There are times in one’s life where they must grow up and experience a loss of innocence; however, I did not expect mine to be at the age of seven, due to one of the people I love the most. Growing up, I overall had a happy childhood or that is what I tend to let people believe. My earliest memories consist of cheerful and pleasant times, but that did not last for long. Soon enough, there would be constant turmoil and fighting to the point where I would hide in my parent’s room and try to block it out. A source of this conflict is one of the most involved people in my life, my sister. I will never forget the way I felt when my mother told me that we had to go get one of the people I cared about the most because she was in trouble. I remember walking into the mall I knew all too well and seeing her on the ground, handcuffed, and surrounded by police officers. Being seven, I was not completely sure what had happened to her. I felt tears swell in my eyes and my chest tighten knowing that whatever the circumstance was, it surely was not good. I never thought my life would change so much because of a five dollar ring from Claire’s.

The once lively mall is now destitute and my previous idea of the person I looked up to and loved the most has since vanished. Now I am eighteen, I have realized that there are things I did not even know about her that make me grasp the fact that I did not even know her. This led to great fallout in my family to the point where she ran away and I did not see her again until recent years. While it may not have been the best to turn from her in her time of need, I knew that I could not have her in my life because she only caused me pain and at a young age, it was truly impacting me. Knowing her later in life, I have also realized that keeping her out of my life was also for the best, due to the fact, that she hid many things not only from me but also from my parents. This led to great distress once my family was aware of not only her addictive habits but also her malicious spirit towards others. The fact that she blames her problems on others rather than herself and acts as though she grew up without any privilege is or as though she came from a broken home is what hurts me the most. Because of her unappreciative feelings toward what she actually has and the way she takes things for granted is what truly drove the stake in the coffin of our relationship. One day, I hope to change our now broken sisterhood and regain the once perfect relationship that we shared because I truly miss my best friend.