Everyone has something to say to just about everyone you went to high school with. Some of these letters may be kind, loving, and nostalgic. Some...may not. Regardless, everyone deserves that final goodbye--or badbye.

To the best friend I'm leaving behind

I love you. I will miss you. But it is time for us to separate, if only just for awhile. Space can be good, and while I will spend every waking moment with my new friends in college wishing you could tag along, I don't regret my decision to move away. I had to choose the school that is best for me, and I know you did the same. Maybe you will find yourself here one day, too. No matter where life takes us, I want you to know you are and always will be my best friend. Don't try to make too many new friends, okay?

To my doting father

I will always be your little girl, whether I live in your house or 200 miles away. I will text and call you when I can, but don't expect it very often. While I am your little girl, I am now my own woman, and I want to act like one. I will update you on my life. I will tell you about my classes. Yes, we can grab dinner when you're in town. Just let me grow as you have my whole life, but this time farther away.

To my overbearing but loving grandmother

I'm sorry I was a moody teenager who did not appreciate you when necessary. We have always had our differences, and I don't see that changing anytime soon, and neither should you. But we have always put it behind us, and I know our distance will bring us closer. I get my strong and sturdy personality from you, so it should be no surprise that we need our space to give us the grandmother-granddaughter relationship I know you've always wanted. You can still visit me, but let's try to keep that to a minimum, shall we?

To my future best friends

I am so excited to spend my days in college with you, as long as you realize you will never live up to my childhood best friend or those who came after but are still my top choices, my ride-or-dies, the reasons I live. Please don't pressure me into drinking or other things I may opt out of that some would consider part of the college experience. You have a lot to learn about me, and I may never cover all topics, but I want you to know you are going to deal with a lot. But I will love you. Just give me time.To my ex-best friends

To my ex-best friends

I am better off without you, this I now know. Getting away from you and the toxicity of high school will help me to blossom into a powerful young woman who does not have to be ashamed of her past, nor will she have to justify the reason that she cut anyone off from her life. I'm sorry things ended, and for some of you, you didn't deserve it. But I need to get away. I am happy none of you are joining me. I wish you the best, I truly mean it.

To my future significant other

Treat me well. High school has taught me that you will never be more important than my friends, family, and especially myself. I come first to me, just as you should come first to you. If you break my heart, my friends from back home will break your face, car, and your future. Never underestimate a girl of a mere five feet; she is the closest to Hell.

To the mother I never had

I am leaving, just as you did, but for a much better cause. I am going to be successful no matter what I do, because to me, being happy is a success. Happiness is freedom. You will never know success the way that I will because you never bothered to find it with your daughter. I'm glad you left me. The lessons I have learned because of you are endless, and while you leave a gaping hole in my heart, I know that I would have been worse with you in my life. So, in an ironic plot twist, thank you. Thank you for giving me the courage to believe in myself even when you would not.

To the teacher who believed in me

Thank you. You have impacted me far more than you think. Thank you for letting me babysit your children to get money to pay to send my test scores. Thank you for writing a hundred different variations of one recommendation so that I could receive enough scholarships to pay off my tuition in full. Thank you for working with me throughout my years in your classroom, despite my social awkwardness and my quiet demeanor. I will miss you and your children. Don't let them forget me.

To the teacher who didn't believe in me

I still got an A in your class, bitch. I'm the one laughing now.

To the classmates who didn't like me

Thank you for pointing out my flaws so that I could work to become a better person. You are all still bullies, and karma will come back for you. But for now, I am going to say thank you, because I am happy with who I've become. I don't know that you can say the same for yourself. Wherever you end up in life, I hope the punishment fits the crime.

To my dog

Out of everyone, I unabashedly proclaim that I will miss you most of all. I'm terrified that the day I head to college for the fall semester will be the last time I see you. You're my buddy, my best friend, my partner in crime. You may annoy me with the endless barking--I won't miss that--but no dog will replace you. Tell my father I expect daily pictures.