Honestly I don't know how we got friends. I mean, I know. I remember a certain high school party at the Hamptons when Michelle and Theo first talked - a real conversation, I mean. We were all in the same class, but Michelle was one of those annoying rich girls. She is still a little annoying. She is one of those people that just don't care if she's hurting you or not, but she'll say whatever she has to say, reason why we were not very close back then. But after this party at Lynn’s house at the Hamptons about 8 years ago, if I remember correctly, Michelle and Theo got close - an unlikely friendship was born and she became part of the group. At that time, I merely accepted her. We would only consolidate our friendship on the following year, after 9/11. No, I don’t talk about it.
I was leaving class when I got a text message from Michelle in my cell. "Emergency at the Bossa", meaning she needed a beer.
I got there first. Tony was changing the CD - soundtrack there was always bossa nova or something alike (to honor the name of the bar, of course).
- Hey, Kyle! New CD, tell me what you think about later. A beer?
- Maybe a six pack, but I don't know who else is coming... Michelle summoned me.
Theo and Lynn arrived almost at the same time, and Michelle was the last. She burst at the bar, already ordering:
- Hey, Tony, a six pack please!
- There’s only 4 of us. – I pointed.
- Where’s Andie?
- Still out of town. – Theo answered.
- And what about your stupid boyfriend? – Michelle asked Lynn.
- Junior is working.
- Fine, I don’t need him… Tony, a six pack please!
- Freak, there’s only 4 of us. – I said.
- I’ll have 3 beers. – she explained. – At once!
We just stared at her. Tony brought the pack and she drank the first one without even toasting, which meant breaking a tradition.
- Cheers. – Lynn, Theo and I said at the same time.
She finished the first beer without breathing. Then she looked at our wide-opened eyes and said:
- I think my parents are getting a divorce.
Michelle lives in a breathtaking apartment at the Upper East Side, with her parents and her young sister. She never really wanted to get out of her parents’ house. It was just easier to stay there, with no responsibilities, no obligations, at least until she could finish the Law School and get a real job that probably her dad would find for her.
- You think? Did you hear something? Were they fighting? – Lynn asked.
- They were fighting like never before. I’ve seen them arguing before, couples fight all the time, I know all that. But there was something in her tone of voice, like she was actually sad and he sounded really… guilty. I don’t know. And the last thing that he said was that maybe they needed a break. I got so astonished that I just entered the room and said “good morning” as if nothing was happening. They pretended nothing was happening, which is pretty much the way my family works, you know that.
- Oh honey, I’m sorry. – Lynn said. – How are you feeling?
- Well, I never worked with the idea of my parents splitting up. It’s weird.
- I can imagine what you’re going through. My parents have such a solid marriage that I don’t know what would happen if they were not together anymore… It’s crazy, it’s impossible.
Lynn looked at me. She was sensitive like no one else. Michelle, on the other hand…
- How is it, Kyle?
I put my glass back at the table and cleaned my throat before answering the bitter answer:
- I don’t know, Michelle. The process was a bit different in my case. My father just left.
- So they are not divorced?
- No.
- But still… You…
I had to interrupt her.
- Michelle, my father left when I was 9. I was a kid. And it’s not like I could play the fun game of having two houses. I haven’t seen my father in 14 years, I don’t know where he is, I don’t know if he’s alive. You are a grown woman for Christ sake. Stop behaving like a kid and just deal with the fact that your family is not as stable as you thought it was.
Awkward silence. I have problems with awkward silences, especially when I cause them, so I just have to break them.
- And you won’t have 3 beers. I’ll have 2. – I said, while opening a second bottle.
- You know, Michelle – Theo interfered. – You should be worried, not really because of you. As Kyle said, you’re a grown woman, you’ll find a way to deal with this. It will suck, it will disrupt your family, everything will be different, but you’ll handle it. I think you should worry about Emily. Your sister is barely a teenager, it will be a big deal for her. You will have to be there for her.
- Michelle, honey, - Lynn held her hand. – They talked about taking a break, it doesn’t mean that they will actually take a break, it doesn’t mean that they will get a divorce. Why don’t you talk to them? Try to figure out what’s really going on before you start suffering based on assumptions.
