The past few months I’ve been a really bad friend. It’s not that I have intentionally set out to cut all contact with friends and generally be a douchebag. A lot has happened in my life this year from Mack’s internship to Florida which ultimately ended up in a job and a cross country move (in the first six months of this year we drove from AZ to FL and back and forth THREE TIMES); graduation from college for both of us; working full-time again; and you know, generally just being (which is a lot of work, especially when you’re this amazing (I’m being sarcastic)).

Michelle: wazzup?

Michelle: … why do I suddenly have a headache?

Anne: Since the force of my magnificent presence overwhelms you?

Anne: You were used to it before but it’s been awhile

Michelle: XD

Michelle: yeah, I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think it’s you

Anne: SIGH. Crush my dreams

Yesterday was the first time in months my friend Michelle and I were able to chat and catch up and generally chew the fat. Michelle is one of my friends that can laugh with and at me and is a really good person to go to to talk to, no matter my mood. She teases me endlessly, especially when I do something particularly stupid, and loves hearing about my various antics.

Michelle and I met when we were fifteen years old at our high school. One of my classmates and I got to the assembly late so there were hardly any seats left. I was new to the public high school thing having spent my junior high time at a very small private school. That said, it was overwhelming for me to be around 1000+ people and attempting to find somewhere to sit. That is one aspect of high school I particularly hated: where to sit at the assembly. Everyone had their cliques and frankly, I was never invited or apart of any one of them. 

Anyway, so my classmate and I got there late and, scanning the crowd quickly, found a seat next to Michelle. It’s weird but I seriously have a knack sometimes for seeing someone and knowing I can be friends with someone. This was one of those instances. I know I scared the sh*t out of Michelle when I suddenly turned to her and introduced myself. I probably freaked her out even more when, a week later, I approached her in the library (where I had seen her during lunch all week. Yes, I skipped lunch since again I was in no social cliques) and introduced myself again and started talking about random stuff.

Until I moved to Japan we’d run into each other at lunch (we had different lunch periods so we’d hang out for like ten minutes before Michelle had to go back to class) and chat and know from that someone in the school wasn’t a complete jerk. After returning from Japan we both decided to go Running Start (to get out of high school and get college and high school credit) and grew closer as friends. 

Michelle, who would stay up at night with me when I leave a paper to the night before it’s due just to keep me company and make sure I don’t put stuff in there that would get me in trouble (I totally still think it’d be legit to put my cat in a World War II paper). Michelle, who I can always go to whenever I have a problem and is there to listen. Michelle, one of the best friends a girl can ever have.

Thanks for being friends with me Michelle. You’re amazing.

“You know we’re friends because we’re always having way more fun than it makes sense to be having” (Hallmark card)