(STORY)
When Maria Claire Marie was 14 years old, she was always so sure about her future. She made sure that her goals in life will always be her first priorities, simply because she was a girl with big dreams. What she planned was constructive and it wasnt ready to be destroyed, or she thought.
Until one day she moved to a new school, new environment and especially new friends. The kind of friends who were adventurous, curious and daredevils. It was fun, it kept her alive inside. but little does she know the dreams in her hands were dying.
In school
Evergail: Hey claire, I feel like going to Eyemall later, wanna come?
Claire: Sure, after class right?
Ambaleen: Are you nuts? I’m going home early, I still have a date later ya know
Jonaky:What evergail means is, later during our genmath class
Claire: but i dont wanna cut class
Natashew: Yeah, that class is sooooo boring I can’t even understand a thing
Jonaky: Yeah right that’s why let’s go claireee
Claire: but uhm
Evergail: come on claire bear, I’ll buy you food
Claire: Alright fine, but tomorrow no more cutting classes okay?
All: Fine
That day, Claire and her friends went to Eyemall, she had a lot of fun, too much fun that she forgot it was already past midnight and she was not at home yet. This is because they went shopping and food hunting in the busy streets of Cebu after they went to Eyemall.
When she went home, her parents were waiting for her in the living room with a worried look on their faces.
at home
Mother: My goodness Maria! Where on earth have you been?
Father: We were looking all over for you, you didn’t even answer our calls
Claire felt a guilt pang on her chest, she was so irresponsible of her actions that she forgot about her parents.
Claire: I’m sorry mom and dad. I went with my friends to the mall and I got lost track of time not knowing it is already late in the evening. It wont happen again.
Mother:Claire, who are these friends of yours? Are you sure they are really good friends?
Father: This isn’t the first time you’ve done something wrong since you moved to a different school and meet these friends of yours. I don’t want you to hang out with them anymore
Claire: but da…
Mother: your father is right claire, you weren’t like this before. Listen to us and don’t hang out with them okay?
Claire felt blood rushing through her bones when she heard this. She doesn’t like when she is being manipulated to do something she doesn’t want. instead of listening to her parents, she told them she wont hang out with them anymore but she did the opposite. Little did her parents know she has been cutting class since then. All of her dreams were shattered. She was once a consistent honor student. She was always recognized in her previous school because she really excel in her studies. Without noticing and knowing about it, everything changed. She started not going to school everyday. She won’t attend class if she is bored and tired. She had sleepless nights chatting her friends about nonsense topics instead of doing her assignments. She always sleeps in class and never listens to her teacher’s discussion. She failed in examinations and she got low grades. In just a blink of an eye, her focus was never on her dreams but it went in other way around. Her parents never knew about all of her actions that she even tried going to parties and bars with her friends, but she couldn’t care less because she was having too much fun. Until one day she woke up realizing a lot of things. First is that everything about her changed, her personality, her perspective in life, her goals and her dreams. She was slowly losing herself without even knowing it. That’s why she got out of bed and the first thing she did was to make breakfast for her parents. It’s been a while since she have done this because normally, she wakes up at noon already. Her mother noticed something weird in the morning that’s why she got out of bed and check to see what is happening, and there she saw her daughter cooking eggs while singing. Her mother thought that this scenario is very familiar, and then she remembered Claire used to do this before in their old house, and instantly in that moment, she knew her claire marie is slowly going back.
at school
Claire was thinking of ways on how to get rid of her friends, and while she was walking along the corridor, she bumped into Ambaleen. “Hey girl,” ambaleen said, “hey,” she replied. Ambaleen noticed something weird with claire that’s why she texted her friends to come meet them at the room.
Natashew: Hey claire bear, wanna hang out in Busay later?
Claire: no thanks
Jonaky: oooh too kj, why is that?
Claire: none of your business
Evergail: what is up with you today?
Claire: nothing
Ambaleen: claire, if you wanna be llike us, you have to go with us
Claire: I don’t want to be like any of you, because of you my whole life changed. I turned into a completely different person. I forgot about my dreams and goals in life already because I thought you were my real friends, but sad to say you are not, all you think about is fun and food. I can’t deal with that anymore and im sorry to say this but you’re not the friends I aspire to have. If you’ll excuse me, I have far more great things to do.
All of her friends were in total shock about what she said, they didn’t expect that from her. But as for Claire, she never felt much better leaving them all with their mouths hanging open. She realized, she didn’t need friends who would destroy her dreams, instead, all she needs is faith in herself that she will be able to reach and accomplish her goals in life. And now she’s happy and contented that she is finally back in her old self, and nothing is stopping her in achieving great things ahead.
Studying is essential
How is adolescence changing your behavior and outlook in life?
How can you become a responsible adolescent in preparing yourself in adult life?
As a teenager, our behavior and outlook in life really evolved. Before, we were just kids who have simple ambitions and needs in life. We did not wish to have grand things, we find joy in the most simple things that life could offer. But as years pass by, we have grown up and mature to learn how to complicate things based on our needs and wants that is why some of us become reckless and rebellious if their wants in life have been rejected. Our behavior changed in a way of handling things or being in a tight situation, it tests our personalities that is why the real person within us comes out. And being in the late adolescence stage, we have become more ambitious about our dreams and goals in life that is why most of us strive hard to have a better future. We are optimistic in a way that we know we will be able to achieve our goals and pessimistic if ever we failed to do so. That is why this stage is very critical for our future because it serves as a turning point to where we want to go in life. And it depends on the person if he or she would choose the right path or not. We can become a responsible adolescent in a way of knowing the right and wrong things. We must be sure of our decisions in life because this will determine our future. We must also be responsible for our actions because there are a lot of temptations going around that could destroy our dreams and goals. Knowing that we are in the late adolescence stage, we should be mature enough in handling things, we should always bear in mind that we are the ones holding our future, thus, we need to be responsible in every decision we make so that we will not be tempted to do the wrong things.
Aside from the physical aspect, experiencing adolescence stage also affects our behavior. As for me, being in this stage, I seek for independence that often leads me to disobey or go against the rules of my parents, which is a bad action or decision. Also, in this stage, I know how to minimize or being discreet of my actions. Knowing what is wrong and right. But even it is wrong, I will still do it out of curiosity or just being an adventurer or discoverer. My out look in life also changes. I'm considering the feelings of others unlike before. I value life. I value my family. I value my friends. In short, I'm at this point of life that is not very childish and considers things and decision whether it can lead to doing right or wrong Then preparing adolescence to having and adult life is being mature. Mature in your actions, words and with your attitude
