You meet them in an awkward encounter at freshman orientation or move-in day, having no idea what kind of impact they'll have on your life. Trust me, though, it'll be huge. I know that's how I felt, until they aren't your only friends, but also your sisters. You don't hang out when you can, you live lives that revolve around each other. They're your rock, and nothing can be more comforting than that. This is how you know your friends have become your family...
1. There isn’t "my life," "my side," "my stuff"
Everything is “ours”. Whether it be the hair straightener, the five dollar bill that has been on the fridge for a week, or the stress of midterms--we share it. Your clothes become a community closet for whomever wears the same size, and sometimes, for those who don’t wear the same size at all. My issues are never just mine; they become our problems. And trust me, facing something with a best friend on either side is far less terrifying than facing it alone.
2. You fight like sisters
There isn’t grudge holding or silent treatments. No one can stay mad for more than an hour, and that is still a long time. We say what we need to say and take it with a grain of salt. There isn’t gossip or rumors that we need to worry about, because we know if we're doing something wrong we'll be called out on it. Not to be mean, but to help me, just as my sisters would. And, of course, there is the occasional, “girl, if you don’t…” just to keep ourselves on track.
3. 'Boundaries' is nothing but a ten letter word
When I say everything is on the table I mean everything. It’s like having your own personal therapist and health teacher wrapped up in one. Questions you cannot even believe are coming out of your mouth are casually asked over a large cheese pizza. The more vulgar and embarrassing, the better. No one’s face is turning red. If anything she’s getting out her iPhone, it's to Google it.
4. You haven’t eaten a meal alone since The War of 1812
Every trip to the dining hall is a family affair. A group text will be sent out at 5:00 and we will be sitting around a plastic table by 5:15. Sometimes we aren’t even all hungry, but we all make sure to be there for moral support. Eating alone in the dinning hall is like eating over the kitchen sink: friends don’t let friends eat over the kitchen sink.
5. Everything is open for discussion
I never thought that “should I wash my hair?” would be asked at the frequency that it is. Everything becomes a play-by-play of what we are about to do next. About to go to class? Tell us. About to get a coffee? Tell us. About to sneeze? For the love of all things holy, start a new group chat. I want to know how many times you made eye contact with the cute boy in your business law class. Let’s just make this easier: text me your social security number.
6. Boys ride backseat when it comes to your girls
When I say I ride and die with my girls, I mean it. They do, too. I trust them with, not only my life, but my with my new iPhone--no case. We don’t fight over boys, we don’t let boys come between us, and we don’t let boys mess up our Friday night plans. We are as boy-crazy as the next group of twenty-year-olds in college, but we know that we are our each other’s number ones. And once a boy crosses one of us, he crosses all of us.
7. You're a packaged deal
“Where’s the other one?” should be filed under frequently asked questions. You haven’t gone to the bathroom at a party without each other since you met freshmen year. People have taken note of this and are worried when one third of your family isn’t present. When one of you gets invited somewhere, everyone knows they’re actually inviting all of you. And this is just the way it should be. Everyone knows you work better together.
8. They are the ultimate “Going Out” team
Never have I ever told them to go on without me. It’s Friday and that is our day. We’re going to spend two hours getting ready, one hour pre-gaming, and three ours in a social setting just so we can talk about it in the morning. Our outfits will have been carefully criticized by each of us so we know we look on-point when we do our synchronized dance to “Ten Bands” by Drake. We’ll have the time of our life every night, not because of what we’re getting into, but because we’re together.
9. You find yourself gravitating towards each other
I noticed this when we would be in a good-sized dorm room but all three of us would be squished in one twin sized bed. I mean, there would be another bed, two chairs, and a desk to sit on, and we would be in the corner of one bed. Holding hands, playing with each other’s hair--always too close for comfort. Remember when you were a kid and you’d scream for your mom even when she was, like, a foot away from you? That’s exactly how this is.
10. You realize you couldn’t ever live without them
They’re like puzzle pieces in your life that balance and complete you. Her sense of humor, her good nature, this one’s open mind, that one’s intelligence; whatever it is, you need it. I know I do. I couldn't imagine being without them. I have known them for only a portion of my life, but I cannot remember a time without them and their influence. My personality wasn't what it is now until I knew them, and they helped me become the woman I am today. We push each other everyday to be better, to do more, to work harder, and to have more fun. College is school, but college with them, is home.
