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The students were tasked to craft a “Once Upon a Time” story.

 ETHAN…imagines telling such a story to his own children to deliver a lesson on the need to sometimes let go of friendships that can drag you down.

  The Story Of The Trio

After my years at TCS and CCBC, I became a successful electrician and a commentator for the NFL. I am now happily married, and my wife gave birth to twins whom I love dearly. I enjoy reading them fantasy stories, but one night, I decided to read them a story from a young boy’s life.  

Once upon a time, in a far-away land, a boy arrived at a school far from home. He was entering the 4th grade and didn’t know what to expect. He was entering a world of different people, different languages, and a different system. His first day was interesting; he was mostly quiet, but he managed to make two new friends: Bird and Thomas.

From 4th through 7th grade, they grew even closer. They became best friends, inseparable or so they thought. Then, they found out their school was closing for good. The “fabulous trio” was about to be split up. Thomas and the boy stayed together at a nearby school, but Bird had to move to a different school in another city.

At the new school, the boy and Thomas found themselves in the middle of trouble. They hung around people who tried to influence them to make bad choices. Even though the boy and Thomas wouldn’t participate, people always say, “You are who you hang around with.” The teachers began to target Thomas; they simply didn’t like him and wanted him out. They even tried to accuse him of having drugs, when in reality, it was just acne medicine he took to prevent breakouts.

Toward the end of the year, it was time to pick high schools. Thomas chose MSJ, Bird went to Catholic High, and the boy chose a small school called TCS. The whole gang was split, but the boy knew they were only a phone call or a short drive away. The boy’s years at TCS were fairly good, despite many ups and downs.

Thomas and Bird, however, faced much rougher times. Bird struggled the most; she was diagnosed with depression and a neurological disorder that affected her speech. Thomas fell into a “rabbit hole” that became difficult to escape. He started hanging out with people who brought out the worst in him, eventually leading to shoplifting and drug use.

The boy still sees them from time to time, but the relationships have changed. He remains close with Bird, but he often avoids Thomas because he has become unstable.People call the boy crazy for still trying to find ways to pull Thomas out of the hole he dug for himself. But what people don’t understand is that the boy grew up with him. They played with toys and video games together; they were close with each other’s families. It is hard to let go of someone like that.

Now, the boy sits up at night wondering: What if things were different? Could Thomas’s story have changed?

As I finished reading, my kids looked up and asked, “What happened to the boy after that?”

I smiled and said, “You’re looking right at him.”

Ethan Jobita Jemadari

April 10, 2026