My Best Friend

When I was in second grade Mrs. Karen Powers became my Sunday school teacher at church. I did not know at the time, but this is probably one of the best things that could have ever happened in my life. Not only did Mrs. Karen, become apart of my class, but because they just moved to town,  her white-haired, freckled face daughter Cassie joined the second grade class as well. 

We must have been polar opposites because in no time at all we were inseparable. I can honestly say that I cannot remember a summer from that point until 8th grade that we did not spend almost every day together. It did not matter that we went to different schools and lived in different school districts, that just made it more fun to have a friend that no one else knew; It made it special. 

Like every other middle-schooler we wanted to grow up, so when high school started both of us were really excited about the new changes that were coming our way. I do not think either of us expected the toll growing up would bring on our friendship though. It happened so slowly at first that it was not even noticeable. Freshman year we helped each other through life’s hard struggles of boys and drama. However, Sophomore year I became more involved in my cheerleading and Cassie become involved in playing tennis. More and more we would forget to talk during the week and became satisfied with seeing each other twice a week at church. 

Junior year I finally started dating a guy that I had liked for forever and that is when the real distance began to form. Cassie and I had times where it had been bad, but we always seemed to get out of it. When I got a boyfriend though, he became my best friend and although Cassie and I still talked it wasn’t as frequent as it should have been. I remember it got to the point where Cassie straight up told me that she did not want to be my friend anymore because she knew that Russell was my best friend and what was the point being friends anymore if neither of us was trying. Of course we worked through it and whenever Cassie got a boyfriend several months later, she came to me admitting that she understood now and was sorry for being so harsh on me before. 

All through Senior year our relationship had its ups and downs. We had learned to accept that seeing and talking to each other all the time just was not a priority in either of our lives. It was not until summer before we left for college that we realized that boys are no boys we needed each other. We began to talk and hang out more frequently again. We finally shared life with each other that had been happening the past several years. It was seriously some of the happiest conversations I have had in my life, however they were so sad too. We had been missing out on each other for far too long. We had let high school conquer and separate us instead of conquering it and showing it who is boss. 

College has brought us together in so many ways even though we are farther apart than we ever have been before. I can honestly say that the same short bleach, blonde hair, freckled face girl that is now a super tall and thin and beautiful woman is still my best friend. We have grown apart and together a lot throughout the years but overall we have decided to live life together and be their for each other every step of the way.