Knots 15
Matt
Before we knew it, it was May. Andy and I turned fifteen in March. Our birthdays were just over a week apart. Sophomore class elections, spring football, finals, and Dillon Burke were all that were left of the school year. You're probably asking, who is Dillon Burke? You'll find out before this chapter is over.
I ran for sophomore class president. Andy got mad because he'd been thinking about it and I beat him to it. I suggested he run for Vice-President, but he didn't have any interest in being second.
Ernie Bowline ran for Treasurer and won. Billy Martin ran against me and lost. He's always been the clown of the class and I guess the class didn't take him seriously.
Andy gave me a non enthusiastic congratulations after I won. I thought he'd moved beyond the negative attitude, but some of it still lingered. Not only did I have what he considered his quarterback job but also his class president position. All that stuff seemed important then, but looking back on it now, it was really nothing. We were only freshman preparing to enter our sophomore year. Too bad we can't have that kind of perspective when we're in the middle of it.
Andy and I were on our way to a lawn job the afternoon of the election. He stopped in front of the Hemstead's. "You must really think you're not stuff don't you?"
I stood tall. "I am hot stuff."
"Yes, you are a legend in your own mind."
"How original. Can't you just be happy for me? Nothing's changed between us except that you always seem to resent my success. Are we best friends or not?"
"Business partners," he said. "We mow lawns together."
"You know, I'm getting tired of this crap. Just as I think it's all behind us, you start up again. I was patient at first because I felt sorry for you. It was a terrible thing, breaking your leg. But no matter how much I tried to be your friend, you were pissed and angry and jealous. You seem to think the world owes you the perfect life. But it doesn't. You have to go after it, but all you do is keep waiting for life to bless you and hand you the gold ring. You need to grab the ring. It's not going to be handed to you."
"You're so full of shit. How do you grab the ring when your best friend grabs it before you can get it?"
I shook my head. "There's more than one ring dumb ass. That's what you don't understand. Remember how we laughed at Ernie and Alan. We figured they'd never finish the first couple weeks of football. But they fooled us. They grabbed the gold ring. You had it and let it go. Breaking your leg was a tough, but you let it whip you. Quit whining, take control of your life, grab the gold ring, and quit blaming me."
Andy wheeled the lawn wagon with the lawnmower onto the driveway of the Hemsteads. "Easy for you to say."
He rolled the mower off. I grabbed the trimmer. "Let's just get the job done. There's not much I can do if you insist on feeling the world has some plot against you."
We pulled our shirts off and began. Our skin had been slowly tanning in the sun. It felt good to be outside with the sun on my back. I wondered if Andy felt the same or if he thought even the sun was against him."
Something came over him though as he worked. I looked over and he had a smile on his face and was mouthing some song I couldn't hear through the noise of the lawnmower. He finished up and I turned the edger off. He was pulling weeds and I could hear him singing.
"What's with the music?" I asked.
"I thought about what you said, and you know what, you're right. I've been whining. What kind of athlete am I anyway? Hell, sports are supposed to teach us to be tough, learn how to handle adversity, and build character. I've sucked at it. Acted like a wimp. Blamed you for all my failures when you've always wanted what was best for me. I'm sorry."
"Are my ears fooling me?"
"Nope. You know how coach always talks about the difference between fear motivation and attitude motivation. Never paid much attention. Didn't seem to apply to me until now. Fear was paralyzing me. I feared your success and my failure. But I finally realized while I was mowing the lawn that it's my attitude I need to change and not you. I can no longer be motivated by my fears."
I glanced at the sweat rolling off his chest and realized that I no longer wanted to be Andy. I wanted to be me. I saw our reflection in the Hemstead's bay window and realized while standing next to Andy that I was taller and as good looking as he was. It wasn't that I thought I was better. The problem had always been that I felt inferior to him because of his confidence and charisma. Now I was happy with who I was and no longer wanted to be him. Andy's words made me realize this. I had my own fears, feared I wasn't good enough, and that Andy was in some way always better than me. I still loved him and admired his build with the six pack abs and tight chest, but I looked pretty good myself, had shown I could be a leader as quarterback, and now Sophomore class president. My parents always told me to just be myself. When I asked them what they meant, they couldn't put it into words so I fumbled along until I realized that being myself was not trying to act or be like someone else, even Andy.
Gina and Emily had become our good friends. They were our first dates, but like Andy said, "there are many fish in the sea." I'd always been liked, but their were others in our class, including Andy, that were more popular than me because I was shy.
That all changed. But looking back at it, I was still the same Matt Spence, but one with more confidence. I'm sure the older kids didn't notice, but the guys and girls in our class took notice and they sought my friendship. I wasn't very popular in elementary school, but not unpopular either. Just another one of the guys. Billy Martin and Andy were the popular ones. Maybe that's why I wanted Andy as my best friend. I was hoping his popularity would rub off on me. It didn't, but when I was with him, I felt like it had.
I was slow in wanting a real girl friend mostly because I didn't want to be tied down. I did what they used to call in the old days, playing the field. Sounds like a football term. I went to the school dances with different girls each time. I'll have to tell you, that didn't do me much good. Each wanted to know why we didn't go out again. Andy often asked, 'why can't a girl be like a guy?' The answer, of course, is because they're girls.
Andy
I climbed slowly out of the funk I was in. But eventually bounced back, or at least it seemed like it. Even though I was down and felt sorry for myself, I kept my eyes on the girls. So did Matt. He had some stories to tell about how he fought the girls off. Me, on the other hand, didn't fight off anyone.
Despite my retirement as a football star, I was back to normal physically.
Emily was a true friend because she told me the things I needed to hear. It was a knot I never wanted to untie. I didn't know if I'd ever be able to unti the others.
Emily and I went off campus for lunch on a warm afternoon in May. All the girls were saying, "Hello Andy. How's it going Andy? Don't forget to call me Andy. I love you Andy and that beautiful body of yours," as we headed out and sat on a bench at the park across from the school. Some just said hello and blushed. One thing I never did was talk about the girls I dated or had sex with after embarrassing Emily at the pizza parlor. After all, this is private stuff. I didn't need to brag because it seemed the girls did all the talking. Worked better that way.
All the attention was embarrassing in front of Emily. But I loved it when it happened in front of the guys.
Emily smiled as we sat on the bench toward the back of the park. "Andy, I guess you're still the ladies man."
"You noticed huh?"
"Cool if you want to be the guy all the girls want to have sex with."
I frowned. "Tell me how that's bad?"
"Depends, I suppose."
"Depends on what?"
"The kind of reputation you want to have. There's more to life than sex."
I smiled. "Maybe. But I haven't found it. Anyway, it's all your fault for unleashing the sleeping giant." I looked down at my crotch.
She slugged me in the arm. "I didn't mean that one. Stop it. You're embarrassing me."
I put my arm around her shoulders and pulled her next to me. "Okay. You're probably my best friend other than Matt. Matt doesn't have to worry about his rep. Sometimes I think there's something wrong with him. He doesn't do anything when he goes out on a date and he could probably have more girls than me."
"Did you ever think that maybe he's not ready or doesn't need it?"
"Well, I was ready even before our night in the park. He never seems ready. Besides, everyone needs sex."
She smiled. "According to you. But no one ever died from not having sex."
I turned toward her. "I think I would. It makes me feel alive and the world whole. I feel like God sometimes." I paused, and she gave me a questioning look. "What?" I said.
"Nothing."
"You were going to say something."
"I don't know. Never mind." She paused and then said, "Like God, huh?
"Yeah. Like God. We should get together. I'll give you a ride to heaven.