𝔽₳𝜯Ǝ

Buddies

I hadn't really spoken to Kevin much in the last year. When I'd become friends with Chloe and the gang, I'd let myself drift apart from Kevin and those guys, the Scholars and A&A crew. I hadn't even been in A&A for almost a year, and the last time had been to sell Elliot a bunch of my old Spider-mans. I forgot what I'd used the money for. A shirt and some pants that Chloe had liked I think. They didn't fit me anymore.

By some twist of fate, it was at the ticket sales table for Prom that I ran into Kevin again. Even though we were both in all advanced placement classes, we'd basically reverse ordered them, so the classes I took last semester, he was taking now, and vice versa. I still saw him around school in the halls and stuff, but we didn't even nod hello any more.

I was in kind of a rush, like I always was really. I needed about twenty two hours a day to get everything done I wanted too, but was unable to make due on just two hours of sleep, so I had to rush everywhere to find the two extra hours I needed for sleep. So I ran up toward the end of lunch to get in the line for tickets and stumbled a bit into the person in front of me. It was Kevin.

"Oh sorry... ah, Hey Kevin," I said as I recognized the person who I'd shouldered into.

"Hey Jake," he said indifferently. I think it was the apathy in his tone that stung and brought out the guilt.

He was wearing the same style of loose tee shirt and baggy jeans he'd been wearing when we were freshman. They fit him poorly and I could see burrito grease stains on the bottom hem of his shirt. He'd let his hair grow out and get shaggy, and he had a day's stubble on his cheeks and neck. After two and half years of hanging out with the image and fashion conscious crew I had been, I noticed this stuff. I couldn't help but notice. And judge, to my distaste, I judged.

I myself was dressed pretty well, I had a fashionable button down shirt on, and some kakis, my hair was trimmed pretty short and well groomed in a stylish manner. I still didn't need to shave much, so I had no visible stubble, and I had about two inches of height on him, but he had probably fifty pounds on me. It wasn't muscle either.

I caught myself thinking that he was still kind of a slob, and should take care of himself better. That he didn't look like valedictorian, he looked like underclassman slouch. Then I remembered that this was Kevin Wilson, his parents were not all that well off, and his dad was kind of a jerk about spending money on new stuff for his kids, and that he had three little brothers that were always getting into his stuff.

But I still found myself wondering how he'd gotten a girlfriend. Christina Wu was not exactly super model material, but she was thin, and cute enough I guess. She was always immaculately dressed and was the picture of organization. Kind of a stereotype I guess, but she fit it well.

I felt bad for judging him. I guess it showed on my face because he started to turn around again.

I decided to try and talk to him. Hey, he'd been my best friend from 4th grade until our freshman year, the least I could do was hello.

"So, uh, how's it going?"

He shrugged, "Alright."

"So, senior prom huh. Finally. Almost done with this Popsicle stand," I said, forcing some lightness in my tone.

"Yeah, can't wait. I fucking hate this place," he said with a lot more venom in his voice than I remembered

"So, uh, going with Christina right?" I offered, trying to change the subject. Every guy liked to have his girlfriend brought up right?

He shook his head. "We broke up over the summer."

Crap. "Sorry to hear that man."

He shrugged again, "She dumped me for some other chink guy, Yang."