I had a friend. He is called Ivan.

Ivan is tall and handsome. He is the sort of person you would expect to like the moment you set your eyes on him. And I did. I kind of fell in love with him. I know it is hard to believe, but I’m not lying, it’s true. Actually, I find it unbelievable too that I fell head over heels for him. It’s really crazy to think for an eight year old to fall in love, but let’s not mention this subject, we just have to go on.

So it happened just a few weeks ago, Ivan, a new student, came to our class. He had brooding looks and wavy hair. He came to sit with me. I was speechless the moment I saw him. He smiled at me and that was how I gave him my heart. For a few days, I was completely lost. After those days, I finally recovered, though I still didn’t take my heart back.

Then, chaos began without me knowing.

Ivan found out he can control me like a puppet, so he ordered me to please him. And I, as a naive lost girl, did as I was told. Not long after these things happened, I turned into a servant. I was completely blinded by love to recognize that I was his slave. I went on serving him for some weeks when he suddenly started to make me give him my parent’s money. I was hesitant at first, but when Ivan gave me one of his pleading looks, my heart melted again. So from that day on, I helped him steal my mother’s money and do all his work. One day, when I was on my way to the cafeteria helping Ivan take his lunch. I overheard my best friends whispering to one another and saying that I’d turned into Ivan’s slave. I never worried about whether what I did was right or wrong, because when anyone laughed at me that I was a lapping dog following Ivan, I’d just pout and walk away with my head up high. But that day I worried.

I worried about stealing my mother's money. What will mother say when she finds out? I worried about doing Ivan’s work. Will he remember me when he grows up? I tossed and turned in my bed that night thinking about all my worries. The following morning, I got a temperature. Father insisted that I stay in bed and skip school. Mother rang school and told Ms. Swift about my absence. Ms. Swift said she would tell the whole class. And I think she did. That was because, get well cards arrived by dozens at noon. I opened them excitedly one by one hoping to see Ivan’s name at the bottom of one of them. However, to my utter disappointment, Ivan did not write any of them.

I went back to school when I recovered, hoping for a kind word from Ivan. Instead, he scolded me for not going back to school yesterday and made me labour even harder than the other days.

Only then did I know that Ivan was not a friend, he was an enemy.

My Friend Ivan