Lynn was wise. Michelle gave a sad smile and said:
- Yeah, you’re right, I think I’ll return this last beer.
- Hey, sorry. – I said. – I lost it.
- No, I shouldn’t have asked. Your situation is different. Plus you still refuse therapy, so I keep forgetting we shouldn’t talk about some issues with you: daddy and 9/11.
- Yeah, you shouldn’t.
- Kyle? – Lynn called. – Is there something going on?
- He is a pedophile now.
- Oh, Theo, shut the hell up! Kelly is 18. I saw her ID.
- You saw much more.
- Who’s this girl? – Lynn asked
- Just a new student I’ve met. She’s from Kansas, just arrived in Manhattan
- And she is on fire! – Theo added. – She dragged Kyle into bed on the very first date.
- Oh and I’m sure he hated it. – Lynn joked.
- But Kyle – Michelle asked. – What about Andie?
- What about her?
- You and Andie!
- There’s no… What the hell are you saying? Andie is my friend. Andie is in Cancun with her beloved boyfriend and I’m living my life, meeting interesting people and… what’s your point?
- Fine. Daddy, 9/11 and relationship with Andie.
Yeah, I forgot to mention this. All the gang thinks that Andie and I love each other and will be together eventually. But we’re just best friends with a special connection. Nothing ever happened and nothing can ever happen.
- It’s not that. – Lynn said. – Sorry, dude, I know you since I was taller than you and I’m a shrink, so I know you twice.
I cleaned my throat again.
- Well, hum… I don’t know for sure. My mother had an appointment with a doctor yesterday and… she seemed scared when she returned. She told me that she had some exams done, but she hasn’t received all the results yet, so she’s not sure if she has something or not. She’s been tired and the other day she had a short of breath and… she won’t tell me, but she was worried.
I looked at my friends and I said out loud what I had been avoiding all morning:
- I think my mom is sick.
December 27, 2008
December 26, 2008
Theodore Byrne
Ok, so it's the day after Christmas. Saddest Xmas of all times. In order to let you know why, I need to go back to the beginning of the semester. So just pretend it's the end of September for now.
I told you about Kelly and Tracy, the new students who wanted to go to a bar, a.k.a. make out with me and some friend of mine. So I taught them how to get to the 'Bossa' and I then I asked Theo to meet me there.
Theo is my oldest friend. We've been best friends since I can remember. When he started his Business Administration course, his parents retired and decided to leave Manhattan and go back to their hometown in Louisiana. They took Theo's young sister, Emmanuelle, against her will, but she was 12 at the time, so it's not like she had a choice. Theo also has an older brother, Josh, who works with Logistics in a company in Boston.
When his parents left Manhattan, Theo moved to the school dorm. He worked at the Bossa for a while, but of course the money was not enough and he counted on his parents' financial aid. But things got rough, the family ran out of cash and used his college fund. Theo had to abandon college for a year to help his dad with the small business they had opened in Louisiana. To make a long story short, the family got back on track, Theo returned after a year or so and resumed college, but now he's the only one of the six-packs who hasn't graduated yet.
Theo arrived at the Bossa at the end of the afternoon. I told him about the new students and he had the same initial reaction he always had:
- Come on, Kyle... Stop trying to set me up with these desperate red necks. I can get my women.
He couldn't. He was too shy to meet women in Manhattan. My belief is that he's into online dating or hookers, but he doesn't like to talk about it a lot.
- Tracy is mute. I think she's as shy as you, or even more. You'll get along, trust me.
- How do you know that if she hadn't said a word?
- Just trust me.
- How old are these girls?
- 17, 18, who cares?
- I'm not a pedophile, Kyle.
- Having a drink with the girl doesn't qualify as pedophilia.
- They are underage, Tony won't serve them a drink. And you and I both know that you won't just have a drink with this girl.
- Yeah, I won't. But she's old enough to decide.
The girls arrived. As I had predicted, Kelly and I did all the talking. Theo and Tracy listened and listened... and listened a little more. At some point, Kelly asked:
- So, are you guys roommates?
