Dear Besties, Homie G's, Babes, and Bros,

seventh and eighth grade seemed like so long ago, and those years and beyond were very confusing for us. We didn't have a clue about the world, but we thought we had it all to ourselves. Those years at the time we never knew were the most difficult. In this letter, I just want to address some people in middle school that might've slipped through the cracks as time went on passed high school as we all our now in college or out working in the real world.

To my seventh grade Bestie,

We were in a lot of classes together, but we seemed to have gotten along so very well. You were the first person I could open up to emotionally, as hormones kicked in. We both were boy crazy, dreaming about our crushes asking us out, or what we would do if they came up to us.

We did our hair and make up for the first time, yours came out amazing, mine awful. We dyed our hair, and tried on new trendy clothes. Sleep overs constantly, movie dates, mall dates, holiday dates with our families. We basically were sisters.

Then high school came along, what happened to us? Our hormones outgrew our bond? Our friendship? Why did we ever stop talking or texting? We hangout with different people, we had separate classes, we shared different interest. At graduation we smile at each other like nothing happened, but my question is what did happen? Why didn't we stay close?

Were Facebook friends, and I see you're doing well. I wish we could relive these moments, be close again, but I guess that was a phase right?

To the boy who I always thought was cute in eighth grade math,

I remember being excited to see your shining face during math class. Those baby blue eyes, chubby cheeks, very cute smile. You personality was so sweet who wouldn't have a little crush on you? I never had the guts to ask you out, but I had your number and would shoot the daring "heyy" now and then. We'd have a conversation, but that wouldn't go far, after all why would you talk to me? I had braces and couldn't wear eye liner normally.

But now, you're a man. And no offense not my type anymore. You grew facial hair, and your baby face is no longer a thing anymore. You went through many girlfriends in high school, breaking hearts, but luckily not mine. You think you can do anything you want, have anyone you want. You're a complete douche, sorry.

I guess puberty hit you pretty hard. You went from a sweet cutie, to a big hairy jerk. So glad I lost your number when I got my iPhone.

To the group of bitches who made fun of me,

Making my day a living hell sometimes was fun to you at the time? But I realized that it was because you all had insecurities of your own. You would always make fun of my outfits (they were weird I know) always gossiping about what I say in class, how my makeup looks, or who I thought was cute.

But once high school rolled around and we sprouted into the flowers we became, I saw that you guys yourselves began to struggle with your insecurities, other people picked on you, and no matter how hard it was for me not to join the crowd I thought back and felt sorry for you guys.

Hope all is well, and karma is a bitch.

To that random friend in my gym class I always took selfies with on my phone,

We took some adorable pictures together, and sometimes they weren't so adorable. I see these and these just put the phrase "Middle School awkward stage" in my head. I remember seeing you in high school and how much had changed since then.

Posting that picture to myspace and tagging you in it was pretty cool. You commenting "this iz cute ily" really meant a lot to me at the time, even if you truly didn't mean "ily"

To the kid who always was in trouble but somehow made it through high school,

Not saying I didn't like you, you actually were probably a good friend. I wasn't such a diamond either in middle school, and high school was no better.

But sometimes I questioned how you would make it through, especially the time during art class you smoked a cig near the window. I would always see you in ISS, you would always be out in the hallways, and I don't think you ever did your homework.

Every day on the loudspeaker your name would be called to the principal's office, but you brushed it off like it was nothing. I would say you were very very funny about it, especially when it came to substitute teachers.

But all those years, starting from middle school of a streak of crime, you somehow made it on that stage to graduation in the end. I hope all is well, and even though people saw you as trouble, I sort of loved it.

To the best friend I lost, because of some stupid boy,

Like all best friends we were extremely close. Like my other best friends we would hangout, have sleep over, tell each other secrets, go to the mall, bowling, sit at lunch together. But then that one boy got involved.

Ok, I'll admit you guys were cute but your relationship was all about you two, and I was not included. You would rather spend a week with him than waste an hour on me. I would see you and you'd be brief, waiting for your boyfriend to come out of the bathroom. Suddenly you disappeared from my life, it was sad, but life moves on right?

Then freshmen year of high school comes up, you guys are still together until our hormones finalized and you realize you have no friends. You break up with him, but can never really connect with me again, nor did I ever try to connect with you because I was caught up in my BS.

Our friends were different, but we share conversations if we ever were in the same class. Sometimes I wished I could go back and ask "Why did you date him? We were so close!" But that's long and gone. Oh well.

To my class during middle school in general,

Some of you, I became close to in high school and we barely associated. Some of you, I was friends with all along, others I never once spoke too.

We all went through puberty, hormone growth spurts, emotional phases, and different friendship groups. For some of us, it wasn't such a difficult process, others it was very difficult. We went through the struggles of accepting ourselves, our sexualities, our character, our image. Some of us went through depression, anxieties, confusion, stress.

But altogether we came to realize who we are at the end of the day. Some of us are still as awkward like myself, others have matured one hundred and ten percent.

But no matter what we all have bloomed into beautiful flowers, whether we go on and become doctors, lawyers, teachers, businessmen, mechanics, parents, grandparents, we can look back to some middle school photos and laugh about how silly we all were.