Dear Charlotte, Char, Chaz, Charlie, MusicManic9812 (AKA all of your aliases),

HAPPY 25th! Can you believe you are a quarter of a century old? Baring in mind that we were CONVINCED at thirteen that by 25 we’d be married, living in a big ole’ house with loads of animals, LIVING THA DREAM. That didn’t turn out quite as we’d planned. Buuut, you are now a awesome successful codebreaker, living it up in London and are still (23ish years after we met) one of the best people I know. Here’s a couple (25 to be exact) reasons why you’re my best friend:

1 // That time when we went on ‘duck patrol’ to save the local ducks. From what? I STILL DON’T KNOW.

2 // When we were obsessed with Dr. Who and were convinced that a llama we saw at a zoo was a WERE-LLAMA. Because obviously, werewolves were just too darn mainstream.

3 // Same day as the were-llama encounter. I vommed in your dad’s brand new car after having one too many slushies. Sorry Char’s dad. Sorry Char for creating your lifelong fear of sick.

4 // When you made us walk home in a thunder and lightning storm.

5 // Watching Bridget Jones’ Diary. Watching the specific extra from Bridget Jones’ Diary with young Bridget drinking wine and thinking she was the COOLEST. PERSON. EVER!!

6// Going trick-or-treating dressed as chavs. (AKA painted our faces orange and wearing tracksuits).

7 // You chucking my pudding on the floor at lunchtime, me retaliating by picking it up and shoving it in your face (SO MATURE), you having a serious reaction to the pudding, your eye swelling up, and you SWEARING to the teacher that an unknown person chucked a chip at your face and not dobbing me in. #signsoftruefriendship

8 // Us biting eachother’s hand to see how much pain we could take (I still have the scar)

9 // Going clubbing at 18. You realising that I hated clubbing and driving me home at 12, without complaint.

10 // Walking Sadie.

11 // Going to the park with Jazz (at night!) to take photos of our non-school uniform outfits.

12 // GIN.

13 // Being stuck together like glue on every Brownie trip/holiday/forced outing.

14 // Wasting SOMANYNIGHTS on msn. Perfecting user names, photos, descriptions.

15 // Ditto with Bebo, My Space.

16 // The fact that we were always starting our diet ‘tomorrow’.

17 // Always ending up on the weird part of youtube…

18 // When I shoved your eye into a telescope, thinking it would be funny. It wasn’t funny. SOZ ABOUT THAT! Side note: what did I have against your eyes?!

19 // When we started our own animal funeral business. (Your ma was SO weirded out!)

20 // Spending NYE watching our parents getting gradually drunker, then retiring to bed to watch Lee Evan’s latest stand-up show. Do you remember that walk we had on New Years Day when your pa got into an argument with that guy? “LEAVE IT DAD, HE’S NOT WORTH IT!”

21 // Being obsessed with our hamsters for all of two seconds before realising we actually had to look after them.

22 // My awful gift giving. The hedgehog statue wielding an axe was the creme de la creme.

23 // Always leaving our £1 face masks on too long, having an itchy red face for DAYYYYS.

24 // That time that you started your own business, buying sweets and then selling them to kids at school for more. KID GENIUS! (but you always gave me some for free).

25 // The fact that you are unfailingly hilarious, generous and kind, regularly make me snort with laughter and are ALWAYS there for me when I need you. You are the best friend, and I hope you have the best birthday.

Love,

Laura xxx