The next 3 days were extremely hard for everyone, but most especially Girl.

She felt guilty that she was driving the car that night. She felt like she killed her dad. :(  Even though we all knew she hadn't no one could convince her of that.

I went to tell her boyfriend at the time Guy B that her dad had passed away and he said he'd go be with her.

The funeral was held in a church that houses at least 500 people. There was standing room only, he was that loved and well respected.

The line leaving the church to the cemetery was 5 miles long and I remember sitting in that line thinking "my lord how he was loved".

 

December 5th 1996, at 3 a.m. I got a call from girl. My mom came in and woke me up saying she was on the phone and I needed to take it. 

Of course I knew if mom said take the call at 3am on a school night something wasn't right.

10 days earlier, She, her father, sister and niece were in a car accident. Her father, the worst hurt, was mediflighted to the closest major hospital.

Nothing happened to Girl other than bumps bruises and such. Sister broke her arm and niece was perfect!!!

Dad had several surgeries to help repair his legs, they had gone through the floor board of the car, becoming pinned. The Jaws of Life were the only things that could get him out. His legs were so badly broken (i'm no doctor) that infection or cells or something entered his blood stream. I remember Girl telling me that he was at one point delirious, thinking the nurse was his wife. 

December 5th around 1am his heart gave out on him and he left us behind.

So the phone call came in and by the time I got to the phone she had hung up. I asked mom what happened and she said he passed away tonight. I started crying, not for me of course, but for her.  I called back and I got her sister (the injured one) and made her tell me what was going on. 

Mom never objected to the fact that I at 315am got dressed got the keys to my truck and walked out the door. She knew, she knew.

When I arrived at Girls' house, I was greeted by sister, and some other family members. Girl was in the bedroom (thankfully!!!) with our friend that happened to live a couple blocks from her house.  She just melted when I walked in, and I'm pretty sure N (our friend that is gay) & I did too.

We stayed with her until about 630 when an uncle kicked us out (he really was an asshole considering)  N and I went back to my house where we just sat stunned. I called a teacher of ours and told her the news. I let N off at home to get cleaned up and dressed for school and I went on. I talked to the principal and let him know what happened (although the teacher had already let him know).

School that day seemed surreal. still does.  Several of the kids in our class were stunned to hear the news also. Some of them knew of the father outside his relation to Girl.  One boy broke into tears and didn't bother to hide it when the teacher told the class.  

. . . . . . . .

I honestly can't tell you that anything exciting happened during the summer before junior year, at least I don't remember anything that stands out

Junior year was my 17th year of life about the only thing that I can remember that stands out during this time was well. . . I almost broke my hand punching a brick wall. Hurt? Yes Like Hell. Smart? Not So Much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Senior year. . . . . .

the 18th year of my life. . . .

Things started out smoothly, if I recall correctly. I jinxed a girl in my class by saying "wouldn't it be funny if someone got pregnant in time to be due for Graduation" well the poor girl was 40 weeks pregnant when she walked across stage {eeek}

Over the course of the summer between Jr and Sr year I became friends with another guy(guy B) that I had known for years (well knew of him I guess you'd say, he wasn't in school with us)  girl who couldn't keep her pants up instantly fell for him (while still pining for Guy A) and they hooked up. Of course this was after she knew I liked him (what is it with girls and guys that bring out the worst in us? ) but what can you do. . . I was fat, she was thin and well frankly she put out.  He had two sisters and one was my age and I became friends with her over time. She had a baby in Sept. of 96 (my god he's ten years old. . . where the hell does time go????) and was no longer in school.

 

Girl and Guy B were on again off again and frankly I got confused and spun around as to whether or not I was supposed to remain friends with him or not. Of Course! She didn't like that I was friends to begin with. 

Everything was a little strained until December of 96. . . . . .

I know y'all are wondering why I am writing in so many posts. . . Most of it has to do with history that leads up to an event I'll write about. It would make no sense, in a way, if the history wasn't there.

So the next day I got the privilege of cleaning out girls' locker.  The whole school was looking at me, asking me questions I again didn't have the answers to. I knew at this point why, but what business was it of anyone else's?  I didn't feel like it was my place to say "yeah she couldn't handle Guy A sleeping with girl B" I mean who wouldn't be hurt, the only thing that made no sense to me was why did she keep going back to him.

The next few days while she was in what we called rehab were rough at school. It seems people tried to give me the looks because they couldn't give them to her.

She was released 9 days later after putting on 5 lbs and learning how to eat again.

This is bringing us to Junior year of HS.

. . . . . . . . . . 

Let's see here. . . . .

The day I'll never forget was the day the girl who couldn't keep her pants up tried to kill herself.

We were going to class and I remember her being a little odd that day, but what was new we were all odd. We rounded the corner to the class room when she just fell against the wall and slid down like she was butter on a hot roll.

I was a few steps ahead of her, so I ran over to see what was going on. I kept yelling her name I even slapped her in the face a couple of times (man that felt good on so many wrong levels ;-) ) She just would not become coherent enough for me to get anything out of her other than "pills".

The teacher came out into the hall as I was about to go get my car, I was taking her to the ER whether anyone liked it or not. (we'll call him Mr K) Mr K would not let me leave I was fuming mad at him. Finally he told me just to keep calm they were calling 911 to come get her.

Well the paramedics show up and it is none other than some really good parents of some students we know. The lady had to drive because the dad wasn't going to let the girl who couldn't keep her pants up out of his sight.  I rode in the front (hey I just remembered that. I had been in ambulance before my first journey in the back.... I'm such an idiot) and we got the ER. They kept asking me all kinds of questions to which I had no answers. I could tell them was "pills".

Her mom came in and asked what was going on, again all I could say was "pills"  (is there a shruggy dude on this thing?) . They pumped her stomach and I was taken back to school to get my car by some other friends that had come by after school let out.

She was released to her mom on the condition that she was to be checked into a facility and figure out what was going on with her. She was also diagnosed as anorexic, which by the way, didn't surprise me at all. Everytime you saw her her bones were sticking out.

Turns out, all of this was (yep you guessed it) over a boy. A damned boy. She was with Guy A, well Guy A was with Girl B, C and D and she couldn't handle that.  She was obsessed with him. To the point of freaky. She'd drive by his house just to make sure he was home. (is there a shudder dude on this thing?)

Her dad banned the boy from ever coming to the house again, something which in time she would ignore. Yes she was that desperate to have "love" in her life.

. . . . . .

See You Next Time. . . . . .