Work Text:
My name is Allan McClanahan. I’m a 22-year-old man working at a coffee shop under Papa Louie’s name as well as a growing hockey player on the side. I have been thinking a lot lately about my best friend Kenton Murray. The man is a great director who achieved this job at such a young age, but even so, he’s been under a lot of stress lately. An ex-friend who I know he treated very well in the time they were in contact had the nerve to try to ruin his reputation online. All over something he did years ago when he first joined the internet and had no real experience. The person who was mentioned in the post wasn’t contacted by this ex-friend despite my friend having proof the person said they’d contact them before making a final judgment on him.
What do I know about the situation? Everything he was willing to share with me. I saw what looked like some pretty major things out of context, but once Kenton explained everything to me, I was able to see just how flimsy this accuser truly was. While Kenton has done everything to defend his name in terms of gathering evidence, he has yet to respond publicly, and truly, I applaud him for this, as he knows fully well that if he exposes this person’s lies, she’s the one who suffers the consequences which may very well stunt any chance she has at growing popularity online no matter how hard she tries. And what does Kenton have? He has a job, a car, an education, and a pretty decent following of his own. If a guy like him retaliates, not only does he have a good shot at winning, but he has a real shot of ruining this girl’s life.
I don’t know this person personally, but I wouldn’t want her to know me either. People like that don’t know what true strength is. I like to think I’m a tough guy, but the only reason I’m truly strong is because, despite all the setbacks in my life, I marched on and held my head up high. I suffered most of my high school career getting bullied by several people in Oniontown and what did Kenton do for me? He went out of his way to avoid the mob and stand by my side until the very end. And only a few months ago did he prove my innocence to a courtroom.
Even with all of this, Kenton is someone I believe is even stronger on a mental and emotional level. He lost his mother when he was only seven years old and now he’s a director at twenty-four. The fact that such a tragic loss didn’t stop him, but only made him stronger is an incredible feat, and though I don’t think I have the greatest parents in the world, I still love them. And no matter what I endured at Oniontown High, I know for a fact that Kenton still has suffered worse than me with the loss of his mother.
But that’s the sad thing with the internet. There’s one person, and only one person who will use something Kenton did years ago as a reason to screw him now. Why did it happen? Because he was on the chopping block after having a falling out with an ex-friend. An ex-friend he literally defended from a racist accusation by the same person who accused him. The fact that this vile person tried to ruin his name while in the same breath took something small from her other friend and inflating it to think they’re both bad people is disgusting. But hey, what’s Kenton going to do about it? Stay silent. He knows he has it off really good while that other person who is now only nineteen is going to very likely continue her negativity on the internet.
But that’s the real problem. The internet nowadays is full of people who love controversy purely because it’s interesting. And what happens in a controversy? One person is sent endless hate for something they very well have changed or can change with time but aren’t offered time by the people hating. People who don’t know them or are really willing to hear them out. What do I know about Kenton? I know he’s a very sweet guy who works hard, stays positive and actually has someone who loves him. I haven’t told him yet because she’s afraid to reveal it, but there’s a frequent customer where I work named Pally who has a huge crush on Kenton and while I know, and Kenton knows I know, I haven’t told him it was Pally sending him letters of motivation because I promised I’d keep it secret. But every day I continue to pray the two meet up because I know for a fact they’d make a wonderful couple.
As for Pally, she’s much smarter and much more vocal about drama than anyone else I know. If she saw what he was under right now, there is no way she would believe it. She would hear Kenton out and I guarantee if this situation got any worse, she’d verbally speak up online just to defend him. And that’s what he’ll need if things get any worse. So many people worry about getting involved because they don’t want their own names dragged down for defending someone accused of something. It sucks, but that’s the nature of most people.
At the core of it all though, what do Kenton, and Pally have? Earnest strength. We’re all in the young modern generation that overwhelmingly absorbs most of the internet population, but we’re not losers. All three of us have jobs that we worked for, cars that we learned to drive, and our own place to stay instead of living with our parents anymore. I’m aware this is definitely easier for some than others, but I refuse to submit to everything certain people are praising online. If you want to stay with your parents because you haven’t taken any steps in life to move out, that’s your own choice, but what seriously irritates me is how common this very trope is. “A person has two great parents that love them, feed them, and provide for them and yet instead of doing anything for society, they would rather get online and complain about the way their own lives are as if they’re some sort of victim.”
From what I know about the person Kenton showed me, she’s no victim. She’s a deadweight to humankind who spends her time ranting about life and finding people to hate instead of doing something productive. What seriously gets under my skin is the fact that Kenton lost his own mother when he was young and there are people who act like they have it anywhere near as bad as him just because they want undeserved sympathy. I know what depression is personally because I went through high school without any hope and the fact that Kenton had my back is the reason I’m where I’m at today. And every time I see him, he always says: “You’re the man, Allan!” because he knows it makes me feel good.
So, what do I have to say to his ex-friend and anyone like her? I’m glad I don’t know you, and I hope whoever meets you learns who you really are. I know Kenton, I know Pally, and I know who I am and who you say we are will never be the most accurate since you don’t control who we are or our perspectives. Stay out of my life and stay away from my friend unless you have the heart to recognize the heat of your actions. And that right there is my message to everyone. Next time you’re about to jump on a bandwagon when only one side of the story is public, hold off your judgment and don’t have any bias going into hearing the other side. It’s far too common and it’s led to far too many people’s lives being ruined on this internet. Who’s doing it? The lowlife people who have no certain future and don’t understand truly how important someone’s online career is to them. While it’s true that some people are definitely still guilty, Kenton was accused by one person, ONE person. And that person wasn’t even a real victim, just someone who used confidential private conversations to make him look as bad as possible.
On the other hand, this person is still about the same age as Kenton was when he started the internet. He knows if he retaliates, there’s a good chance his accuser will go into depression. And he’s chosen to take things as they come rather than fight back because he’s stronger than she is. And this is what earnest strength is. Willingness to self-sacrifice to avoid doing harm no matter how tempting it is. Please remember that and remember that you’re a special person just as I always have been and the people who I’m close to are. It can be so easy to forget who you truly are once people you’ve never met face-to-face trash-talk you. But they don’t know who you are. You do, and who you are can only be determined by the way you aim to be yourself.