how to get over a friendship breakup

The bell had just rung for first period, and there he was, sliding into the chair next to mine like always. For years, that was our routine—side by side, every day at school, talking about everything. He once turned to me, half-laughing, and said,

“You’re my sister from another mister.”

It stuck with me. That’s how I thought of us: family, not just friends.

A year ago, everything started to change. He got a girlfriend—his first. I was genuinely happy for him, but I noticed something different right away. His girlfriend seemed wary of me. I never heard her say anything, but it was there, in how they acted when I was around.

After that, our friendship started to loosen. We didn’t talk as much. The easy closeness we had just wasn’t there anymore.

I felt stuck. I wanted to keep our friendship the way it was, but I didn’t want to be a source of worry for his girlfriend. At the same time, I kept thinking about how I’m planning to leave the country in two years. That thought lingered in the back of my mind.

Still, I couldn’t find a way to fix it. I decided to keep my distance, even though it hurt. I told myself to just suck up the pain.

My heart felt deeply hurt by all of it. I kept thinking about how we used to be—how we shared everything, how it felt like nothing could change us.

But now things are different. Our friendship has loosened, and I am just trying to live with that.

I know that friendships can evolve and dissolve, and that this is part of life. It’s a pain I feel every day.

I don’t know if anyone else has gone through this. I wonder if there’s something I’m not seeing, or if it just has to be this way.