I left for home on Saturday with Elizabeth and being here, feels like a trip down memory lane. Whenever you come back to your parent's house, everything is exactly the same. You still clash with your parents opinions, you have nothing good to eat in the house, and you never get the car. Your room is still perfectly in tact and you still have those embarrassing shirts from high school hanging in the closet. The city, in all its glory, will never change and memories will stick to the street corners as long as there are stars in the sky. As much as you want to move away and start a fresh slate, the city will stay with you.
Bumping into people from high school whenever your home is always incredibly uncomfortable because you either have no idea who the person is or you know too much about the person due to "high school drama". I was in line at the grocery store picking up my parents a few things when I bumped into Ethan, a guy from my high school. He was working at the grocery store as a bag boy and looked exactly the same, except it appeared he had copied his hair style from a surfing Ken doll. I was trying to cover my face and hoping he didn't notice me because he is one of Elizabeth's ex boyfriends. Whenever he talks to me, I can tell he has no idea what to say. This is because he knows that since Elizabeth and I are best friends, I know everything about him. Seriously, girls who are best friends share everything about a guy, whether he likes it on not. Even down to the nitty gritty details, like the length of his vagina viper or how he spurted his man juice all over his pants when Elizabeth took off her top.
I tried to move my things out of the line, but it was too late. We made eye contact and he automatically recognized me. We just looked at each other for a few minutes, neither one of us wanted to say one word. Finally as my things were being scanned by the cashier,Ethan gave me a quick head nod and a "hey".
I had to act surprised and that I didn't see him, "Hey! How are you, Ethan?"
"Great," He replied, "Just working over spring break. I'm trying to raise money for my trip to Mexico this summer. I'm going to volunteer with orphans and help build them a library. How about you?"
I tried to cover up my annoyed expression with a smile. Ethan was Elizabeth's longest relationship, one year, and they broke up during the summer going into college. He was literally a knight in shining armor and had an uncanny resemblance to Prince Charming in Sleeping Beauty. He tutored me in math my freshman year and my parents still bring him up in conversation as a "lovely young man" who I should "really get to know". I know my mom must have a crush on him because whenever she mentions him, her eyes roll back in an orgasmic fashion. He's the perfect Jewish husband, son of the head rabbi, a man that my parents love, and will most likely have a day dedicated to him due to his achievements. He's the Princess Diana of my generation due to his passion for giving and helping the less fortunate, like me and my math skills. He was class valedictorian, class president, and captain of the baseball team. He was the number two draft and could have played for any major league team, but he chose to go to college.
"Oh, just back for spring break. Where do you go to college again?" I asked, pretending to be interested in his life.
"Harvard," He nonchalantly answered as he handed me my bag,"I love it there, how's Elizabeth?"
He looked deep into my eyes as he asked me, searching for an answer. I could tell that he was still hopelessly in love with her, like most boys, but he was always different. Even though he embodied perfection, he could never have the girl he really wanted because he could never tame her imperfections. Elizabeth will never settle down because she feels she needs to experience everything before she sets her sights on anything. She has a constant fear that she's missing out on something, that's why she always dashes from a relationship. I know Ethan would drop anything for Elizabeth in a heartbeat and she will always be his "what if" girl. Everyone has a "what if" person, you know, the person you constantly believe you could have still been with if you had done something different.
"She's doing great," I explained, "She's on our school's dance team and still hasn't decided her major. We're living together in an apartment with a couple of our friends, you should come down one weekend to visit, if you're home."
I could tell that wasn't the response he wanted, but he gave me a smile anyways. He wanted me to say she still thinks about him or who she is currently dating. But, I could never tell him that because it would just tare him apart.
"Better get back to work," He stammered, I could tell he was thinking about Elizabeth. "See you soon, hopefully?"
"Sounds great, Ethan," I responded.
The entire car ride home all I could think about was his disappointed expression when we talked about Elizabeth.
Later that night, Elizabeth and I met up early because we went going out to dinner with our best friends from childhood. "I bumped into Ethan today," I blurted out, "Have you called him lately?"
Elizabeth nodded, "Of course I talk to him. We text each other all the time or leave comments on facebook. We occasionally call each other if we're both home, I haven't seen him this break. I mean, he called me but I forgot to call him back. Why do you ask?"
"He was working at the grocery store as a bag boy, trying to raise money for his trip to Mexico to save the world. You really should call him back, he asked about you."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Yeah, he's great guy and I hope he finds someone who truly appreciates him."
"How can he find someone who appreciates him if he can't let go of you?" I was infuriated. I hate when Elizabeth acts like another dumb teenager. She's a smart girl, but she's been stringing dear Ethan along for too long.
Elizabeth turned away from me, trying to hide her emotions, "He was my first love, okay? How do you know I'm not hurting?"
"Because since Ethan, you've had like 12 boyfriends!" I nagged, "I just want you to stop dragging him along for the ride. I know you like his attention, but he needs some attention too."
"We should get going," Elizabeth completely changed the topic, "I can't wait to see everyone. I miss them so much."
Every year since eighth grade, whenever there is a vacation from school, we have gone out to dinner with this group and caught up on each others lives. The eight of us have been the same since we were thirteen years old, and our friendship has never been better. I am so lucky to have such beautiful people in my life. There's something between us that just clicks and makes everything more understandable. That's how I know there must be a high power, because friends like these don't happen by chance, they are too wonderful. I will never forget the pranks, first times, or laughter. In life everyone tells you to grow up, but good friends keep you young and help you remember the silver lining to situations.
On sunday, I go back to school and I'm already dreading it.
No comments:
Post a Comment