Even to this day, I think the friends I made in middle school were the purest set of friends I have ever had. They had my back and would drop everything they were doing if I needed help. Hanging out was just a given. There was no need for 12 phonecalls and 53 text messages to get us together. We had it down to a science. Shawn’s house for movies or to talk, his street to skate, General Mitchell to hang out, my basement for video games and foosball, Tsing Tao on half days, Pulaski or Cudahy Park to swing. They didn’t drink. They didn’t smoke. Yeah, they swore and were perverse at times, but boys will be boys. And these were my boys. My best friends.
We weren’t exactly the popular crowd. Although I could of had my pick of which group I wanted to been in, I chose them. Not because they had the sway like the “popular kids,” but because they were honest. Sure, I had friends outside of our tight group. I liked to be well rounded and got to know as many people as possible. But with them, there wasn’t a front or a facade. What you saw was what you were getting. Whether it was the nacho chips and cheese crushed into Patrick’s dirty hair and getting us a trip to detention, or Danny snorting Nerds at the dance to pass the time and nearly passing out in the process, I loved every second I got to spend with them.
It breaks my heart somedays to think how close we could be now if I had stayed in Wisconsin. A lot of things went down after I left that I can’t quite not feel guilty about. Not because I had anything to do with it, but just because I wasn’t there to comfort them or to be a listening ear. I can’t help but thank the relationships I had with them, because they helped me realized what true friendship is. It took me a while to actually figure that out, well into my senior year and beyond, but I think it finally stuck after nights alone after friends bailed, or people pretending to be interested in me to try to get something out of that friendship, or just plain being lied to. I now find myself surrounded by people that I trust and love because they are truly what friends should be. And I wouldn’t even know what that is if it wasn’t for Shawn & Danny. I love and miss you guys, and I hope I get to see you both soon.
