Everybody has at least one person, besides their family, who they can trust with anything. If you're lucky, you have an abundance of these reliable people; but to be honest, you only need a few close friends to obtain the same effect. When you discover your true best friends, your life will never be the same. You'll constantly share the craziest and deepest stories with them because you know they will stick by your side no matter what.

It took me a while to understand what genuine friendship feels like, but when I became closer to Emily, I knew that this is what it meant to have a best friend. We became friends in third grade, and by fourth grade, we were already so close to one another. Since then, our friendship has only grown. Although I didn't fully know how to appreciate our companionship when I was younger, its significance became clear to me at the start of high school.

Our Lady of the Angels 2012 Yearbook

I'm not even going to try and hide the fact that adjusting to high school was rough for me. Even though I don't like to be called a perfectionist, I definitely am. This aspect of my personality really got to me in freshman year. I was constantly worried and stressed over every test. I studied a week in advance so I could get all the information into my head and receive the grade I needed to satisfy my high standards.

As you can probably guess, this all got to be too much for me on various occasions; however, I was incredibly lucky to have my best friend there for me. I can't even tell you how many times she helped me calm down or just get my mind off of school. Throughout my high school experience, Emily was consistently making sure I was okay. I can't even begin to thank her enough for noticing that I needed someone there for me.

Emily has been with me through so much of my life. She has witnessed firsthand how I decided on my major and what I want to do in the future. When I started developing my love for reading, she was reading right along with me. Emily and my other best friend, Guen, who I also wrote a post about, definitely inspired me to appreciate books. This love continued, and then in high school, I got serious about writing.

Emma Hornick

I can confidently say Emily is my biggest fan. She always looks forward to everything I'm writing when I introduce ideas to her. Throughout high school and even this past semester of college, I sent her my creative pieces for feedback. She has been along for my entire writing journey and watched my style take shape along the way. Her enthusiasm for reading my writing and honest comments mean so much to me because she is helping me improve what I want to have a career in.

One of my favorite characteristics of Emily is that she can make me laugh at anything. If your best friend can't make you laugh at any given time, you're doing something wrong. Her randomness and the inside jokes we have never fail to make me burst out laughing. Whenever I see or talk to Em, she always has an upbeat attitude. Even though she may not be having the best day, she continuously maintains an optimistic attitude and always seems to be looking on the bright side.

The best friend package isn't complete without total acceptance of one another's interests. Emily has been with me through my obsessive nature of various things ranging from tv shows to music. Huge shoutout to her for watching "Barry" after I went on and on about my love for Bill Hader and this show. I also love that we watch the same YouTubers, make references from the videos, and understand exactly what the other is joking about.

Emily has been with me through it all and seen me at my best and worst. I know I can put all my trust in her for advice and guidance in difficult situations. I don't know what I would've done without her in high school because, over our years of friendship, she has been with me every step of the way.

Thank you, Em, for showing me what it's like to have a real, pure friend.