Matt

   Throughout this summer, we would go to a local bar or two on Main Street and then stumble our way down to the Ferry parking lots where Matt had a summer job as a parking lot night watchman. As a group we’d all hang out and keep him company until we sobered up. Around this time, through Matt, we met an awesome Greek girl named Valerie and her sister Kristina.

  When I first met Matt, I was a little put off by him. He could be crude and obnoxious and loud. But those nights talking with him in that parking lot, I really came to respect his differencing opinions and his crudeness became more of a candor. He proved to be very intelligent and insightful. Soon, I found myself hanging out with him on my own and we became good friends. The moment it solidified it for me was when Dan was talking about how great it was going to be when he and his girlfriend dorm at the same University that September. Jason was going to start going to school and room with Dan because Dan transferred from his upstate college to be with his girlfriend. Remembering Dan’s reaction to Eric kissing his ex-girlfriend, I wanted to prepare him. Matt and I were hanging out at the lot and both Matt and I independently suggested to Dan to prepare himself for the worst when it came to his girlfriend. After dismissing me, Matt chimed in with a “Dan, What if? We’re not saying it’s going to happen, but if she does cheat on you, can you handle it?” Without ever having a conversation about this before, Matt and I were on the same page. I’m sure Christine probably had the same conversation with Matt she had with me months back. Either way, Matt had my back and I appreciated it. Dan shrugged it off and said he’d cross that bridge when he got to it. Less than two months later he would get to that bridge.

 Meanwhile, in my own life… After Dena started dating the Frog for about 4 or 5 months, things started going south with them. She would still visit me at work to talk about her problems and started hinting that she wanted to get back together with me. I’d like to say that I held tough and refuted her, but it was almost a competition to me. I was better than that Frog and I wanted to win. I was still uneasy about being with her so we took thing slow and casual. Especially at first. I told her that we were not going back to the way things were. I tasted my social freedom and vowed I would never lose that again. Life isn’t fun when you are in a relationship that makes you feel “stuck” She agreed and we started dating again.

  Matt and I, him in his own similar on again off again relationship with a girl named Jessica,  talked for many an evening about the pros and cons of such a relationship. And after just a few months Dena and I would fall into the same unhealthy patterns.