th grade, I met a kid named Kanai. He was my first friend, and I honestly don’t recall how we met. My mom says that we met at a school event and that Kanai and I played tag the whole time. From then on, we were like peas and carrots, he was my best friend, the brother I never had. He would always come over to my house and I would play basketball with him. He would teach me how to solve mathematical problems 1 + 1 = 2, and he even helped me talk to girls. Other kids at school liked Kanai more than me, but it didn’t bother me; I was his best friend. I was lucky to have the most popular kid as my best friend. Sadly this great time did not last long because Kanai went away to live in a different state.

I was in 5th grade when I found out that my best buddy was leaving for Washington. Apparently, his dad got a good job up there. I never saw my buddy again. It was definitely sad for him and I to lose such a close bond, but selfishly, I feel I received the worst outcome from this situation. I’m was not as charismatic as Kanai nor was I a very “social” person. Usually, I kept to myself, but Kanai would help me get out of my comfort zone and got me talking to other people. I guess his lessons didn’t stick with me, and even though I kept trying to talk to other kids,  I slowly found myself retreating  back to my hermit status. 

Kids at school didn’t know I existed. They treated me like I was invisible. The kids who used to hang out with Kanai and also knew me started to call me names like Stalker, Monster-breath, and Insane. I was either being bullied or I was alone crying to myself for not having any friends. The emotions of sadness and despair carried through back home - I either wouldn’t talk or took too long to make a decision. I felt like I never fit in, and two years of suffering later, I was hopeful at starting a new life by being accepted into a new school called High Tech High Middle School.