"Twins"

Inseparable.

There was this girl; she and I had been friends since diapers. Teachers would ask where the other was when one wasn’t there. We were often mistaken for twins, our family sharing such a close bond. 

The girl and I started to grow up. By the time we were ten, our fates were sealed. Bridesmaids? Definitely. Sisters? Practically. We were together every weekend, on the phone if we weren’t in person.

This was all true until the middle of 8th grade. The girl changed. I started to notice. I found other friends. The girl and I argued. The girl was scared of losing me, the only person who never judged her.

But that was the problem. I never judged her, but she always judged me. I will never forget all the names she called me, the rumors she spread. 

These other friends helped me realize that she was controlling me. Keeping me in a place so she could be superior. I started to think about how if these other people could support me, why couldn’t she? 

Summer was coming. At my graduation another one of my friends and I delivered a speech. We became undeniably close. Calling all the time, I almost forgot about my issues with this other girl.

As summer rolled around, this girl and I were going to different schools the next year. I took that as an opportunity to stop reaching out. She started arguing. I got quieter. One day, I finally snapped. I told her I didn’t like feeling bad about myself every time I was around her. I explained all the situations she put me in that I now carry with me every day.

We stopped talking.

Later, in October, she texted me again. She said she missed being around me. I knew it was because she liked feeling better than someone and having someone she could put down. I had finally begun to thrive on my own.

We no longer talk.