The late night worries over what would take place at school tomorrow - the dreaded advising sessions with the people who have yet to turn their backs against you to the hatred rushing through your head are staples of the teenage world ever since the word ‘screenshotting’ was placed in the English Dictionary.

Our dear parents unceasingly remind us that our high school days are the best times in our lives, but is it true? Would awkward lunch breaks and the inability to decide where to sit in class truly be the pinnacle of our lives? Of course, none of that would occur if you have tons of cool, awesome friends. But even if you do, how long would that actually last? Let’s be frank here. Do you really think jovial Amanda and savvy Jack would defend you when things go wrong? This is a major flaw in today’s teenage relationships. We have forgotten the concept of sacrifice, the idea of forgiveness and probably even the melodic theme of true friendship. Many of these relationships are but attempts to gain the status of being acquainted with a cute girl or the buffest dude in class. We can always say our ‘friendship is true’, but when a metaphorical Mount Everest arises and both of you are put to the test, chances are one of you would quiver and fall.

Here’s another point on why friendships fail: We don’t trust each other. Our bodies and mouths perform their own version of “We’re all in this together”, but our hearts and eyes lie still in defiance. It’s not like it’s always our fault. I’m sure there are times when we’ve all consoled our problems with someone we trusted, only to be stabbed in the back. Trust binds two individuals together like hot glue. But when it is left to rot and wither away, it shatters its own purpose like broken glass. To make things worse, we choose to lie about not-trusting someone than to intromit and have a heart-to-heart conversation. We are invariably afraid of confronting our friends since it voids our relationship, but by not doing so we are setting ourselves on a collision course towards disaster. Personally, I feel that many teenage friendships are like “friendships” between politicians. They shake hands, smile for the camera and talk in a courteous tone but deep down they have their own personal agendas. There’s just no sincerity. No doing-something-for-the-common-good.

When you get back home tonight or maybe even right after you finish reading this article right now, I want each and every one of you to reflect upon yourselves. Think of every single individual you consider as a friend. Think of any anomalies that may evolve into conflicts. Think about how bad the situation is, and find ways to make amends and patch it up. It won’t be a sweet and easy process, but it sure is necessary. If you have certain friends who have been through the storm with you and stayed, you are one lucky son of a gun. I want you to embrace them. Kiss them. Buy them coffee. Give them a pat on the back. Thank them. At the end of the day, your friends define who you are, so make sure you treat them the same way you treat yourself.