- No, Theo lives at the dorm.
- Wow, we are staying at the dorms! We'll be dorm-buddies!
Theo finally said something:
- We don't call it that.
Kelly stared at him for a moment or so and then turned back to me:
- And what about you?
- I live in the East Village.
And Theo decided to talk again:
- Kyle lives with his mom.
All eyes turned to me. Luckily I was used to that:
- Ok, so I'm 23 and I live with my mom. Do you want a little background before you start judging?
- Girls - Theo interfered again - Kyle will now tell you how his greatgrandfather was a character in Gangs of New York.
- Uh, I love Leo di Caprio.
That was Tracy, finally saying something. I took a deep breath. I was starting to feel bored. Theo was mad for not being able to connect with Tracy and was starting to sabotage me. Maybe if I couldn't have sex with Kelly, he wouldn't feel like such a loser.
- My mother's family owned a big part of lower Manhattan and yes, you can consider Gangs of New York as part of my family's history. Throughout the years, my ancestrals sold almost everything, divided the fortune with several wives, lovers and bastard children. All my mother inherited was two apartments in a top floor of a building in the East Village,. So, yes, I live with my mom, but I live in one apartment and she lives in the other.
- Actually the two apartments were turned into one and they share the living room.
- We own the place, we don't pay rent and I have full privacy in my side of the apartment.
- Before privacy, you still pass by the shared living room.
Kelly and Tracy laughed.
- You guys are funny. - Kelly said. - I would love to meet your side of the apartment and the shared living room.
- You're invited.
Theo looked at Tracy:
- I can show you my dorm. My roommate hasn't returned from vacation yet.
- No, thanks.
- Ok.
Awkward silence. I tried to clear the air:
- Why don't we all go to my place and watch a DVD?
- I'll pass. - Theo said.
- Yeah, I have to... - Tracy stuttered. - ...uh... check my schedule and...
- So we go now? - Kelly stood up.
I saw Theo again the following morning. We met at the Starbucks close to his dorm.
- So, how was yesterday? - he asked.
- Man, what the hell happened?
- You set me up with a total teenager! She didn't say a word, except when you mentioned a Hollywood celebrity. Does she know that LA is on the other side of the country?
- You didn't say a word either, Theo.
- I tried to start a conversation, but you were too busy trying to get into Kelly's pants. So, have her parents called the police?
- It's not a crime!
- Did you sleep with her?
- Of course I did
- Crime!
- You're just mad because I had sex and you didn't.
- If I got mad because of this, I would be constantly mad at you.
I stopped talking to put sugar on my coffee.
- Are you going to see her again? - Theo asked.
- Definetly.
- Your mom liked her?
- They didn't meet. My mother stayed out until late yesterday showing properties and left really early this morning for a doctor's appointment.
Now Theo was the one adjusting his coffee. I looked at him for a moment and said:
- Theo, don't worry. You don't have to be the guy who chases sex with any girl all the time. You're not like that and it's ok. You're the romantic type or whatever... Just don't worry, you'll find love.
He just smiled.
I told you about Kelly and Tracy, the new students who wanted to go to a bar, a.k.a. make out with me and some friend of mine. So I taught them how to get to the 'Bossa' and I then I asked Theo to meet me there.
Theo is my oldest friend. We've been best friends since I can remember. When he started his Business Administration course, his parents retired and decided to leave Manhattan and go back to their hometown in Louisiana. They took Theo's young sister, Emmanuelle, against her will, but she was 12 at the time, so it's not like she had a choice. Theo also has an older brother, Josh, who works with Logistics in a company in Boston.
When his parents left Manhattan, Theo moved to the school dorm. He worked at the Bossa for a while, but of course the money was not enough and he counted on his parents' financial aid. But things got rough, the family ran out of cash and used his college fund. Theo had to abandon college for a year to help his dad with the small business they had opened in Louisiana. To make a long story short, the family got back on track, Theo returned after a year or so and resumed college, but now he's the only one of the six-packs who hasn't graduated yet.
