If they only knew

Life doesn't get much better than late night fast convertible rides and a bottle of black licorice liquor passed between four kindred souls. I couldn't imagine a life worth living without those boys who know me all too well. Last night marked the official end of the summer as my friends once again begin to scatter throughout the United States to their second homes. It was sad. I will miss the familiar abuse that can only come from them. The relationships that can only be described as loving hatred, built over years of experiences and marked by our very own brand of sadistic humor. I pray to the powers of the universe that these people stay in my life for a very long time.

Last night was our sixth anniversary of friendship that began with the Green Mile at the $2 theater. Six years, that's a lot for me. It was a date between Chris and I, but Billy came too and he threw popcorn at us from five rows behind for the whole awful three hours of that movie. I'm pretty sure Billy was in attendance for the remainder of dates that took place within our very short-term relationship and for some reason I never thought twice about it. I lovingly call him my chaperone. But they were like partners in crime and I was more or less the third wheel. Many of my most favorite memories from high school involve them and our Thursday night CSI gatherings, covert consumption of alcohol in parent's basements, and calculus study sessions, which were never very productive.

We spent most of high school dating each other and each other's friends and swapping boyfriends and girlfriends and best friends until are lives became these interchanged webs of shared experiences complete with way too much information about one another. If any of us ran for political office our friendships would be such a liability that securing ones past would require a multi million-dollar bribe for insurance.

Funny how time manages to pass but so little seems to actually change. These boys, they are my fortress, one of the few constants in my life. I think I love them the most because they know my vulnerabilities, my mistakes and they accept me for it all. They give me crap about it all but they still return my phone calls and they never stand me up. I am more honest with them than I am with myself at most times.

So last night as we ascended the basement steps I said a silent goodbye to another summer gone by and Chris and I made plans to go visit the other boys in four weeks and then we promised each other we'd spend Thanksgiving together up north at the cabin. I really hope we do those things. I gave Billy a really long hug and told him to drive safely and then I went home depressed. Sooner or later my boys are going to meet wonderful girls, get married (with my approval), move on to the real world, and leave all of this behind. These summers, they are wrestling away from our human grasp and escaping. In this life, there is little time for arguments and grudges and I'd wish more people would realize that.