The Class of 2019 graduates this Friday, May 24. Best friends are picking out their outfits for the big night, coordinating the long schedule of grad parties they will attend together, and still discussing the entire sequence of events that occurred on prom night.

However, the Class of 2019 is missing someone whose best friends don’t get to tell her that the dress she had on first was better than the one she is wearing now, or that she should go with black heels instead of the silver ones.

“I always thought Brielle would have a job where she helped others,” Jessie Loney, sr., said “She had the biggest heart and was the best listener.”

Loney was one of Brielle’s best friends since grade six and her passing meant spending the majority of high school without her.

“Graduating without one of my best friends is difficult, especially when it’s someone I’ve known for so long and I love so much,” Loney said “I miss everything about her, even the things I hated about her.”

High School Graduation is a major stepping stone for everyone, and it’s something most students get to share with their best friends. While Loney looks back on her time with Brielle, she believes too much time is taken for granted, especially as a freshman.

“I would tell freshmen to cherish their friends and check in with them,” Loney said “You never know who is struggling.”

Panera runs, mall hangouts, and sleepovers are among the things Loney misses most with Brielle. She wishes she could have made more memories with her over the last three years but she cherishes what she did get to experience with her.

“School dances, getting her license, and walking across the stage at graduation are some things she isn’t experiencing with us,” Loney said “I just wish we had had the last three years.”

Brielle’s death was a shock to the whole school, especially to the Freshman Class of 2019.

“Now that I’m graduating so soon, it is definitely a reminder that she won’t be walking with us,” Loney said “It is a hard time but I am so grateful for the years I had with her.”

The Class of 2019 crosses the stage very soon, and while we reminisce on our last four years of high school, the closest friends of Brielle prepare to dress in cap and gown and graduate without her.