Dear High School Best Friends,

I met you guys in middle school, and that seems like forever ago now. We've had some crazy times since then, but I don't think the three of us have been in the same room since junior year of high school and that sounds crazier. Please tell me I'm wrong about that. I met you both in different ways: one of you was told to show me to my first class on my first day, the other was on my bus. I didn't realize you were friends until a few months later, and when I did, we laughed about it. It was maybe a few months after that I realized one of you did not, in fact, have an identical twin sister who dressed in the exact same way and had the exact same mannerisms. Honestly, though, our Earth Science teacher confused me so much by calling you a different name.

We've had many different names for each other. There was the time where we actually used our real names, and then the Barbie Binge happened. One of you started adding "poof" to the end of every name and thus, we had the Poof Names, which eventually turned into just calling everyone poof. Then there was the Dinosaur Name phase; I will admit when I hear Tyrannosaurus Rex I generally think of "Tyrananaamna" and how difficult it was to come up with. And then there was The Swing Battle in my backyard and Ketchup, Mustard and Relish became people and not just condiments. I'm going to refer to you as Ketchup and Mustard from now on; have fun trying to remember who is who. :)

We spent many mornings in the Art room before the teachers really got there. We'd make coffee, and you guys would do your artsy things, and I managed to customize a jar. Every time I look at it, I remember those skulls you guys were decorating. I don't know if you guys ever ended up finishing them. You guys drew on the walls of that room, literally, and after Ketchup left, it was the room that most reminded me of us. I don't think either of you ever had a science lab together, but I had lab with both of you. And that was an experience in and of itself. I've used both of you as models, and honestly, some of my best work includes you two.

I miss you guys. I miss the sass and snark and sarcasm and how we could see a jar of Mayo and laugh about it because we all agreed that it's the worst. I miss baking with you guys, we certainly had our fails, aka my sister's surprise birthday cake with the "trees" on top, but we had our successes too, the galaxy cake and the macaroons included. I wish I saw you guys more, but you're still a part of my life. I hope that it's the same for you and I hope that it never changes.

Love,

Relish