One of my close high school friends passed away this week. It’s impossible to even consider this, really. Wasn’t it just yesterday that we were 15? Crystal and I started our friendship in eighth grade as skater girls. By the time we were in high school, we were full-on Goth. I was absolutely obsessed with The Cure and The Sandman graphic novels. She adored Echo & The Bunnymen and The Cocteau Twins. We got up to a lot of mischief in our tiny East Texas hometown, reading banned books, dying our hair pink and dreaming of a better world. She stayed there, had six kids and rocked a career as this amazing nurse. And now she’s gone. On Sunday, Triple Six Social is hosting a World Goth Day party. It’s the kind of thing I would share with her. “Look how cute,” I’d write, “we have a literal Goth coffee shop! Wish you were here.” Never truer words. This weekend, I’ll light a black candle and play Last Dance on repeat. Everyone, please remember to hug your loved ones.
