As the bell rings, junior Mariah Denson puts away the art tools and gathers up her belongings while waiting for her best friend, sophomore Marc Rodriguez. She remembers just last year when they met in a class similar to this one.

“We met in gym last year,” sophomore Marc Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez and Denson have been friends for over a year now.

“I met Marc my sophomore year in Partners in P.E.,” junior Mariah Denson said. “He was the only one without a partner and I walked right up to him.”

They started working together again when they were put in the Partners in Art class, which facilitates interaction with special needs students.

“From the first day of school, Mariah and Marc were partners in our class,” teacher Amy Lamar said.

They make an effort to spend time together outside of school, Denson said.

“I hang out with Marc as much as I can,” she said. “I invite him to events that I know he’ll have fun (at), and I give him my full on attention.”

Their friendship has grown.

“I started to consider Marc my best friend the day he gave me a drawing of us titled ‘Mariah and Marc best friends forever,’” she said.

Rodriguez said they do a variety of things together.

“We go to IHOP, the movies and we play video games,” he said.

Lamar said it’s not at all hard to see how close the two friends are and how much they enjoy each others company.

“They do everything together: walk to class and leave,” Lamar said. “They are a lot of fun to be around.”

Rodriguez and Denson often go over to each other’s houses to hang out.

“I was touching her pet crab, and it scared me and made me laugh,” Rodriguez said.

Denson helped Rodriguez make a Homecoming garter in their art class.

“I was on the subject of making (my mum), then I thought about how Marc didn’t have one last year,” she said. “I figured he’d enjoy wearing one if I made it for him.”

Denson said she put a couple of special items on his garter.

“I added a Lego and a golf ball, because (based on) the conversations I have with Marc those are the things he enjoys doing the most,” she
said.

Rodriguez said he felt good about the garter.

“It looks pretty beautiful,” he said.

She hopes they remain friends throughout high school.

“The most important thing Marc has taught me is to be kind, love everyone and that you need to go the extra mile to help others,” Denson said. “He’s my role model.”