your birthday is in 17 days. i think you'll be 21. it's been 5 years since we met. we've both done so much growing, and i know that means we're not in each other's lives anymore, but as you can see, i still think about you. ive grown up a lot and so have you, though as you grew you drifted away. i never let go. i suppose i should as well, but i just can't seem to stop myself from finding my way back. you were one of the only people i had in the darkest time of my life, and i thank you for that. you were meant to be there with me then, but for no longer than that. sometimes i get flashbacks of conversations we used to have, and then i scroll down your board and see how cringe i was, lol.
im different now. better. i don't feel much better, but im in a much healthier place than i was when we met. and you helped me to stay distracted from what was happening around me and to me. i was just 13, experiencing something no child should. you helped me branch out and find things that i loved, like anime and roleplaying. (that's still cringe, but in that time, it was my escape.) you were a 16 year old boy with a life of your own. you didn't have to stick around and be my friend. but you did. i can't thank you enough for that. thank you, james, for being my friend. i don't know how much longer I'll be around for, but i hope you know that during your absence, ive never stopped thinking about you.
happy early birthday <3 i hope the next year treats you well. and maybe you'll find your way back here, if only to say hi.