If you have/had friends, that suddenly stopped being your friend. Please, read on, we have somthing in common. If not, skip to the end.
First, let me describe my former friends. Joe, is a large french guy, who is obsessed with the Insane Clown Posse. More than me, actually. He's a smart guy, but folds under peer pressure easily. he just turned 20 about 3 months ago, and he drinks like a fish, constantly. We have a lot of video footage of him trashed and falling out of windows (i'll explain later). Joel, is the opposite. He's a scrawny little guy, who smokes more cigarettes than Dennis Leary. He's developed several health problems, physical/mental, and he plays it cool, but he knows that there's somthing seriously wrong with him. He has the uncanny ability to get into horrible relationships with messed up girls. And me, i'm the shy guy who gets us into. and out of trouble often. If you've ever listened to the Dane Cook CD, "I'm the guy nobody likes." Usually, when somthing bad happens, it's my fault. And then i fix it (again, i'll explain later)
Ok, so we all met in high school, and we started hanging out around 5 years ago. For the past 4 years, we all went to "The Gathering", which is an ICP concert/camping trip, in Ohio. We would hang out, crash at each others houses, normal friend stuff. But as we got older, things changed.
In 2003, i dropped out of high school, and got my GED. (Which technically constitutes me as a high school graduate). That really pissed my friends off, that i graduated before them. Then, i started going to college, NYIM. Neither of my friends have gone / have no ambition to go. Again, that pissed them off big time. for years, it was the typical, "Our friend is successful, let's bring him down."
This past year, 2007, i have not spoken to either one of them since August. Until i got a phone call from Joel's younger brother, Justin, looking for one of his CD's. I asked him Joe and Joel were doing, and what they were doing this weekend." His response was this.
"Oh dude, they fucking hate you. Ever since the last concert man, they want to tear you to shreads."
I wasn't suprised, i knew i kinda fucked up the trip a little. But as always, i fixed my mistakes, and no harm done. But then he told me why, and i was actually humored, but a little hurt by what he said.
Over the years of hanging out, i was the middle guy. Joe was smart, Joel was cool, and i was a little both. I never noticed this before until Justin told me, but whenever we did somthing, I bested them most of the time. None to brag, i don't like bragging, but it's interesting now that i look back and remember.
Joe and Joel had no girlfriends. I dated the head cheerleader of our school. ( -1 friend point)
I graduated from school early (-2 friend points)
I graduated from college (-3 friend points)
I'm 21, and i refuse to buy them alcohol (-1,000,000 friend points)
That was the big thing, i was old enough to drink, and i didn't drink. At all.
Anyway, back to what Justin was saying. He said, this past concert trip really tipped the scale of friendship, to "Not friends anymore". I asked him why, and he said this: "When we all started going to the Gatherings, you always had a great time, and they didn't. Why? Simple, they were looking for drugs. I was looking for girls, parties, music, food, and more girls. I then realized, their main concern for going to these concerts, was to buy drugs. And, every year, they came back empty handed. Sad really...
So, he continued to tell me that, during the trip, i fucked up the directions a few times. No problem, i had my cell phone with internet access. Problem solved. I tried fixing the trunk to Joe's car, and the rear bumper fell off. I snapped it back on with bungee cord, no problem. It seemed as if, when i fucked up, my friends were mad. And when i fixed it, they were even madder. Madness!
Anyway, in conculsing to this story. Jusin ended with, "Look dude, you're a nice guy. Just, too nice for us." *Click* Then i finally understood. I was Mr. Nice Guy. The optimistic one who had the answers. The ability to do thing effortlessly, and without complain. Again, none to brag, but it was a bitter sweet realization. Other people think i'm a nice guy, which made me feel good. But being nice, made me lose my friends. It hurts, alot. But i'm moving on.
"With the progression of time, comes the progression of change. Embrace the new with open arms, and remember the old, as cherished memories."
- Elios
If you're going to post somthing like "OMG TOO LONG!", don't bother posting, i know it's long.
Do what now...?
