21 years and counting...

21 years. It's been that long since me and my very best friend April have been friends. When I turned three in 1991 is when my life took off. My mom was about to have my baby brother Kevin in January of 1992 and when she did I was a proud big sister. I loved my little brother but we had to share my room since we lived in a small 2 bedroom townhome, so the search for a house began. I turned four in November of that year and was just finishing up in pre-k at the YMCA when my parents found the perfect place in Linthicum. The summer of 1993 was when we moved into the new house. I remember walking through the huge living room with the weird wall paper and hard wooden floors. My dad took me upstairs and asked which room would I like and I picked the front one that faced the street. I was still little and didn't think much of friends. I left behind a girl I knew for only a little while, I think her name was Britney, but I'm not quite sure. A few days passed as my aunt lived the next street over so I had a pool to dive in to so I wasn't just sitting around while my dad worked on the house. One day I heard a knock at the door and heard my mom answer it.

Mom-"Well hi there. Can I help you?"

Little Girl-"Hello. I saw you had a little girl here, can she come out and play?"

Mom-"Sure. Jamie!" My mom yelled for me and when I get to the door I see a girl who was my height, skinny with brown hair.

Little Girl-"Hi my names April. Your mom said you can come out and play."

That day me and April played in the back yard and talked about where I came from. The first conversation is a blur because I just remember Kevin running into the street and my mom having a fit so a fence was put up (lol)

The Elementary school was straight up our road so we were always together which made it better for me since I never really had any friends. I remember being in 2nd grade and I got mad at her because she started being friends with other kids. I told her she was my best friend and no one else's but her reply was "I can have as many friends as I want, but you are always my best friend. You can have more friends too" My brain was a little slow and since I didn't have any friends besides her I didn't know that you can have more then one. I learned. We never had the same friends in life. Ever. She was more popular then me, mostly because she wore better clothes then me and her hair was always brushed better then mine. I threw a fit every morning when my mom would come at me with a brush because my hair was such a mess. But me and April always stayed close.  Her family was like my second family. I was over almost everyday since we were in walking distance from each other. I remember her mom calling us butt buddies because we were together so much. Fast forward to middle school. Middle school was hard for me because one, I found out my parents weren't together anymore and it took it's toll on me. Also that is when the worst mistake would end something that I loved. Basically I broke the number one rule in the best friend handbook. Letting a boy get in between us. I remember the walk down to the counselors office, wondering why I was being called in and there was April. Looking pissed and sad. I tried explaining my side of the story but she wasn't having it. The words that came out of her mouth crushed my world around me. She told me she never wants to see me, talk to me and forget we were ever friends. It was the worst break up I have ever gone through. I sat in the chair for at least 30 minutes after she got up and left. I was crying so hard I couldn't breathe. I felt like crap afterwards and kept thinking what was to happen. Everyday when we got off the bus I would just walk by her house and start crying. I was devastated and made me feel even worse. I couldn't talk to my parents about it because during the day I really didn't have anyone.

Days passed until she approached me and said she now understands what happened, that the boy should have been the blame and not me. We made up and I was happy again. 8th grade was fun, I got to go to the Outer Banks for the first time with her family. I had the time of my life while we were there, even if she did have walking Pneumonia. Then one day at lunch this kid approached me like always and asked for lunch money, only this time he got aggressive. He grabbed me and demanded I give him my money, next thing I know April steps in, and pushes him away from me and said "Don't you ever put your hands on her!" She came with me to fill out a slip to the counselors office. We didn't hear anything about it until days later and they tried to suspend both April and the kid who tried taking my money. I never told my mom what happened because to me I was scared. I mean I wasn't beat up but again my brain didn't understand...don't think I was on drugs as a kid I just didn't understand a lot and thought that things would fix themselves....Anyway that same day April's mom called my mom and all of us went to the school to find out what happened and they still wanted to suspend April because she put her hands on another student, well it was a surprise to the vice principle because her mom brought a cop with her who said it was in defense to someone who couldn't defend themselves. The boy was suspended and April got to go on the trip the 8th grade was taking. Thank you Mrs. Cathy for the cop!!

April has been around some weird stuff in my house. First the guy going into my house and we thought it was one of Kevin's friends. Samantha running away from the yard and we took a trip on the Lightrail to make copies of a poster, breaking her nose when we were on the swings in the back yard, hitting her head on the edge of my tv when we used to jump form the bunk beds. Weird, I tell ya! High school came and went. Nothing really eventful except we both had guys in and out of our lives. My dad got me a go-kart and we would spend all day trying to get it to run right and race around the yard. I had band most of the time and I started working at the movie theatre after I heard she was working there.

Now one thing I do remember at Hoyts was when we got into the whipped cream fight. Oh god it was hard getting that out of our hair!

Here is a list of random crap that I know happened without going into detail through our lives:

• Taking night walks with her mom and one time a guy was following us. That was my first ride in a cop car.
• Doing a rain dance around the tree in her front yard with Chelsea and Amanda. (It rained so hard after that)
• Being chased up our street by the rain.
• Asking can I still use the bathroom during a bad thunderstorm and her mom laughing at me cuz I might shock my butt. LOL
• Walking around the neighborhood barefoot...everywhere.
• Walking to Checkers
• Going sledding every time it snowed at the park.
• Sneaking and taking my dads cigarettes...sorry dad!
• Also drinking whenever we could find someone to get us something.
• Taking another night walk and someone tipped the port-a-potty at the park.
• Just going to the park in general.
• Swimming in her pool with no lights on.
• Camping in the back yard.
• Having purple feet because the berry tree that was in their backyard.

Now here it is, 2014. On June 6th at 5pm, I get to walk down the aisle at my very best friends wedding. I get to see her marry one of the greatest guys I could ever ask for her. Chris was there to pick her up when she wanted to give up and just did not care about herself like we cared about her. She has gone through so much in her life and I am so happy. So. Happy. She can make this next big step that every girl dreams of. Even though we both moved far away we still have that special bond that no one can replace. You don't have to talk to someone everyday or see them. You just know. I was one of the first people to know she was proposed to. I was the one who went up to the hospital and saw her when she didn't want anyone to come see her. I had too. My heart broke when something was wrong. I would want her to do that same thing for me.

So there it is. Might not be much but so what? We still have all the memories, and there's plenty more to come. I love you April, you were my first sister that I felt touched my heart like no other. I cannot wait to watch you make the next milestone in your life.

Love forever and always,
Jams