In-Class Jeri Rowe

Someone you love.

We went to elementary school together. I had always known the name. Jayden. In fact, when I heard the name, I always thought of his mom (Marie and I are good friends now.)

She was always the tallest woman in the room with puffy, curly grey hair and a voice that could travel down hallways. 

So whenever I thought of him, his mom wasn't far behind.

I hadn't thought of him (or his mom) for years, until we had 9th grade Composition together. We sat alphabetically, his last name is Amirault and mine is Brussard, so naturally we were next to each other. His best friend had the last name Carr, and so I was sandwiched between them.

If I wanted to get through that class, I would need to learn how to interact with those two.

When we were allowed to switch seats, him and I sat a few seats away from each other, but in the same group of people. I don't know how it worked out, but he and I became good friends. 

We would send each other videos on Instagram and would text all day. 

In 10th grade we had English together again. He was my absolute best friend and he still is now. 

A few months into the year though, we got into a stupid fight about a movie and we didn't talk for two months. Those were the worst two months of my life. I couldn't talk to my best friend and I felt like something was missing. I would always find things to send to him but then remember I couldn't.

When I finally couldn't take it anymore, I reached out and reconnected. That was the best decision I ever made. We have been best friends ever since then.

He was the person I would go to when I was having a bad day and he was the person I would go to when I had good news. He always supported me and I always supported him.

It was really tough leaving for college. I was moving to North Carolina and he was staying home, going to UMass Amherst to study biochem and neuroscience because he wants to be a psychiatrist.

I was worried that our friendship would fizzle out and we wouldn't talk anymore, but I am so glad I was proven wrong. We still talk almost everyday, and when I get good news he's always the first person I tell. 

Freshman year, he got me a movie poster for my favorite movie, Mamma Mia, and when I went to Dublin last spring, I got him a Guieness beer mug because it was his favorite kind of beer. 

We always get each other birthday and Christmas gifts and each summer we always get together and hang out either by the pool at my house or the fire pit at his. 

I've been there through all his girlfriends and he's always been there for me when I have my boy troubles. There is quite literally no one else in this world I would rather be best friends with. When we get together, it's like no time has passed and we pick up right where we left off.

I know all his friends at UMass and he knows all my friends here at High Point. 

I've been lucky enough to make some wonderful friendships here at school, but none of them will ever compare to the relationship that we forged in 9th grade Composition class where we used our vocabulary words to insult each other.