“What song is this?” I yell over the crowd as the opening notes start playing.

“I think it’s ‘Talking to the Moon,” The Sidekick communications manager Riya Prasad yells back as we stand behind a pillar at the Bruno Mars concert, shoving our way forward.

Within seconds, we’re both screaming the lyrics; our voices already gone from the first half of the night.

Standing there, I realized it’s crazy there was a time I didn’t even talk to her.

During the 2024-25 school year, I barely spoke to Riya.

When I first walked into The Sidekick newsroom as a sophomore, she was one of those people I just noticed. She had everything together, her work always the best and she carried herself like she always knew exactly what she was doing. 

Meanwhile I was just there. 

We talked a little that year, But, sometime this year, a random text on Slack about Sidekick business turned into a conversation that never really ended. Now it is walking after first period, texting about nothing, sending each other TikToks or just complaining about the same things.

Now we perfectly match each other’s energy. She is one of few people I can be myself around. 

My walk home from school involves texting Riya and telling her about my day or something crazy that happened. As time went on, I began to grow used to her extensive vocabulary of the work “derp” and “larp” as well. Because she’s a weirdo.

But she is just easy to be around.

Riya’s the person I go to when my day is bad, and I end up laughing five minutes later. 

And although I always make fun of her and never want her to know that I actually like her, she’s someone I really look up to. The way she handles things, the way she talks to people, the way she goes about her days; it’s something I respect a lot.

I’ll never say that to her face though.

Still, as the year comes to an end, I find myself immensely grateful for her. She’s one of the kindest people I know and deserves the best in everything to come. 

I’m so grateful for her. For the friendship, the conversations, for making everything a little less boring. 

(She also happens to have the cutest little brother ever who is way cooler than her who I will be babysitting next year.)

Graduation’s coming up, but I’m not really worried.

I know I will be telling her all the lore to come. 

Follow Raima (@RaimaAAwan) and @CHSCampusNews on X.