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Aly: We met in Second Grade (2010-2011 school year for me). We were friends off and on until September 2018, but she was always interested while I never was. I was often scornful and her controlling.
Anthony: Same as Aly, except we met in Fifth Grade (2013-2014 school year) and didn't last past Sixth Grade (2014-2015). Unlike Aly, he was probably homophobic. He was more severely controlling than Aly, too.
Blaine: We met in Second Grade. We were very close in Fifth and parts of Sixth Grade, even though he'd often goad the other boys into bullying me and let me take the punishments for it. He was very kind and even affectionate to me without the boys around, and his mom was extremely condescending to him and mean-spirited in general. We left one another in November 2014, but we eventually reunited in May 2017. He pried out the info about my crush on him in June 2017, then we discussed dating one another for over a month before he mysteriously ran away.
Hayley: The first friend I ever had. She was at my first birthday party in March 2004, being the daughter of my dad's best childhood friend. Two of our dogs are from a litter of six puppies accidentally bred by their dog and an unknown male Jack Russell Terrier. We lost contact recently, but I'd be willing to reconnect if dad ever offers.
Olivia: The one of the five I still have. We met in Third Grade (2011-2012 school year), although her mom was my First Grade (2009-2010) teacher. Her mom adored me, and we're still friends. I never paid much attention to her in school, but I had an inherent respect for her even in my Sixth Grade bullying epoch, and we've been quite close since reconnecting in February 2017.
BONUS (five best friends not from school):
Spoiler
Trent: We met at Nashville Pride in June 2018. We fell in love instantly, neither of us expecting the other to be ten years from our own age. He was drunk, and mom trusted him compared to most ten-years-older guys, so he didn't give his advances second thought while I was blinded. At our next meeting, he admitted his feelings but said he didn't want to date just because of our age gap/me being underage, even with mom and me both being comfortable with him. I lost control of my feelings and nearly pushed him away over the following meetings; after September 2018, I believed he was gone for good until a surprise text/unblocking in April 2019. We've been close as friends ever since, and he's the best friend I currently have.
Tiernan: We met at a gaming/art group in May 2017. I considered him my second-best friend up until October 2019, when I learned he prioritized other friends merely out of self-convenience. I lost most of my other friends that same month and was especially devastated by this loss; I could barely accept it.
Ty: We met in July 2017 when dad invited his dad (who he's close friends with). I considered Ty my all-time best friend up until October 2019, when I discovered he wasn't as busy as he pretended to me and merely used the slightest excuses to get away from invitations; him saying he just thought he heard his parents talking about POSSIBLY having plans the following weekend was what gave him away. As with Tiernan, I took this loss very hard and could barely accept it. He actually went to the same schools I did prior to my homeschooling, but he's two grades below me.
Thomas: We met July 2019 in the same way I met Ty. We got on instantly. I fell in love with him quickly, but unlike Trent and Blaine, I was unfortunate to learn after several weeks that he wasn't gay/bi (I was affectionate with him, even promising to stop if he wanted, but he didn't object and a couple times even smiled. I took this as false signal of interest). We're still friends, but I don't intend to see him in person because of his (deliberately) extremely annoying 5-year-old sister and the unlikelihood of them not bringing her. Not to be confused with my Fourth Failed Attempted Boyfriend (he was fifth) with the same first name.
Cass: In April 2018, we met at the same gaming/art group I met Tiernan. We've been close ever since; we lost contact in October 2019 but recently managed to regain it. She's the third-best (behind Trent and Olivia) friend I still have, and I MIGHT even get a seventh guy to try dating thanks to her (she wasn't sure he was gay a year ago and lost contact with me by the time she regained contact with him)!
P.S.: Sorry. I missed the "in life" part of "how successful?". I can't really answer that, though, as only one of the ten I mentioned is old enough yet for that to be a thing.
Mona - became a religious pious nut - only hangs out with people of her church. Very bitter and angry. Husband finally divorced her. Thinks FB is "of the devil". Not a success. On welfare.
Sally - OK. Has her own business. Married. Seems happy. Not rich. Not poor.
Marcella - OK. SAHM her entire life. Seems happy.
Trixie - Stayed in our home town of about 5K people. Works at the small local newspaper. Married her high school sweetheart and is surrounded by family that loves her. She often says things that indicate that she was the low achiever of the group - but I think she was the most successful of all.
One became a dietician working with diabetics - exactly what she wanted to do at high school graduation a little more than a decade ago.
One went to West Point and is high ranking in the military now.
One is an advertising executive.
One was murdered in her home.
One married his high school girlfriend and both have been English teachers in Korea ever since.
For the 5 closest college friends....
One became a lawyer focusing on a really niche area of law in NYC. I'm in her wedding this month.
One converted to another faith and spent 2 years on a mission to Siberia before going to law school. He's married, has three kids, and is a successful lawyer for a policy group related to his faith.
One is got her master's in journalism from one of the top j-schools in the country, but still works as a stringer for lots of local papers living in a studio apartment her family owns.
One overcame serious health issues to graduate a year late and works in biotech research while moonlighting as a standup comedian.
