Friend help, please help me out, how should I have handled the situation today, what should I do now?

[myself3020]

First of all, I am an 18 year old boy in case you were wondering. I was hoping not to ask any questions but this meeting kind of surprised me today and I want to know what to do now and what I should have done. By the way, I don't see her anymore. Okay, I had a friend that I met when I was like in preschool who was a girl. I became best friends with her very quickly and hung out with her a ton when I was little all the way up to seventh grade. Unfortunately, we didn't go to the same grade school so we ended up seeing each other less and less but still, we were very close friends.In seventh grade, my life began to unravel greatly when my mother got ill with a tumor. Almost every day, we visited her at the hospital. Unfortunately, the tumor got worse and was found to be in her spine. It eventually moved into her brain. I was deeply saddened but didn't truly understand the situation. Eventually, the tumor moved into her brain and she died.Near the end of seventh grade, I got to see her again under those horrible circumstances at a memorial type thing and she consoled my sadness.After that, me and her kind of lost contact. Also, for some reason, I was kind of insecure about liking her as much as I did and kind of played down my friendship with her to my friends.Anyways, here is the interesting part, we have both graduated high school just recently. I saw her at a bookstore today with another boy. I kind of was shocked to see her and wasn't really sure what to say. I told her that it was great to see her. I was also with one of my friends.Then, she left to look at books and I left the bookstore since I was leaving anyways.I feel like I should have said something, WHAT SHOULD I HAVE SAID?WHAT SHOULD I HAVE DONE?SHOULD I HAVE GOTTEN HER CELL PHONE NUMBER OR EMAIL OR SOMETHING?WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH HER AGAIN?WHAT SHOULD I SAY TO HER, HOW DO I GET TO KNOW HER BETTER?BTW: I am taking a year off next year as a gap year. She is going straight to college.SHOULD I HANG OUT WITH HER OVER THE SUMMER? SHOULD I CALL HER UP AND ASK IF SHE WANTS TO HANG OUT?The capital letters and the question at the top are where the questions are!!She really made me feel better after my mother died at the memorial and I wish I wasn't so insecure and played down my friendship with her and I also should have remained great friends with her. I know that now!!

[FattMatt]

unfortunately u cant go back in time like i know you wish you can but what u can do is maybe look her up on perhaps myspace. who doesnt have one these days but its not ur fault for not saying anything at the moment due to you practically being in shock seeing her after along time. If it was ment for you guys to cross paths again like you just did in the bookstore then itll happen again and you'll get your chance to talk or hang with her that you want. Best thing to do is prolly look her up on myspace

[VeraGabriele9526]

You did the right thing.. when you met her.. she was with someone else.. it may be her BF.. I can understand you were stressed and shocked by your mom's death but this girl was there for you then..... this could have grown into a great friendship then... but you turned away from her and you acted in front of your friends and in front of her as if she didn't really mean much to her.. so you did wrong in the past... if she did mean something to you.....All you can do now.. if you know her name.. look up her phone number and phone her and say sorry about the past and just ask her how she is doing... and say how much you appreciated what she did in the past for you when you felt down after your mom's death and that you are sorry you did respond in the wrong way at the time.... and you can ask her if there is a possibility that you can be friends again.... then she will anwer you honestly.. and if she is with this other guy... you need to accept it.. and wish her best of luck.. but you don't know who he is... he may be a BF or he may be just a friend.. or a relative.. so you should talk to her and also apologize for the past and to thank her for having been there for you.. and ask her if she is alright and if there is anything ever you can do to help her to let you know.... try to find out the phone number if you know the name and where she lives you should be able to get it....if she lives in the same town.. there cannot be that many people with her name...xx