My First Best Friends: She’ll let me us the good crayon because mine is broken.

I remember seeing you two on the sidewalk across the street as I swung on my swing which was hung on the big tree outside my house. You guys seemed like you were having fun and I wish I knew you so I could come join in. I had just move there and did not know anyone my own age. The next day I found bright, colorful letter, with a five year old’s handwriting, asking me to come over that afternoon for some play time and fun. I was really excited and got ready really quickly that day. My family and I had just moved to New Jersey at the time and a five year old girl did not have much else to do. We became best friends, especially you and I, Emma because we were the same age, but we were pretty good friends too Caroline. I remember the first boating trip I went on was with your family. I still have pictures of us in out tacky colored life jackets and me helping steer the boat with your dad. Those were some fun times, but we all had to pay the price with countless, itchy bug bites the next day. That was just a little while before I had to move to Chicago. You guys were my first best friends, the ones I won’t ever forget. I still have a framed picture of you two in your cute little matching outfits that everyone thinks came with the frame. We tried to stay in touch with letters, but then you moved to England and our letters didn’t seem to matter much. We moved on, but will always remain five year old, pinky promise or die, secret password, coloring contest besties.

First Grade: She’ll get off the swing and let me have a turn without me asking .

I remember seeing your long, braided hair and wondered how long it took you to grow out so long. This was my first though about you as we stood in line on the first day of first grade. We were both in the same class; after awhile, we became friends and even hung out during recess. Our moms even ended up becoming very close, and to this day still have long conversations on the phone that we still make fun of. After first grade, we weren’t in any of the same classes, but that’s okay, because we still saw each other at recess and the occasional birthday party; for an eight year old, that was good enough. You were my best friend until 3rd grade, well even after that, but I moved about two minutes away and had to attend a different school in the same district. We did see each other a here and there because our mom were good friends, but it definitely wasn’t the same. My nine year old mind justified it with knowing that I would be reunited with you and our other friends after sixth grade when we all went to Jr. High together. We went to each other’s birthday parties and trick-or-treated together. Even during that time, I felt you were my best friend and I’m sure you didn’t feel the same way. You had your other friends from school that you’d known since you were six, and I was stuck at a new school with people I was just getting to know. I was clinging to our friendship even though I should have just let it flow. I moved again after sixth grade and we didn’t get the chance to reunite in Jr. High. We’re still close and we see each often enough; our birthdays, summer, winter break and usually spring break, which is more than I can say for a lot of my family. After I moved I made new friends, close friends, and I don’t pine for your friendship anymore. I guess I’ve learned to move on; you’ve done the opposite though. It seems you’re the one pushing our friendship now, even though we should just let it flow.

8th grade: He’ll help me get through all the times when I’m not in the best mood.

I remember your first day at school. You had just moved here from California and my gym teacher introduced you to our class, as we had just started playing football. I was slightly interested in who you were, but was like whatever, you were just another new kid. This was not true at all; you were not just another new kid to me. We became really good friends really fast. We stayed up late talking one AIM and always hung out together at school when we could. I remember how we were always badminton partners and when our teacher said “today you have to be partners with someone of the opposite sex,” in hopes to get us to work with new people, she looked at us and added, “that you haven’t been partners with yet.” Everyone always thought we were going out even though that had never even crossed my mind, only because I only thought of you as a friend, and as I think about it, my best friend. For awhile there anyway. Around the end of the school year we started to drift as you became more comfortable at school and weren’t so depressed about moving. You showed who you really were. After awhile our personalities just didn’t click anymore; we both had changed.

Now… You’ll listen to me rant on and on even though you want me to just shut up.
until forever…: I’ll call. You’ll be there.

You and I are really close. We can tell each other just about anything just about anywhere, anytime. We get each other and can never stay mad at each other for long. You haven’t always been this close, but were always good friends. You were there with me since the end of 7th grade and you are here with me now. You know everything about me since then and probably a lot about me before that. We don’t always need to tell each other everything. We can just be there for each other. We hang out but we end up doing the same thing if we were alone, and yet, we still want to hang out the next day and the next. I love you. I doubt we’ll be best friends forever, but friends forever…definitely. We’re going to move on, go off to college to who knows where. I know we dream about being room mates, but how likely is that? Sometimes we’ll be closer than ever, and other times not so much. But I can still imagine us being old ladies yelling at each other about nothing at all; we’ll both be pretty deaf.



I guess moving on is just a part of life. People come and go and make you who you are today. And people will keep coming and going like this for the rest of your life. I guess, theoretically, some people will stay forever, but things won’t always be the same between you two. I guess what I’m saying is; friends forever, sure…best friends forever…I guess it just doesn’t work like that.