I met you all at varying points throughout my life. 

Randomly becoming best friends in my third grade yet not knowing why, sitting in front of you during the terrifying class of APUSH on the first day of high school, battling to the death during AP World, becoming friends through mutual friends, sitting in that stressful circle on the first day of tenth grade, watching you join me through the years of ballet—first being afraid and intimidated by the older stranger, then warming up to the amazing people you are.

You’ve helped me grow. You’ve taught me that the world isn’t as terrifying as it may seem and that not everyone needs to be intimidating when you first meet them. You’ve helped me through hard classes and been there to laugh with me even at the expense of myself at times. You’ve believed in me no matter what. 

We struggled to cut circles out of cardboard that was too small for the necessary size. We discussed hot dogs and whether or not they were sandwiches. We high-fived as hard as we could, and I have the picture to prove it. We bonded over the silliest things and were partnered up for everything. 

I gave you drawings to cheer you up. I lost all hope of your trust over the course of a few months—yet you only lost it in one day. 

You shared your secrets and incredibly ambitious life plan—but if anyone can live that life, it’s you. You took me in under your wing and protected me from the scary world. You came up and talked to me when I was still scared of everyone in the side of the room I now live in.

I want to tell you thank you. I want to tell you congratulations. I’m proud to be your friend and can’t wait to see what you’ll do with the world. You fought through AP classes, the stresses of everyday teenage life, and were friends with a wackadoo, so I know you can do anything. 

I know that it’s been fun, and now you have to go.

But as you become big and famous or life-changing on the side, I don’t want to be that one little friend you had in high school. I don’t want to be a lost memory in your brain. 

So before you venture off to different states and blow the world’s mind with your incredibleness, I have to know, when can I see you again?