As his silence drags on, you can see how the stress wears on her. It turns out she can only be herself with Misha and everyone else in her life gets a façade. Ryen misses her friend and she’s a bit lost without him. This has worked for the friends for years until suddenly Misha stops writing without explanation. It’s a special thing for both of them and they’re determined make sure nothing upsets the balance of the little world they share. I can’t imagine the kind of self-control a person would have to possess to not creep social media in a situation like this but it speaks to how serious they are about the relationship. They’ve never met, talked on the phone or exchanged photos so social media is also off limits. Worried that any change in their relationship could ruin everything, they’ve set strict rules to prevent any contact outside of their letters. They’ve been pen pals for seven years and best friends for almost as long. Misha and Ryen have their flaws but they’re perfect for each other. This is a sweet story that made me happy. Or right under my nose, and I wouldn’t even know it. I should’ve gotten his phone number or picture or something. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha, neither would be a stretch. Name’s Ryen, loves Gallo’s pizza, and worships her iPhone. Until I run across a photo of a girl online. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. She’s the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am. Sometimes there’s one a week or three in a day, but I need them. Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever…Īnd that was the start. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake.

My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. I can’t help but smile at the lyrics in her letter.

Punk 57 author