What does being in a friend group mean to the students of Lakeland? Going through school, it’s important to surround yourself with people who love you. People make friends throughout their entire lives, either from meeting people in school, a new job, or just running into someone on a random day. Although many people grow apart through that time, it allows people to make new friends and grow as individuals.
Students in high school tend to form their own friend groups right off the bat, but what about friend groups that grow more and more throughout the year? Many groups fall apart throughout the year for numerous reasons, like drama or miscommunication, or they just grow apart over the school year. Going through high school is hard and stressful without having friends, making it feel impossible for some. This friend group at Lakeland started with just three good friends; now close to the end of the year, it’s grown to eight. This group has been through so much together, from not talking to one other for nearly a year to drama pulling them apart. Yet through all of that, they became closer than they were before. This article will be talking about how each individual feels about having such a group of friends.
For Maddy Valli, having the friend group she has now means a lot to her. Before she met the people she knows now, she was stuck in a toxic friend group with two other girls that would bully each other for fun. Besides that group, she didn’t have very many friends, so having this friend group means more than anyone could know. Getting through school for anyone is hard to do. For Valli, having her friends in school with her gives her the strength to get through the day.
“Seeing them reminds me life isn’t all that bad,” Valli said.
She describes her friend group as some of the most respectful people; she feels like they truly care and listen to what she has to say, whether it’s nothing or something she couldn’t tell anyone else.
“In our group no one sees you as your opinion, just you.” Valli said
Although everyone in the group might have different opinions, we are all able to listen without arguments. That’s what a lot of friend groups are missing.
Austin Peretta moved to Rathdrum in eighth grade, attending Lakeland Senior High School. In that time she became good friends with Valli and the writer; the three of them formed a group from that time through freshman year, although miscommunication took over, and for nearly a year, the three of them didn’t speak. Even without speaking more, miscommunication still managed to continue to spread. For the majority of her sophomore year, she had been online and became really close to Laina Busicchia, who was still attending the high school. Peretta decided to go online because of the overwhelming drama between her and a friend who she no longer talked to. It became more than she could handle on top of school. She was exhausted and felt the best thing for her was to go online.
“They’re the people that, even with miscommunication and drama, will be there for you.” Peretta said.
Brielle Webster was brought into this group her sophomore year of high school before the group they know now was a thing. It all started when she met Jenna Hollis in their welding class Hollis’ freshman year. Without knowing it, she started walking with her new group of friends. While many people grow apart because of drama, one of the things that brought them together was drama that they were all, in some way, a part of. With all that was going on, it brought them to talk to one another, bringing them closer as friends.
“We were all a part of it and helped each other through it all,” said Webster.
Having this group of friends makes school more manageable for her; she has at least one good thing to look forward to when it comes to school. With a group like they all have, they are able to make the boring things more fun
“We always find something to do when there’s nothing,” Webster said.
Seraphina Aldrich became friends with the writer in sixth grade; they never grew apart but made new friends from then to sophomore year. Aldrich finds a lot of meaning in her friend group; with her household not being a very bright place for her, she can find that light with her friends. For her, she always feels that her friends are there for each other, giving advice if they need it or just being there if they need a distraction from home or school.
“They are the funnest and least judgmental group of people, I love them,” Aldrich said.
Before this group, Jenna Hollis spent a lot of her time with her family or home in bed. school was almost the same with no friends and an already dreadful school, but with her new friends she looks forward to going to school so she can see them and being able to do things outside of school
“Seeing them in class is like hitting a refresh button.” Hollis said
Laina Busicchia was homeschooled up until her freshman year of high school, and in that year she met many people through her old friends, cheer, or classes. But she really started to have a group of friends her freshman year. Although her group was at that time being pulled apart in every direction by drama and miscommunication. Now with everything cleared up, she feels like theres no reason to worry about people talking bad about each other or the people ot liking her
“If there’s a problem, they let me know what it is so I can fix it,” Busicchia said.
Being a part of the group, she no longer feels constantly isolated, and it gives her something to look forward to. The group is always laughing with hardly any science between all of them.
For Mia Brown, having this friend group means a lot; she has a lot of support with everyone being there for each other and lifting one another up. Some groups can be two-sided, especially when groups are big, but this one, no one would talk bad about each other.
“I haven’t had friends do the thing they have for me.”
Everyone loves one another and shows it through gifts, actions, or words, but no one feels unloved.
The group we all have now wasn’t always this way; some didn’t like each other until getting to know what they heard wasn’t true. And others finally started talking to one another again after a year of no contact for a simple misunderstanding.