Theo arrived at the Bossa at the end of the afternoon. I told him about the new students and he had the same initial reaction he always had:
- Come on, Kyle... Stop trying to set me up with these desperate red necks. I can get my women.
He couldn't. He was too shy to meet women in Manhattan. My belief is that he's into online dating or hookers, but he doesn't like to talk about it a lot.
- Tracy is mute. I think she's as shy as you, or even more. You'll get along, trust me.
- How do you know that if she hadn't said a word?
- Just trust me.
- How old are these girls?
- 17, 18, who cares?
- I'm not a pedophile, Kyle.
- Having a drink with the girl doesn't qualify as pedophilia.
- They are underage, Tony won't serve them a drink. And you and I both know that you won't just have a drink with this girl.
- Yeah, I won't. But she's old enough to decide.
The girls arrived. As I had predicted, Kelly and I did all the talking. Theo and Tracy listened and listened... and listened a little more. At some point, Kelly asked:
- So, are you guys roommates?
- No, Theo lives at the dorm.
- Wow, we are staying at the dorms! We'll be dorm-buddies!
Theo finally said something:
- We don't call it that.
Kelly stared at him for a moment or so and then turned back to me:
- And what about you?
- I live in the East Village.
And Theo decided to talk again:
- Kyle lives with his mom.
All eyes turned to me. Luckily I was used to that:
- Ok, so I'm 23 and I live with my mom. Do you want a little background before you start judging?
- Girls - Theo interfered again - Kyle will now tell you how his greatgrandfather was a character in Gangs of New York.
- Uh, I love Leo di Caprio.
That was Tracy, finally saying something. I took a deep breath. I was starting to feel bored. Theo was mad for not being able to connect with Tracy and was starting to sabotage me. Maybe if I couldn't have sex with Kelly, he wouldn't feel like such a loser.
- My mother's family owned a big part of lower Manhattan and yes, you can consider Gangs of New York as part of my family's history. Throughout the years, my ancestrals sold almost everything, divided the fortune with several wives, lovers and bastard children. All my mother inherited was two apartments in a top floor of a building in the East Village,. So, yes, I live with my mom, but I live in one apartment and she lives in the other.
- Actually the two apartments were turned into one and they share the living room.
- We own the place, we don't pay rent and I have full privacy in my side of the apartment.
- Before privacy, you still pass by the shared living room.
Kelly and Tracy laughed.
- You guys are funny. - Kelly said. - I would love to meet your side of the apartment and the shared living room.
- You're invited.
Theo looked at Tracy:
- I can show you my dorm. My roommate hasn't returned from vacation yet.
- No, thanks.
- Ok.
Awkward silence. I tried to clear the air:
- Why don't we all go to my place and watch a DVD?
- I'll pass. - Theo said.
- Yeah, I have to... - Tracy stuttered. - ...uh... check my schedule and...
- So we go now? - Kelly stood up.
I saw Theo again the following morning. We met at the Starbucks close to his dorm.
- So, how was yesterday? - he asked.
- Man, what the hell happened?
- You set me up with a total teenager! She didn't say a word, except when you mentioned a Hollywood celebrity. Does she know that LA is on the other side of the country?
- You didn't say a word either, Theo.
- I tried to start a conversation, but you were too busy trying to get into Kelly's pants. So, have her parents called the police?
- It's not a crime!
- Did you sleep with her?
- Of course I did
- Crime!
- You're just mad because I had sex and you didn't.
- If I got mad because of this, I would be constantly mad at you.
I stopped talking to put sugar on my coffee.
- Are you going to see her again? - Theo asked.
- Definetly.
- Your mom liked her?
- They didn't meet. My mother stayed out until late yesterday showing properties and left really early this morning for a doctor's appointment.
Now Theo was the one adjusting his coffee. I looked at him for a moment and said:
- Theo, don't worry. You don't have to be the guy who chases sex with any girl all the time. You're not like that and it's ok. You're the romantic type or whatever... Just don't worry, you'll find love.
He just smiled.
