My Best Friend

The Beginning

I grew up in New Jersey across the street from my best friend Danielle. She and I and my sister Olivia did everything together. We played, ate, and took dance class together. When Dani and Livvie turned 5 and I turned 3, we took turns hosting sleepovers every weekend.

"Mom, when are Dani and Livvie coming back for our sleepover? You said they'd be here at 6, it's 6:15," I whined, while bouncing around the room. I was 10 now and it felt like we'd all had a million and one sleepovers, but I felt like I could remember each one.

"Mackenzie, calm down. She's just running a few minutes late. You know they're 12 now. They probably lost track of time at the mall with friends," Mom tried to calm me down.

As she was saying this, Dani and Livvie bounced through the door, each carrying 3 shopping bags.

"Kenzie, wait till you see what we bought. Come on, let's go to Livvie's room," Dani said.

So, we all bounced upstairs to try on clothes and accessories.

"Kenzie, look at this dress," Livvie squealed.

"Here Liv, try this on," Dani said.

After dinner and 3 hours of dress up, Mom came up and said, "Girls, it's 10 and that means it's time to get ready for bed. If you get changed into your pajamas and brush your teeth, you can stay up and talk in bed for another half hour."

She went back downstairs and we got ready for bed.

The next 5 years our lives were very much routine, at least as routine as life can be for high school girls who are 15 and 17. My life changed when right after Dani and Livvie's graduation, Livvie ran away from home. That day we came home from the ceremony thinking that she must have come home by herself. But when we got home, I walked in the door and over to the kitchen counter to get a drink and found a note she had left for us.