I was asleep for all of that.

Wednesday morning my brother left. And I cried. A lot.

Not just because he was leaving, but because I knew what it really meant: I was alone again.

I spent my entire Wednesday shift in a superfunk, trying to work out how many days until fall semester.

And then I got home, logged onto MSN (appearing offline, of course) and saw in Holly’s name “Sarah… coming to St. John’s the weekend, message me!”

Holly and I are brain twins. When one is in extreme distress, the other will receive the upset airwaves. It’s magic. Don’t pretend you understand.

And though only a temporary band-aid on my gaping wound known as loneliness, planning an entire weekend with my bifizzle, sure pulled me out of the darkness. But that is not all...

Enter Ashley.

Ashley, for those of you not recognizing the name, would be my oldest friend. We met in grade two, bonded over my rock collection and her squid hat (true story), and the rest was history.

We shared lockers every year. We went to each other’s birthday parties. We gossiped and giggled. We co-editored the school newspaper. We went on band trips. We had sleepovers. We baked with our Easy Bake Ovens (… right up until grade twelve, heh). I witnessed every single one of Ashley’s boyfriends. Loved, hated and ranked those boyfriends (Winner: Jared… sorry Joey. Last place: Though I know most want me to say Evan for his pure douche bagginess, you know I’m going with the love-to-hate-him, John).

I think she is the only friend I have never ever had drama with. Like ever. Our biggest fight was over who should get the single hook in the locker during grade eleven. And we have been friends for a decade.

Ashley e-mailed me yesterday to inform me that she got the biochem nerd job I begged her to apply for a few months ago. Why did I beg her?

Because this job is not in no-name-Nova-Scotia. It is here. In my St. John’s.

Ashley will be with me for the entirety of this coming fall semester.

Love is a many-splendored thing.