Jennifer returned from Cancun, bringing Edward Adam Peltz with her.  She had decided he was the one.  This was it and she practically moved in with the guy.  He still lived with his folks, but they didn't seem to mind her being there.  Theresa and I didn't mind, either although it meant having to find our own way to and from school.  The traffic coming in from Long Island was unpredictable and we couldn't depend upon Jennifer to pick us up on time.

 

    Jennifer also started to make all these new friends.  Actually, they were all Eddies friends.  They were all successful people.  I got the feeling that successful people didn't mix with yet to be successful people, because all the things that all these people were doing together weren't the sort of things that Jennifer's best female friend and best male friend would want to do.  Jennifer knew this and was always quick to tell us.  It didn't seem to matter whether or not it was true.

 

    Theresa and I talked less and less to Jennifer.  When we did talk to Jennifer, Jennifer wanted to know what Theresa thought she was doing with me.  When Jennifer talked to me she never had anything nice to say about Theresa.  She shared a lot of Theresa's secrets with me and a lot of them were secrets she shouldn't have shared.

 

    "She's just using you," Jennifer would say.

 

    I didn't think I was doing any more for Theresa than I had done for Jennifer, although I found the relationship much more rewarding.  Still, what I was hearing bothered me.  It didn't make any sense for Jennifer to be telling me, what she was telling me, for anything other than my own good.  Usually, the people that care most about us, are the people quickest to tell us things we don't want to hear.  Jennifer was telling me things I just didn't want to hear.

 

                                     *

 

    The months wore on and Theresa and I continued to see one another.  Theresa adored me.  She told me so.  We were having lots of fun together.  I was good for her.  I was the best friend she ever had and I had begun to think, maybe more.  I mean, things were really beginning to look up.  We were seeing one another on a daily basis and I finally landed the kind of job that was career oriented.  I went to work for the New York City Police Department.  The salary was good and it offered full medical benefits, paid holidays and paid vacations.  It was the sort of thing that made one think about the future.

 

    Then one night, while coming home from work, I ran into Jennifer.  She was out walking the dog and I hadn't seen her for quite some time.

 

    "Talked to your girl friend lately?"  She asked.

 

    "Yeah," I said.  "She stayed over a few nights ago.  We're getting together Saturday night."

 

    "What's she doing tonight?"

 

    "I don't know.  Studying, I suppose."

 

    "You ought to give her a call."

 

    "I will."

 

    I went upstairs and dialed Theresa's number.  Marty answered the phone.  He said Theresa wasn't in.

 

    I said, "oh," and asked him to tell her that I called.

 

    Theresa never returned my call.

 

    I called the next night and got to talk to Marty, again.  Theresa wasn't in.  I asked where she was and Marty said she was out with a friend.  I said, "oh," and asked him to tell her I called.

 

    I'm not sure how late I waited for Theresa to return my call.

 

    I tried to remain calm, but I was scared.  I couldn't understand why she wouldn't call.  She had to be coming home.  She had to be getting my messages.  Marty was real good about giving Theresa her messages.  I couldn't understand why she wouldn't call.

 

    Friday night came and I ran into Jennifer, again.

 

    "Hi.  You don't look so good."  She said.

 

    Looking good was never one of my finer points.

 

    "I saw Theresa today," she added and a screw tightened somewhere in my gut.

 

    "I've been trying to call her, but she hasn't been home.  Do you know what's going on with her?"

 

    I don't know what hurt more.  I don't know if it was hearing the truth, or the triumphant way Jennifer thrust her fist up into the air.

 

    "David," she said.  "That's what's going on with her."

 

    "Is she sleeping with him?"

 

    "Yes," Jennifer said.

 

    I started to turn away and that's about the time Jennifer thrust her fist into the air.

 

    "I knew if I stuck this out," she cried.  "I'd live to see this day."

 

    It was a hell of a remark, but then, what are friends for?

 

    I went straight upstairs and downed the last ten valium my mother had.  Needless to say, I slept.  I slept good.  I slept so good, it was 18 hours before I finally woke up and when I did, I had the worst hang over of my entire life.  Not even mega doses of Extra Strength Tylenol could chase that bass drum away.

                                    *

 

    The week wore on and it was the worst week of my life.  I couldn't understand what had happened.  I mean, I did understand what had happened, I just didn't understand why.  I didn't think things were so bad between us.  I was her best friend.  She said so, numerous times.  How do you treat someone you call your best friend so insensitively?

 

    The following Sunday night, Theresa finally called.

 

    "Hi," she said.

 

    I said, "hello."

 

    "What are you doing?"

 

    "Nothing."

 

    "Why don't you rent a few movies and come over?"

 

    "Okay."

 

    I borrowed my fathers car and drove over to Theresa's.  Theresa answered the door.

 

    I walked in and she must have noticed I was empty handed.

 

    "Where are the movies?"

 

    I walked past her and into the living room.

 

    "I didn't come over here to watch movies."

 

    "Oh," she said.  She was still standing at the front door and I waited for her to close it.  She finally did and walked into the living room.

 

    "Where's David?"  I asked.

 

    "You mean, Jennifer told you about David," she said matter of factly.

 

    "Yeah," I added, trying to keep my heart from beating its way out of my chest.

 

    "He had to help his father with something, tonight."

 

    "I see. So how come you called me?"

 

    "Well, we haven't spent much time together lately.  So, I thought you'd rent a couple of movies and we'd watch them.  You know; like we use to?"

 

    "I thought we were getting together last Saturday night?"

 

    "Something came up."

 

    "Sounds to me more like someone came up."

 

    "I don't have to explain myself to you!"

 

    I guess I hit a nerve.

 

    Theresa plopped down on the couch beside me.

 

    "I think you know my feelings for you," I said.  "I think that was pretty unfair."

 

    "I never said I was in love with you.  I never said I was your girl!"

 

    "No," I said.  "You never said you were my girl.  You said you were my friend.  I never ignored your feelings, or your needs.  That's what made me your friend.  I'm really disappointed to see how easily you ignore mine.  Don't call me when you've got nothing else to do.  It's just a waist of my time."

 

    I walked through the living room and out the front door.  I cried.  Somewhere between her house and my house I had to stop and have a good cry.  I can't say it would have hurt any less if she had called me, or the out come would have been any different, but at least we could have talked.  I might have felt better if we had talked.  I mean, I'm really hung up on things like trust and honesty.  Do you think there's anything wrong with honesty and trust; or, is it just me?

 

    I don't know.  Sometimes I think I was brought up all wrong.

 

    What do you think?  Was I brought up all wrong, or is it just me?