How to keep a friend

Three friends stay close for years

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I want to be Hermione! No one else can be her!” Sevilla Grider ‘23’s younger self said to her friends.
“But you’re always Hermione,” Taitum Berryhill ‘23 said. “Why can’t one of us be her?”
“Yeah!” Cassidy Colvin ‘23 said. “Why can’t we?”
“I’m always Hermione!” Grider said, swinging her makeshift wand, which was really a stick, high in the air.
Berryhill and Colvin sighed as Grider ran into the trees lining Fireside Elementary School’s property.

 

“Taitum and I met in kindergarten and then she and Cassidy became friends in first grade, and then we all became friends in second grade,” Grider said.
Soccer practice is where their bond started, but off the field, they became best friends.
“We were all on the same team for a long time,” Grider said.
Now, in high school, the group has been so close for so long, their friendship can feel more like a sisterhood.
Just like with sisters, arguments tend to happen, but they never last long.
“I feel like we’ve been friends for so long that it’s kind of more like siblings you can argue with. But, I wouldn’t even think it would cause us to not be friends,” Grider said. “You’ll fight with your siblings, but you’re never not going to love them.”
Sometimes, their “sister relationship” seems even more real because their families are so close. In fact, it’s one of the reasons they’ve stayed friends for so long.
“I feel like our families being friends helps. We can’t really not be friends,” Colvin said. “Even our siblings are friends.”
Family trips are frequent, and they’ve made countless memories traveling to places such as Utah, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Carter Lake.
“One time Cassidy and I went to Rocky Mountain National Park and we were gonna sneak out in the middle of the night and meet each other,” Grider said.
By being best friends for over ten years, each of them has changed significantly throughout the friendship.
“I feel Cassidy has become a lot more confident. When she was little she would not say one word. Now she’s more confident in herself,” Grider said.
The friendship has lasted so long partially due to their continued support for one another.
“I love that we can talk about everything and there’s no judgment. And we’re always nice to each other. There’s not really any drama and there’s no judgment,” Grider said.
The girls are confident that their sisterhood will last after high school, and far into the future. They’re not worried that leaving high school will hurt their relationship. They’ve even made plans to stay in touch.
“Taking a girls’ trip once a year, and definitely texting and keeping each other updated,” Berryhill and Colvin said.
Each girl consistently dreams of what their life may look like in the future, or where they could all go if they had the chance.
“If we could go anywhere, maybe Hawaii and get a house on the beach. I definitely think the Greek islands, like in Mamma Mia,” Berryhill and Grider said.
Because the girls think they’ll stay friends for such a long time, they even believe they could be bridesmaids at each other’s weddings.
“I feel like we’re siblings and we never would think that we wouldn’t be friends. Because obviously, we will be,” Grider said.