The Tale of Porky & Ugly.

Let me tell you a story.

It was a cold crisp day in December 2010 when I found my kindred spirit. I was in the lobby of Sears dormitory complaining to my RA Bethany about my lack of a roommate for the spring semester when a girl passed by.

It was then that Bethany said, “Hey Ali, you need a roommate for spring semester too, right?”

It was true, she did. And two nights later, Ali was moving her belongings two doors down to Sears 303.

It was bizarre at first. I knew she was from Omaha and she knew I was from Arkansas; our knowledge of one another ended there.

The semester went by fast, the seasons changing from winter to spring, spring to summer.

By then we had developed a friendship. Sure, it was new and awkward at times, but it was ours and in that sense, unique.

When we departed for summer vacation, we hugged and promised to text each other. Usually our texts were, “I can’t wait to drink Diet Dr.Pepper and watch Ellen with you!” or “Do you like this shower curtain? <image included>”

Soon it was the warm and humid month of August and school was upon us. I helped Ali move her things into The Cobb. 

Our friendship soon evolved into best friends and now, dare I say, sisters.

I know she’s not sentimental; she knows I am.

I know she doesn’t like babies; she knows there is nothing I love more than babies.

I know she likes dancing; she knows I’m terrible at it.

I know she likes How I Met Your Mother; she knows I don’t.

We have our differences, but we understand each other.

So this morning when Ali said, “It’s going to be funny when you miss me more than I miss you,” I knew that was her way of telling me that she actually was going to miss me.

She was going to miss dancing to Lady GaGa whilst eating donuts; she was going to miss watching Ellen together; she was going to miss brushing our teeth beside each other every night.

And that’s okay.

Like I said, we have our differences.