One went to work for the CIA and disappeared from everyone's lives. I saw her at our college reunion briefly where she apologized for not keeping in touch with the excuse that her mom was dying of cancer so it was hard for her to talk to me as I faced my own cancer diagnosis right out of college. She promised to stay in touch after that, but I never heard from her again.
How successful in life were your 5 best school friends?
Morris became a fairly successful artist, but mostly lived with his mom down south. He's the only classmate I kept in touch with..
Harry became a psychologist, went to Hollywood, and had a few minor stars as clients.
David was in charge of the jail as a deputy sheriff out west
Both Bobs became grunt workers in the home town.
I did not have 5 best friends but one friend started a oil company with his family and is happily married with his wife.Another is still at the same job he had in high school and is still in junior college.he wanted to be a pharmacist but he gave up on that one.
Hmmm... Interesting question OP! I also changed the names of the people below to protect the innocent.
1) Ted - Married another friends cousin. Built a rural home. Two long term jobs closed down and he's been working in a new career since. Due to retire soon. Very active in Scouting. Great guy still to this day.
2) Josh - We worked together in the p/t police gig after we turned 18. I worked f/t at the phone company. He pursued a LE career and did rather well, retiring several years ago. Lost touch when he got together with his first girlfriend (now wife of many years), who apparently didn't care for any of his friends.
3) Jess - We worked together f/t at a local gov't job after high school for a few months. The boss wanted to promote both of us and get us on a focused a specific career path, but I left when the phone company job offer came in. He stayed on with the gov't job and retired a few years ago. He has since moved to the Midwest and has settled there. Still chat on the phone every now and then. Saw him a couple of years ago while visiting Ted's house (friend #1 above).
4) Jack - School chum. We went through thick and thin together during our HS years. I had lost touch with him during college years as we had separate interests and responsibilities. Touched based several years ago through the power of Facebook. He had given me his phone number, but I never stopped to give him a call to catch up. Not sure why. It just seems like it would be a forced relationship if rekindled.
5) Charley - We were friends at school (I went to school 10 miles from home, so I had friends there that I never saw outside of school). Lost touch right after graduation. About six years later, I was in a friends wedding and while our wedding party was waiting in a separate reception area at the banquet hall, another wedding party was brought into the same reception area. Well, the groom of that wedding was my old HS friend Charley! We carried on for a good while like no time has passed at all. I even spent some time in his wedding reception later in the evening. Lost touch again after that night and caught up with him via social media about 10-15 years later. He was no longer the person I knew due to work and family choices that he made. Lost contact again after that.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I have no idea. I have not seen or otherwise been in contact with any of my 5 best high school friends since about 4-5 years after graduation. I lost touch with them after college and when I started graduate school, and have not found them searching the Internet and social media. Those that I do keep up with on Facebook are all doing well, except for one that recently passed away. They are in the next “friend tier”, in the 5-15 best range. Among them are an attorney, consultant, contractor, university professor, and a couple of engineers. A few have retired.
T went on to get his MBA and PHD, now self employed and super successful. Never got married.
Had a couple of trophy girlfriends disasters, one engagement called off by him 2 days before.
(Male)
C went on to graduate and was in the best sorority. Met a great guy at college and still married 40 years later. They had 3 children and now grandchildren. Such a great family.
(Female)
S was so beautiful, smart also. Skipped first year of college; graduated in 3. Got married to someone older than herself; had 2 children. I don't she worked to her full potential but she loves where she works.
(Female)
R was in our group but was T's good friend. Had such a rough life; we all tried to boost him up but his home environment was torn apart again and again. He had a great girlfriend but her dad said NO to any future relationship (don't think she ever married). He did; had a bunch of kids; died of liver cancer around age 54.
(Male)
M was wildly popular especially with the boys. She went to college, married a doctor (one of her goals) but they divorced 15 years later (2 kids). His fault. Devastating to her. She helped him build his career.
Classic story. Just working to make ends meet.
(Female)
We all keep in touch - except for R but think of him often and what a success he could have been.
I had several very close, out of town friends in high school (college & beyond) through a political organization.
My very best friend became my husband. He was a trial attorney with several advanced degrees, and probably the smartest person that I have ever met. Sadly, he developed a type of early onset dementia in his late 40s and passed away at age 65.
My best female friend received her doctorate, published numerous books and was a tenured professor at a prestigious University. She developed early onset Alzheimer's and passed away at age 52.
My second best female friend also received her doctorate, was a pioneer in her specialized area and was a tenured professor at one of the best Universities in her field. Sadly, she died from cancer when she was about 40.
My two close friends at my high school both had average jobs (one a nurse the other worked in an office), average lives, and (I believe) average marriages but they are both still alive at age 67.
I had an average career (as a special education teacher) and an average life and I am still alive at age 67.
I wonder if there is a message in what happened to all of us?
Wow... that's really sad. Sorry for your loss(es).
Curious how your cluster of early deaths compares statistically to general population. Too small a sample size of course but might be worth looking at your hometown.
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5 close/best friends
