There is only one high school friend that I regret losing connection with. (Maybe this is hypocrisy in the midst of recent events.) But there is only one.

I don\’t remember how I met her. I only remember that we were in English Honors together in the 8th grade. The only English honors for the entire 8th grade class. We were both put in the class automatically, because we were in the top 10% of the school. Then high school. Junior year, she suddenly shaved all her hair off. Of course, I was naive and sheltered then despite me knowing that she participated in the gay-straight alliance. Not exactly being insensitive, but whenever she turned around to look at me in class, I would fall immediately into fits of laughter. Whoops. A few months later, my (former) best friend told me that Rebecca was lesbian. I remember just nodding my head and thinking, \”hey that\’s cool.\”

The following year, I had my final project in US Gov\’t/Econ where I had to present some part of myself. I presented this story and had asked for her presence. Somehow, I had started weeping halfway through my presentation, but I have always thought it was out of the fear that I was revealing so much of myself…that I had never done before to my classmates. Rather than discussing something that really hurt me deeply. This is where I am supposed to say that having my friend there…made it easier. But now thinking back, it really didn\’t. I just wanted her to listen to my story.

On the last day of school, I wrote I see you never in her yearbook like I did to everyone else.