You were just a stranger, and then before I knew it, you were my best friend in the entire world. You were the person I wanted to talk to whenever anything happened. When I was happy, I wanted to tell you so you could be happy with me. When I was feeling down, I wanted to talk to you so you could make me feel better. When I was heartbroken, I wanted to be with you so you could be my shoulder to cry on. You went from being the random kid who sat in front of me in class to being the one person outside of my family that I couldn't imagine my life without in the matter of days.

We went through it all together. You were the first boy I ever slow danced with. You were first person I ever went to Taco Bell with. You were my lab partner and almost lit my hair on fire with a Dorito. You talked me out of bad dates and stupid decisions. You were always the first person to tell me I was being an idiot, and you were always right. You helped heal my broken heart, and I helped heal yours. You cleaned up my messes, and I gave you Physics answers in return. You pushed me outside my comfort zone and made me feel free, and I kept you safe and focused. You made me feel loved when everything else in my life made me feel worthless. You were the friend that made saying goodbye for college the hardest and the one I was most excited to see every time I went home.

I always imagined you coming to Georgia to visit me and meeting all my new friends. I imagined you as my date for formal when I rush in the Fall. I pictured you at my graduation, as proud of me as you always have been. I so vividly saw you celebrating my successes and me yours. I'm not the type to dream about my wedding, but anytime I even thought about that day, I pictured you there with me.

You were my best friend in the whole world, and all of a sudden, you aren't anymore. All of a sudden, you're gone. I never knew a life could change so quickly, but in the matter of minutes, my entire world was upside down because you weren't a part of it anymore. It felt like I couldn't function anymore because a half of me was suddenly missing. A huge portion of my heart was no longer with me.

Losing you isn't just losing you as a person. It's losing a future I'd envisioned with you. It's losing dreams that we were going to chase together. It's losing memories because I can never look at the happy times with you without remembering how everything ended. It's losing a piece of me that I know I can never truly get back.

You were the person I always said I couldn't imagine my world without, and now I'm having to learn how to live in one. As I'm writing this, it's been over a week since we've spoken last. I was hoping writing this would give me some clarity, but it hasn't. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do without you yet. Multiple times a day, something happens that I want to text you about, but I don't because I can't. When I talk to people about you, I still call you my best friend as if nothing has changed. I still think about you and wanting to see you all the time. You're still the lock screen on my phone and all over my Instagram.

You were my best friend, and I know that you will always be my best friend. You can't have that type of bond with someone and have it disappear overnight. I really don't know what to do without you, but I know that I need to be without you. I didn't want to write about you, but you are all I can think about. I hope some day, something will change and we can be together again. I hope one day we'll be able to live out all those dreams and see each other become the people we always wanted to be. However, for now, I'm just going to have to learn how to miss you and how to face this world without you.

If you're reading this somehow, know that you are still my best friend. Know that if you ever need anything, I am still here for you. Know that I still believe in you and am rooting for you. Know that I still love you and will always love you.