I wish I could say we have one of those friendships where I remember the exact day and minute when we became friends, but we don't and I'm glad it's not that way. It was like all of a sudden you became a factor in my life one day and you haven't left since. It was middle school, so obviously I try to forget most of it, but could never forget you. I can also never forget that one time we sneakily went over to the local Walgreen's to try an energy drink for the first time and proceeded to have non-stop energy for about 12 hours.

Our friendship wasn't truly defined until we entered high school together. We talked and would see each other occasionally but never really got close outside of those few time. That was, however, until we ended up in the same awful dance class together. We slowly started to stick by each other's side to try and survive that class and our crazy teacher. Nothing says bonding in that class, unlike our end-of-the-year dance recital we HAD to participate in. We did each other's makeup, wore matching ugly costumes to perform a horrible dance, AND had to lead our group through the dance together.

After enduring the first two years of high school together, I found out that my neighborhood was being rezoned to a new high school and I was devastated. I thought I would be losing everyone and having to start over, and then you got the news that your neighborhood would be transferring too, and that's what brought us closer together. We were like what, two of the 20 people from our high school that were thrown in with hundreds of students from two rival high schools? Needless to say that Junior year was a mess, but we goofed around in class to make everything better. Never forget that Hawaii, in fact, does not currently have a queen.

Things always seem to come to an end, and thankfully that thing was high school. We somehow managed to survive senior year and walk to get our diplomas together. Through everything that we went through over those years in school, we still came out being closer than ever as we headed to the next chapter of our lives. I honestly didn't keep track, but I'm pretty sure we spent every day of that summer together. We took spontaneous trips (and swear on our lives we are never driving back to that dirty waterfall EVER again), and we were there holding each other's hands as we got our first tattoos together, and then you proceeding to practically catch me before I passed out after getting mine. You were there for everything, and I will never forget how hard it was saying goodbye to you as I not only drove away to college but drove away for good as my parents moved out of the state not even a month later.

You were always the person that could come right through the front door without even having to knock. You were the person that could always come over when you needed to get away from your family and vice versa. You were the person that became my second home, second family. You were also the person that I would get into stupid fights with that would blow over when we would forget why we were even mad in the first place.

Though those years of middle and high school are over, as well as me living down the street from you, I still find you being that person I look forward to talking to as often as we are able. You still are the person I can go to for anything, even just to talk on the phone to escape from my new home. Those calls that we make every now and then are always amazing because we can rant about our lives and be the cry-babies that we are with zero judgment from one another.

It's hard because we have had these nine years of friendship, and I never once even imagined trying to put all of it into writing. This article alone can barely even touch the surface of us and what you mean to me. Through all the changes in my life, I know I can always turn to you when I need just about anything. Now, I can't promise that we will live down the street from each other like before, but I can promise to always be a part of your life in any way you need.

You are a wonderful, strong, smart, and amazing woman. I'm sorry I cannot be there for your big day this year, but I hope this article can take my place. Happy birthday!

P.S. I almost put the worst picture of us in here, but I thought a cute throwback would be better and I will just use the embarrassing one for an Instagram post ;)