When I was younger, you were my best friend; like my shadow, we did everything together. You followed me around, you laughed with me, even cried with me. I felt like our lives were straight out of a movie. 

Countless hours spent in class laughing our heads off, creating the happiest memories. When I thought of my childhood, you popped into my mind.

I remember saying, “you’ll be my best friend forever. I promise,” and then the next year, I forgot you even existed, for that year and the year after that. It wasn’t specifically my fault; we had different classes.

For two whole years, you were just a girl who went to my school. Someone completely different from me—someone who would laugh and I couldn’t recognize it.

But then you walked up to me one day and asked me where I lived. It was a really strange question, but I soon found out that one question would change everything.

For the next years of my life, you impacted me in so many ways. I felt happy and complete; I had found my best friend. I would walk to your house every day; we would go sledding, watch movies, and eat chocolate until we felt sick.

You were my best friend for two years.

You were my other half for two years.

You were my sister for two years.

And one day you changed. You changed, and I noticed. You changed, but I kept quiet. 

I kept you by my side when everyone else was noticing. I kept you by me when I felt like pushing you away. 

Eventually, you stabbed me in the back; you lied. You took away every happy memory. You left me broken and lost. You let my childhood break in half and wither away. 

Now you are just a girl who went to my school. Someone completely different from me—someone who laughs and I can’t recognize it.

You apologized, and I forgave you. You tried to patch up wounds that would only ever heal as scars.

“You’ll be my best friend forever. I promise.”

We all grow up and change, but you were the one person I was expecting to stay the same.