Our Friendship: A Visual History
Random ass photos of us (with commentary!)
best friend (n.): a person’s closest friend.
This may be the piece that nobody asked for, but y’all are getting it anyway! Because what do we do when we get together a couple times a year? We reminisce by going through all our old photos and other memorabilia (ask us about our “Burn Book”). Here are some photographic highlights.
Aimée: OTF has seen this one before—it’s my third birthday! Kayla looks like a literal infant here (she’s the kid on the far right).
Kayla: I don’t remember this photo at all, but shortly after this was taken you became part of the cool kid group and didn’t talk to me until middle school.
A: Lol we weren’t even cool! (But you still weren’t cool enough…)
A: Ahh, the end of 8th grade! When our obsession with having matching outfits began…
K: I look like a literal child. But also, I loved that era of our friendship! And I think we need to bring it back. Also, you can tell we were at a church camp because we had to wear T-shirts under our spaghetti strap dresses because they were too “scandalous.”
K: This photo is a product of the late 2000s. Peep the basic Aeropostale/American Eagle patterned shirts. Why are kids these days dressed so well? Don’t they have to go through a cringey stage also?!
A: Believe me, they don’t dress *that* well now. Love seeing the halls of Cy Lakes!
K: Go Spartans.
K: Masquerade! Paper faces on parade! Masquerade!
A: Those masks barely made it out the door. I don’t think anyone actually wore one at Homecoming! Also, my dress was (proudly) from Delia’s.
K: The night I learned to twerk!
K: This image is famously a part of the Facebook photo album, “Me and Kayla’s Wild Weekend!” Now, what was wild about it, you ask? We ate Wendy’s and peanut butter sandwiches…and we went to Forever 21.
A: That about sums it up.
Bonus content: When we started putting this piece together, we realized we were once again sitting on my sister’s bed as seen in the previous picture! So, naturally, we had to recreate the photo. Enjoy.
A & K (in unison): I LOVE this photo.
A: Minus your tan lines and my stupid piece of hair! It’s so cute.
K: Arguably, one of my best Homecoming dresses.
A: These dresses both hold up!
K: Another matching outfit!
A: For reference, “Sophies” means “sophomores.” It was a thing (shout-out to Kate!).
K: I was Spunky Sophie, you were Sassy Sophie, and Kate was Spicy Sophie. Like the Spice Girls!
A: Going to Disney with the band was the best…actually, staying behind with our families while the other band kids went home was the best.
K: This was also the trip where Aimée famously bitch-slapped me! Because I was too fat to tuck in my shirt…
A: All right, we don’t need to relitigate this…
A: This was a rough Homecoming (date-wise). Which is sad because it was the first time either one of us went with a date!
K: Think Big Bird, but make it fashion. Also, my date asked me to be his girlfriend, and I said no. And we weren’t alone…
A: Jumping forward quite a bit! Unfortunately, a lot of our photos together from 2013-2016 were tainted by the presence of She Who Shall Not Be Named. But our trip around Germany, Austria, and Switzerland was one for the books!
K: I still can’t believe two 21-year-old girls traveled around Europe together for two weeks and lived to tell the tale!
A: I can’t believe I casually wore that dirndl multiple times on that trip.
K: Tell me you can’t take a candid photo without telling me you can’t take a candid photo.
A: I think it’s cute! In its own way. Your bachelorette at the Houston Rodeo was so fun! I love that white hat.
K: Lol the Jason’s Deli sandwich in the foreground…but at least I kept my bridesmaids fed, y’all!
A: Love this pic! We look good.
A: It was so fun when you and Marc visited New York! Although I know it was killing him being around the two of us when Mike wasn’t there.
K: Reverse matching outfits! Also, such a fun trip. Thanks for showing us around New York!
A: Jumping ahead again! Now we were officially rid of She Who Shall Not Be Named. And had the best time with the best people at my bach! Y’all are sleeping on Houston as your ideal bachelorette destination, I’m telling you. #LastMeowBeforeTheVow(el) #iykyk
K: I really killed those decorations! Your bachelorette party was so great. I think everyone needs to rent out a karaoke room.
A: Last but not least!
K: I have no idea who took this photo, but I love it. Also, everything comes full circle! I’m so glad I got to stand by you on your wedding day.
A: Ditto! We’ve really come a long way since me thinking your sister was cooler than you.
K: And you bitch-slapping me…
A: Exactly!
Thanks for taking this visual journey down memory lane with us! It’s not often that you have a best friend that you’ve known for 25+ years. And a special thank you to OTF for bringing us even closer the past three years! It’s been so fun writing, recording, and creating together.
Shit We’re Loving: READ
Aimée’s Pick: The Clique series by Lisi Harrison
When I think about the period of time in which Kayla and I became really close (~2008), I think of The Clique series. God, we loved these books! So much so that Kayla even emulated the main character Massie by making “In/Out” lists in her own diary. She’s not the only one with a mildly embarrassing history surrounding this series, though—the first time I went to New York (at age 17) I desperately wanted to go up to Westchester to see if it was just as glamorous as Lisi Harrison made it sound. Of course, now that I once lived in Westchester County, I know that the setting of these novels is pretty much entirely fictional. Greenwich, CT might’ve been a better locale for the story.
But anyway, if you want to read something with real teen girl intrigue (and if you’re not bothered by near constant name drops of designer brands), I’d say The Clique is definitely worth checking out/revisiting.
Show Your Support: Global Girl Media
For our final OTF Show Your Support, I’ve chosen Global Girl Media (GGM), which develops the voice and media literacy of teenage girls and young women, ages 14-25, in under-served communities by teaching them to create and share digital journalism designed to improve scholastic achievement, ignite community activism and spark social change.
We change the storytellers so they can change the world.
Global Girl Media empowers young women to bring their often-overlooked perspectives onto the global media stage. By turning up the volume of girls’ voices globally, GGM promotes freedom of expression and strengthens substantive journalism that addresses historically marginalized voices. We do this while also building self-esteem, leadership capacity, and 21st-century skills. Founded in 2010, we are currently active in South Africa, Kosovo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Greece, London, and the Bay Area.
You can’t be what you can’t see. Our media tells us a lot about who we are and the stories we believe about ourselves. Yet, a female POV is under-published, under-broadcast, and under-streamed compared to a male POV. Now more than ever, women and girls of color need a place at the table to change the narrative. That’s where GGM comes in.
In the OTF fashion, we have already donated $200 to Global Girl Media and we encourage you to give and/or promote what you can.
Daily Intention:
Today I choose…
To take care of myself.
Here’s some nifty buttons for you to press, enjoy:
Ayeee