It was 1985; I was a freshman in high school. GASP a freshman. My best friend and I were going to be separated for the first time. I was scared out of my wits. She was my friend, what if she found another one? After all I stole her from Michelle. I had evidence that she could be swayed. I was the one she spent the summer with not Michelle. And they were neighbors! She had to travel to be my friend. I was fourteen and my biggest fear wasn’t high school it was losing my best friend.
I remember meeting her in Mrs. Haight’s science class three years prior. The teacher had an unhealthy adoration of rocks. She wore them on her head. Funny how 30 years later I can remember exactly what that hat looked like and the thrill of having this cool girl sit next to me. Then she asked if I wanted to go to her house after school.
Way before play-dates were invented, a cool girl invited an awkward girl over to her house. Way before cellphones awkward girl used a payphone to call her mom and ask if she could go. Thankfully overworked mom said yes and for the cost of a dime, a friendship was born.
And now, three years later the friendship was in jeopardy. Not only was cool girl way cooler, she was smarter. She went to “A” classes while I went to “B” classes. Looking at our schedules we didn’t even have homeroom together. Just dreaded history, one class! How on this Earth would our friendship survive?
I forgot at 14 that our friendship was built on a rock. Sure the rock was on Mrs. Haight’s head, but still that was our foundation. Rocks are hard and solid. With this foundation our friendship managed to survive really bad 80’s hair, the sweater dress and white tights with white shoes.
Puberty, bad boy crushes….
My bad boy crush. I think his name was Peter. He rocked the tank-top duo
I would go back to my 14 year-old self and tell her that the friendship would survive college, marriage and divorce.
We were 21 and not ready to let go of the 80’s hair even if it was the 90’s
This friendship so valued at age 14 would show support during the fear and joy of pregnancy, motherhood and we would walk into our 25th high school reunion the same way we walked into our first day of high school. Together.
I’m pretty sure our friendship is going to survive the nursing home.
This has been a Finish The Sentence Friday post, When I was fourteen…. brought to you by:
Kristi at Finding Ninee
Dana at Kiss My List
And me, the awkward girl in the story
(Un)Diagnosed and still okay 
FRIST!
Beautiful. What a gorgeous friendship.
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Thanks, Lizzi. Lisa’s friendship is my most valued possession.
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That’s perfect 🙂
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Aw, I love this Kerri. I don’t keep in touch with anyone from high school, but I think it’s amazing that the two of you have stayed friends all of these years. And I really hope that dude no longer wears the layered muscle tees.
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HAHAHA I saw him at the reunion. He lost the muscle tee AND the hair. Which was freaking hysterical.
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Sweet! I went to a high school away from my middle school BFFs. I am still friends with all of them to this day. I only have one friend (other than the now facebook) that I kept in touch with since high school.
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Quite incredible to have that bond that survives throughout time.
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Now that’s a friendship! Wow. How very wonderful. I am not pals with anyone I knew at 14. I see them every now and again but it’s not the same. My very good friends arrived from 18 on. You are indeed blessed. I loved the line … “and for the cost of a dime, a friendship was born.”
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Thanks, it was funny when I realized how different life was back then. Can you imagine letting your child call you at 12YO and saying mom I’m going home with someone you never met, you don’t know where they live and more importantly know exists? Yeah, not happening with my kid!
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Nope – surely can’t imagine.
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Is it horrible that I’m jealous? My high school friendships are long gone. You must be an amazing friend because of COURSE all of the people who you thought were cool thought you were cooler and are still there! I LOVE this!
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Dude I was so not cool or smart or amazing. Still struggling with all of those. But one thing I am is loyal and beyond lucky that someone stuck around for 30 plus years
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I love this!! Lasting friendships are the best…I talk to my best girlfriends from high school every day, and I don’t know what I would do without them. We’re closer than ever but we’re all going in different directions (geographically and career-wise) so sometimes I fear that we’ll lose touch. Thanks for making me feel better 🙂
I love, love, love that you and your high school friend are still friends and could be there to support each other. What an amazing friendship.
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Keep those friendships close, the best ones let you grow while staying nearby. I would be lost without Lisa for sure. She is on vacation this week and I feel so weird not hearing from her every day.
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Pingback: Being Fourteen, Then and Now | The Latchkey Mom
That is beautiful! (Well, maybenot the 80’s outfits but even they make me smile)
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I know, right? Remember freaky Fridays when we wore neon? YIKES thankfully this was before the day of the IPHONE and there are no witnesses
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Lol, yes, current day phones are the one thing that could have made it worse 🙂
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Love it! By the way, my friend who is featured in my Fourteen post, well I was in her wedding in the early nineties and I eighties hair and a teal bridesmaid dress! Remember the line for The Wedding Planner? “Teal! The color of gangrene!”
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Hysterical….how we could write one another’s posts. I swear we had such similar lives.
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Beautiful story, Kerri. Nicely done.
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Thanks, Laurie!!! Since you are still BFF with your 14YO friends it’s kind of cool that you get how important it is
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Oh my word, your teacher wore rocks?! Can you imagine that today with social media? Ha! I love friendships like yours with people who knew you at your rawest, and also in the context of your family. I miss that even in adult friendships now. Wait – you don’t know my dad? Or my older sister? Then you kinda, sorta don’t know me.
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That’s weird. I had a Mrs. Haight for science too. 8th grade. She LOVED Neil Diamond.. a lot. And hey, diamonds are rocks, right? And your Mrs. Haight had a thing for rocks!
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AW!!! I just ADORE this story!!! What a touching description of a true and lasting friendship!! LOVE the pictures of you two!! And the hunk in the tank top! LOL
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Our friendships are so important Kerri and this one is amazing! I have one friend from high school who I keep in touch with. We lived in the same place for about 10 years and our oldest girls are very close friends. It’s a really special thing to have someone in your life who knew you when. Beautiful post.
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That is an awesome story! My best friend from years ago moved away and we lost touch unfortunately. We tried again via Facebook and emails but it was never the same. I truly grieved that friendship. How blessed you are!
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