Today would have been my dear friend Chelle McMillan's 25th birthday. I started writing down my best memories of her after she passed away in January but didn't finish, so I decided to finish my piece for her birthday.
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I remember meeting Chelle clearly. It was the Sunday after Freshers Week (2009) and we were both trying out the same church. I was thinking, who's that weird girl with purple hair... After the service a few of us were invited out for lunch, which included me and Chelle. As we walked there, we started chatting, and she was going on and on and on about this annoying ex-boyfriend called Ben. I honestly remember thinking "she's gonna get back together with this Ben guy. She clearly loves him".

Chelle and I were in the same Bible study group (Nine20) so we got to hang out weekly. We were the silly ones among all these sensible other Christians. I remember one time we were looking at the story of Ruth in the Bible, and a serious group discussion was supposed to be happening but Chelle and I could not stop giggling and making rude jokes about how Ruth got together with Boaz.

Chelle told me that when she had introduced herself to our friend Ashly, Ashly asked for her name, but Chelle decided to be cryptic and said "my name is French, you have to guess it" but Ashly thought her name was literally 'French' and she thereafter became known as 'Frenchi'.

In February/March the Christian Union held its Events Week. This was a series of events with talks and other things that enabled people interested in Christianity to learn more and discuss difficult topics. They had a 'music cafe' every night where there would be a short talk then chill-out/discussion time with some live music. They'd asked for volunteers to provide said music and I thought hell no, I don't like playing my flute in front of people. Next thing I knew Frenchi had signed me up to play on the first night to accompany her singing!! So I made my boyfriend (now husband) Dan come along to support me, and when the talk came Dan was intrigued and kept going to more events, before becoming a Christian later in the week - who knows, if Frenchi hadn't signed me up, maybe Dan wouldn't be a Christian? ;)

We spent many good times together at uni, including the Christian Union weekend away, meeting for coffee in Mooch, shopping in town, nights out, going round each other's flats and drinking a bit too much of that alcoholic strawberry milkshake drink... She was always a brilliant host that put her guests first. One time we made mulled wine together and drank it in mugs and she said the orange segments looked like maggots.

One night out in Oceana these two guys asked to dance with us. I said no as was my general policy but Frenchi jumped right in, so I had to awkwardly dance with the guy's friend. She never missed an opportunity to have fun. At some point later we wanted to get rid of them but they kept following us, so we hid in the toilets, then left the toilets through their other exit and ran out of the club (anyone who knows Nottingham's Oceana knows that that place is a complete maze, especially after a few drinks).

Along with all the fun and silliness, we also had many long, deep conversations about faith, relationships, friendships, life direction, and so on. One recurring topic was 'why doesn't God heal everyone?', something I feel has now been answered in God taking her home to be with Him where she will now be happy and healthy forever.

At one point in my second year I was in an emotional mess so texted Frenchi. She called me back straight away to encourage me and when I was free to meet her she came round and we chatted through it all - she really helped me pull through. She'd always encouraged me with my studies and exams too, whether they went well or badly, and been extremely hard-working at her own degree.

I was privileged to go to Barcelona with Frenchi in the summer of 2012. We booked the cheapest flight - 6:30am - so got the train down to the airport the night before and attempted to sleep on the airport floor, followed by attempting to sleep on some massage chairs. Our complete inexperience had also led us to book a hotel on the side of a motorway quite far out from Barcelona - just a half hour walk along a deserted gravel road, with graffitied crumbling walls and no lights at night, to the nearest train station!! Despite this, we had an amazing time, lying on the beach drinking mojitos, shopping, exploring, swimming in the sea, attempting to chat up Spanish boys by reading out phrases from the guidebook, getting tipsy on disgustingly cheap 'how bad can it be' cartoned sangria from the supermarket. It was a challenging and rewarding time for our friendship as we were spending 24 hours a day together, so there was friction but it led us to open up about ourselves and our personalities and made us stronger in our friendship and more open with each other.

Frenchi's career plans changed a few times but always had a common theme: working with people and helping them. She first considered being a vicar, then doing interfaith work, and finally settled on being a social worker, which after all her training she only did for one week before she passed away - but I know she would have made an impact in even that time.

Throughout uni, Frenchi went through a couple of relationships which had their rocky times. After the second one ended, she told me she was seeing Ben again, that he had matured (though I think so had she, teehee), and I finally got to meet him when the three of us and my now-husband Dan went to Alton Towers together.

I was so pleased when she told me her and Ben were getting married (mainly because I'd always known I'd be right, teehee), and pleased again when she asked me to be a bridesmaid.

The hen do was a lot of fun. Although not many people knew each other, we all got on really well because we were all as crazy as Frenchi! And as for hen do shenanigans I'll say no more!

At her and Ben's wedding she looked absolutely gorgeous and so happy - I think seeing her and Ben make their vows is my happiest memory of her. Always a prankster, she had me semi-convinced up to the day that her dress was going to be pink (it wasn't).

After my own hen do, she stayed over and ended up teaching me how to walk in heels ready for my wedding, something I realised I didn't have a clue about! At my wedding I already had 4 bridesmaids (3 sisters) so Frenchi instead did the reading, which was really important to me.

The last time I saw her was last August. I went to visit her in her and Ben's new flat in Worthing. She loved being by the sea. We watched some annual competition they have there of jumping off the pier in the most ridiculous way possible, we watched silly TV, and made peanut butter cookies (which didn't really work, but still tasted delicious).

I've always felt a bit like an older sister to Frenchi, though possibly more because I was the 'giant' and she was the 'midget' (in her words!)

The world has lost an angel. So caring, so fun, with a joyous cheeky smile that would always brighten your mood. I've lost a great friend, and life will be harder without her insight and guidance.

RIP until we meet again in heaven, Michelle McMillan 1991-2016 xxx