Excerpts

Chapter 1 What Is a Friend? What does friendship mean to you? When it comes to defining friendship, words like loyalty and trust come to mind. So do honesty, reliability and respect . Friends are the people who stick with us through thick and thin. The ones who see us at our very worst and don't think about us any differently. They know how to make us laugh and what to do when we cry. This chapter takes a look at what makes these special relationships so important in our lives. When I was about four years old, I got separated from my mom while grocery shopping. No doubt I wandered off to my favorite section the Tasty Kakes aisle and the next thing I knew, Mom was nowhere in sight. I became frantic. Eyes wide and heart racing, I starting rushing through the aisles in desperate search of my mom's capri pants, flowered blouse and signature horn-rimmed glasses. The relief I felt when I finally spotted her was overwhelming. Life was good. Life would go on. Everything was as it should be. It's amazing how the very glimpse of someone familiar and loving can have such an incredible effect. The First Day T he long hallway stretches before my feet. Lockers of royal blue line the walls. Unfamiliar faces dart in and out of the open doors, ignoring me. I shift my bag on my shoulder and look straight ahead. I think I see a familiar face at the far end of the long hall. Unfortunately, the image passes by, and I cannot see the face any longer. The clock on the side of the wall blares the first bell. I frantically look for some sign of help. None is there. I tuck my blonde hair behind my ear and straighten my jacket, trying to gain some form of confidence. Shakily, I pull my class schedule from my pocket. Searching over the wrinkled paper, I find the locker number printed in big bold letters: 131. Taking a deep breath, I shuffle into the hallway. The immediate rush of hot air mixed with cologne fills my nose, making it burn. I look at the locker next to me: number 300. My locker will be at the other end of the hall. Sighing, I continue onward. A group of tall boys wearing honor jackets zooms by, their hair slicked back. As they strut past me, I continue to saunter down the never-ending hallway, trying to ignore them. A pair of gangster wannabes hits me in the shoulder. The taller one turns toward me as they walk away. He begins to chuckle to himself because he knows who I am. I'm the freshman. Shaking it off, I stride past a group of senior girls. They are dabbing on the final touches of makeup and lip-gloss. I find myself laughing at their ditzy ways, wondering what drives them to be so . . . pink? I'm more confident now as I pass locker number 200. I've seen so many different cliques by now that I know a little more of what to expect. But as I walk toward my destination, I find that I am missing something that all these people seem to have in common. They have somebody with them. And I am standing in the center of the high school Excerpted from The Real Deal: Friends: Best, Worst, Old, New, Lost, False, True and More by Mark Victor Hansen, Deborah Reber, Jack Canfield All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.