an ode to having a best friend

for her seventeenth birthday, and for honk jr.

I met my best friend in seventh grade over a PE Zoom call. It was sort of one of those things where you just see someone, and you know you’re meant to be friends. So I private-messaged her on the Zoom chat feature, and we’ve been practically inseparable ever since.

We immediately bonded over the whole audaciousness of middle school girls, and the unabashed nature of figuring out who you were. It’s somewhat odd to look back on these things, we have changed so much since then, and yet we’ve grown with each other. Through middle school drama, trips across the country, relationship drama, and thousands of changes in minds of what our futures should become— we’ve weathered them all together.

I realize how fortunate I am to have a best friend, especially when I realize many don’t have someone they can call their own.

It’s difficult for me to feel comfortable with someone; I constantly feel like I’m meant to put up a façade around people to be accepted and liked. But we know each other so well that there’s no need for that façade. I think everyone needs a person like that. Everyone deserves someone who knows them so well that their moves and words coming out of their mouths could practically be predicted.

Today, we were celebrating her birthday, and in honor of finals week, she wanted to go to a coffee shop together and “lock in”. In somewhat of a fortunate turn, we ended up talking for four hours instead. I think quite often we talk about how lucky we feel to have each other, someone to grow up with and talk to.

For her birthday, I will now be sharing some of my favorite memories we’ve had together (and thank her in the process).

One late spring break night in 2022, I was sick with COVID-19, and we spent every night on call until midnight. (which was QUITE late for middle school me). We spent our time fantasizing about our future, determining how hard we would work in high school, and planning an entire trip to Normandy that we would take after graduation. Naturally, by then, we would be so grown up.

But I also convinced her to sign up for my local theater’s production of Honk! Jr. with me. For those unaware, it follows the story of The Ugly Duckling with lots of odd side plots. Thank you for navigating through the trenches of preteen theatre kids as you sing your solo “Warts and All”. As a former preteen theatre kid, I accept who we are. You may have been scared off by the three-week camp, but I know I’ll get you back in the theater.

Next, I will always appreciate our hangout routine. We always say we’ll switch it up, and then we end up doing the same thing. First, we’ll play Monopoly, and then we’ll lay around my room for a bit, debating on what to do. But then one of us will get an idea! We’ll walk to the convenience store, and I’ll pick up some strawberry lemonade, and she’ll pick up whatever she feels to that day. It’s a lovely routine, and there’s a wonderful sense of stability that comes with it.

One rainy day, we decided we were quite bored, and we just had to walk to the convenience store. But mind you, please, this wasn’t any normal rainy day. This was the “Atmospheric River”. We bundled up and walked quite stupidly through that storm. Our routine became an adventure, albeit a silly one. We traipsed through puddles and watched our umbrellas turn inside out from the wind, becoming practically giddy from the nature of it all.

braving the tumultuous atmospheric river together

My favorite memory of all time was going to New York City with her this summer for a program. I can’t believe I was so fortunate to go explore it with my very best friend! We’re constantly amazed— how many high schoolers get such a wonderful opportunity like that?

Our thing quickly became the pizza place, just a five-minute walk from where we were staying. We would hide away in the little red shed affixed with fairy lights, that jutted out in the street for customers to sit with our large slices that cost just a dollar fifty, all to wash it all down with our favorite Peach Snapple. I think the loveliest moments are fostered through conversation, and it was so wonderful to debrief our days and think up our plans for the next there. I’m so lucky to have someone I can talk to so easily.

debriefs at la traviata

I am so fortunate to have you— my confidant, my debriefer, the girl who will join me on my silly grand schemes, my fellow brussel sprout enthusiast, the worst Monopoly player in history, my psychology club co-president, and my very best friend in the world.