I remember I was just transferred to a new school in fifth grade. It was only my second day. A kid they called Boo came up to me and said, “You have to fight me.” I was startled at this kind of welcome wagon greeting.
I also did not want to fight this kid. He looked pitiful. There had to be someway out of this. I told him I was busy because I had to go to the eye doctor. That was true but I couldn’t keep making excuses.
He met me at my locker every day after school. Finally, I said, “Fine. Let’s fight.” His friends brought me outside and what seems like half the school followed us to an alley about a block away from our middle school. They shouted at us to fight. I took two swings at him and he was crying. I didn’t feel good about this at all.
The next day his friend who was taller and stronger met me and said, “Now you have to fight me.” I learned there was some kind of pecking system in this school to see where you fit in.
This other kid and I fought for a long time until my nose was bleeding and I said I had enough. The kid agreed to stop even though he was still pumped up with adrenaline.
When I got home and my dad saw my nose, he asked who did it. We visited the boy’s house and my dad talked to his dad and they became friends. The weird thing is that kid who busted up my nose became my best friend in middle school.
He stood up for me time after time. We did more than hung out. We got each other's backs. We also suffered losses together. We got into trouble together and we got out of trouble together.
I can't say he was my only best friend. However he is a survivor and kept his marbles. I lost another best friend and some moved on (that's another story).
It’s been more than 30 years and he is doing well. We live half way around the world from each other but we sometimes still call and say, “Sup?”
Some songs for best friends:
Paul Simon - Me and Julio
Jim Croce - Leroy Brown
Friends forever
Carole King - You've Got a Friend
I heard this one first from James Taylor years back
and again a couple years ago at a Chicago Theater performance of the Broadway musical "Beautiful".
My friends are never forgotten.
