Friendship Fades

Haven't talked to her in over a year now, don't even know where she is or how she is doing.

I saw Paulina in my dream last night. She looked really beat up, although still pretty. She looked skinny, slightly sick, and sad. We met at a metro station (King St. I think). I ran over and gave her a hug. I asked how she was doing and I told her that I tried calling her and texting her. She looked happy to see me but it was clear to see that she was in so much pain, like she's been through a lot of shit. I asked what she was doing now and she said that she does drug testing for money now. She gets $900 a year. I was really sad to hear that that was her way of getting money, but all I can do was listen and support her because it was obvious that she hasn't gotten any support in anything in a while. She told me the drugs have side effects that mess with her lungs and liver and I figured that's why she looked sick. She said, "nothing major though." It still broke my heart, her situation. I knew she was better and smarter than that. She has always been. I asked her about her boyfriend, the one she loved and told me she was going to marry about a year ago. She said that he was in India and that they are still together. I asked why they are not married yet. She said her mom would kill her because he is Muslim and she is Orthodox, same reason as before. I told her that she is her own person now and that she should marry him if that is what she wants. I told her that she should call him up soon and tell him. She smiled and said she would, then she said she had to go now to her 'job'. And I told her to keep in touch, we hugged and smiled at each other then went our separate ways.

We were such good friends all four of our high school years.