December 24, 2008
Kyle Rossdale
"Hello, all, I am Kyle Rossdale, I am 23 years old and I live here in New York City."
This is a sentence I say whenever a new semester begins. I do tours for freshmen around the campus where I study. Kids, I would say, not much younger than me, coming from various cities and why not to say... from various countries. Scared faces, in desperate search of a familiar face, of someone that lends a hand. Mostly.
During the tour last semester, two girls approached me while I was giving freshmen a chance to see the library. The blond one seemed to be less shy:
- Hi, I am Kelly, this is Tracy, we're from Kansas.
- Nice to meet you, girls. Enjoying the tour?
- Not really... Kinda boring...
I blushed. One of those awkward moments when I was not sure of what to do. My friend Michelle would have given quite an answer, but she was in Law School and she didn't care a lot about what other people thought of her, meaning she was good in situations like that, putting the perfect combination of irony, sarcasm and anger.
I am a writer. And as such I belong to a group of needy careers, in the sense that we need to be accepted and loved - actors, writers, bartenders etc. No hard answers... just couldn't do it.
Well, I blushed.
- How can I make it more interesting?
Good answer. I had to be superior, accept the critics were good and helped me be a better person. Or so I was taught during the Creative Writing Program I was attending.
- Well, we want to look at bars. - Kelly said.
- Are you old enough for that?
- We just want to look.
I laughed. Some of them were not scared. Some of them actually wanted to live the New York City that they see in movies, and in tv shows like "Friends" and "Sex and the City". Kelly and Tracy wanted a bar. And I could only think of one place to take them. And to make it more interesting, I needed my wingman Theo.
I promised to take them to a bar after the tour was finished. I needed to complete this task, after all I had a special discount in my tuition for helping out in the University. I still had to walk that small group of 20 teenagers to the streets of the Greenwich Village, show them where famous writers have lived. And of course allow some of them to take a picture in front of the 'Friends' building in the corner of Grove and Bedford streets.
The discount... Well, although I live in the Village, I'm not rich. Far from that. But I had my days of waiter and delivery boy and saved enough cash to complete this extension. Money for graduation in English and American Literature came from my mom. I'll tell you about her next time. Actually there's a lot to say on the story of my family. And my friends.
Just to give you a heads-up on my friends. I've mentioned Michelle and Theo before, but I need to add 2 girls to this list: Andie and Lynn. Let's say that we had this big group of best friends in high school - aren't we all best friends in high school, specially in Manhattan? College applications came and the lazy ones (or would it be "the smart ones") were accepted in NY universities. From the big group, only the 5 of us were left here (Andie, Michelle, Lynn, Theo and myself). Looking back, we're the ones that mattered the most, or maybe it's just because we're the ones who stayed. And odd as it may seem, we're still each other's best friend, despite all the ones we've met in our jobs, in our graduate programs and in Manhattan's best night clubs.
To be fair, there was Rick, but his departure was not college's fault... I'll tell you about him someday. Big trauma here...
And to finish what I can no longer call a simple "heads up", there's Junior. Japanese descendent with an unspeakable first name, Junior met Lynn in May 2004 and they've been together since then. So, although he doesn't have a lot of history with us, he is part of the group now.
Before I let you go for today, please allow me to write just one more paragraph. I am a writer, that's what I do, I write. And this is our first contact, so if you don't get the most important things now, there's no guarantee you'll come back and follow-up on our story. Why "Six Pack"?
Well, we're a group of six people and there's one thing we really like to do: have a beer now and then. There's this bar in the Village, close to where I live - it's called "The Bossa Nova Point" and it's managed by this Brazilian dude, who we call Tony (unspeakable first name). By the way, that's where I intend to take the Kansas girls Kelly and Tracy. Andie, Lynn and myself have taken summer jobs as waiters at the Bossa throughout the years. So we hang out there a lot and most times, there's six of us, so we order a six pack in which Tony gives us a discount. A couple of years ago, Tony started calling us "the six-packs", which we find really tacky. But hey, I'm not rich, actually I'm a bit cheap, so any discount is welcome. "Tony, a six pack please" is another sentence that you'll hear a lot from us.
