I encounter many different types of people on a daily basis. Some make me want to throw a chair at their face, while others give me the sudden impulse to curl up together in a blanket, with a bucket of popcorn, and just talk about life. But even with the opposing personalities, I put on my fake smile, learn to get along with my assortment of fellow humans and try to chose them wisely; as I would when I rummage through the pillow case filled with Halloween candy after the long night of trick-or-treating at my neighbor’s doors.

As I walk the school hallways, I analyze the girls passing by. Some I would characterize as “sweet tarts” or as society would call them, the cheerleaders. These girls always have on that cheap perfume- and probably nothing else- that gives you a massive migraine. They wear bright colors which never fail to get the “looks” from all the typical teenage boys. However, once a conversation is started their true essence is revealed. Their lack of vocabulary and sour attitude lingers no matter how hard we try to dissolve them. In other words, they are the ones who attempt to flaunt their outer sweetness, but only to reveal the true sour layer just below the surface.  The sweet look and outer shell lure us in but all we are left with is a bitter and disgusting after taste, that only ruins the mood with their fake, deceiving persona.

But then I run right into the “kit-kats”. These people always travel in their packs and are eternally glued at the hip. They seem confident as a group, but once we break them apart, they are extremely weak. We all know the one clique that refuses to leave without another’s presence.  They flaunt the same personality, wear the same clothes, and can’t even go to the bathroom by themselves. Like the kit-kat, their bonds seem very strong but in all reality, are very weak and can be easily broken.

However, once I enter the classroom, I then have to interact with the “snickers.” This group is filled with nuts. They “snicker” and laugh at everything and are extremely immature. Making jokes, constantly having a smile on their face and never being serious often offends their counterparts. They sometimes try to cover themselves with a sticky, sweet coating to counterbalance their annoying façade. The energy needed to take them in larger portions can lead to “Hangry” but when taken in smaller “fun size” pieces can be much more palatable.

Now as my eyes scan over the cafeteria, I notice the quiet, reserved kids or as I would identify them as “the jaw-breakers.” They make me want to yank my hair out, yet I still want them around. My ultimate goal is to figure them out and get to their mysterious centers. They frustrate me to no end with their hardness. However, they just seem to lure me back and capture me again and again in their many dissolvable layers. Just when I expose one layer, I realize there are many, many more. Each layer reveals a different unexpected secret. They have flavorful personalities but not in an annoying, obnoxious manner; more so in an enticing, tempting kind of way. Generally, they have been badly hurt in the past and tend to put up unbreakable walls.

And the ones I caution others about, are the “twizzlers.” These types of so called friends twist people around their little finger. They entice with their sweetness making us come back to them again and again. I have told this person everything, only to later find out they played me and have now intertwined with someone else. They weave others in with their fake smiles and phony laughs, in order to conceal their true intentions. They take our secrets and use them against us. Everyone sees this but due to their addictive nature, we still seem to become entangled. They are the definition of ‘twisted”.

With all the other types of dislikable people, I cannot forget my “peeps”. They stand by me no matter what. Like marshmallow fluff, these friends will stick with me through the heat of life. Throughout the seasons they may change size, and shape and even flavor but their gooey, sugary insides are what make me love them.  These people never fail to make me crave them even more. They are my true “peeps” for life.

But above all, I must develop a palate for the diversity of humanity. As Forest Gump’s mother use to say, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.” I must select my companions carefully because I never know if I will be getting sweet or sour, nutty, or addictive. Therefore, I must learn how to properly select from mankind’s assortment of candies for my own taste buds.