Wouldn’t you know it – I took a quick jaunt to the store this morning to replenish our milk supply, and I ran into a guy I went to high school with – Lan Darkin. Of course I hadn’t showered, but at least I had the good sense to put on a bra before I went out. Anyway, Lan was a friend of a neighbor/friend I had when I was in high school – Harold Dawkins.
At the store this morning, Lan said, “Hey, I had lunch with Harold a few weeks ago, and your name came up.”
“Oh really?” I choked. “Well, I’d better be going.”
Harold, the star tennis player and ASB President, apparently had a crush on me when we were in high school. I hung out with Harold, I jogged with Harold, I got a ride to school with Harold, I went out to the movies with Harold. I never kissed or held hands or did anything romantical with Harold. At the time, I never knew Harold was pining away for me just a few houses away. I didn’t find this out until ten years later at the class reunion. How did I find out? It went a little something like this:
Harold: This is my wife, Suzie.
Me: Oh, hi, Suzie! It’s so nice to meet you. Harold and I were such great friends in high school. You have a fine husband.
Harold: Suzie, this is Blue Sugarpoet.
Suzie: Blue Sugarpoet? The infamous Blue Sugarpoet?
Me: Uh, I guess so. Yep, that’s me!
Suzie: Finally, I meet the infamous Blue Sugarpoet. I hope I never hear your name in my house again.
What followed was some awkward chitchat about I don’t know what (although I think it included tales of how I smashed Harold’s heart in the mud and spit on it). I laughed pleasantly, and got the heck out of Suzie’s vicinity and her evil eye. I think I might have parted with nervous laughter and, “Really? I had no idea. Well, lucky you – you have him now!”
So I never asked Lan what was said. It’s a little sad that Harold has such terrible memories of our friendship – it’s sadder that I was apparently involved in some sort of relationship that I didn’t know about. Had I known, I would have had the sense to get a little lip action.
1 week ago
4 comments:
Hey I went out with Harold! He was my only two real dates in high school. That bastard was probably just using me to get to you.
Those were the good old days. Then your boyfriend at the time told me that Harold and him were good friends and that Harold was only after a piece. So poor Harold got dumped. Poor guy. Not only was his first choice completely oblivious, his second choice thought he was a dirty bird.
Ha ha...so he ended up with Suzie. Bitchy and jealous. Poor Harold.
Well, maybe Harold did want a piece o' you...although Tom Gorshen (my boyfriend at the time) was a compulsive liar, so it's difficult to know if he said anything that was true.
One thing is for sure, lord knows that Tom really wanted a piece o' you.
The crazy life - that's what we had! Good times.
Tom was using you to get to me. Harold was using me to to get to you. Silly boys. They both ended up with Rosy Palm.
I think you pretty much just described the quintessential high scholl male condition.
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