True friends always stick by your side

MELISSA STEVEN PERSPECTIVES EDITOR MS727@CABRINI EDU

It seems like only yesterday I was filling out college applications, picking out a senior prom dress and having the time of my life as a senior in high school. I cannot believe that I am almost done my second year of college. When looking back it feels like time has flown by and the last couple of years are almost just a blur.

In high school my friends and I could not wait to finish high school and go off to college to meet new people and experience what college is all about. When we all found out that we would be going to different colleges, we were sad but none of us were really going too far away. As the last two years have passed most of us still remain friends and love to reminisce about high school memories.

One of my best friends, Cait, has been by my side since the very first day of high school. In our first period science class, on the very first day of school, she turned around and introduced herself and since then we have remained close friends through thick and thin. She’s one of those friends that I might go a week without talking to and then when we finally get in touch with each other and we will talk for hours at a time. Although we go to different colleges, we never go more than a week without talking because she’s like a sister, who if you don’t talk to her, something is just missing.

My other best friend, Olivia, is one of those girls who if I go a month without speaking to her because we are always too busy, when we do talk, it’s like we just picked up where we left off. She’s one of those people who I can always rely on no matter what happens. I look up to her because she is so selfless and will help anyone out in need. No matter what mistakes I have made and what a jerk I can be, these two girls have always been my true friends. I can act totally crazy with them, cry on their shoulders, make fun of them and just be myself without being judged. It’s the best feeling in the world when you always know you have someone to turn to, even in the worst situations they will always help you out.

I see some girls who have friends that back-stab them, lie and just treat their so called friends horribly. When I hear about those situations I thank god that my friends aren’t like that, in fact, they are the complete opposite.

Since we have gone away to different schools we have made new friends, but still no one can take back those years at Prendie we had together.

We all go to different schools but always make time for one another. It is very hard at times, but as we grow up we try not to grow apart. So many people I have known from high school have just drifted away, but these girls are my best friends who I know will one day be at my wedding, be there for my first child’s first birthday and still be ready to party when we’re 50 years old.

KATIE HODGINS STAFF WRITER KAH722@CABRINI EDU

I think I was in love once. I’m sure most of you reading would be able to say the same thing. It was one of those instances that lasted for a matter of a few months but sticks with you for a lifetime. There was no hurt, no lies or no cheating. It ended simply because we had no other choice. Now, I consider him a friend.

This certain friend of mine is different than the other friends in my life. Since then time has passed and I have moved on, I have been able to talk to him about anything, even new relationships when they happen. Through all of this, one major question I always ask myself is “Why can’t I talk to my girlfriends this way?” Don’t get me wrong. I do talk to them about the normal things girls in their early twenties discuss. When we get together, it sometimes resembles a scene straight out of Sex and the City. But, there is something different. It may seem ridiculous to think, but I can only think of one reason why I feel this way. I believe it is simply because they are female.

Even though I love getting together with my girlfriends, there is a certain limit to how much I admit to them or open up about. It’s not that I think they don’t care. Of course they do. I would care about whatever they may have to talk about too. I’ve realized that I prefer not to open up as much to them because of the competition factor, something I think many girls choose to avoid or don’t dare bring up.

This competition factor is something I’m sure many girls out there can relate to. It usually reaches a petty peak in high school then somehow manages to go with us to college. This competition is exactly what has led me to lose a few friends over the years.

In high school, it was the constant need to impress. It could be anything from getting a car for your 16th birthday, to who you took to the prom and all of the way down to a grade you got on a midterm. When girls got boyfriends, the word usually spread quickly, and the girls never minded the world knowing. This contest obviously went throughout the different cliques, but I think the most dramatic competitiveness occurred between good friends. I think my high school friends always wanted to be the first to do something, maybe even be the best at things.

I used to have one ridiculous friend in college that would always go out of her way to catch up with the others. If one girl had sex before her, she would obsess over it. If another girl got a cute outfit from Express, she would get a more expensive outfit from a more expensive store.

Needless to say, I stopped speaking to this girl over a year ago. But she did manage to have the time to all of a sudden call me to tell me she got engaged. She told me this with a tone of voice that let me know she was trying to brag. I think she is secretly happy that I’m not engaged and that I’ve gained back almost all of the 30 pounds I lost two years ago.

I wonder if any of you have ever had a friend like this. Hopefully, you never have. Contests are annoying. I think that is why I find it so much easier to talk to boyfriends, guy friends and even ex-boyfriends about my frustrations in life.

Although I talk about this competition and how much I hate it, I admit that I can be a hypocrite. Next June I’m a bridesmaid in a wedding and this old friend of mine is the maid of honor. I’m determined by then to have lost all my weight, get tan and have a great job after graduating. I’d love to see the look on her face. After all, I am a female. It comes with the territory.