“I’ll be right back, guys!’ I said to my friends as I ran out the gym and into the cafeteria. “Wow,” I said to myself, “The beginning of Junior High School and I’m already making new friends!” I reached into my bag and got out my wallet. “I’ll have two ice-creams and a Gatorade,” I told the cashier.

“Hi!” I said to Jade. Jade was really nice, but at the same time popular, which meant I had to do whatever to make myself look good and be her friend. “How’s it going, Amber?” Jade replied. I asked her if she was watching the basketball game as well, but she was there for safe keep. I felt embarrassed when I realized how much school spirit I had. My face was painted half-blue and half-green. I had on bright blue jeans, blue shoes, a Greenspun hat and shirt, and blue and green bangles. It wasn’t really considered “cool” to be so involved in school so much.

“So, have you ever had a boyfriend?” she asked. Now I panicked. The truth was, no, because I’m Muslim, we aren’t aloud to ever date. “Umm… yeah,” I said slowly. Jade looked surprised. “Really, who?” she asked. “Umm you don’t know him,” I responded.

Later that night, I sat in bed and thought, what I should have said was the truth. I’m NOT ashamed of who I am. “So what if I can’t date? I’m my own person. If I have to follow the crowd and lie, to be cool, I’d rather be a nerd,” I thought to myself. After that day, I found out that I don’t have to lie to have friends. Jade and I are friends, even after I told her the truth, because she accepted me for who I am. I now live off the truth, not lies, no matter how they make me look.