Whatever it takes

20 years has passed since that first day we met. I was six and you were four. I stood outside our new house, feeling quiet down. It had been hard for me to leave Michigan where i grew up with my childhood friends. Dad came over and figured out what's wrong. He scooped me up and we entered the house in front of ours. The owner, Mr. Ravine was his college buddy. They decided to have a drink and Dad left me in the garden with Mr. Ravine's three other kids, two boys and one girl. And she was you.

You had your own Barbie world, so me and your brothers became playmates while you trooped with other neighboor's girls. And I didn't mind you much, till i turned 9 years old. My brother Nash taught me basics on guitar, and since then my music became the epicenter of my life. My mom saw my academics go all downhill. She wasn't happy about it so she threatened to burn my favorite guitar if i don't square myself with school. That finally motivated me to pay attention to her. I did fine on the first week, but when the 2nd week came, I couldn't hold it anymore. I snuck out of my room one evening when i was supposed to be studying. I hid inside an old garage. I was having fun, but then you came along out of nowhere and told me off. You ran towards our house to report me to my mom. I was grounded for a month. And I hated you since then.

That's how everything went till we reached high school, me hating you from your cheerleader uniform to your pain in the ass quarterback boyfriend. I roll my eyes whenever you guys strut around school like you were Reese Witherspon and Ryan Philippe. But even the campus royal couple couldn't get away from the usual high school drama. I was sitting outside the gym when you had that TV-like scene where you slapped him in front of the whole student body. Finally, after 6 months, you found out that he was going out with your girl bestfriend too. Gee, what a heartbreaker. Like any other soap opera confrontation, you being the girl walked out on him, teary -eyed.

Hey, I wasn't such a cold hearted moron. After I chuckled appreciatively, I dunno why I found myself an hour after ditching class and stalking you. I was completely confused where you were going. The bus ride took two hours. You stopped at the hill overlooking the amusement park.

And me, I approached you. Since you were soaking wet your poor hanky, I offered mine.
"You?"
"Me." I sat beside you.
"Thought you're never gonna talk to me for the rest of your life-Tyler Saunders."
I had to smile at that one. "I thought so too," I confessed.
You wiped the lacrimation off.
"You saw that, huh?"
"You mean you and the guy Sean?...Well, yeah.Me and the rest of the school."
You sobbed so hard that I was sort of alarmed. Coz when girls cry, we boys don't really know what to do and it scares the hell out of us.
"How am I gonna go to school tomorrow when everyone will just be looking at me knowing that that bastard cheated on me?"
"Uh, hate to break the news to you but, I personally think everyone knows what that jerk is up to. So, guess you just the last one to figure that out."
Ok, I was insensitive and I realized that too late. So you cried harder.
"I'm sorry... Just...forget what I said ok?"
I took a while before you calmed down.
"So, you really care about him?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why?"
"Why do you care about Sean?"
"Coz he's my boyfriend for six months. And he's a quarterback, I'm a cheerleader. He's got a six pack. He's a senior. He's going to Darthmouth this fall. People say he's good for me.."
I looked at you.
"What? I know I sound juvenile-"
"Good thing you know."
"Don't I have the right to be shallow?!"
"You have every right." I was on the verge of laughing.
"Don't laugh at me. You're a socially deprived human being with only your guitar as your most intimate relationship."
"I wasn't laughing."
And then we both laughed.
"You're right."-you finally said with a sigh.
"ABout what?I haven't said anything."
You rolled your eyes. "YEah, but its written all over your face."
"And what is that?"
"I'm stupid. I'm crazy. I'm shallow..."
"True."
"Right. And I don't care."
"You don't care about what?"
"I don't care about what all of you think. I don't care about Sean." You stood up and grabbed my wrist.
"Where are we going?"
"There's an amusement park downhill and all you wanna do is sit your ass up here? C'mon, time to hit some roller coasters."