Bye Bye Brookie!
It’s so hard to say goodbye! On Saturday, I had to say goodbye to one of/if not the best friend I’ve ever had, Brooke Fiss. We became friends in the 8th grade at Portola Middle School. I made fun of a vintage vest that she was wearing and said something to the effect of “Nice vest! Did you make it out of grocery bags?” She responded quickly and sharply with “Sure did asshole!” Since then a friendship was formed like non other. I’ve always credited Brooke with changing my life for showing me that it’s alright to stand out from the crowd. All through middle school, she never cared what people thought of her, she never cared for what was “cool” or in style, she went to the beat of her own drum. It was from her inspiration that I started to come out of my shell as well. I use to hang out with the cool kids, conformed to this or that just to fit in but Brooke showed me a different way of life. One which would make me a lot happier. If it weren’t for her, I’d probably be wearing Ed Hardy, smoking weed everyday and going to Pierce College. Over the year, Brooke and I have drifted in and away from each other, due to the cities we live in. After middle school, she moved to Thousand Oaks and due to the fact that there’s no public transportation to the T.O., our times together were few and far between. But each time we were together, it was like nothing had ever changed. We know each other but than anyone else, we can make each other laugh in the darkest of times and make the dullest of situation fun and exciting. Since middle school, we’ve always made sure to watch the Oscars every year with one another. We made a promise in 8th grade that we would one day walk the red carpet of the Academy Awards hand in hand. I’ll never forget the one year we watched the Oscars at Universal and we went to the top floor of the parking lot there. We stood gazing at the Good Year blimp which was located just miles away hovering over the Kodak Theater. Never before had my dreams felt attainable, never before was I able to visualize my success. We made a pact that we would end up there right day and since that day I’ve plotted exactly how we would do that. Brooke is one of the most talented people I have ever met. I’ve been to just about everyone one of the plays, musicals and shows that she’s headlined and each time I’m blown away. She has so much confidence, so much charisma, so much chutzpa that it leaves you in awe. She can command the stage of a soldout theater and have each and every person in the audience in the palm of her hand. She is a pro and she is most definitely a star. I look forward to the day that I’m directing Indie Spirit Award nominated films that star the legend in the making Brooke Fiss. This week Brooke begins the next chapter in her life and is moving to the city of dreams, New York City. There is no doubt in my mind that Brooke is going to end up on Broadway, there is no doubt in my mind that Brooke is going to become famous beyond her wildest imagination, there is no doubt in my mind that Brooke will always remain the same humble girl that wore that beautiful vest which she “made out of grocery bags.” I’m going to miss her but I’m also going to celebrate everything she’s given to me. I know that this change in her life is going to bring her that much closer to her dreams.
I love you Brooke Fiss!
