My best friend is my polar opposite. He is tall, I am small. He’s quiet and reserved and I don’t ever shut up. He’s even tempered, logical and he has this cool air about him that makes people gravitate to his side. He is, in a lot of ways, everything I wish I could be.We met just before the start of our freshman year of college and I don’t think anyone could have ever predicted that we would end up playing such important roles in each other’s lives. He is, in many ways, everything I’m not, and our friendship really doesn’t make sense.

My best friend treats me like I’m his little sister even though I’m the one who’s older. He drives me crazy, always making fun of me and the only sage advice he ever offers is “just break up with him.” But we all know that I give it right back to him. He’s not the sentimental type and he’ll let you know it, but every so often he opens up and proves to me that he does in fact have a heart, though it’s buried deep, and those very rare moments are what remind me of just how special of a friendship we share.

I don’t really think anyone realizes how close the two of us really are and I think that’s what makes our friendship so funny. No one expects, upon seeing us or arguably even meeting us, that we would share as strong a bond as we do. He gets my sense of humor, he understands the way my brain works and he's never afraid to let me know when I'm wrong and believe me, he reminds me often. No one knows the many secrets that we share, the inside jokes, the long serious talks, the short funny ones or the extensive dank meme collection that lives in the details section of our iMessage chat. No one knows that he’s the first person I talk to every time I’m bummed even though his advice sucks and how he ceremonially asks for my approval before he sends a risky text or gets a new tattoo (not that my opinion matters because he does what he wants anyway). No one knows that I always double check with him that my wardrobe is fly enough for that date I'm about to go on or how he relies on me to help him craft the perfect Instagram caption. We have a unique friendship to say the least. It's the textbook definition of a mutualistic symbiotic relationship, that is if each organism were benefitting from each other's mutual self-deprecation, while also uplifting each other (sorry, I'm taking Bio this semester and it's starting to get to me). Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I honestly don’t think two people so different have ever been so close, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As I said, he is everything I’m not and the two of us together are the perfect balancing act, kind of like those amazing acrobat duos but instead of doing cool tricks we send each other ugly Snapchats. I like to think I add a little sparkle and optimism to his days and he definitely keeps me grounded and focused. I”m super grateful for the day that he hit me up on Twitter (slid into my DMs, aye) and the past few years where he has become my most trusted confidant and friend. I don’t think he’ll ever take credit for, or acknowledge, just how much he does for me.

Anyway, I think that’s enough sentimental stuff because when he reads this he’ll probably send me some mean texts with emojis because this is far too sentimental for his tastes, but I just had to say it. So thanks for being my best friend, man. You’re more important than I’ll ever let on.