To My Middle School Best Friend,

I always hated meeting new people because my circle of friends was just fine. One day, a new family moved into the vacant house down the street and my mom told me it was time to bake a plate of cookies to take to the new neighbor’s house. She told me I had to get in the car with her and go meet them, that it was what nice neighbors did. I was so upset with her forcing me to meet new people.

I remember the blank stares we exchanged the first time we were introduced to each other. You took me upstairs to show me your new room while our parents had their own introductions. Since you were new to the area, our moms set up play dates for us to get to know each other better. I can't tell you how much I resented my mom before I went to that first playdate. What was she thinking? She was forcing me to make friends with someone I didn't even know while I was content with the ones I already head. Little did I know that a plate of cookies would turn my entire life around.

Fast forwarding to our middle school years, you became like a sister to me. You and I spent so much time together that our families would take us to things that, normally, only family members get to attend. We’d spend hours, weekends, or weeks together. Anytime school was called off, you were here. I remember times in the summer when your mom would call to ask when you were coming home next because you spent so much time at my house. We’d go swimming and bike riding to town for ice cream. We’d sleep in the camper and make stupid videos with a helium camera that kept us occupied for hours. We’d go to the movies together for the Twilight Saga premiers at midnight. We were each other's personal photographers with our digital cameras. We were one another’s hair dressers and makeup artists. Not only did we share clothes, food, and sleeping spaces together, we also shared so many memories.

You and I shared so many milestones in our lives together. We gave each other “girl advice” when it was that time. We were best friends when we had our first boyfriends and our first heartbreaks. We had the same first job together and hated every second of it -- together. We had drivers' training together. We helped one another out when we were mad at our parents. We were there to hold each other when we cried, laugh at each other when we were being goofy, and support each other when times were tough. You were my rock. You were my Person. You helped me through the times I couldn't handle alone. You were there for me at any time of day, no matter how busy either of us were.

Thank you for being my friend through all the times I complained about my mom, cried about boys, or was just in a bad mood. Thank you for putting up with me when I was going through my “awkward” stage in life, trying to figure out who I was and where I belonged. Thank you for being down to do anything -- especially my crazy ideas that probably could’ve got us killed. Thank you for tagging along to all of my softball games uptown and being my personal chauffeur when you got your license before I did. Thank you for always making me feel important, pretty, and needed. You always knew what to say and when to say it. You were right there to compliment me when I just felt average or ugly. You never made me feel like less of a person.

I’m not exactly sure anymore as to what happened between us. I know when it was time for you to move up to high school, our friendship changed. One big regret that I have in our friendship is that I allowed that distance to put such a strain on us. I know they say that "over time people change" and maybe that’s just what happened. Maybe we were both at different stages in our lives and we just didn’t click anymore. I don’t know what it was, but I wish I could turn back the hands of time. I wish we could reconnect and reminisce on all those great times we had and catch up on everything we’ve missed out on over the years. I realize we may not get that closeness back, but it would be so nice to have a chance. I miss you, friend.