* * *
Guy gave one last withering look to Gibby, Kirsten and Kristen, who were continuing to giggle after Josie's abrupt departure from the cafeteria. He stalked over to the athlete's table and grabbed back his apple and bottled water before the high school quarterback threw them in his backpack as if they were his.
He made his way through the crowd and left the cafeteria, heading to the library. He often went there when he wanted to be alone, knowing that his friends would never think to look for him there. Sitting in a back corner behind a huge stack of books in need of filing, Guy sat on the couch and leaned his head back until it hit the wall with a thud. One quick glance at his watch told him he had about 15 minutes left until he had to be at his next class. And only fifty days until high school was over.
It seemed that lately he was always counting. He was counting down the days until he left high school, and everyday when he saw Aldys he was reminded of why he was so miserable half the time.
Guy sighed and closed his eyes. His thoughts drifted back many years, to when he was only in fourth grade. He had been slightly bucktoothed, painfully shy, smaller in size than his peers, and - even worse - incredibly smart for his age. He didn't have any truly close friends, but he make one that year - a girl in his class who was very much like him in many ways.
* * *
"Hi, I'm Aldys Harrison. What's your name?"
"Guy Perkins. What kind of a stupid name is Aldys?"
"Same kind of stupid name as Guy."
And with that they became best friends. She made Guy laugh and they had a good time after school doing homework and watching television at each other's house. Going into fifth grade the fun had continued, but Guy had also made another friend - an obnoxious boy named Tommy Salome who had recently moved to Chicago. By the time they got to sixth grade, Guy spent more time with Tommy than he did with Aldys.
The summer before they entered junior high, Guy ran into puberty head first. The braces his parents made him wear straightened his teeth, he made new friends through the ever-outgoing Tommy, and he even gained some weight and a couple inches in height. He stopped playing sports because he just wasn't good at it, and took up playing guitar instead. The cutest girls in his class started to flirt with him - although he tended to ignore them.
Guy hardly ever spoke to Aldys anymore - the more he hung out with Tommy, the more Aldys seemed to drift away from him. Tommy frequently made jokes at Aldys' expense, and Guy, who was finally beginning to feel comfortable in his own skin, didn't want to ruin his friendship with Tommy. So he laughed at the jokes. Guy was ashamed of his cowardice, but did nothing to combat it.
By their first year of high school Guy had become the most popular guy in the freshman class. It seemed to happen overnight. One day he was just one of Tommy's crew, and the next it seemed as though people were paying more attention to Guy than Tommy. Whereas Tommy was the same cut-up he had always been, Guy grew into a quiet confidence that people wanted to follow. All the freshman girls wanted to date him, but Guy was aloof with them - waiting for someone else to come along that interested and challenged him.
Meanwhile, Aldys had become tall and willowy, with long blond hair that hung straight down her back. She carried around more books than any student ever needed, and had joined the Denominators as a freshman, which was almost unheard of. That group was mainly filled with juniors and seniors. But that was Aldys - the best at everything she tried. Inwardly, Guy was proud of her, although he never told her as much. Tommy meanwhile, dubbed Aldys with a despicable nickname, Alpo, and did his best to tease her whenever possible.
Guy had tried talking to Aldys a few times once they reached high school, but Aldys was hurt by Guy's lack of friendship over the years and his unwillingness to stand up for the person who at one time was his best friend. And truth be told, Guy didn't blame her one bit.
One day, though, he saw her coming out of Mrs. Johnson's house next door and stopped her before she could ride away on her bike.
"Aldys, how are things going?" he called out as he jogged across his lawn toward her.
"Oh, like you care," she responded scornfully, her eyes flashing at him behind her glasses.
"Look, I'm really sorry." Guy paused� Where had that come from?
"What are you sorry for, Guy?" she challenged as she began wheeling her bike down the driveway to the street. "Do you even know for what you are apologizing?"
Guy followed her, saying in a quiet voice, "Everything, I guess."
"Everything?" She turned on him. "You mean you are sorry that you suck as a best friend? Well�former best friend? You are sorry that you hang out with the worst snobs in school? Sorry that you walk around like you are better than everyone else? Sorry that you laugh at me behind my back, imagining that I can't see it? Sorry that you are such a coward that you can't stand up for what I know you once believed in? Sorry that you aren't the nice boy I once knew and cared about?"
Guy looked at her during her tirade, watching her mouth move as she formed the words that crushed his spirit. He had hoped that they could make amends, but it was obvious that Aldys had no desire to be his friend anymore.
Guy was suddenly very sad, more sad than he had been in the years since his friendship with Aldys had waned. Standing in front of him was a 14-year-old girl with so much passion. She was smart, opinionated, strong, and beautiful. More beautiful than he had ever realized.
