I was on Facebook a minute ago and saw my old friend's graduation pictures from May.

They say that high school is the best time of your life. It really is in some ways, because you meet some of the most amazing people you'll ever encounter. I don't think I'll ever meet new friends and be as close to them as I was with my friends high school. I knew most of them since middle school, and some even from elementary. We saw each other through the ups and downs and everything in between. Seriously, we went from playing on the fort in elementary school and suddenly they're posting pictures online of their kid. It just blows my mind how it's actually been 12 years. My God, how times flies.

It's amazing how you say over and over again that you can't wait to graduate and that you'll never look back. But, for me, I would give a lot just to spend one more day with the people I grew up with.

I wish I could spend one more afternoon at South Brookley Elementary on the playground with them all. I wish I could spend one more day at Pillans Middle with Darius, Kendal, Katie, and Jaylin. God, those were the best of times. And I wish I could spend one more day in 9th grade with Porch'e, Michaela, Malika, Chelsea, and Sheba.

It's amazing at who you miss. I miss Janay's ghetto attitude, I miss Jasmin cussing out every teacher we ever had. I miss Kedrick's tall , I miss Jamaal's huge head and crazy personality. I miss Kenjuan and Isaiah, the most inseparable kids I've ever seen. I miss Darius McKinney's preaching and final realization that he was gay, though we knew it all along. I miss Malika acting completely gay herself, I miss Chelsea being the coolest person on earth. I miss Jonah's jokes, I miss Damien's cool personality. I miss FatFat, I miss Jasmine. I really do miss them all. They will always have a place in my heart. Down the road they may forget about me, but I will always cherish the time we had together.

When I saw Jasmin's tears at graduation, I knew it was real. This was it. We wouldn't see each other again.

It is a bittersweet parting. I love them more than they know. I wish our arrogant Honors class could all be together once more, correcting the teachers because we were the badass geniuses. We stuck together like no other, and had nearly every class together for four years straight. If someone had an issue with the teacher, we all jumped in. We were a force to be reckoned with at that school. We didn't take from anybody. We weren't the usual idiot high schoolers. We were smart kids, and we knew how to use our brains. Not just in the class, but in all situations. It is safe to assume some hilariously evil things were cooked up in our minds.

Maybe my ego is showing, but I like to think of myself as their leader hahaha. XD I was the valedictorian, and if anyone needed help they always came to me. We argued a lot with our teachers. I usually kept my mouth shut, but when I felt like the teacher was attacking my classmates, I would say something. When I spoke, everyone shut up. No one ed with my people. I wouldn't allow it.

I don't think I will ever command respect like that ever again in my life. But let me tell you, it's one of the most brilliant feelings you could ever experience. For people to quiet down because they heard your voice, to know they all admired you and sought you out for help... It's the most flattering thing ever. God, I miss them. I miss them like you wouldn't believe.

In high school I was pretty much the leader of the smart gang lol. But in middle school, it was another story. I hated middle school, but 8th grade was a time I loved the most. I was a nerd and not afraid to show it (nor have I ever been. It's just getting people to respect you for it.) I had my clique of anime nerds. There was me, Katie (I really wish she hadn't lost her mind and ruined our friendship), Darius, Kendal, and Jaylin. Katie was my best friend, Darius was like my brother, Darius was in love with Katie, Kendal was in love with me, and Jaylin had this issue with abusing us everyday. Bully. So yeah, 5 nerds with a love square (pentagon? there was that insane time when I thought I liked Jaylin...) and we hung out every day in class until the bell rang for us to go home. Now that I think about it, I don't see how we stayed glued to one another with the daily confessions of unrequited love. Haha... Oh, wow... Makes me wonder.

High school came and we all ended up at different schools. Katie and I finally split after a massive episode of something far worse than a Korean drama. Jaylin and I were at the same school, but he was a bully (and he broke my MP3 player on my 18th birthday!) so we definitely split. Kendal, Darius, and I managed to stay in touch, though Kendal has this problem with ignoring us now that he has a new girlfriend. Oh well, it's a phase. Darius and I have managed to talk everyday.

Darius, if you read this, I can't express enough how thankful I am to God because of you. I can't even call you a friend, because you are truly my soul brother. You've been there since 7th grade, when you ran away from me and hid behind the washing machine in the dance classroom because I asked about the Shonen Jump you were reading. XD You've heard me through so many tears and anxiety attacks. You were the only one there when I wanted to kill myself. You were there through my arguments with Musa and Andy. We've hated each other's boyfriend/girlfriend every time they made us cry. (Anyone else who reads this, no we are not soul mates or in love with each other. Our love is purely platonic. He's not my type and I'm not his. And no, it's not gonna be a Korean drama where we suddenly confess random mutual feelings and we get married. Just thought I'd clear that up, cuz I know how you people think!)

Darius, my brother, I miss all of my friends so much. But I have you, and that's enough. You're going to be my Man of Honor at my wedding with Aron of NU'EST (haha), and I'm going to be your Best Woman when you marry Kat. We're going to babysit each other's kids and teach them that family comes in all colors. I only hope to one day to be able to play duel monsters with you in the nursing home. XD

Nothing could ever replace the people you love.