The story of "Lily 'N' Rose" was inspired by a painfully true, adolescent event. I was in 7th grade and had a best friend whom I'd eaten lunch with everyday since fourth grade. One day, I decided not to eat lunch with her. A clique of girls had seated themselves at a nearby table. These girls were already wearing makeup, talking about bands and boys. They were of a world that I was curious about. I got up from our table, walked over to them, and asked if I could join.

I didn't ask if my friend could. I didn't even look at her across the courtyard, sitting quietly alone. I knew I had done something terribly wrong, but I was also ready to spread my wings in a way that my best friend wasn't.

Sometimes in life, we have to leave something behind in order to grow. Losing your first childhood friendship is our first taste of heartbreak. I recently reached out to my old friend for the first time since we were teens. I wondered if she would even want to hear from me.  I took a deep breath and sent a brief message. To my surprise, she wrote back immediately, asking:

"Is this THE Sheryl Glubok - my dearest childhood friend?"