Guy suddenly realized why he had felt bad all these years about the way he and Tommy treated her. He still genuinely liked Aldys. But not as a friend, and certainly not as a buddy. When she finished spewing her venom over him, Guy could feel his heart beat in his chest, and felt completely weak.
Even as he could feel her hatred, he knew he wanted Aldys to be his girlfriend.
Before he could stop himself, Guy leaned over and kissed Aldys' lips very softly. Her mouth was surprisingly warm and soft, and as he continued to kiss her he could feel her begin to respond�to kiss him back. When he pulled back a moment later, no one was more shocked than him.
Except possibly Aldys.
They stood for a moment, staring at each other, each wondering what to do next. Guy searched his brain desperately for something witty to say to break the tension, but found nothing.
Aldys finally ended the tense moment, sighing softly as she got onto her bike, but didn't immediately ride away. She kept her head down for a moment, her hair covering her face. Guy brought up one hand to affectionately tuck her hair behind her ear like he did when they were younger, and discovered a single tear trailing sorrowfully down her cheek.
"Aldys --"
"No, Guy," Aldys cried, cutting him off. "Just�no. It's too late. You're too late. You aren't the same person you once were. I don't like who you are now. I don't even want to be around the person you are now. I can't respect who you are now."
With that she began quickly pedaling out of Mrs. Johnson's driveway. Guy couldn't believe what she had said to him. His pride had been shattered, and he was angry. Aldys hadn't really spent anytime with him in almost five years. How dare she presume to know who he was now?
Before she rode too far, his anger completely took hold of him and he yelled after her, "That was out of pity, Alpo! You're a dog and that's probably the only kiss you'll ever get in your whole life!"
Aldys continued riding away, as though she hadn't heard him. But he knew she had. And as soon as the words had left his mouth he wished he could take them back.
* * *
With a sudden jerk, Guy straightened up on the library couch. It was hard to believe that was only three years ago, in their freshman year. Guy could remember it like it was yesterday - and it still caused him pain. From that day on, the only name Guy used for Aldys was "Alpo". He was so wounded by her words that the bitterness eventually took over.
Knowing that she hated him, after a while it became easier to make fun of Aldys when he was with Tommy. And then it became a little easier to make fun of Aldys to her face even when Tommy wasn't around. Guy told himself that Aldys was no longer the Aldys he knew as a kid. By calling her Alpo he could almost convince himself of this.
But now, in his senior year, Guy was tired of all that childishness. With two months of school left he just wanted to leave all the crap behind and start anew at college. No more pranks, no more name-calling, no more stupid attempts to stay popular.
Glancing at his watch, Guy realized he had not only stayed in the library past the end of lunch, but he had also missed a class, which meant he had only one more period to go, his final study hall. With a sigh he got up and left the library.
* * *
"Dude!" Tommy cried as Guy walked into the classroom. "You're about to miss it! Where've you been?"
"Ah, I had things to do. What's going on?" Guy asked as he joined Tommy and the gang by the windows. The teacher had pretty much left the class alone; after all, it was a study period, so there were only a few stragglers left in the room. Guy's friends were leaning out the open windows that faced the front of the school. Looking out, he saw many of South Glen South's students milling about, cutting out early.
"We moved the new girl's car, man," Jason said, grinning from ear to ear. "She'll never find it. We put it in the football field!"
Guy groaned as he leaned out the window. Just then he saw Josie come to a halt in front of the space where her car had apparently been parked. She had been on her cell phone and clicked it off and spun around in panic, looking for her car. Out of nowhere Aldys appeared at her side, and Guy saw her shake Josie's hand. After talking for a few moments, both Josie and Aldys looked up at the windows where Guy and the rest stood. He saw Josie's face fall in disappointment and he also saw Aldys' face tighten up before turning away with Josie.
As the two girls walked away, Guy moved away from the window and slumped into the nearest desk. Tommy guffawed loudly and clapped his hands together a couple times like a kid. "Dude, that rocks."
Guy rubbed his hand over his eyes and said in a bored voice, "Do you ever stop, Tommy?"
"No way, man! The fun is just beginning with this one�especially if she starts hanging out with Alpo!"
Guy stood up as the final bell of the day finally rang. Without saying goodbye to his friends, Guy left the classroom and headed down the stairs and out the doors, heading home.
He jammed his hands in his pockets and walked with his head down in order not to speak to anyone as he made his way home. Reaching his house he sat on the front step of his house and held his head in his hands. All he could see was the sadness on Josie's face as she looked up at him.
It was a mirror to the sadness that Aldys' had shown as she tearfully gazed at him three years ago that day he kissed her.
* * *