Freshman year, getting ready in front of the mirror that wasn’t big enough for both of us, we were always laughing. We were the youngest on the team, so we were always stuck in the back corner. We had two outlets, one for a straightener and one for a charger. While the other girls played loud pop music, we used a small speaker to listen to our own. Our uniforms were strewn on the bench, and most of the time we were missing something mildly important: a bow, a sock, maybe even shoes. Anna and I became best friends because of cheer. We were so inseparable it was annoying. Everyone knew us as best friends. Every football game we sat in the back corner of the locker room and got ready to cheer. We would get ready as if we were going to a pageant. We shared makeup and constantly helped each other look our best, even though no one in the crowd could even see our faces from so high up. We used to get makeup everywhere, sometimes even on the wall. Going out to the game was fun as well. There were cold, rainy games that made me think I was going to die, and there were breezy, cool fall nights that made me want to sing with happiness. The sidelines were sometimes a joy, but the locker room was always the most fun I had on those Fridays. We were always some of the last ones out on the track because we weren’t very responsible. My freshman year with her was so fun. We never had a dull moment, even if we were split up on purpose because we always talked. Anna and I are still close, but freshman year we were almost the same person. This year we went on vacation together, and it felt just like old times.

