Category: Poetry

Day 50: “Best Friends Forever”

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My best friend from childhood is getting married today

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Second grade was when we really became close

Started a band on the playground by the fence where the honeysuckle grew

Named ourselves the Honeysuckle Band because we were 7

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Over the years

We started a covert, spy operation

Called the Secret Crazy Club, or SCC

Our spy names were Colby Shae Williamson

And Misty Ray Scherzinger

Very convincing

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I shot her brother with a BB gun once

Well five times but in one instance

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We’d watch SpongeBob together

It was her favorite but my mom didn’t let me watch it

So we’d come home from school,

She’d put the pizza rolls in the microwave

And we’d go downstairs to her giant movie room complete with recliners

And watch

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We’d also watch My Strange Addiction in her room

I didn’t watch much TLC at home,

Only at hers

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We’d play band hero for hours

Her on drums

Me on vocals

Jamming to She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5, her favorite song

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We made a cardboard house once

Upstairs on the balcony by her room that overlooked the living room

We were coloring the cardboard with sharpies and we dropped one

It fell onto the couch below, making a small mark on the leather

We were terrified

Went into problem-solving mode

Ended up organizing the pillows just so and never saying a word

I don’t even think her parents ever noticed

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When she turned 8,

I got her an outfit just like mine

And we went to Haruno for sushi, matching

Then we had a sleepover

And the next day, she had an outfit for me

Just like hers

Twinzies!

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I still, to this day, cannot eat Cool Ranch Doritos

Because one day

We ate a whole big bag of them

And then spun each other in an office chair

Until we’d get dizzy and couldn’t really walk

We thought it was so funny

Until I was nauseous for hours

I can’t even stand the smell of those Doritos anymore

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We saw Coraline together in theaters

We loved it so much

Only in adulthood did I realize I love that movie so much because I related to Coraline

Loneliness, curiosity, independence

And wanted to be like her

Strong, brave, resilient

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In high school, we drifted

Hung out in different crowds

We’d still say hi and be glad to see each other

But it wasn’t the same

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Until early college,

I can’t remember what prompted us to set it up

Maybe an IG post or our moms running into each other

But we planned to get together when I was home next

And we sat at The Aviary, talking for hours

We realized that we both had come out of religion

Were thinking for ourselves

And unpacking religious trauma

We helped each other

Saw each other

Understood each other

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Since then, we’ve been such an amazing support to each other

Helping each other learn to trust ourselves

Learn to stand up for ourselves

Learn to love ourselves

Unlearn what we were taught about our worth growing up in the church

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I’m so grateful for her

It’s incredible to know someone

From being young, eating pizza rolls and watching SpongeBob

To growing up, coming out of a negative, painful, toxic cult-like religion

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We go way back and not as far back

But we’re growing together

Unpacking trauma together

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We do monthly FaceTimes

Since we live so far away

And I love the quality time

Being there for each other

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I’m forever thankful for that day at The Aviary

Bringing us back together

To be there for each other in a new way

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I’m so excited for her and her almost husband

There’s so much love

And a beautiful life together

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And I’ll look forward to our next FaceTime when they’re back from their honeymoon