Juniors Delaney Spoonemore and Payton Shurley grow closer together as stepsisters

All childhood friends dream of becoming sisters, but for juniors Payton Shurley and Delaney Spoonemore that dream came true. Spoonemore and Payton met each other when they were both four years old, and both sets of parents went through a divorce when both girls were twelve. Shortly after that, Spoonemore’s dad and Payton’s mom started dating, which later lead to their marriage.

The two girls were inseparable growing up, doing everything they possibly could with one another.

“We were best friends for probably eight years, just hanging out all the time,” Spoonemore said.

However, adjustments for each family did not go very well right after the marriage. Even with both girls being friends before the marriage, they had gone through a rough patch in their relationship when they were thirteen.

“We hated each other. We were constantly trying to break our parents up. It was very weird to always see [Spoonemore] when I got home,” Payton said.

As she was an only child before the marriage, transitioning to the new arrangement was a lot more difficult for Spoonemore.

“Sometimes Payton and [her little sister freshman] Ella [Shurley] would just go off and talk to each other and I’d just be sitting there by myself, not really knowing what to do. I felt like the black sheep,” Spoonemore said.

Freshman Ella Shurley also had a tough time getting used to having another sister in the house.

“She was my neighbor before, and it was a big change. I wasn’t used to always seeing her everyday and it was weird to have another sister in the house,” Ella said.

Ella also recognizes there are positives and negatives that come with having a sister, especially a new one.

“[Spoonemore] can get pretty annoying and I can get tired of her, but with her there I know I can always have a friend around when I need one,” Ella said.

After both sisters had recognized that the situation they were is was permanent, they started to become better friends through the activities they had in common.

“We really bonded through basketball after the marriage. It truly brought us back together,” Payton said.

Spoonemore had used this experience to grow as a person.

“Payton had always really boosted my confidence and how I felt about myself. This really lets me be who I want to be around other people, even if she says I’m weird sometimes,” Spoonemore said.

At the end of the day, Spoonemore and Payton wouldn’t change anything for the world.

“It would be weird without her being my stepsister. I doubt I would still be friends with her if she wasn’t my stepsister,” Spoonemore said. “But I’m glad we are.”