FriendsforLife
蒂娜·利茲/TinaLeeds
TimleftforcollegeonaSaturdayandIonaSunday.Itwouldbethefirsttimewehadeverbeenapartoverthecourseofourhighschoolfriendship.Ourswasmorethananormalboy/girlfriendship,though.Ourcloseconnectionwastheenvyofothers.Iwasinaweofhisamazingpersonality,hishilariousjokesandhislittle-boylooks.Hecouldreadmymind,finishmysentencesandbringmetohystericallaughterwithonlyalook.Weadoredeachother.Asourlastsummertogetherapproached,ourbondonlygrew.
Thesummerstartedoffslowly,withTimtryingtogetmymindoffthejerkInowrefertoasmyex-boyfriendandatotalwasteofmytime.Timwasdatingoneofmyclosefriends,andhadbeenforacoupleofmonths.Ihadtositbyandwatchassheridiculedhim,madeajokeofhiminfrontofourfriends,andeventuallymadehimcrywhenshefinallyendedit.Shebrokemybestfriend』sheart,andIachedwithhim.
Wespenthourstalkingonthephonelateatnight,comfortingeachother,givingeachotheradviceandworryingaboutcollege.Overtherestofthesummer,bothofusweresingle,sowespentallofourtimetogether.Lateatnightafterwork,wewouldmeetatcafesandjusttalkforhours.Wegrewevencloserthatsummer.Ionlywonderedwhyourfriendshiphadtogetsoclosenow,aswewerebothpreparingtoleaveforcollege.
Asthetimeapproachedwhenwewouldhavetosaygood-bye,wewentshoppingtogetherforschoolsuppliesandplannedourfirstrendezvousascollegestudentsforamonthafterwewerebothatschool.
AsIleftthatSaturdaymorningtotakehimtoschool,Iwasextremelynervous,mystomachfullofknots.Ikeptwonderingwhatwaswrongwithmeduringthethree-hourcarride.OfcourseIwasgoingtomisshim,butthiswasnotasadfeeling,thiswasnervousness.Aswefinishedpackinghimintohistinyroomandmakingitfeellikesomesemblanceofhome,ithitme—andithitmehard.Iwasinlovewiththisguy!Anditwasn』tthefriendshipkindoflovethatIhadfeltforhimthroughouthighschool;itwassomethingmuchdeeper.Ifelthelpless.Ihadfinallyrealizedmytruefeelingsformybestfriendwhenitwastoolate.TearsfilledmyeyesasIsatonhisspringy,steelbed.Isaidgood-byetomybestfriendandtheloveofmylife,wonderingifwewerereallygoingtomeetinamonthasplanned.
ThatnightathomeasIpackedmystuffIcried,scaredthatthingswouldneverbethesame.Wewerebothgoingtohaveourseparatelivesandwouldprobablybarelythinkofeachother.Justthenthephonerang,andasIwipedmytearsandtriedtoutteraquiethello,thevoiceontheotherendletmeknoweverythingwasgoingtobeokay.ItwasTim.Beforeevensayinghelloheblurtedout,「Tina,we』regoingtomakethatrendezvousearlierthanIthought.Howabouttonight?」