“So call me okay,” my best friend struggled to say while restraining her tears. I nod my head, not knowing what to say. I was too scared to let myself speak. Scared that when the tears came, they wouldn’t stop.
This was a scene I knew too well. A scene so painstakingly familiar it was stamped in my head forever. Saying goodbye to my best friend is a scene I would never want to happen again. A scene that we were forced to repeat, for the third time.
I just let myself stand there, not knowing what to say but knowing she wasn’t expecting an answer. “This isn’t fair, I only get to see my best friend once a year,” was the only sentence pounding through my brain, taunting me.
“Hey at least we’ll see each other next summer? Remember I’m only seven states away.” She was trying to sound positive; trying to make it seem like seeing your best friend once a year wasn’t so bad.
And that’s when I lost it.
We were both crying now, we stared at each other memorizing one and others comforting faces so we wouldn’t ever forget. I knew what we were both thinking right then, “why does this have to be so hard?”
“Briona! Come on! We have a lot of miles to cover!” Bree’s mom shouted from our driveway. Despite both our parents plea’s we just stayed there, staring at each other. There were so many “goodbyes” and “I’ll miss you’s” we could have exchanged but yet we were silent. And sometimes silence says it all.



Finally, despite our attempts to avoid it, she had to leave. I let my vision blur and my sobs take hold of me while I watched her black SUV leave our cul-de-sac. “That’s the last time I’ll see my friend until next July” was all I could think, which only made my cry harder.
It’s been ten months since I’ve seen my best friend. Even though we talk on the phone it’s just not the same. We both miss each other all the time. It’s a weird feeling, not having someone there to finish your sentences or laugh at your stupid jokes or steal your make up. It’s really, really hard.
But while the goodbyes are horrible and numbing we some how make it through. Because when you get to see that familiar friendly face you haven’t seen for a year, when you hear them squeal you’re name it that voice you know by heart, when you’re reunited with that one person that really understands you, its all worth it in that moment. That moment when you get to say hello.

Even though Bree and I don’t get to see each other nearly as much as we like, I know we’ll always be best friends; Im sure of it. Because best friends, though miles apart, will always be close at heart. *