Most people say that the best time of their lives happened while they were in High School. They say that the best of friends are gained during those teenage years when everyone is so darn hyper to socialize and be adventurous. Most teenagers who enjoyed these luscious moments were the ones who have kept the HS flame ablaze up until now. You would see them still hanging out more with their HS friends rather than their college or work buddies. It shows that the best years in life happen in High School.
But not for me. High School had its ups and downs.
Back in the day, when I was still a teenager, my High School life was rather more than a punishment rather than a blessing. Though academically HS life is fine in that context, my social life back then was the worst. It was always the worst for me, most especially my 1st and 3rd year. Everyday back in High School was a social struggle: each and everyday my life would get demoralized and dehumanized every time some schmuck would pick on me. People tagged me as a "loser" back then. I don't deny it. I was literally like that. I never had the coolest and richest of friends. I never had the chance to bring a rad sports car or a Civic SiR or a tweaked-up Kia Pride. I was never a part of a big group like HFOMF or the Torreros or the other cool-slash-rich groups from my batch. My life revolved around going to class, looking at others socialize while I just sit anywhere in the class, like my world was ticking away, bound for darkness.
I remember back in 1st year HS, I used to belong to a group that was somewhat cool. I would join them, thinking I'd be accepted into their fray. Never did I knew that I was just being used as a dummy, more like a punching bag of sorts. Everyday, I remembered a punk-ass classmate of mine would punch me at the arm for no freaking reason at all. Life was almost always like that back then. I was a 14-year old kid getting somewhat bullied in class for reasons unknown. It was like that for almost one whole year. I would think that I may have done something wrong (except one time where I whistle-blew a classmate of mine who used to cut class in tennis), but nonetheless, I just let everything slide. Only when worse comes to worse when I would tell all my problems to my older brother. I was tagged as a "sumbungero" back then, but yeah, I never deny that as well. I couldn't handle myself in times of stress. I relied too much on my older brother for strength when I don't have one. My classmates would pick on me also because of that. God knew how much longer I could last in 1st year. My social life was so tormenting, I just had to succumb to that fate.
Second year played a different tune for me. Life back then was less severe than what was during 1st year. I had some score of friends, not until my so-called "barkada" threw me out of the gang. I was left to fend for myself. I would usually hang out in the library like some kind of geek who couldn't get new friends. I was such a loner back then. If I was tagged as a loser, then loner would be more applicable to add to that degrading term. Despite the social pains back then, I made a good friendship with a girl, whom I became best friends with. Our common passion for tennis was a strong factor for our bonding. Back then, we used to play at the open tennis courts, and during summer, we played and had our share of enjoyment. Our closeness was insurmountable that time. She was my 1st best friend. I was so happy I wished I could treasure our friendship for a very long time. She was someone who I can trust: someone who made me feel special and happy. Too bad something had to happen, and neither the both of us wanted it to happen.
Of all the years that had passed in my High School life, the 3rd year was the least I can remember. I remembered trying to join a class barkada back then, but little did I know that they never wanted me in their group. I was like an extra, a midget on the sidelines. I was somewhat treated like trash and was felt to be unimportant. I remember back then, there was this Chinese kid who came from a different school. He used to tail behind me: wherever I go, he goes. My classmates say that we were meant to be with each other. Palibhasa, mukha naman pipitsugin yung sumasabay sakin nun, pati siya tinanggi din sa grupo na yun. I can also remember when I wanted to join that certain class barkada then, I was explicitly rejected and was subjected to unconscious humiliation. The school year that was also was the year when my best friend back in 2nd year HS started to hate me. I admit, I did some "serious" sh*t against her, but I was so sincere with my sorry. I was so hurt when she ultimately rejected me as a friend, more yet, as a person. It's ironic though, that after 8 years not talking to each other, we became present classmates in Med School. Lastly, one thing that I will never forget was that this was the year that I had my first girlfriend (GF). All thanks to my brother, I had my first love life. People would tease us whenever we're together. I was rejected by that girl one time, for reasons I cannot remember anymore. But sometime in October back then, she said yes to me. She became my 1st love. She was the first and only person whom my Mom accepted (not until such time when my Mom wanted me to leave her).
Fourth year will be the year in High School that was the culmination of 4 years of hell. It was a preview of what I was about to feel when I made it in college. It was the year when I broke up with my 1st GF because of my Mom disliking her so much. It was also the year where I met my true best friends, the 4-B Dogz. Such friendship stemmed from a Math project that happened almost right after I broke up with my ex. Alain, Seiki and Bene, the trio who I'll never forget up to this day, were the ones who made me feel really human for the first time in my social life. Besides the 3, there was Aldo and the rest of the gang, who were also instrumental for making my 4th year the best year yet. With that formed friendship, our strong bond made me decide to enter Medicine because of a pact that me and some of the guys kept, but up to this present, only 3 of us pursued Med. The others went on with their successful lives. From that friendship, I felt that I really belonged, and that their jokes at me were really jocular, though physical at times. I felt that I was accepted and treated as a person. I really have to thank them for that. That was really the year that made me wake up and smell the roses more rather than feel the thorns: it was a year that made me appreciate the lighter side of things. Up until now, this friendship is still burning alive. We still get to talk, and come December when Al gets back here in Manila, we're going to have the best time again, just like before.
Up until now, I consider High School to be the worst period of my life, though there were some good times. Like I said, most of the time I was treated like crap, and I never liked each and every minute of it. I prayed to God instead to give me knowledge so that I may get good grades. I never cared too much of the social beating. I kept myself stoic from all that was happening to me socially. Life will never be the same after that. I just promised that I will be more successful than the people who oppressed me back then. Evil as it may seem to think, but deep down inside one of the reasons I entered Med was that I wanted to show that the loser that I was back then will never exist forever. Life became a totally different ball game when I made it into college and Med. Those 2 periods of my life were so different from the time that I had back in High School.
High School life would've sucked big time if my personal hell from 1st year HS followed me up until 4th year. It was a life that I partially wanted to forget. Now that recently I heard from a lower batch in Med that rumors were spreading that I was branded as a "loser" back then, this blog will answer that distasteful remark. I really blame all the mofo's who can't get over what has come to pass. They still think that I was the loser from back then. Excuse me, Johnny (it's just an expression), but everything is different now. Maybe those people who hit back at me before are just living plain mediocre and insecure lives, while I try to bask in the glory of one of the most noble professions of man. I may not get to brag anything else, but entering Med for me is one big slap to the face to those High School people who hated me for who I was.
God is really great. It's true that all miseries will disappear long after these have all occurred. Now that we're old and mature enough to think differently, I just hope and pray that all of the people back then who hated me for my loser-type of personality will think twice about picking on somebody not of their own size. We will be all successful, but in the end, the loser always takes the greatest spoils of war.
Eat that.
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