My parents continued to drive us places until we got our driver’s licenses during our sophomore year, Matty first and then me. My birthday was in July and Matty’s in November; so, I could have started driving much earlier. But I was fearful about being behind the wheel and dragged my feet, waiting to take my driver’s license test on the same day Matty took his. And even after I’d been given a car by my parents (it was my mom’s old car; she’d upgraded to a new model that year, passing her old one on to me), I still resisted driving, preferring to catch a ride with Matty. He didn’t mind always doing the driving as he said he feared for his life when I was behind the wheel.
Our friend group expanded a bit in ninth grade with some kids who had come from other middle schools; but we mostly stuck with the same friends from eighth grade, including Krista and Jimmy. From the outside, things looked the same as always.
But inside, at least for me, things had started to change. We were, of course, older. And as a boy and girl best friend pair, we attracted a lot of attention from other kids. The friends we had grown up with were accustomed to seeing us together, but our new classmates could not understand how we were just friends and not a couple. We were frequently teased; nothing harsh, just jokes about how we were probably making out after school or that we were secretly holding hands under our desks.
Matty would always laugh and tell them that we were just best friends, not a couple. And while I knew that was true, I started to feel a little hurt when he would say that, as though the thought of us as a couple was ridiculous. My teenage hormones were raging and I began to feel attracted to Matty. When those feelings arose, I always tried to push them down; and I distracted myself by trying to have crushes on other boys. But I could not deny that I was starting to like Matty as more than just a friend.
Admitting to myself how I was feeling about Matty terrified me. I was positive that if he or anyone ever found out that I liked him, our friendship would be over. I convinced myself that he would even hate me for it. I vowed to get my emotions under control and went out of my way to hide my feelings, including talking about other boys that I claimed to have crushes on; even though I didn’t, really. I made sure to always remain laid back and casual when around Matty, least he suspect how I was really feeling.
Fortunately, Matty wasn’t too keen on dating, even though he had girls practically throwing themselves at him; so, I didn’t have to hide any jealousy. One summer day before the start of ninth grade, we had promised each other that we would be each other’s dates to all the school dances. And we stuck to that for two homecomings, two winter formals, and two proms. Matty never showed much interest in other girls, other than agreeing with his friends when they talked about a model or actress being ‘hot,’ and he never expressed that he wanted to take anyone else to the dances. Plus, he was so wrapped up in sports that his free time was spent either on school work or hanging out at my house, usually with the rest of my family around.
Matty first mentioned that his dad was up for a promotion at work mid-way through the spring of our sophomore year and that the job would mean they would move to California. I remember feeling sick when he told me; but he quickly brushed it off, saying he didn’t think it would happen as his dad was such a big-wig at his current location. No way would the company want to move their best Midwest executive out of the region; and he couldn’t imagine his folks giving up the social status they enjoyed in Springville.
A few more times over the coming weeks, Matty would again mention his father’s potential promotion. The company flew his dad to California for an in-person interview. A week later, they brought both of his parents out to tour the area and attend a cocktail party with the board of directors of the firm; the board members were the ones who would be voting on which of the candidates would be awarded the job. I could tell Matty was starting to worry that they might move; but we were all so busy wrapping up the school year and preparing for summer that any concerns were quickly pushed aside. I wouldn’t even let myself consider the possibility of Matty leaving; I told myself that if I just ignored it, it would never happen.
Then came that day two weeks before the end of our sophomore year when Matty climbed in my window, as he had hundreds of times before, to tell me it was official, that his dad had gotten the promotion and that they were, indeed, moving to California. My heart broke that day, and even though we promised our friendship would survive and tried making the most of our last summer together, the looming move was always at the forefront of both our minds.
The night before Matty’s family moved to California, his parents threw themselves a private going-away party at the country club. Surprisingly, they sprung for extra to rent out the pool area and let Matty invite thirty friends to swim while the adults were inside. No doubt to keep the kids occupied
