I do not do friends easily. I do acquaintances. But friends? Not so much. I'm a loner at heart, I'm reluctant to put anybody's needs ahead of my family's, and I suck at initiating contact.
And yet, I have a best friend. Go figure, lol.
We weren't always friends. Pepper and I first became aware of each other through Spuffy fanfic, reading and respecting each other's work. I friended her LJ, just like I did other writers I liked, but...I didn't stay friended to her. I was going through a stressful period of my life, and she was going through what I think of as her "angry" phase, and I unfriended her because I couldn't deal with it.
Fast forward a few years.
sadbhyl approached me about writing for 
wickedverse, Pepper got sucked in, too, and we finally started interacting. When we started writing together there, things just...clicked. We couldn't let it go after the comm fell apart, and well, here we are.The thing is...we don't look like we should be, on the surface. She's 13 years my junior, and in a completely different place in her life. We tend to have different tastes in music, in TV, in food. We often respond to the same stimuli in different ways, because of how we approach life.
And yet...she gets me. Like nobody but Craig ever has. Our rhythms seem to complement each other without us even trying. I trust her with absolutely everything. She knows dark secrets about me I've never told anybody else, secrets I felt safe sharing because I know she won't judge me for them (or in some cases, shares something similar). There are too many times it feels like we're in each other's heads, because we can anticipate what will come next, how to help, and any of a hundred other things that have manifested in our writing and our lives.
Pepper knows when I need space and doesn't begrudge it when I do. She listens when I whine or when I brag, and if she's judging, she never lets on. She is my biggest cheerleader, and my greatest defender. She is loyal to a fault, and will fight to the death for the people she loves. Her passion for writing underscores her entire life. She's one of the most prolific, most persevering writers I've ever met. She's wry, caustic at times, and sharp as a tack. She hides her hurts deep inside, but they're there, molding who she is, guiding her every day. Most people don't know about them. They'd probably be surprised they exist. But they do. She wouldn't be able to create what she does without them, or understand (tolerate) my flaws, or be the Pepper I love, the Pepper I'm proud to call my best friend.
The meme's days:
Day 08 – A moment, in great detail
Day 09 – Your beliefs, in great detail
Day 10 – What you wore today, in great detail
Day 11 – Your siblings, in great detail
Day 12 – What’s in your bag, in great detail
Day 13 – This week, in great detail
Day 14 – What you wore today, in great detail
Day 15 – Your dreams, in great detail
Day 16 – Your first kiss, in great detail
Day 17 – Your favorite memory, in great detail
Day 18 – Your favorite birthday, in great detail
Day 19 – Something you regret, in great detail
Day 20 – This month, in great detail
Day 21 – Another moment, in great detail
Day 22 – Something that upsets you, in great detail
Day 23 – Something that makes you feel better, in great detail
Day 24 – Something that makes you cry, in great detail
Day 25 – A first, in great detail
Day 26 – Your fears, in great detail
Day 27 – Your favorite place, in great detail
Day 28 – Something that you miss, in great detail
Day 29 – Your aspirations, in great detail
Day 30 – One last moment, in great detail
