What she said reminded me of me 8 years ago.
People don't change entirely.

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Oh because she was too clingy. She followed me everywhere.
I got mad at her. I was 11.

Gifts and letters I received but never returned. When I was 13.
One day, I stopped getting them. Not a word from her. At 15.

But on some days I wish I appreciated that more. I never could,
not if I can't find a reason to like her, besides the care and concern
she showered me with. That isn't a reason, that wouldn't be fair.

We don't connect. We can be friends. I want us to be friends.
But with all those she was doing for me, she wanted more than that. She wanted us to be best friends. I did not take that, I rejected that. I didn't reject her as a friend, I rejected her being my best friend.

I didn't make it clear, a child of 11 knew of nothing but to ignore it.
All the way till 16, she was tired and so it ended there and then.

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Things always end this way. One-sided things.
For me playing that 11-16 year old me, or me playing her role.

It's tough getting the parameters right. Far too tough.