Sara, no time is a good time for goodbyes

I met Sara in grade 9. I don't exactly remember how we met, but I do remember how we got to know each other.

During her lunch hour, Sara would sit in front of the science room, waiting for her next class. I happened by her one day, and we started talking. We got along so well, that I started going to see her every day, and we sat there in the hallway, waiting for next period, talking about everything.

At some point a boy named Greg joined Sara and I in our daily meetings. He was a sweet boy, a little on the goofy side, and made us both laugh our asses off. Unfortunately we laughed and carried on so much, that it wasn't long before we were kicked out of the hallway and told to go hang out somewhere else.

So, we moved our little party to the stairwell, and for the rest of the semester the three of us met there everyday, to talk about nothing in particular, but everything that was important to us.

Once the semester was over, we no longer all had the same lunch hour, so we no longer met in the stairwell. But by then, Sara and I were great friends. I had also become friends with another of Sara's friends, Emma, and the three of us had become inseparable.

Once we hit grade 10, Sara, Emma and I were starting to test our boundaries. We had started hanging out in the smoker's area at school, meeting all sorts of new people. We were skipping school on a regular basis, going Sara's house, listening to music, talking about boys and school and anything that was on our minds.

The time I felt closest to Sara was when we were in the first semester of grade 11. I was going out with Shawn, and Sara had been going out with a boy named James for a few months. We were taking Chemistry class together, and failing miserably. Unfortunately, we were not yet 16, so we were not allowed to drop courses without our parent’s permission, and we were both on thin ice for skipping so many classes in grade 10. We had to go to that class, or we would be in trouble.

So, Sara and I spent the time writing notes back and forth to each other. 70 minutes is a long time to sit around doing nothing, it helped us pass the time. We filled a few notebooks with our notes. One of which I still have.

This is copied right from that book.

Sara - "Don't you hate it when you think about some of the things you've done in your life and you think why the hell did I do that? I hate it when that happens"

Teresa - "I know. Sometimes I wonder if I am going to look back on this time in our lives and say the same thing! Sure as hell hope not. I think maybe right now is going to be the best time in my life. I have this feeling I will always think Shawn was the best thing that ever happened to me. Even if we don't work out, he's taught me a lot, things I really did need to know."

Sara - "I know what you mean. These are supposed to be the best times of our lives. And I know for a fact that James is the best thing that ever happened to me."

I read that and I know the sentiment of what we wrote is true. I do look back on that time and consider it one of the best times of my life.

Just like all my other girlfriends, Sara and I eventually drifted apart. I saw her from time to time, tried to keep in touch, but by the time we were in our 20's we were leading different lives. She moved out of the house and in with her boyfriend even before I did. And soon I was off to college, and hanging out with a totally different bunch of people.

I never forgot Sara though, I thought about her often. Over the years I made a few attempts to find her, but was never successful.

I've had this post in my draft file for some time. I just never got around to finishing it. Until this last week, when thanks to the help of a few friends and the magic of the internet, I finally found Sara again. We have exchanged emails and hope to get together soon, the three of us, Sara, Emma and me. I can almost hear the giggles already.