High school: a time of uncertainty and self-depreciation. It seems like everyone is having the best time, all the time, but let's be real. You don't need to have a million friends to be happy or "cool." How many people in your circle of friends actually care about you, anyway?

It's hard to know who really cares about you, especially as you grow older and realize that you have to take initiative to cultivate meaningful friendships. As my time in high school escapes me, my appreciation for my best friends, Isa and Khushi, grows immensely every day. I am truly lucky and blessed to be able to call these two girls my best friends. Among their many wonderful qualities, there are a few aspects that I value in my friends: loyalty, honesty and authenticity.

To me, these characteristics are the backbone of every successful friendship. Without loyalty, it takes an immense amount of time to build trust and get to a level where you can trust another person with anything you want to say. If I tell either of them something personal, I don't have to worry about half the school hearing about it the next day. Loyalty in a friendship extends beyond just trust. As cliché as it sounds, we are always there for each other, in the good times and the bad. Whether it's a family issue or a bad day, we support and help each other despite our busy lives. On top of that, Khushi and Isa are some the most genuine girls that I know.

There’s no fake drama or gossip, and they’re the first ones to call me out if there is something going on. Despite how much time may pass, it always feels like we’ve been together for longer than it really has. We may all have different interests and quirks (like Khushi’s love for music or Isa’s adventures at LifeTeen), but together we gather our personalities into something truly delightful.

Obviously, the three of us didn’t get to this point overnight. It takes time to cultivate friendships and relationships. You can’t just expect people to act how you want them to act. Start by doing nice things for people. Show people in your life that you care about them, and slowly, you will see the people that matter will show up. Ultimately, you will bring in people into your life that truly care about you, whether that’s today or tomorrow, and it’s not a million people.