Some of the most important people in my life are my friends! For most of my life, I lived across the street from my two best friends in the world. They’re identical twins, Quin and Reese. We’ve known one another since before we were born! My mom met the twins’ mom at a party while they were pregnant with us. I was born a few weeks later, and my besties were born a few months after that. We went to the same school until I moved a mile away and had to change elementary schools. It was worth it for the chance to live alongside a lake. Luckily, we’ve found all kinds of ways to be together—different activities and as many sleepovers as possible. The girls’ mom says we’re actually triplets, because that’s how close we are. That also means we don’t always get along, but we love one another very much. Sometimes we disagree, but we always make up in the end.
I’m excited Quin and Reese are going to the same middle school as I am. Through the years, they’ve always had my back. I have always tried to have friends around who I can lean on to help me deal with people and tiny problems I might have. When I was younger, if I had trouble buttoning a pair of pants or zipping a jacket, I would have a friend help me out. I have made a point of doing everything by myself, but when I need someone, I’m not afraid to ask. Plus, that means I don’t need to rely on teachers or other adults as much. I would rather lean on my friends than on grown-ups.
Recently, the girls had a birthday and decided that instead of having a huge party, they only wanted to celebrate it with me. Our families traveled a couple of hours away from our town to a hotel that has a water park inside.
We let our brothers stay with my parents while we stayed in a room with Quin and Reese’s parents. We had an amazing time playing in the water, being goofy, and just not caring about what anyone thought of us. I think that’s what makes the girls such great friends. We support one another. I feel like I can be the real me without worrying about what Quin or Reese will say.
Friends are so important, and I am lucky to have made friends all over the country, thanks to all our travel and the Born Just Right community. But the ones who are the most important to me are all the great friends I’ve made at school and through my activities.
As I get older, friendships can be kind of strange. When I hang out with my friends, I’ve noticed we all have a lot of feelings and we can easily get angry at one another. But when something really bad is happening around us, my friends will stop and back me up. It isn’t often that I have problems with other people, but there have been times when a kid gives me extra trouble.
Sometimes my friends and I have fun with my little arm. A few years ago, I remember having a regular problem during recess. There was a kid who couldn’t stop being dramatic and talking about my little arm all the time. It was funny at first, but it got annoying after weeks and weeks of the same reaction. Eventually, my friends and I decided to have fun with it. Every time the kid would gasp and stare, I’d say that I didn’t eat pickles, so I got a pickle-shaped arm. Yes, it’s silly. But it was a fun joke to have with my friends, and it really did get the kid to leave me alone.
Most of my friends and I talk at school or on our phones, mostly through FaceTime or text message. I’m in a couple of group texts that can talk about all kinds of things . . . but I try not to type anything that can get me into trouble. At some point, group texts seem to lead to drama. But they also help us decide what to wear to school!
I also connect with my friends online. I e-mail with a few. Others I talk to on Instagram or Facebook. My mom watches what I post really closely, so I am careful to think about what I say and share. But it’s really cool to be able to see people I know who live in other parts of the country or the world!
Living in the same town and the same school district my whole life means I keep finding more opportunities to make more friends. But as I get older, there are also a lot more people who judge me. I don’t think it’s just because I have a little arm. I think it’s more because I stand out. I have a lot of opinions, and I get caught talking when I should be paying attention. Any time I make a tiny mistake at school, I get called out for it. That happens with kids and teachers. It drives me crazy. A lot of times, I will be the one to get in trouble even if a group of us are doing something we shouldn’t. It happens to me a lot. I get annoyed and try not to react poorly to my teachers, but my facial expressions always give me away. My mom says I need to work on my poker face. Whenever I try to do a poker face, I just end up laughing.
I’ve had some really great teachers, but one of my favorite teachers helped me wrap up elementary school. I was always stubborn about taking time to read books, but my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Wilcoxson, somehow got me reading more than I’d ever read before. She encouraged me to read just a little every single day. I’d heard teachers say that before, but this time I really took the advice seriously. These days, I can’t stop reading all kinds of books, especially mysteries and historical fiction stories. Along with reading, my teacher was always willing to stick up for me when I needed a little support from a grown-up. She also wasn’t afraid to call me out for making bad choices. I think that’s what made her such a great teacher. Plus, she had a really good sense of humor. Everyone needs a laugh sometimes at school.