It all started on June 16, 1998 when two strangers happened to meet in an AOL chatroom over a conversation about Conan O'Brien. We had both been watching the show and somehow ended up talking about it. For the life of me, I cannot remember why or how but that's how it all got started.

It was purely random that we found each other. One this different and it would have never happened. That week my parents had left me home alone, otherwise I would have never been on the computer that late at night. Even more oddly, we were in a chatroom. Never ever am I in a chatroom anymore. And what drew us to keep in contact with each other? Our early early emails were about the show and stupid things that we had said. Why does one keep in touch with a person over a television show?

Had to be Fate. That's all it boils down too. There are so many variables, that it had to be nothing more then Fate itself that kept us in touch, kept us writing, made us become friends.

If you were to ask me to tell you something very specific from the first summer of our friendship, I don't think I could. It's very foggy for whatever reason. I can remember that he'd disappear for a few days and then reappear to say that he had gone on vacation. He was the guy I'd talk to about guys, to get a male opinion, and I suppose that went both ways. Beyond that, it's a mist of nothing.

That first winter I remember being worried about him, because he was home a lot - not attending school. I remember asking him why, and telling him that he needed to go - so that his grades would be better. Nothing horribly defined memory wise, for I can never remember anything, especially from over a year ago.

In the spring of 1999 we really grew as friends. He had become one of my best friends, for no matter what I told him, he was never phased by it, and responded warmly. We had learned that our one year anniversary was coming up - and that he was visiting my town in the fall for a football game. There was much excitement in our lives, and it was then that I knew I truly loved him for the friend he was.

On June 16, 1999 we celebrated our first anniversary. I suppose you couldn't call it much of a celebration - but it was in our hearts. Rough times had pulled us apart slightly, and it was then that we really began to climb back to the comfortable place that we had once occupied in our friendship. Fate played us well, and it had been a glorious first year.