"True friendship is when friends can walk in opposite directions yet remain side by side." - Josh Grayson.
In every phase of my life, I've formed many friends: childhood playmates, elementary friends, high school buddies, and now, my college friends. Not including the people I met outside of school, I've had countless of them. However, not all friendships are meant to last. Different priorities, circles, and environments drifted some of us apart, so I especially cherish the few people who still remain by my side, even after all this time. Two of them are my high school besties, Angel and Johnalie - who have endured my poisonous tongue throughout these years and witnessed several embarrassing moments in my life.
How We Became Close
Angel and I met during our Grade 7. We both belonged to the same section, Gr. 7 St. Charles. My impression of her when we first met was that she was quiet and meek. We were not quite close during this time, but we had several occasions where we played together with some of our other friends. We also shared Wattpad stories that we were fond of with each other. Still, I preferred being alone at that time since I was newly addicted to Wattpad - I didn't want to be disturbed, so our friendship didn't develop into something closer.
The turning point was during our Grade 8. We were both assigned to the same section. The friends I was closer with during the previous grade belonged to other sections, so I settled with Angel. I sat beside her and greeted her. That's when we also got to know another close friend, Johnalie. Johnalie looked strict initially, but I wasn't timid, so I didn't mind her intimidating persona and talked to both of them.
During grade 8, our bonds became stronger. We got to know more of each other. In fact, we were a famous trio. Angel was never for academics; she was an average student who didn't care if she got high or low grades; as long as she passed, that's all. On the other hand, Johnalie hungered for academic validation, which could make her parents proud. I was the balance between the two - I cared about my academics, but I was not that hard on myself. Our attitudes towards our studies also reflected our personalities. Johnalie was the most reliable of the three of us; she's our mother hen. Angel can take care of herself too, but I was the one they needed to look after - since I'm careless, forgetful, and clumsy (I often trip and fall).
Why did I mention academics? Well, it was because, for the first time in her life (and also her last), Angel made it to the honor list! And no, our bondings weren't studying (that's boring). We listened to music, ate lunches together, gushed over our crushes, gossiped, and even sang together (during our break times). We also supported each other when we went to competitions! We also went home together (even if we lived in different directions). It's just because we all sat together in class and told her about the topics she didn't understand that she made it! It was too bad that we were in different sections in the following years.
Memorable Moments Together
We've had quite a lot of memorable moments together. One thing that came to mind is about our crushes. We gave them nicknames and even stalked them (we waited for them to get out of school so we could walk together at home). There was also one time when we were soaked by the sudden rain after lunch, so we came to class thoroughly wet. We looked like we just came out with our uniforms dripping with water.
We've also been through challenging times. No, there was never a time when we seriously fought in our friendship. However, we were dealing with our own problems.
That one moment that made it hard for the three of us was the impending separation; Johnalie needed to move to another place. Online communication is possible, but Angel and Johnalie didn't have phones.
She moved to a lot of places until she finally settled in Boljoon. The last time we were together was during our senior year of high school. We also lost touch with each other until, years later, we reconnected online.
What Made Our Friendship Special
Angel and I were the closest pair of sisters when we lost connection with Johnalie. We shared stories, comforted each other, and laughed a lot together.
We were the so-called low-maintenance friendship. In fact, ever since senior high school, we seldom meet each other since we have different priorities now. I'm studying in college while she's already working. We also don't text each other often, but every time we meet, there's never a sense of distance between us.
The same goes for Johnalie. After about two years, we finally managed to keep in touch (she finally got her own phone)! Even when we lost years of communication, our bond is still stronger than ever! We've been friends for several years but never once had a conflict. What makes our friendship last is other than communication, it's understanding. We understand that we will be separated often and know each other's circumstances.
(Our high school pics weren't uploaded but were developed, so we only had a few pictures - with Johnalie in particular)