Best Friend Long Gone

The week before my first day of middle school, I met my best friend. Of course, I didn't know it at the time, but it happened none the less. Though we did have a few things in common, being the tallest girls in sixth grade, basketball, and the same classes, it was mainly our differences that drew us to each other. She was everything I wasn't: bold, witty, and able to stand up for herself. Every day, we could survive lunch and school because we helped to balance the other's personality. For instance, when something would irritate her, I would always try to calm her down and let her know that the situation wasn't a big deal. But then she would help to me stand up for myself and not allow people to run over me. Because of her, my middle school experience was pretty great because who wants to mess with a 5'8" no nonsense girl?

So needless to say, one of the the most traumatic things that's ever happened to me was the day I found out that my best friend was moving. No, she didn't choose to leave me alone (her step-dad was offered a really good job out of town), but I still felt like someone had just yanked the rug of my life out from under me, and I had no idea how to proceed. Walking the halls of eighth grade seemed impossible without my best friend. I'd always known that I'd had many friends, but they were more like acquaintances. But, somehow, we both made it through 8th grade and the transition from middle school to high school.

Now, we both have our own lives in different states. Her with her friends, schoolwork, and stories, and me with mine. But, the best part is that at New Year's, she has this party with her friends and I get to go down and see her. This year was a total blast because I got to meet more of her friends that she talls me about. They're all really nice and welcomed us into their homes even though we were perfect strangers. We've promised to come see them more than once a year now, too :).

When we go down, it's funny to see how in some ways we're still exactly the way they were in seventh grade, and others, we almost seem to different to be friends, but we still are. If I need some encouraging, or a pep talk on how to be myself, she's always the first one I call. And I'm always there for her when she needs to talk about some problems. All in all, it makes me happy to know that we can still count on each other after all this time.