Throughout high school, every student blossoms, just as they should. Some are lead through the process by a trusted teacher or friend, while others are thrust into it. I was one of those people. I had no choice in the matter, nor did I have any input of how it happened. An individual by the name of Jane Finely, who has impacted my life tremendously, was the reason why I came out of my shell the way I did. It was not fun and it was not pleasant, but I am thankful all the same.

I met Jane at the age of fourteen, the age of confusion and apprehension. It was my freshman year in high school and the sophomore took me under her wings. I called her my sky because at the time she was my sun, moon and stars. I looked to her for the answers I could not find within anyone else. A year passed and although I was more comfortable with myself, I had not yet reached my full potential. Jane showed me love and friendship, but she also began to show my grief and resentment. Although she showed love to me, she pushed people who disagreed with her away. I learned that year to never argue with her because I didn’t want to be in the dark place I had seen multiple people fall into because of her.

One year had passed and I found another fantastic group of friends, and individual that quickly became my best friend, and a man to love me. I was becoming the person who I am today, but very slowly. Things suddenly began to go downhill, and fast. The once happy and tightknit group of friends were at each other’s throats. High school, miscommunication, and immaturity can do that to any group of friends. I watched as these fantastic human beings became enemies and the war had just begun. I had the strength to disagree with her myself. I’m not sure what exactly we disagreed about, but it isn’t important. I remember feeling as though I was falling and falling but there was no one to catch me. Although that’s how I felt, I was very much held afloat by my best friend who was going through the war with me. In fact, she was attacked a lot more than I was, and I had no power to stop it. Not only did Jane scream three inches away from our faces multiple times, but she spread rumors about us nonstop. I lost three other very close friends and a boyfriend because of her reign of terror. I couldn’t breathe because she had taken all the air. I couldn’t walk because she had taken all my strength.

I know, high school drama is stupid and overrated. At the beginning, I thought the same way. But looking back on my junior year, I realize that I learned an extremely important lesson. Just because someone isn’t mean to you but is mean to others does not mean that being mean to others is okay or that that one person won’t turn on you in a blink. One person had the power to destroy me, but because of Jane, I met a kind and wise friend that only brings positivity to my life. The negativity goes away and positivity will always win. It’s ironic because Jane still ended up being my sky, but instead of being light she was the clouds and the rain that came before the sunshine. Now graduated from high school and heading to the University of Evansville I can, and will, shine as bright as I possibly can.