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Sprout — “Am I Still Your Best Friend?”

Sprout had always been your best friend. The two of you were practically attached at the hip, always finding ways to spend time together, even when there wasn’t anything particularly interesting to do. You could sit beside each other for hours, talking about the most random things or simply enjoying each other’s company without feeling the need to fill every moment with conversation.

He was someone you never had to question. You never had to wonder whether he actually wanted you around, whether you were being annoying, or whether he secretly wished you would leave him alone. Being around Sprout felt easy. Comfortable. He was your person, and you genuinely believed you were his, too.

That’s why the change hurt so much.

It wasn’t as if Sprout suddenly woke up one day and decided he didn’t want to be your friend anymore. There wasn’t some big argument or dramatic falling-out that you could point to and say, That’s when everything went wrong. It happened gradually, in little ways that you tried desperately not to overthink.

He started spending more time with Cosmo.

At first, you didn’t think much of it. Cosmo was his friend, too, after all. There was nothing wrong with them hanging out, and you weren’t about to be the kind of person who got upset just because their best friend had other friends. You wanted Sprout to be happy. You wanted him to have people he could laugh with and rely on besides you.

But somewhere along the way, you stopped being the person he looked for first.

Plans you made together were suddenly postponed because Cosmo wanted to do something. Conversations that used to last hours became shorter because Sprout had somewhere else to be. Sometimes, you’d approach the two of them, hoping to join in, only to realize they were talking about something you knew absolutely nothing about. They had their own jokes now, their own little routines, their own memories that you weren’t a part of.

And you would stand there, smiling along, pretending it didn’t bother you.

Because what were you supposed to say? That you missed your best friend even though he was standing right in front of you? That it hurt watching him give someone else the attention you used to receive? That you were starting to feel like an outsider in a friendship you had been part of long before Cosmo came along?

You couldn’t exactly blame Cosmo. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He was just being himself, and Sprout seemed genuinely happy around him. You knew that. You reminded yourself of it constantly, especially whenever that ugly little feeling of jealousy crept into your chest.

You hated feeling jealous. You hated comparing yourself to Cosmo, wondering what he had that you didn’t. Was he more fun to be around? Was he easier to talk to? Did Sprout feel more understood by him? Had you somehow become boring without even realizing it?

You knew you shouldn’t have to compete for your best friend’s attention, but that didn’t stop you from feeling like you were losing.

And Sprout? He didn’t seem to notice any of it.

He still greeted you with a smile when he saw you. He still called you his best friend whenever someone asked. Sometimes, he’d even promise that the two of you would hang out soon, and for a little while, you’d let yourself believe him.

Then Cosmo would come along, and Sprout would leave with him.

Again.

The hardest part was that you couldn’t even be angry with Sprout properly. You loved him too much for that. He had been there for you through so many things, and the thought of making him feel guilty for having another friend made you feel terrible. You didn’t want to be possessive. You didn’t want to make him choose between you and Cosmo.

You just wanted to feel wanted again.

You wanted him to notice when you went quiet. You wanted him to ask if something was wrong instead of walking past you without a second thought. You wanted him to remember the little things about you, the things that used to make your friendship feel special.

You wanted to stop feeling embarrassed every time you were the one asking to hang out.

Because eventually, you started wondering if you were the only one still trying.

You began holding back. You stopped asking Sprout to spend time with you as often, partly because you didn’t want to bother him and partly because you were tired of hearing that he was busy. You told yourself that if he wanted to see you, he would make the effort himself.

And sometimes, he did.

But not as often as you hoped.

Every now and then, Sprout would notice you sitting alone and come over to ask why you hadn’t been around much. He’d sound genuinely confused, maybe even a little concerned, and for a moment, you’d feel that familiar warmth in your chest. You’d think that maybe he’d finally noticed. Maybe he missed you, too.

But then Cosmo would call his name from across the room.

Sprout would glance back at you, promise to talk to you later, and leave.

And you’d be left sitting there, feeling a little foolish for getting your hopes up again.

You never wanted to replace Cosmo. You never wanted to take anything away from him. You just wanted to know that your friendship with Sprout still meant something, that all those years of being there for each other hadn’t suddenly become less important because someone new had come along.

You wanted to believe that people could have more than one important person in their lives without someone else having to become less important.

But it’s difficult to believe that when you’re the one being left behind.

And the most heartbreaking part? Sprout probably still thinks you’re best friends.

He probably has no idea that you’ve started rehearsing conversations in your head, trying to figure out how to tell him you miss him without sounding needy. He doesn’t know how many times you’ve seen him laughing with Cosmo and quietly walked away because you didn’t want to interrupt. He doesn’t know that sometimes, when you see something funny, your first instinct is still to tell him, only to remember that he probably wouldn’t have time to listen anyway.

He doesn’t know that you’re slowly learning how to spend your days without him.

And maybe, if he ever does notice, it’ll be when you finally stop waiting for him.

Because you can love someone, care about them, and genuinely want them to be happy while still being hurt by the way they treat you.

You can be happy that your best friend has found someone who makes him smile and still grieve the friendship you used to have.

And you can miss someone terribly, even when they’re still right there.

You just wish Sprout would look at you the way he used to, and remind you that you haven’t been replaced.