Friendship Part 1: What exactly happened?

Constantly, I've gone through times when I thought friends were the best thing to ever happen to me and times when I thought friends were a "Crutch for the weak", to quote Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho. But it doesn't matter which one I choose, one thing is for sure. Friends are always there, as a joy or as an annoyance, they will always be there.

Let me start at the beginning, I guess, well, as far back as I can remember while keeping the details straight. Sixth Grade. I had some problems with people. Everyone does, at one point, I think. Mine were just terrible though. David was my best friend at the time. Too bad he joined in when a few others made fun of me. That may very well have been the root of my distaste towards friendship, but I think it also may have spawned later in life.

Seventh grade was the best. It was like, if I can switch a common phrase, like jumping from the fire into the frying pan. Things were OK. I made some new friends, well friend at the time. Most others would become friends later on when I had a personal awakening, but more on that later. Jeff became my best friend and rival. Every Friday, he came up to my house and while his mom and my mom sat and did whatever they did, me and Jeff's rivalry fueled itself. We competed in games such as Duel Monsters, Magic: The Gathering, and my all time favorite, the Light saber battles outside. When we went to his house, we always played the old school Crash Banditcot Racing games and some Dragon Ball Z fighting games. I remember, I enjoyed this, even though Jeff had risen to be the stronger of the two rivals in the overall contest. But whatever, it was fun.

Eighth grade. Well, what can I say, back into the fire. David and I had some problems. I think it was because me and Jeff got closer and I wasn't dependent on David. I grew bitter because of the way I was treated. I knew that there was some jealousy when David's mom told my mom that she should enroll me in Big Brothers. My life was fine. The only time I ever had problems was when David was around and he cut me down. I met Lindsey that year. We became good friends and it was ninth grade when I began to develop the obvious feelings for her, but more on that later.

Ninth grade was a blur. I remember that there was football games we went to. I think, though I am not totally sure as I can't remember too well, but me and Jeff's rivalry continued into tenth grade, I'd say, because I remember Jeff driving up to my house. I met the friend who would change my life, even if me, Jeff, and David made fun of him from a distance.

Tenth grade was the most important year for me. Band camp that year. Jeff was talking about Final Fantasy X, which I had started playing at my cousin's. I remember, the story confused the hell out of me back then. Ray overheard us and joined in. Over the year, me and Ray realized we had a few more things in common, but then another bond was forged at the end of that school year. With the release of Saviors of Kamigawa, Ray started playing Magic. Neither one of us were terrible, but we pushed each other to grow stronger, with a little help from Ravnica block.

Any who, during this time, Ray did something that I thank and condemn him for. He had a thing for Lindsey at the time, but realizing that I liked her too, he backed off. I remember, it was at the elementary girls basketball game when this happened. Our sisters had played and neither of us really wanted to watch. I found out about his feelings for Lindsey only just recently, within the last year. I thank him because, at the time, it was a good thing. But if I had known what I know now, I would have condemned him. "You can't just give up something you want." I would have told him. But it may have ruined a friendship, like what would almost happen two years later. Also note that the Tenor Book had its foundations in this year.

Junior year. Me and Ray grew closer through Magic and other things, such as Final Fantasy and Soul Caliber 3. Me and Jeff's rivalry had died down. Jeff and David had begun a rivalry of academics. Me and Ray never really forged a true rivalry at the time. Things continued and to be honest, me, Jeff, and David began to really separate. I grew closer to Lindsey and Ray. During this time, I began to befriend Josh through Magic.

