"and tonight we're gonna party like it's 1999..."
I remember December 31, 1999 very well. It was a day that changed my life. I'm sure most people can say that about each New Years Eve - maybe they made mistakes that they would unmake if given the chance, maybe their lives were changed when someone drove drunk... mine was for the better.
Ten years ago today, I met my very best friend, Jennifer.
Jennifer is someone that I frequently blog about, sometimes it's about something ridiculous that she's said, sometimes it's because she's frustrated me beyond recognition, but without both of those things - she wouldn't be the Jennifer that I love.
For New Years Eve 1999, Jennifer and I were both invited by a mutual friend, Stephy, to her party. Jennifer had attended middle school with Stephy and I had freshman classes with her. She had tried to get us together before, thinking that we would really like each other - but it never happened. (It was my fault, not Jennifer's.)
I got to Stephy's party before Jennifer did, her family was just getting back from snow skiing *rolls eyes* and so she arrived a little late. I can vividly remember the moment that she walked in the door and set down her suitcase. She was in an NSYNC shirt and couldn't stop smiling. "Oh great," I thought to myself, "one of those *happy* people." I smiled at her, introduced myself and then walked off. I couldn't be bothered with the happy people.
We went up to Stephy's room and on her bulletin board there was a autographed pictured of NSYNC that I had given to her. Jennifer looked at it and her eyes got big and wide, her mouth hung open. Stephy told her that I had given it to her. Jennifer looked at me, eyes wide, mouth open. I smiled. I love making people feel like that... That utter shock that I did something, or they're just uber impressed, perhaps jealous.
We went down to the basement where I everyone had split into two groups. I was looking at a magazine, doodling and singing and Jennifer was over with Stephy and a few others, doing... well, I wasn't doing it, so I wasn't paying attention. In a moment of complete honesty, I will tell you something that I've never told anyone before. I wanted to be Jennifer's friend - she seemed popular and kinda cool... (she liked Lance, I liked Justin - this could work out) but I had forgotten her name. So I took my piece of paper and went over to her and sat down, asked everyone how they would "autograph" their name. Jennifer signed her name and I was like, "duh, Jennifer... what an easy name", in my head.
A few minutes later we went up the stairs and I followed Jennifer, I vividly remember as we got to the top of the stairs I said, "I think we clicked!!" Stephy's mom said, "who clicked?!" And I announced that Jennifer and I had.
Jennifer was wearing two necklaces. A "Lance" necklace and a "Justin" necklace. I told her I liked Justin and that I didn't have the necklace. She took it off and told me I could borrow it for the night.
We played makeup, Jennifer googly-eyed my pager (I had just turned 15 and I was so cool, I had gotten a pager for my birthday -- what the fuck does a 15 year old need to be paged for?!) and we talked about NSYNC. I explained that I loved NSYNC. That I loved Britney. But I hated them in the same sentence together.
At 15 we weren't thinking of the end of the world, so at midnight we all went outside barefoot and walked down the street. (I can't remember why.) Later Jennifer laid on the couch, said she wasn't feeling good and I sat on her. (LOL, Literally.) She called her parents and went home early, even after I begged her not to go.
I was sneaky... I hid her necklace under my tank top that I was wearing, I was planning on keeping it so that I would have a reason to call her. She left and later on (years later) would tell me that she never intended on asking for it back.
I called her the next day and we talked for hours and hours, she invited me to her birthday party a month later and that was the next time I saw her.
Jennifer I spent everyday on the phone together. It started out that she would call me when she got home (she got home after I did cuz she lived in BFE) and we would talk until dinner and then after dinner talk until bed time... we saw each other each weekend and then spent a few weeks together in the summer time... then once I got my car when I was 17, I drove down to get her from work... after I dropped out of school I would come and get her out of school early or she would sneak out of her house at 3a and we would go to Denny's.
We started talking on the phone for up to 12 hours a day. We would talk from the time she got home from school until she had to go to school again -- no sleep. (And then I wonder why Jennifer never wants to talk to me on the phone anymore!!)
Right after Jennifer graduated HS early she moved in with me. The longest time we've spent apart was the week that I was in LA and we talked every day. The longest time we've gone without seeing each other and without speaking was 5 days, 4 years ago... It was hell, but beyond our control.
Jennifer has become more than my best friend - she's my sister. She's my person. My companion. Once in a blue moon does a friend come along that "gets" you, better than you "get" yourself. And it just so happens that tonight, on our ten year anniversary, that it IS a blue moon. Lucky us! :)
I would say, "here's to another ten!" but honestly, that's not long enough.
Just you and me, kid. This world ain't big enough for us. I love you.
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