When we started the seventh grade, Andrea, Marie, and I were heading to our first class. Suddenly, a boy around my age bumped into me, and we fell to the floor. "Bloody hell!" I exclaimed. "Slow down!" He said, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to run into you." He appeared to be out of breath. I became concerned. I asked, "Are you all right?" He said, "I'm trying to get away from them." A group of bullies ran in our direction. I asked, "What do we do, Andrea?" She said, "I don't know." Marie said, "Never fear! Marie is here!" Andrea said, "You have a plan." Marie said, "Yes, I do. We'll circle around the new kid and tell the bullies off. That's what we did." One of the bullies asked, "Where is he?" Andrea said, "If you want to get to him, you'll have to go through us." As the bullies were about to push us down, I let out a loud, stinky belch. The ring leader said, "Damn it, Peter! You have got to be kidding me!" I just smiled, and the bullies left the scene. The new kid said, "That's an impressive belch you've got there, Peter." I said, "Thanks, mate." He said, "Mate?" Andrea said, "Peter's British. In Britain, mate means friend." The new kid said, "Oh, well, I'm Jack." Andrea said, "Welcome to the group, Jack." We all became good friends with Jack. Jack and I often had fun with each other by doing challenges every year. That year, we did a challenge to see who was the fastest runner. He won the challenge. He said, "When you're short and used to running from bullies, you have to be a fast runner." You wouldn't believe that he was once so short, because he's over six feet three inches tall now. Anyway, I later did something that strengthened my friendship with Andrea. On her fourteenth birthday, I went outside, and I could hear a cry for help. I, at first, thought someone in the neighbourhood was joking. As I kept hearing the cry for help, I thought, This isn't a joke. This is serious. I ran in the direction the call was coming from. I then saw Andrea struggling to swim in the pond behind her house. "Hold on, Andrea!" I cried. "I'm coming!" I ran down the hill and plunged into the pond. She went under the water, but I managed to get her to safety. She coughed up some water, but she was too exhausted and cold to speak. I got her inside, dried her off, and I made sure she had a way to get warm. She soon fell asleep under the blankets. When she woke up, she could speak again. She said, "You saved my life. Thanks." I said, "You're welcome, me best mate! Are you okay?" She said, "I'm fine. Wait, what did you call me?" I said, "Me best mate! You're my best friend!" She began to cry. "Please don't cry." I said. She said, "They're not sad tears. They're happy tears. You're my best friend, too!" We hugged. When she told her aunt that I saved her life, her aunt wanted the story put on the news. I said, "Don't make a hero out of me. I was just helping my best friend." Andrea later asked, "What would I do without you, Peter?" I said, "Well, instead of celebrating your birthday, your aunt and uncle would be mourning at your funeral." She said, "I'm glad I have you." I said, "Me too."