We lived in the same apartment complex but on different floors. His parents were always busy with work, so my dad set an extra place at the table for him. Back then, he used to always steal the drumstick from my plate, so I wasn't exactly thrilled about his presence.
Malcolm was two years older than me. I was already a kindergarten kid when we first met. Despite my initial annoyance, I was easily won over by a piece of candy he offered. Later, he would bring over his new Transformers toys to share, and I'd eagerly invite him to help build sandcastles. It wasn't long before we became inseparable friends, walking hand in hand.
Malcolm was the neighborhood genius, known far and wide for his academic prowess. Meanwhile, I was often the last kid in the back row of the classroom, barely keeping up.
My parents always thought I lacked academic talent, and it wasn't until the year of my elementary school graduation, when education policies changed and we couldn't afford private school, that they started scrambling to get me tutors and enroll me in extra classes.
However, I hated attending classes and was always finding excuses to skip and cause trouble.
There was one memorable incident when my mom, furious, almost threw a freshly cooked piece of meat at me.
Malcolm stepped in to protect me, saying, "The meat is just done. It'd be such a waste to throw it away!"
To save the meat, Malcolm promised to personally tutor me.
Under his relentless guidance, my grades began to improve, hovering around the middle of the class.
"If you can get into the same middle school as me, I'll grant you one wish," Malcolm said, using this as motivation for me to study harder.
This promise totally hooked me. At the time, I was obsessed with a band, so I made a deal with Malcolm: if I got into the school, he'd take me to see my favorite band.
Little did I know this deal revealed my hidden potential.
I managed to get into the school, but Malcolm didn't fulfill his end of the bargain. As a result, we had a standoff for a month and a half.
That summer after we started middle school, Malcolm showed up with two tickets to the band's concert and said, "You kept your part of the deal, so I'm keeping mine."