Senior Year. The first day of school, I realized that I could not be the quiet one anymore and I had to come out of my shell. I did. I became friends with the people who used to make fun of me. It was a good time that senior year. I made so many more friends. People like Nico, Bobby, Boots, Dalton and a few others. Josh and I had Multimedia that year. Nico was in that class and we spark noted whatever we had to read for English, which was the next period. Josh and I caused so much chaos it wasn't funny, be it from power points to movies. But we had fun, until the semester ended. When the semester change, I had a World Mythology class followed by Sociology. Me and Nico still had Sociology together and leeched off people from the other AP English Class for what we were supposed to do for homework. I remember, the first weekend in that semester, I was sick from Thursday until Sunday. On Monday in World Mythology, I was surprised to see that Josh was in my class. I was so excited because me and Josh had become closer due to an event between me and Ray (see next paragraph). We still caused trouble. We had alot of fun too. I became close to Bobby and me and Bobby are good friends now too. The fun we had, from the AWESOME Dragon head for Chinese New Year, the Armor and costumes for our debate for president with the Greek Gods, and the infamous movie we made for Romans v. Vikings. When it ended, we were sad. I am really glad Josh had transferred to the class, because I really don't think me and Bobby would have became friends.

Well then, the reason me and Josh became close. A girl, of course. Ray decided that after giving up Lindsey, he wouldn't do it again. I respect him for that. I was after this girl too. Aubrey, the drum major. Things didn't work out. Ray really liked her and I just had a foolish crush. Any who, I had asked her to prom and she said she was going with her friend Brad. Ray asked her the next day and got a yes. I found that funny after everything was said and done. Ray and I began to grow bitter towards each other but it died down. Then, when Ray said he had to sign up for prom, I automatically asked with who. He said Aubrey and I just laughed. I called for a meeting before Jazz band in the "Board Room" as we called it. I told him the response i got from Aubrey the day before he asked. He still went with her, but she treated him like shit, from what I hear. Disrespect. I cannot tolerate that. If someone shows you hospitality and kindness, at least be kind in return. We think that Aubrey and her friends, namely Sadie had planned on doing this to ruin our friendship. They never liked me and Ray anyways. We were loud and had fun, which is so wrong and evil, right? But whatever. It is in the past and i do not want to hold any grudges anymore. Besides, I am sure there is a logical explanation for everything. Me and Ray just have more fun with our half-baked theories. To make things worse for me, David had a thing for Lindsey, and despite the fact that I was over Lindsey and we were just friends, he treated me like garbage. I couldn't even talk to Lindsey, who during this feud, was my closest friends I could rely on. I had to deal with things on my own. David grew jealous of me for no apparent reason aside from he didn't know that I was over Lindsey. So, I had to deal with hostility from David and Ray. I did and I think it helped shape who I am now.

Finally. Graduation. I rotated out, to make a Magic reference. Josh had quit a few months before this and the Magic community pretty much dwindled down to me and Ray. It would stay that way for about a year. That summer, I called for D&D, combining the original party of characters, the old high-school friends, with the new friends I had made. It gets crazy, but we have fun and it still goes on in the summers. Ray and me's lawn cutting business had pretty much fallen apart when Ray had a severe allergic reaction and I got another job. Ray shortly after got another job too. We hung out during the summer and stuff.

Then I moved to a new place. Slippery Rock University. I made two main friends during the first few months, Dan and Andy. The three of us were in a learning cluster, so we had 3 classes together. Shortly, I joined their group and met up with Chris, Kenny, and Niko. I also became friends with Sarah, my neighbor, and Sue, Niko's girlfriend and Sarah's roommate. (So yes, as I discussed in my last blog, Ray and Lindsey, I do have friends!) Andy, Dan , and I had a blast in Daniel's class, because Daniels is THE MAN! Niko, his girlfriend and I cook our own food once a week instead of going to Boozels. They are good friends. I try to be modest about things, but they really extend the hand of friendship. In return, I help them too. I made some damn' good friends so far at SRU.

But now, thanks to Nico, I had no choice but to really think about all of this. His commencement speech was about us moving on, but recently on AOL, he posted a link for the class of '007 to read. It was about our homecoming after the first year of college. About leaving our friends at school in exchange for our old friends for the summer. College really changes people. My friends up here already changed, and sometimes, we changed together. But the fun is seeing my old high-school friends and seeing how they changed. I wasn't there when they changed. I am anxious to see how people are now. It will be a fun event, to say the least.