Dear You,

You know exactly who you are because you're the one who told me about the rumors. It's not an uncommon thing to hear of since we're at an all girls' school, and when you and I first met we became inseparable pretty quickly. So of course people wondered.

We don't know who started the rumor. And for a while, I think it might have bothered both of us a little. No one had even asked us. It had just gotten back to you that you apparently were dating me.

I had just broken up with my boyfriend of three years and the closest thing to "dating" that I wanted to be involved in was eating mac and cheese with my cats. I felt frustrated that I had been at this school for only a little over a month, and that people who didn't even know my name were already talking about my personal life.

But once the initial frustration that we were being talked about passed, I quickly realized that there are much, much worse rumors that could be going around than the one about you and I. And I think you realized that too. Because one day we just decided to let people talk, and to turn it into a joke.

We had classes together. When group work came around, we would pair up, saying, "Well, everyone thinks we're in love anyway."

We'd hang out between classes and write papers together. Our majors are the same, and we suffered through the same frustrating classes (grammar 2015 never forget).

Every time we did something that showed how close we were, we would laugh and joke about "the rumor," and how we could give whoever it was that started it something to talk about.

But through the jokes and all the references to people talking about us, you became my sister: a best friend who I could constantly rely on. You got me through one of the toughest times of my life. When you knew I wouldn't remember an assignment because I was trying to put my life back together, you'd text me to remind me.

When I couldn't bring myself to get out of bed, you'd tell me what I'd missed in class. That semester was the hardest of my life, and I credit you for being what got me through.

And now, we both have boyfriends. I'm sure whoever started that rumor didn't exactly see that coming.

But I wish I could thank that person. Because that silly rumor that was started turned into one of my favorite jokes with one of my favorite people.

In fact, I'm honored that someone thought that we were a couple.

I'm thankful for that rumor because I think it brought us even closer than we ever would have been otherwise.

It's been almost a year since we first heard of "the rumor," and in that time we've made a lot of plans. We joke about being future "wine mom's," and we have sent each other probably thousands of cat pictures.

But no matter what happens and where our paths lead us after college, I'm always thankful for you, for our friendship and for the rumor that brought us together.

I'm glad we let them talk.