I had a weird feeling as I stepped onto the bus that chilly January morning. I was upset about something I couldn’t quite place my finger on. I said my usual hi to the bus driver, sat down in my seat, and looked around the bus, wondering what was missing. After a cursory glance, I figured out why I was so upset. Michelle wasn’t there.

I kept wondering why her absence had made me so upset. At school, I kept pondering this. The only answer I could come up with was the fact that I had silently grown to rely on her for so much.

I suppose I should start from the beginning. I mean after all, that is where all stories start. I attend a private school. It is elite and only for the best of the best. The pressure to be the best in the school is overwhelming, and everyone needs a friend to simply survive the day. I guess now, looking back, Michelle was my one and only true friend.

I didn’t even notice at the time that I relied on her for so much. She was my shoulder to cry on when I made a B+ on a test, and I was there for her when she didn’t make the soccer team. Soon, Michelle began to struggle. Her grades slipped from all A’s to all B’s. Eventually, she failed every class except for band.

When Michelle told me that she was quitting the private school to go back to her districted high school, I wasn’t surprised at all. I had kind of known it all along. The thing that bugged me the most was how I kept thinking of how much I would miss her. As I got on the bus the following morning, Michelle wasn’t there. I immediately started panicking, and then I was frustrated with myself for panicking. Why would I panic over the fact that she wasn’t here?

It was then that it hit me. You know the saying that everyone says about school? It says that school is only fun because of that one special someone. I didn’t believe it at first, but then I realized it was true. Michelle had made school even more special for me, and I couldn’t bear to continue the next year of high school without her.

I grew moodier and more upset as the end of the year neared. For the end would signal the end of the best year of high school for me, and it would signal losing a friend I thought I would never lose.

The end of the year did finally come, and with it brought bittersweet memories that to this day I still haven’t forgotten. As Michelle left, she pulled me into a big hug, and told me that she would never forget me and that she was sorry for leaving. Michelle went on to say that the school wasn’t right for her and that someone else could now have her spot. In other words, it was for the best for everyone if she left.

I eventually came to realize that Michelle was right. Even though, Michelle is now at a public school miles away from me, I just have to think back on all the support she offered me and realize that I will be alright.