Cheers,
Kyle
This is a sentence I say whenever a new semester begins. I do tours for freshmen around the campus where I study. Kids, I would say, not much younger than me, coming from various cities and why not to say... from various countries. Scared faces, in desperate search of a familiar face, of someone that lends a hand. Mostly.
During the tour last semester, two girls approached me while I was giving freshmen a chance to see the library. The blond one seemed to be less shy:
- Hi, I am Kelly, this is Tracy, we're from Kansas.
- Nice to meet you, girls. Enjoying the tour?
- Not really... Kinda boring...
I blushed. One of those awkward moments when I was not sure of what to do. My friend Michelle would have given quite an answer, but she was in Law School and she didn't care a lot about what other people thought of her, meaning she was good in situations like that, putting the perfect combination of irony, sarcasm and anger.
I am a writer. And as such I belong to a group of needy careers, in the sense that we need to be accepted and loved - actors, writers, bartenders etc. No hard answers... just couldn't do it.
Well, I blushed.
- How can I make it more interesting?
Good answer. I had to be superior, accept the critics were good and helped me be a better person. Or so I was taught during the Creative Writing Program I was attending.
- Well, we want to look at bars. - Kelly said.
- Are you old enough for that?
- We just want to look.
I laughed. Some of them were not scared. Some of them actually wanted to live the New York City that they see in movies, and in tv shows like "Friends" and "Sex and the City". Kelly and Tracy wanted a bar. And I could only think of one place to take them. And to make it more interesting, I needed my wingman Theo.
I promised to take them to a bar after the tour was finished. I needed to complete this task, after all I had a special discount in my tuition for helping out in the University. I still had to walk that small group of 20 teenagers to the streets of the Greenwich Village, show them where famous writers have lived. And of course allow some of them to take a picture in front of the 'Friends' building in the corner of Grove and Bedford streets.
The discount... Well, although I live in the Village, I'm not rich. Far from that. But I had my days of waiter and delivery boy and saved enough cash to complete this extension. Money for graduation in English and American Literature came from my mom. I'll tell you about her next time. Actually there's a lot to say on the story of my family. And my friends.
Just to give you a heads-up on my friends. I've mentioned Michelle and Theo before, but I need to add 2 girls to this list: Andie and Lynn. Let's say that we had this big group of best friends in high school - aren't we all best friends in high school, specially in Manhattan? College applications came and the lazy ones (or would it be "the smart ones") were accepted in NY universities. From the big group, only the 5 of us were left here (Andie, Michelle, Lynn, Theo and myself). Looking back, we're the ones that mattered the most, or maybe it's just because we're the ones who stayed. And odd as it may seem, we're still each other's best friend, despite all the ones we've met in our jobs, in our graduate programs and in Manhattan's best night clubs.
To be fair, there was Rick, but his departure was not college's fault... I'll tell you about him someday. Big trauma here...
And to finish what I can no longer call a simple "heads up", there's Junior. Japanese descendent with an unspeakable first name, Junior met Lynn in May 2004 and they've been together since then. So, although he doesn't have a lot of history with us, he is part of the group now.
Before I let you go for today, please allow me to write just one more paragraph. I am a writer, that's what I do, I write. And this is our first contact, so if you don't get the most important things now, there's no guarantee you'll come back and follow-up on our story. Why "Six Pack"?
Well, we're a group of six people and there's one thing we really like to do: have a beer now and then. There's this bar in the Village, close to where I live - it's called "The Bossa Nova Point" and it's managed by this Brazilian dude, who we call Tony (unspeakable first name). By the way, that's where I intend to take the Kansas girls Kelly and Tracy. Andie, Lynn and myself have taken summer jobs as waiters at the Bossa throughout the years. So we hang out there a lot and most times, there's six of us, so we order a six pack in which Tony gives us a discount. A couple of years ago, Tony started calling us "the six-packs", which we find really tacky. But hey, I'm not rich, actually I'm a bit cheap, so any discount is welcome. "Tony, a six pack please" is another sentence that you'll hear a lot from us.
Cheers,
Kyle
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