Friends Are Always There, Even When They’re Not

I have a very best friend, for the past thirty six years now. I haven’t talked to her in probably four years, and four before that. But at any moment in time, I can call her, and she’ll be there for me. She was there on a mission the last time I saw her. I was upset about something, called her, asked to meet her, and an hour later we were at the mall, talking, as if we saw each other every day.

I met her at fourteen. She was standing by a pole in the student area, with a tan hot pants suit on, and I thought she was so cool. She was popular, and friendly to everyone. I wanted to be her friend. I was shy, and had low self esteem, so I didn’t think I stood a chance in her group. Surprisingly, she and I hit it off immediately, and were inseparable all through high school. We went to the same dances, the same parties, slept over each other’s house, got close with each other’s families, the whole works. I remember listening to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and the Motown’s greatest hits, on eight track. We listened to them in the house, and in the car.

We went through everything together. Happiness over getting the boy to ask us out that we wanted. Sadness not getting the guy to ask us out that we wanted. Menstrual cramps, pms, crankiness, personal talk that only two friends that trust each other can talk about. Pillow talk. Sleepovers that consisted of no sleep! One time, we were talking on the phone, and we had the brilliant idea to say, “hey, why don’t we just leave the phones on our bed stands, and if we wake up, we can yell to the other one?” It seemed cool at the time.

Going to her home was the first time I realized we didn’t have such a nice one. I loved her house, it was a bi level, and it was decorated so nicely, and the rooms were designed in an appealing way. The bathroom actually had a separate area for the toilet, with a door. I was amazed. We had to walk through my brother’s room to get to our bathroom. I stayed over at her house more than she stayed over mine! The downstairs had a bedroom for her older brother Chip, and a rec room, with an ironing board, where you would most often find her grandmother, who lived with her.