Who’s your “Best Friend(s) Forever”? And who the heck comes up with these terms ?

Let me tell you about mine. I’m going to start from the very beginning -as in back in middle school.

Get comfortable.

In sixth grade I was part of a pack, like a lioness pack. It was me and a bunch of girls I didn’t exactly blend in with although they were awesome chickas. My cool bunch included girls that I had very little in common with except that we were on the same softball team.

Imagine this and when I say they all looked similar, I really mean they all looked similar. It was Shannon, Taylor, Samantha, Meagon, and Christina -then throw Amira into the bunch. I really stuck out like a spot of color on a white canvas. I stuck with them for only that one year because it was getting hard for me to pretend I was into the same things they were and so I became a loner. All alone and …lonely.

Until I met my second pack of comrades. I immediately fell into their world by chance. I stayed with this batch of beanheads until we parted ways to begin high school.

Here’s the cool part. Were were literally like the cast of Friends except there were seven of us. I don’t know if Friends was even on at that time.

Meet the cast:

George (Joey) Kim (Monica)
Abbey (Ross) Blair (Phoebe/Ross mix)
Noah (Chandler) Amira (Phoebe/Chandler mix)
Yordanose (Rachel)

We were a tight pack and guess what? Yordanose, Abbey, and I were all Ethiopian. I have never been with so many Ethiopians in school before. All THREE, that’s right, THREE of us together.

Anyways we moved on after the endless tears and “I’ll always call you. You guys means so much to me. I’ll never forget you” -boohoo boohoo boohoo. Last time I spoke with my friends (pun intended -hah) was maybe 9th grade.

Then there was high school. Oh, high school you never cease to make me want to run away. I was with a new bunch almost every year if not semester. Here’s a quick rundown :

9th Grade: Everyone was new to each other so we all just mingled a lot.

10th Grade: Me? Part of the fashion gurus? I’m so honored! It lasted one semester -who cares if I wore spring colors in the fall?! There was so much anxiety in trying to match my hijab with stupid uniform colors -why all the stress?!?
Second semester I fell into the hip n’ hoppin’ crowd and I quickly bounced my way out.

11th Grade: Let’s give it up for the paki/indi. folks. Made me feel right at home since I was often mistaken for one anyway. Most of my good memories come from this era in high school.

12th rade: fun times with the our-life-goal-is-to-be-on-MadTv/SNL- group. They were a hilarious bunch of beanheads.

There was also my “trip home” ratpack. Simy, Astha, and I lived a hair’s distance away from each other and always rode to and from school together, watched movies, and visited each others’ homes.

I miss them.

In high school there was also Summer who I have oodles of love for; she’s a genuine Southern Belle. And Simone who I will always love to just be silly with. She knew how to make you bust your gut in laughter.

Now I’ve given up. I’m more of a floater (or chameleon?) and I realize that I always have been. I’ve don’t care about wanting to say “I can’t wait to tell my bestesttestsesttest friend…” because I have too many fantastic friends now, before, and always.

I don’t a have a”BFF”, but some “SCF” (Super Close/Cool Friends) and plenty of “WILTKSMFP” (Wow, I’m Lucky To Know So Many Fan-tab-u-lous People)