Day 6: Stefanie Torres

Stefanie absolutely ROCKS!!!! I was so, so, SO sad when she moved to Nebraska our 8th grade year, but we spent the end of our 7th grade year and that whole summer being pretty much inseparable. She was my best friend. If I wasn’t at her house, she was at mine…but I was mostly at hers. Holly David had been part of my first rebellion against my mother, and Stefanie was my next partner in crime, haha. Her house was probably a two minute drive from mine, and we CONSTANTLY went for walks around her neighborhood, we walked to the Sub and Soda shop for sandwiches and ice cream, and we walked to Minyard’s. Both of those places were just two blocks from her house. But the catch was that we had to walk along the sidewalk of Jupiter, a main road for that area and one I was always afraid my mom would drive down and see me. I would never have been allowed back to hang out again. She never caught us, thank goodness, and Stefanie and I were constantly outside that summer. We were such stalkers, we looked up the hot guys from Apollo Junior High and walked past their houses if they were close. We giggled and thought we were so cool, haha.

We had nicknames from a group slumber party the night we met. We were all playing Twister, and it was down to her and me. I finally won, and I teasingly referred to her as “Loser” for the rest of the night. Then I scared her by convincing her Tara’s pet hamster/gerbil/whatever had gotten out and was near her sleeping bag, so from then on she was the “Gullible Loser”, and she started calling me “Texas Giant.” We were so dumb, haha. But I didn’t care, and I still don’t. She introduced me to Ben and Jerry’s ice cream (I will be eternally grateful), and we jammed out to “Barbie Girl” all the time: she had it on cassette. We clung to each other in absolute terror watching “When A Stranger Calls” and swore we’d never babysit (I later babysat, as I’m sure she did). I remember one time she had her hot neighbor give us a ride to Minyard’s in his Jeep, we sat in the back, not seat belted in (we had to look cool for the older guy)…we’re lucky nothing ever happened to us, haha. Every single memory is a fond one…even the one where we threw her a surprise party when she was leaving. He poodle tried to attack us while we set up, and her Doberman (I miss Roxy…) jumped the 6-foot fence right as we finished the cake and other sweets and we had to chase her through the neighborhood. A couple of us threw up from running with just sugar in our tummies.

Stef, I miss you all the time!! Little things like Ben and Jerry’s or “Barbie Girl” make me think of you. I’m glad we are able to keep in touch through Facebook. You’re one of my favorite people ever, and I’m so thankful you were in my life back then! You helped me get a lot of rebelling out of my system when I needed to!