FRIENDSHIP I could hear the clear resonant sound of the alarm ringing, but I was too lazy to wake up. The bang on my door finally made me out of my bed. I rushed to school and was lucky enough to enter the gate on time. On my way to class, I encountered my friend who was in a hurry. He looked quite unhappy and I was wondering what happened. Suddenly there was a burst of chatter from everywhere, some sort of news was spreading among all. For a fourteen years old child the news was terribly bad as it was for the first time, our class was being shuffled. I was deliberately searching for my friends among the clamorous crowd. Their expression showed that they knew about the news and was very disappointed. And we were reluctant to bid farewell to the eight years of routine. There rings the bell welcoming tiring assembly but today's bell had a strange feeling of separation among all of us. English was our first hour which was our only relief as she knew how exquisite our bond was. The whole atmosphere was very different for us and we were not able to cope up with it. The air was new, the scent was different, the people was new and the whole feeling was different. At the beginning, everything and everyone sounded crazy. The whole circumstance was meaningless. At a corner there, sat a bunch of chatters and at the other corner, there were a few groups keeping their curious eyes on us. The whole week finally ended bearing all the disappointment. The next week was a new beginning to our blooming friendship. We all began cherishing our time with each other and slowly I realized that they became a part of my happy life. They introduced me to a new world which was right in front of me but was yet to be discovered. The following days were the most beautiful and memorable days in my life. In the following years the course of life was entirely different. Being in different streams didn't affect our friendship. All seemed so permanent. Everyday, the most awaited time for us where our lunch break, the time when we just forgot about everything and rejoiced. We had a tons of stories to be shared. New days filled with new experiences, happy time spending with the loved ones. I assumed everything and everyone will be together forever but with the growth of our life, all eventually had to part their ways. I thought everything would be changed from that day onwards but that wasn't what happened. However our life be, there was only one thing that never changed and that, was our friendship..... REBECCA MARTIN ST. TERESA'S COLLEGE ERNAKULAM