Christopher Clark and Timara Foster met on Instagram.

She perceived him to be a nice young man and he thought her to be a nice young woman.

Over two years, they developed a close friendship. They shared their thoughts, their hopes and dreams and, at times, their disappointments.

Timara is a senior at Charles Henderson High School. Christopher is a junior at Southwest High School in Memphis, Tennessee.

Timara had shared with Christopher her excitement about her senior prom and the plans she and her date had made for that special night. But excitement turned to disappointment and sadness.

“Timara told me the date didn’t work out and she didn’t have anyone to take her to the prom,” Christopher said. “I told her that I should take her to her prom. I wanted it to be a special time for her. I wanted to take her.”

Timara was happy that Christopher wanted to do something “so nice” for her but it didn’t seem possible. He lived too far away. But Christopher was determined that his friend would go to her senior prom.

On Thursday, Christopher stepped off the Greyhound bus in Troy, Alabama. He had ridden 15 hours to take his friend to the prom.

For the first time since their friendship began two years ago, Christopher and Timara met face to face. “I was smiling so hard I hurt my jaws,” Christopher said. “I was so happy.”

Timara was thrilled that Christopher had come all the way from Memphis, Tennessee just to take her to the prom. “He came all that way to see me,” she said. “I couldn’t hold back the tears.”

Timara was excited to introduce her friend to her family and to show him around her hometown.

Most of Friday was dedicated to getting ready for the prom. They planned a nice dinner and time with friends, the prom and an after-prom party.

For Christopher and Timara their time together would be all too short.

“I have to be back in Memphis on Sunday and it’s a 15-hour bus ride,” he said. “I wish I could stay longer. This has been a special time for me, too.”

Timara said she is so glad Christopher made the trip and that he was her date for her senior prom. “This was not the first really nice thing he has done for me,” she said. “He asked me when my birthday was and he sent me a necklace. I cried then, too. That was the first time someone had done something like that for me. Christopher Clark is a good person and the best friend anybody could ever have.”