Day 10: TGIF

Friday. The day I’d been counting down to all week. The promise of the weekend dangled in front of me like a carrot on a stick, luring me through the misery of back-to-back classes.

By the time my last lecture ended at 4:00 p.m., I was practically skipping out of the classroom. Faisal, as usual, trailed behind, yawning like he’d just run a marathon.

“What’s the plan for tonight?” he asked, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.

“Survival,” I replied. “Pizza, Netflix, and maybe a long nap if I’m feeling adventurous.”

“No way, Eddie. It’s Friday! We should go out and, you know, live a little,” Faisal said, his eyes lighting up with the kind of energy I hadn’t seen all week.

“I’ve been ‘living a little’ through lectures and assignments. That’s enough for me,” I shot back.

But Faisal wasn’t having it.

**********

By 7:00 p.m., I found myself reluctantly tagging along to the campus food bazaar. The place was buzzing with activity—rows of stalls selling everything from satay to bubble tea, students laughing and chatting as they roamed around.

“See? This is what Fridays are about,” Faisal said, grinning as he handed me a cup of iced Milo.

I couldn’t argue. The aroma of grilled meat and fried snacks was enough to make me forget my exhaustion, at least temporarily. We wandered from stall to stall, sampling everything in sight.

At one point, we ran into Amanda and her friends. Faisal elbowed me so hard I almost dropped my skewers.

“Hey, Eddie! Faisal!” Amanda greeted us, her smile as bright as the bazaar lights.

“H-hey,” I managed to stammer, suddenly hyperaware of my rumpled T-shirt and messy hair.

“You guys should try the roti john over there,” she said, pointing to a stall across the way.

“Thanks! We will,” Faisal answered for both of us, grinning like a man who’d just won the lottery.

Amanda and her friends moved on, and Faisal turned to me with a smirk.

“You’re welcome,” he said, wagging his eyebrows.

“For what?” I asked, trying (and failing) to play it cool.

“For giving you an excuse to talk to Amanda. Don’t worry, buddy, I’ve got your back.”

**********

After the bazaar, Faisal somehow convinced me to check out a karaoke night at the campus lounge. Big mistake.

“What are we even doing here?” I whispered as we squeezed into the crowded room.

“Relax, Eddie. It’s just for fun!” Faisal replied, grabbing a song list.

I prayed we’d blend into the crowd unnoticed, but Faisal had other plans. Five minutes later, he was up on stage, belting out a horribly off-key rendition of a popular love song.

“Ladies and gentlemen, that’s my roommate!” I shouted sarcastically, earning a few laughs from the crowd.

Faisal, of course, was loving the attention. When he finally returned to our table, he shoved the microphone into my hands.

“Your turn!”

“Nope. Not happening,” I said, pushing it back.

“Come on, Eddie! Live a little, remember?”

Before I could protest, he’d already handed my name to the emcee. The next thing I knew, I was on stage, nervously clutching the mic as the opening notes of an old rock ballad played.

To my surprise, I didn’t completely bomb. By the end of the song, people were cheering and clapping, and Faisal was yelling, “That’s my roommate!”

**********

When we finally made it back to the dorm at midnight, I collapsed onto my bed, exhausted but oddly satisfied.

“See? Fridays are for living,” Faisal said, flopping onto his own bed.

“Fine, you win. But next Friday, we’re sticking to pizza and Netflix,” I mumbled, already half-asleep.

**********

Lesson of the day: Sometimes, letting loose can be the best way to recharge. Just maybe skip the karaoke next time.