Sorry Steph, I know how much you hate long posts.

My best friend turned twenty today. That frightens me a little bit. 

This photo of us from six years ago also frightens me a little bit.

Anyway.

I remember the moment Steph and I became friends. I think she remembers too.

"Wanna come color?"

I sat beside Malarie Bevans and the three of us just immediately hit it off.

Yep. We were in grade four. 

It all just went from there.

In grade five her classroom was the one next to mine, but despite the distance, we remained best friends.

I remember she wrote a story every week about George and Martha. Just a lil tidbit of info for ya.

Sometime that year we moved into Bianca's house too I'm pretty sure.

We played Nancy Drew every weekend.. all weekend? 

and we actually played it. Like make believe. She was always Phillip.

The random old guy.
In grade six we really hit our prime I believe. Skippin recess to play cards and such.
We sure lived it up. Sometimes I used to miss grade six. Then I remembered how terrible we were.
One time Stephanie farted in music and because I was sitting next to her, she pointed at me.
Everyone believed her. Terrible. I forgave her though. It was funny.

In grade seven our desks were still separated by brick walls and our lockers were separated by E through Q. We managed to stay friends.

This year we both lost a best friend.

I think we cried each other to sleep at night.

Maybe I just cried and Steph stared at me and didn't know what to do.
Just kidding. We were both devastated. But I think we were closer because of it.

I'm pretty sure Steph use to always have dreams about me being really mean to her. I am hoping these were always just dreams and I wasn't ever that mean to her.
Ask her about them. She may even still have them.
Grade eight I was a lame-o best friend to Steph, but she always stayed a perfect-o best friend to me.

Stephanie was the most loyal friend I ever met. Even ask my mom. She will tell ya. 

She wins that award easy-peasy.

In grade nine I think we had some classes together. Which was nice, although it made no difference because we were besties anyway. We did football stats together this year. It was a lovely time.

She was always there when I'd cry. Never offering advice, because thats not what she did.

But she listened.

Sometimes you don't want advice, ya know?

Just a listener. She's the best. And I was a drama-queen. It's embarrassing.
She loved me anyway.

In grade ten, I remember in CALM class we took these personality quizzes and such.

We always ended up at opposite ends of the spectrum. We decided thats what made us such good friends, ya know?

She toned down my annoyingness. She was good for me.

I like to think I brought out some good qualities in her too, but it's hard to say. She was good for me though, thats for sure.

In grade eleven we had our separate lives because I decided to be a cheerleader and she did not.... but still kept close. I think this was the year I got all ten seasons of F.R.I.E.N.D.S for Christmas.

Did you know we watched every.single.episode together? Yep. All 238 episodes. Plus the bonus features.

In grade twelve we decided to go and graduate. We were closer this year than the previous. I remember asking myself why I spent so many weekends without her during grade eleven. 

We danced together. We cried together. We were Fireflies together. We ripped T-shirts together.
I think dancing together brought us very close.
She even helped me when I sucked at remembering the dances. She was such a fast learner.
She had a side of the bed at my house you know. Toothbrush? I forget. Maybe at one point.
I drove her around. I liked driving her around... and she hated driving around.

After we graduated after a few turn of events, we both ended up living at home for another year.

We decided to go to California and also dragged along our other two best friends with us. 

Stephanie loves Disneyland like I love Disneyland.

Stephanie also loves musicals more than I love musicals, I'm pretty sure.

But we saw Lion King together, where we may or may not have shed a tear or two.
And now? Steph has bought me a ticket for Beauty and the Beast in December.
She's the best, isn't she.

Okay. I could go on forever, because Stephanie has been my best friend since forever.

Now, Stephanie turned twenty today, and she is in North Carolina and I am in Texas.

And it's odd.
I would very much like her to confuse my nose with a teddy bear or wake up with a heavy metal ball in her chest or perhaps drink a Barqs by my side tonight.

I miss her terribly, and I cannot wait to see her face on Dec 21.

source.