Wish You Were Here

We stayed up late and talked about the demons that haunted us and the people we ran with. I looked to you for comfort and everything about you allowed me to feel that way. You are my friend, but you aren’t a part of my life any longer. There was a time when we were younger and we would do ridiculous things, sometimes outrageous and crude. At parties we would drink our drinks and smoke our terrible cigarettes, then we would sit together on the couch surrounded by people that didn’t get it. We would throw our head back and laugh at a thought that wandered out. Unsure why it was so funny, but holy shit it’s really funny, and you are the only person to get it. Boys would come and boys would go, but you and I stayed in sync. I remember that time we played truth or dare on a road trip. I choose dare, and you made me moon a truck driver from the back seat. You “made me” do it! I’ll never forgive your imagination for that one! The truck blared his horn and I fell forwards onto the car’s floor, tangled in my pants and unable to right myself easily. You snorted and cried with laughter. I joined you, of course, which made getting off the floor even more difficult.

Vaguely, I remember the last time we spoke. I knew our paths were starting to drift, and even when I tried to swerve towards you, it didn’t help. You moved north and I stayed south. The boy you started to date was a mystery to me and your new friends were not like us. These new additions you made started to get you in ways I didn’t and you left me behind. Maybe I’m guilty of this too.

I remember we would dress alike by accident and leave it that way to see if anyone else noticed. Secretly, I liked that we were alike on the inside and out.

You run a zig zag path through my mind on occasion and I wonder how you are. Are you married? Kids? Are you happy? I want you to know, I’m good, I’m happy, I have good friends today, but I treasure the time that I called you a friend. Actually, even though it’s been over 15 years, and I have no idea where you are or even if you are alive, I still consider you a friend.

Carrie.

Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd came on the radio and thought of you.