I sit at my table, watching the time pass so excruciatingly slow. He isn’t at his desk again – as usual. It is so like him to be free without a care. That cheeky grin of him seems to be permanently plastered on his face. The last thing on his mind would probably be his studies. The two of us form an unlikely friendship. I take everything too seriously while he takes everything with a pinch of salt. If not for the fact that we live in the same area and often head home together, I would not even acquaint myself with him. We are simply too different. As the eldest, it is almost an unspoken rule for me to be sensible and to be good at my studies. My parents never worry about me, and I am their pride. Looking at him is like looking at someone I will never be – the opposite of me. I would sometimes find myself wondering if he will ever grow up.

I haven’t realised how heavy the weight on my shoulders is becoming so when I screw up on the day of my History paper, my entire world finally comes crashing down, but I couldn’t cry. I leave shortly after the bell. I haven’t noticed him walking quietly beside me until he speaks up.

“Is everything ok?” he asks.

I stop in my track for a brief moment and turn to him. Is everything ok. People stop asking me this since a long time ago