Max was a 12-year-old boy who lived with his father. He was very healthy, a bit too healthy, one can say. He was round like a tomato, and that’s what his classmates used to call him. He wasn’t very popular and didn’t have any friends. They had recently moved to a new city where his father got a new job and had bought a new house on the outskirts of the town because it was a bit close to his work and Max’s new School.
Max was very nervous on his first day at School, it was the middle of the year, and he will be the new kid in the class. His first day at School went exceptionally uneventful, and he couldn’t make any friends. He was an introvert, after all.
But in the evening, on the way back home, a girl, one of his classmates, came to him while everyone was about to leave, “Do you know where you live?” she asked, speaking frantically. “I think I do,” said Max, looking confused.
“That’s not what I meant. Did you know the house you live in is haunted?” she asked excitedly. Max thought hard. He knew he had a chance of making some friends if he made up a story about some ghosts. So he went on with her story.
“I heard people say that and heard some noises in the middle of the night.” He said, looking awkwardly at her. She and everyone else in the room were pretty excited.
They immediately offered to come home with him and investigate.
That evening, 5 of his new classmates got to his home by 8 PM as his dad would be working till late at night, and he would be alone in the house. He switched off the lights to add to the scare of what was already in the talk a haunted house. He would be the hero by not being frightened in front of his new friends.
They started investigating the house. As it was dark, everything looked creepy. The old statues that were part of the purchase were left without a hint of cleaning. The second floor, which no one had used, was submerged in an ocean of dust. Spiders had spun their world of webs throughout.
After an hour of investigation, the kids were all feeling relaxed. They had called out to ghosts and spirits but received no response. Suddenly they heard some strange noise coming from the attic of the second floor. Everyone was terrified. Not a single person dared to take another step. Max was ecstatic; he was going to investigate and be the hero that saved the day. Even though everyone urged him not to, he went towards the attic.
It was a windy evening. Windows started fluttering, and there was a sudden sound from the attic. Everyone was literally petrified. Max went on towards the attic, ignoring the screaming girl. One of his classmates called the police and informed them about the scene they were in. The police responded immediately, as recent cases of intruders were rising.
Soon two nearby officers arrived at Max’s building and made their way into the house. They had their guns out, being positively sure about an intruder. Soon they reached the second floor and asked Max to not open the attic. They went in as the kids watched with visible tension. Police opened the door to the attic in the corner and returned with a wooden stick covered in white cloth attached to a rope stuck to the windows. Whenever the windows fluttered because of the wind, the rope attached to the wooden stick would hit the wall and make a sound. All the kids thought it was a ghost that was causing the noises.
Officers understood it was a prank played by Max. They left after lecturing him about the seriousness of the situation. All his classmates were angry at his ploy to get everyone’s attention. Max realized his mistake and told everyone what he had gone through and why he did that.
Later his classmates accepted his apology, and they all became good friends.
Life is what you make of it; you are who you are, inside or out. If you want other people to respect you, give them the respect they deserve. Be you, and you will be accepted by everyone. Everyone is unique in their own way, don’t let anyone tell you any different. When we pretend to be someone we are not, it won’t bring joy to anyone. Not even to yourself.
The saying goes, “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”