Dear Best Friend,

When we first met, I wasn’t even looking to make new friends. I was about to pack up and move 400 miles away, and the last thing I needed was another person to miss.

We had pre-calculus together, in case you forgot — Huston, third period. At first glance, you were just another student in the background of hundreds. I don’t think I even had an opinion of you.

Then you started missing class, and I would find out why later on. You were a soft and kind person, so of course, I offered to help you catch up, figuring it would be a once or twice type of thing. Except it wasn’t.

If I’m being honest, I can’t remember exactly what happened the first time we hung out. All I know is that we began talking about music, something I would, later on, discover to be your lifeline, and I opened up to you about a part of the past I told very few.

As it turns out, you went through the exact same thing.

Math homework begone, we spent the rest of the night talking about anything and everything, finding out we were more alike than we ever would have guessed. Favorites and least favorites were exchanged, memories were shared, and songs that once haunted me became my very favorites because you connected to the lyrics, too. Despite only knowing you for a matter of hours, it felt as though we had done this a thousand times over — a comforting routine.

In all honesty, I thought I missed out on my opportunity to have a best friend. I moved too often to form a deep history with anyone, and most people floated through my life without leaving much of an imprint. Of course, I ended up finding beautiful and wonderfully heartwarming friends wherever I went, but the problem with moving so much is that by the time you got there, people already had their “someone.” The older I got, the more difficult it became to fit in with other girls, and you understood that because you went through it, too.

It was as though we were meant to be friends, just two wandering souls destined to complement each other. Even after we spent two years without talking when I moved, I came back here for college, and you were still here. We picked up on our friendship like I never even left.

You and I both know we’ve seen dark times and lived through challenges no person should ever have to face. I know there are more days than not that are harder for you, but whenever we’re together, we light up. I will forever cherish every smile, laugh, tear, smoothie and car ride we go on, every up and every down. You understand me on a level that, quite literally, no one else does because you’re the only one I trust to wholeheartedly be “me” with, and I know I am the same for you.

Sometimes I remember you spend each day in pain, and I wish I could do anything to trade places with you. As cliche as it is, you motivate me to be a better, more compassionate person every day. I watch as life knocks you down over and over again, and try my hardest to pull you from the waves. I learned that being a best friend is more than spending every waking moment together and sharing similar interests.

It’s you actually needing to call at 2 a.m. and me answering on the first ring or vice versa. It’s taking the time to understand why that one song means so much to you, or why I have to be honest with my advice whether you like it or not.

You found me during one of the most turbulent times of my life and held my hand as we slowed everything down together. You understand all my aches and pains and never once have you scoffed or belittled them, and I will never forget your kindness. We may not see each other every day, and I know I always forget to check my phone, but you will always be my person.

My wonderful, beautiful, music-loving, iridescent person.