Free Form Friday - A Long Long Time Ago.....Part I

Did you ever hear the story of the East Coast girl who tried to become a West Coast girl? Do you remember the first time you had butterfly's in your stomach? I know someone who does and her tale is one to be-hold my friends. 

When I was just a teenager I use to know this girl who was just crazy funny and stupidly daring. I always wondered how someone could go through life so incredibly care-free. As if there were a billion tomorrows and today was just a tryout for the next. I can remember her telling me that she was going to fly out to California for a wedding. How lucky for her! I didn't know anybody outside of my own small town. We went shopping like crazy for that wedding and I made her promise to tell me every little detail when she returned. I never saw that girl again when I dropped her off at Logan Airport. Don't get me wrong I picked her up but something had changed.

She was swooney - fluttery - weird. When I pressed her for details she spoke to me in broken sentences. I thought maybe she was on drugs or drunk. Do they serve underage kids on planes? Are the laws different in the air then they are on the ground? I had only flown in a plane once and that was years ago. I remember she was very intent to get to the post office. She needed to mail a letter. Strange I thought, because I'm right here! You don't have to mail my letter to me. Just give it to me. Then I saw it. It almost made me swerve off the road in fits of laughter. And with her swooney, fluttery, weird self proceeded to read me a love letter completely written on a roll of toilet paper. 

In my moment of terror and laughter I only remember little tid bits. But I ask you. Who writes a love letter on stuff made to swipe your privates? Come ON! I heard things like, I have never, I can't wait, amazing, have never felt, heart hurts. Seriously? You were gone for four days and you honestly expect me to believe that you met the love of your life in a span of 96 hours? Then she looked at me. Do you know the look? The look of someone who suddenly knows a tid bit more than you. The, oh its OK that you do not understand. I didn't expect that you would. And what flowed out of her mouth during the next two and half hour car ride made my ears bleed.

I met the most amazing person. He looks at me and I fall apart. He treated me like I was a queen. We talked and talked and talked. I cried when I left. It hurt. I watched him from the back window of the car until I couldn't see him anymore. I can still smell him. I know its crazy but I don't know what to do! I had so much more to tell him so I wrote him a letter on toilet paper. I know you think I'm nuts! But he is going to come and visit. He promised me. I can't wait to get home to talk to him. To hear his voice. I feel amazing. Have you ever felt like this? Did I tell you we carved our names into a piece of wood? To mark a spot that we were there, sharing the same space. He made me tea and toast. He played music for me. On and on and on.

All I heard was, he, he, he, I, I, he. By the time I got home I understood how my parents felt when they couldn't get their daughter to shut up for two seconds and draw breath. A moment of peace was nowhere to be found. I know, I know I'm a terrible horrible friend. But maybe I was a little jealous. Maybe I understood somehow that our friendship had shifted dramatically because she got out and I had to stay stuck in Bordomville USA. Who was this stranger that apparently changed her into freaky swooney, fluttery weirdo. And when and if he did show up I was going to let him know his presence was not welcomed. Call it the icy New Englander in me but thats how I felt. 

The next month felt like an eternity and I was beginning to wonder which one of us was loosing our mind. If I was forced to listen to "Only You" by Yaz one more time I considered jamming the q-tips in passed the threshold. We skipped classes more than I care to admit and I was taken against my will to go "shopping" for him. I reluctantly gave advice on a multitude of Cosby esqe sweaters and really terrible music. I'm not sure that more than a handful of people in New England even knew or know who Yaz is. But I do because every moment she got, Upstairs at Erics would be playing in the car, in the house on the stereo. It was maddening! My patience flared as I was standing next to her in the jewelry store and she was deciding on a stud earring. And as she argued with the sales lady about only wanting to buy one and not the entire set I had a flash of impending doom. Who was this person and what drives someone to go completely mental? Is this love? If it is I was fairly certain that I didn't want a part of it. She was possessed. 

And then, she was gone. 

I never even got the chance to meet this nurturing, tea making horrible music, friend stealing guy. I sound jaded don't I? I'm not. It was a very confusing time. As it is for most people at our tender age of 19. We're not really teenagers and we're not really adults. We're just old enough to vote and drive a car. 

I remember when I got peppered with the calls. First it was her Mom then it was his Dad. Where are they? What do you know? What do I know? Nothing! That was the truth. We were suppose to go visit her brother in college. A blissful fun filled beer drinking weekend. And at the last moment she canceled and said that she couldn't go. No big surprise really because "he" was here. Once this little nugget of information was released I got a call a few hours later. 

I'm in Rhode Island! We are going to drive to Southern California. Don't worry everything is fine I'll call you on our next stop. I can't believe I'm doing this! Don't tell my parents where I am. Tell my sister I love her so much. I'm so in love! This is amazing! I replied with, your an idiot and hung up. Like I said I've got that cold New England heart. I called her mother to tell her I think she is planning on driving to California with this guy. She failed to mention to me that she had taken her dads company car. Needless to say I became the middle person in a very bizzare love story. I wonder if I could ever be so daring, carefree and stupid. I always worried about the what if. I was nothing like her and suddenly I was overwhelmed with jealousy  for her sense of adventure. 

The next call came in a day later. We are in West Virginia! Can you believe it is snowing like crazy! I didn't think it snowed this hard in West Virginia. Insane! I think we are going to drive to Florida. I want to get out of this snow and there are so many trucks at night its kind of scary. Don't worry. We are both fine and sitting at a hotel. Warm and safe. We have plenty of money. We're going to go shopping tomorrow for roadtrip provisions. Can you believe I'm doing this? I can't either. If anyone calls don't let them know you heard from me. I know I've put you in a bad spot but I'll love you forever and you know that. OK, I've gotta go! And before I could let her know that the "fuzz" was on the look out for them the phone went dead.

I didn't hear from her for an entire week......