IC 2022 Lead’s Day. As I patiently waited for my activity to be called, I roamed around the dining room with some friends, before bumping into someone I knew outside my region. We sat down with them, and introduced ourselves to the people she was sitting with. Little did I know one of those alephs would become my best friend. 

As everyone exchanged names, grades, and regions, and got to talking more, I began getting to know one boy specifically. After getting his name and some contact information, his group was called, and I figured I would never see him again; boy was I wrong. 

Next thing I knew, IC had ended, and we were all back to our everyday lives. As the days and weeks went on, I began talking to this kid more and more. Our conversations went from miniscule, brief statements about events happening throughout our days, to longer, deep conversations about a range of topics; from school, to friends, to drama we were going through, and more. 

Little by little, our friendship grew stronger, and we were talking every day. Anytime I was facing a problem, I knew I could count on him to not only give me advice, but to help me feel better and always make me laugh. Just as he did for me, I was always able to crack a joke or two, and make him smile as well. Whatever we were struggling with that day seemed to fade when we facetimed each other, and began talking it through. 

In late June, we both went away for the summer. Him to camp, and me to Perlman. I was nervous we would drift, as we had no way of staying in contact while we were both away. However, I was happily proven wrong. 

When we returned home, our bond only grew. We facetimed to debrief on the events that had occurred over the summer, and to talk about our upcoming birthdays. Even though I'm only 12 hours older than him, he’s still in the grade below me, and we like to joke about the huge age gap. We prepared for the school year ahead, and our friendship never dwindled. 

Days and weeks passed by, and soon we found ourselves counting down the days until we’d finally be able to reunite in person; exactly one year after we met for the first time. 100 days, 2 months, 1 month, 10 days, 1 week, and soon the day had arrived. We were back and our friendship has never been stronger. A dynamic duo, always there for each other, and always laughing when we’re near. 

This friendship has helped me through a number of problems. We’ve always been by each other’s side, and I will always be grateful for that one random meet up for helping me meet my best friend.