when bestfriends become strangers

Abigail always believed Ava would be by her side forever.
But forever ended on a rainy Tuesday—with no explanation.

Abigail was a quiet girl with a big imagination. She spent more time in her thoughts than in the real world. Ava was her only real friend—someone who understood her without needing to say much. But now, things were different.

Exams were over. It was autumn. Dry leaves were falling, the sky was grey, and the school hallways felt colder without Ava walking beside her.

What did I do wrong?
Is she mad at me? Abigail thought, confused and sad.

The school bell rang, but Abigail didn’t move. She walked slowly through the hallway, feeling like everything around her had changed.

She stopped at her locker and opened it.

Something fell out.

It was a photo—old and slightly bent. It showed her and Ava, smiling brightly. They looked so happy. It was taken in spring, when everything was still good.

Abigail stared at the photo, her heart beating faster.

Did Ava put this here?
Is she trying to say something?

She turned the photo over. A message was written on the back:

"It hurts more when you smile with them than when they laughed at me."

Abigail suddenly remembered that Tuesday. She had been laughing and talking with a group—the same group that once bullied Ava. She hadn’t meant to hurt Ava, but now she understood how much it must have hurt.

She felt sorry. Really sorry.

So that evening, she wrote a letter to Ava, pouring out her feelings and saying how much she missed her. The next day, she quietly slipped it into Ava’s locker.

When Ava read the letter, she felt nervous, relieved, hopeful, and a little sad all at once. She still cared.

She took a small piece of paper and wrote:

"I missed you too. Can we meet on the rooftop?"

She placed the note under Abigail’s desk.

When Abigail read it, her eyes filled with tears. She felt overwhelmed with emotion.

After class, she went straight to the rooftop.

There, Ava was waiting.

They looked at each other. No words were needed.

And then, they hugged—tightly and warmly—ready to fix what had been broken.

This tells us that true friendship can be hurt by small mistakes, but it can also be healed by honesty, courage, and care. Don’t be afraid to say sorry and try again.