Popularity. The wonderful food chain of high school. On top you got all the friends. At the bottom you have nothing. But deciding which is best is always hard. At lunch I sit with three friends Amanda, Alex, and Shelby. Amanda I just met this year, Alex since fifth grade, and Shelby since kindergarten. Just us three good friends and Shelby sitting together having lunch. The end of semester came and it was time to switch tables. Sarah told me that Emily one of the most popular girls had asked her to sit with her group the “Elite 7”. Alex and Amanda had been part of the group since they got to the school, though there was one problem … Shelby and I were not. I had met Emily a few times during FFA meetings, but that was it. Emily said it was fine about me coming and sitting with them, and Shelby no. The problem was that Shelby was handicapped, was in all special E.D. classes, and had no friends except…me. We had met in kindergarten, and every grade after that in elementary school they would sit me next to her so I could help her. But when we got in middle school I had all honors so the only time we had to talk was during lunch. That was our time. The same thing went for high school, just worse.
Amanda tried to help me.

She said, “Don’t worry about it. I talked to Emily and she said it was fine. Your cool. I didn’t want to leave you behind all alone. You know what I mean, I would feel bad. But I TOTALLY forgot about Shelby.” Yes I totally knew how she felt. “Look at me. I was at the bottom when I got here, but I slowly moved up. You can to.”

“Yeah I know but she has no friends but me. I feel bad about leaving her all alone.”

Amanda just shrugged her shoulders and kept on talking. That day at lunch I told Shelby I was going to sit at the other table for today. She said yes but what else could she say, she’s to nice . That day my lunch went horrible, I was surrounded by people I barely knew, people I hated on the other side, and the view from the table of my best friend all alone.

That night I went home and thought, should I go with a girl I’ve barely know a year, sit with her to get to the top of the food chain, or stay with the one true friend I’ve had all my life and stay close to the bottom of the food chain? I realized that popularity does not last forever it’s just through those four years that would soon be gone, someone would come to take your spot and all those so called “friends” leaving you. But a true friendship lasts forever no matter what. High school ending or not. Right now I’m a high school senior, Shelby and me stayed friends all this time. Amanda and Alex eventually forgot about me. I’m still close to the bottom of the food chain, but I’m happy. Thinking back to that day that I decided to leave Amanda and Alex I don’t regret it at all. I’ve gained something more important than popularity a true friend.