This is how I remember it...

I remember the first day of Seventh Grade. Soccer was the popular sport. I was decked out in head to toe Umbros. (Although I wore red and teal jeans a lot in 7th and 8th grade; And I had a few pair of Adidas shoes). I remember I wanted to fit in. I made no real lasting friends from Sixth Grade. I still had Mindy and Vicki, but I had known them since Kindergarten.

Mr Braedel. I was unfortunate enough to be Kim's little sister. My sister had him for 7th and 8th grade. I don't think he ever called me by my real name. Didn't we have him for Homeroom, English, and Social Studies?

Back to the first day of school: I remember Mr Breadel sat us alphabetical. And it just so happened that you were diagonal from me. You were the new girl. And you were different. You didn't wear makeup, you had long, long brown hair, and you had "duck boots". I remember they were green and plastic over the toes. I thought it was so weird that you wore them in September!

I honestly don't remember much about our relationship prior to your birthday party. I remember playing Truth or Dare at your birthday party. I remember Libby licking the toilet seat.

I remember the NFN. I remember when you started writing in it. And somehow you and I clicked. I'm not sure what it was. I know neither of us were as boy crazy as Anna and Jessica. (I remember Jessica tried to set me up with her boyfriend's friend. And he wouldn't be my boyfriend because I refused to make out with him the first time I met him). And Lori was really into sports, which we weren't (although I did play basketball). You and I shared an awareness for the environment and for animals (remember when we wrote to organizations about adopting an animal). I don't know what drew us together. But I know once we met, we became inseparable.

We spent every weekend with each other. Calling boys, playing computer games (Island of the Spanking Monkey!), exploring the woods, sleepovers. I remember my Dad would always order us Cheese and Onion pizza and you hated it. I remember we got to drink pop at your house but only with a straw. I remember our canoeing trip! Still one of my favorite experiences. I remember the awful parts of 7th grade too. We stood together when the boys became rude and inappropriate. Even when the Assistant principal threatened suspension, we stood together.

I had no idea when I was thirteen that I would meet my best friend for life. Even as we changed and evolved. Even as we grew a part. We were actually growing together.

first impressions

So this is how we met:

I grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee and said things like "y'all," which caused evil boys in the classroom to call me a hick (even though they arrived at school with cow on their pants and I lived in a city twice the size of Green Bay that was much more culturally diverse). I didn't know anyone, but seventh grade isn't such a terrible time to move, if you fall into the right classroom. First hour: Mr. Bredel and "Calm 'er down!" and grammar books and stories from a moldy textbook. Libby and her howling like a dog, Halloween party, and then my birthday, where I invited everyone I knew, even though I didn't really know anyone.

You sat kitty corner from me, to the rear left of me. You wore red umbros a lot, I think, and adidas. Or maybe red jeans. Teal ones too. And a gold basketball necklace (which you gave to me later on, and I still have it, tucked in a beautiful wood jewelry box an ex gave me that plays a simple song).

I wore snow boots to school, because I hadn't grown up in a place where snow was something you encountered on the walk to the bus, and you still call them "duck boots," which I think is amusing. They were green and tan and a size too big and I would comp through the hallways, unashamed, though a little envious of the trendy adidas.

How long did it take before everyone else fell away? We were part of the same circle so often, with the NFN (notebook for notes) that was confiscated (and our science teacher talked to us about it, and I think now, about how official it all seemed, and now as a teacher myself, how hard it is to corner a student and explain why something was wrong) and the slumber parties and everyone else.

It's strange how clothing can change so much: from red jeans to dog collars to girlish t-shirts. And me, from duck boots to patchwork to teacher shoes. Purple hair and magazines. We always say if we met today, we probably wouldn't be friends. Who knows what sorts of things in the universe must be aligned so you can find that easy comfort with someone?