The person I didn’t want to let go, but who just drifted is one of my former best friends. I met at volleyball practice when I was twelve years old. We played in the same team (C1) and when we made regional championships we got to go to a tournament in a place called Papendal. We really spent some time together at that tournament and we got to know each other better. It appeared that we were going to the same school, but were in different classes. From that moment on we hung out together (and some of our other friends). In the second grade of secondary school I transferred to another class with her and our other friends and this group of five – and later six – friends did everything together. We talked a lot after school hours (about boys and our favorite music) and we visited each other’s homes. When we were fifteen we started going to the local bar together. We played volleyball together (up until A1). We organized sleep-overs and watched Brad Pitt movies together.
This lasted up until the sixth and final year of secondary school. The exams were coming and she was experiencing an unimaginable amount of stress. Just before and during the summer holidays she just collapsed and got admitted at a boarding facility. My home situation wasn’t too great at that time either, but still I visited her at the facility. Then she started living in Utrecht and I visited a couple of times. We shared some words on Facebook and then that was that.
Her lifestyle and the way she sees things if completely different from my views. The fact that she doesn’t live around the corner and we have already missed large aspects of each other’s lives, makes it virtually impossible to experience that closeness that we shared in secondary school.
I am a firm believer of knowing people for a reason, all people you meet and you know add value to your life. She has made me realize that appearances are not always what they seem and being the creative spirit that she is, has shown me that it’s actually cool to be a bit quirky and creative, to be your own person.
It just turned out like this, but I don’t think one of us feels sorry for the way things went. We just grew apart naturally.