BFF

Yeah, it's a stupid term. But sometimes, it's the only one that fits.

"Aunt Addy"

When I met Adiel in 7th grade, I thought she seemed cool. I hoped we'd become friends.

I can remember standing by her locker before school when she told Nicole and me that her parents were getting divorced. I felt so sad for her, wishing I could do something to make things easier for her. But I remember at the same time appreciating her telling me, because I knew she considered me a friend.

I remember in 8th grade, walking into the school after being evacuated for a fire drill, when Adiel confessed she'd thought my name was Windy when we first met. She seemed embarrassed. I thought it was funny.

I remember going to Festival of Trees (when it was still at the Salt Palace) to watch Adiel perform with her dance studio. Afterward, I got to go to dinner with her family at Olive Garden. I had such a fun time. Then I got in trouble when I got home because I hadn't told my mom I'd be gone that late haha.

In 9th grade, Adiel and I both got 4.0 gpa's, which entitled us to a limo ride to and lunch at Golden Corral. We did shoulder sits in the parking lot. I was your epitomical goody-goody and secretly worried we'd get in trouble because our coach had a rule against stunting outside of school.

As we prepared to leave Junior High, I thought my world was ending. Adiel and I were going to different High Schools, and it was a sad and lonely experience for me. Despite our best intentions, we lost touch. We'd see each other ocassionally, like after the Hunter-Cyprus game when we stunted in the McDonald's parking lot, but for the most part our lives traveled on separate paths.

More than 4 years after graduation, Adiel commented on my newly-created blog, and we were reunited. I asked her to help as a judge for my squad's tryouts. It was if we were right back in Junior High--as if we had not lost the last 7 years.

After we coached together, she thought it'd be fun to leave me for stupid California. Dream job, awesome life, yadda yadda yadda. Bottom line, I never see her.

Except for the last 3 months. I was able to visit with her when she was in town for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and again last week when she was in town for her brother's wedding. Adiel got a text while we were hanging out on Sunday that said something to the effect of, "How's being 13?" because when we're together, we speak in Friends quotes, giggle about Justin Timberlake while watching Social Network, exclude people by constant references to inside jokes, and sing 'N Sync songs. And I'm always relieved that the distance hasn't changed a thing.

I don't really know the point of this post except to say I'm grateful for friends. Friends that see and talk to you every day, give you rides all over creation when your car is a piece of crap, and even lend you their car so you don't have to miss school. Friends that you rarely see but make you so happy when you run into them on campus, that text you randomly over something that reminded them of you, that don't rely on Facebook to remember your vital statistics. And friends that you've known since before you were the person you are now, that have stayed with you and changed with you, that can make you laugh easier than anyone, make you cry when they say goodbye, and make you sure of what it means to be a friend.