In early primary school I had a shy best friend who I suppose partly bonded with because he was just as scared as I was of socialising and because - and this I find truly shameful- he was someone I could dominate, boss around bully whilst others were bullying me. I know I was really little at the time, but I still shiver when I think of the things I used to do to him.
I don't really see him much any more, not because of how I used to treat him, but because we don't really have many common interests, and that always makes a friendship hard to sustain, even if you like the other person.
When I moved schools because my first one was hopeless at accommodating the needs of any slightly nonconformist children, I had a new best, and only, friend who I knew from kindergarten - back when my peers were too young and innocent to judge me - and it took me a long time to make any other friends. When I did, though, it was amazing. My last year of primary school was incredible, and I had a new best friend who was very smart, fun, cool and popular, but also understanding and not at all susceptible to peer pressure.
Then he moved to Tasmania, - I know how you feel anne.bcl, if only Tasmania and Victoria weren't so far apart - but what's worse is that I lost contact with him.
However, I've since made many more similar friends at high school and finally met another aspie who I now think of as my best friend.