1 William Graham ENGL 1102 Causey February 5 2024 Fragmented Ideology Narrative People with Muddy Mouths 1 In my tenth grade math class my mind buzzed with thoughts of geometry and algebra as I tackled equations and multiplied monomials on paper Eventually the teacher told us we needed to be in groups of four Fortunately I had two classmates Kyle and Shea to collaborate with While Kyle and I had a tight bond dating back to middle school Shea and I were mere acquaintances Our mornings were often spent immersed in Minecraft on our mobile devices cementing our friendship further To my surprise our teacher assigned us to groups of four and Shea introduced me to Amir a new acquaintance of hers in the class Little did I know this would mark the beginning of one of the most profound friendships I would ever experience Amir struggled with the class material often requiring our assistance but our conversations blossomed on the days he attended revealing numerous shared interests We found genuine joy in each other s company As summer break approached we eagerly awaited our report cards which arrived in sturdy yellow envelopes While I maintained a modest 3 5 GPA both Kyle and Shea boasted outstanding scores However Amir stated and surprised us all with a 5 0 GPA 2 In the final year of high school I found myself rebuilding a friendship with Isabella an old middle school acquaintance We used to be so close until high school eventually separated us but there was also a bit of drama in out friend group Our conversations 2 once filled with laughter and reminiscence took a sad turn as Isabella informed me about her struggles with depression and her tumultuous relationship with her parents At first I listened with empathy and compassion offering a shoulder to lean on and a sympathetic ear to hear her woes A friend of mine was interested in her his name was Nick and I thought their relationship would be amazing because they felt perfect for each other Nick was one of my best friends at the time and I knew he was a friendly guy who wanted everyone to be happy I got them to start talking and to my surprise it worked They hit it off and they were best friends However things were only passable for a bit they began to disagree with each other But as time passed I couldn t shake the feeling that something wasn t quite right Isabella s stories seemed wrong and there were many loopholes in her stories about home life Despite my reservations I continued to lend a sympathetic ear believing that my support could help her pain I couldn t call someone out and tell them they are a liar because I would feel guilty if I was wrong But as the weeks turned into months I began to feel the toll of Isabella s constant need for attention and validation Her calls and messages became increasingly demanding draining my energy and leaving me feeling depleted It was as if she thrived on the turmoil she created feeding off my concern like a parasite draining its host I eventually decided to cut her off and prioritized my own health 3 Growing up in a close knit family my grandmother played a central role in our lives Her warm smile and comforting presence were constants in my childhood a source of love and stability in an ever changing world But as I grew older I began to see a different side of my grandmother one shrouded in deception and manipulation At first I never noticed because I was a child or too ignorant at the time to notice But over time those lies grew into something more insidious weaving a tangled web of deceit that threatened to tear our family apart At first I was naive believing that my grandmother had our best interests at heart I couldn t ignore the warning signs any longer Her manipulation knew no bounds using guilt and emotional blackmail to bend us to her will she wanted me to be on her side all the time and turn me against my own mother She would twist the truth to suit her own agenda sowing seeds of discord and resentment within our family Despite all that though she was still family I couldn t bring myself to turn my back on my grandmother She was still the woman who had held me in her arms as a child comforting me in times of need and celebrating my triumphs with unwavering pride And so I learned to navigate the murky waters of my grandmother s lies and manipulation with grace and resilience I set boundaries to protect myself from her toxic behavior refusing to be drawn into her web of deceit But even as I distanced myself from her manipulative tactics I never stopped loving her The same grandmother who had shaped my childhood with her love and wisdom lay beneath the layers of deception In the end I chose to focus on the good memories we shared cherishing the moments of joy and laughter that outweighed the pain of her lies And though our relationship may be fraught with challenges I will always respect and love my grandmother for better or for worse 3